September 3, 1952 –
The screwball comedy, Monkey Business, directed by Howard Hawks and starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Charles Coburn, and Marilyn Monroe, opened in New York City on this date.
Although the film shares a title with the otherwise unrelated 1931 Marx Brothers comedy Monkey Business, the films have some vague connections: Early in his career, Cary Grant was partly inspired by Zeppo Marx, the team’s juvenile straight man. In addition, the 1931 film co-starred Thelma Todd, whose life, career, and mysterious death parallel Grant’s co-star here, Marilyn Monroe.
The Haus of Dcaligari 