Of all the characters Marilyn Monroe played, Roslyn in The Misfits (John Huston, 1961) and that of Sugar Kane in (Billy Wilder, 1959) have the stature of myth. The first is an iconic film for many reasons, among others, because it was the last of Clark Gable and Monroe, whose character, written by her then husband, Arthur Miller, bears clear similarities to the actress. But the drunk loser and brainless Sugar Kane in Wilder’s film responds better than any to the mystery and genius of Marilyn, whose centenary will be celebrated on June 1 with dozens of articles, new books and exhibitions that confirm the modernity of an inexhaustible woman.
