WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

Two stars who were totally cheated by the Hollywood profit machine were Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. Monroe was cheated by her studio who didn't allow her to appear in films that would have highlighted her exceptional acting talents. While she did get a chance to show her enormous potential in films like Bus Stop and Don't Bother to Knock, she never got to star in a film that could really demonstrate that she could be far more than a blonde sex symbol. She was considered for such major productions as Oklahoma with Frank Sinatra and a musical version of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, also with Sinatra. She had been asked to play the classical role of Grushenka in The Brothers Karamazov. Another incredible opportunity she was denied was co-starring with James Dean in Of Human Bondage, where she was sure to be the definitive Mildred Rogers. Additionally her studio sabotaged plans for her to do a TV version of Rain with Raymond Massey. Any one of these projects would have resulted, I am sure, in a highly praised classic and rave reviews for Marilyn. But all these opportunities were denied her. Despite these roadblocks, she at least achieved some lasting recognition with her comic roles in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire, and dramatic parts such as her screen-burning appearance in The Asphalt Jungle. Elvis Presley, on the other hand, was so handicapped by his manager Colonel Parker that he was never able to realize his dream of becoming a top dramatic actor, a goal of which he was more than capable. But sadly instead of starring in important films like The Rainmaker, he was consigned to such light fare as Viva Las Vegas, Flaming Star, Blue Hawaii, and his most hated film  Clambake. Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley, two legendary and talented giants who both could have left behind a significantly more spectacular body of work. But they each were crushed by greedy, unimaginative, number-crunching pencil pushers. One can only fantasize what a fantastic and unforgettable combination they would have been if they had co-starred in Bus Stop.