We tend to think that people in power are smart. And while they often are they can be incredibly stupid and short-sighted. Take for example 20th Century Fox and Colonel Parker. Both Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley were great talents whose values were wasted by a stupid studio and a mediocre promoter. Monroe want to play Grushenka in The Brothers Karamazov, but was denied the opportunity by her studio. They also refused to let her do the lead with Frank Sinatra in the never-made musical of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and the role of Lola in Damn Yankees with Tab Hunter and Of Human Bondage with James Dean. Three possible classics not to be. Also imagine how much more powerful Bus Stop would have been with Elvis Presley paired with Monroe. It was suggested but nixed by the moronic Colonel Parker who put Presley into role after shallow role when Elvis had the talent for bigger projects like Oklahoma, Carousel and the aforementioned Bus Stop. The cinematic talents of both Monroe and Presley were wasted by greedy, unimaginative men who thought they knew better. Presley caved because he felt he owed the Colonel something (he didn't) Monroe because she was easily threatened and overpowered. The loss was ours, lovers of films who would have had more than a handful of great movies starring two of the most incredible talents of their time.
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