The Misfits

Roslyn Taber, a striking ex stripper going through a divorce, encounters two men who seem equally adrift. Gay Langland is an aging cowboy turned gambler and Guido Racanelli is a world weary World War II veteran with big ideas and a blunt streak. The three decide to share Guido's half finished desert house, drawn by a crave for independence and a willingness to risk everything for a freer life. When Perce Howland, a weathered ex rodeo rider, arrives, the foursome teams up to run a plan that captures wild horses. The arrangement sparks longing and stubborn pride, testing loyalty, boundaries, and friendship in a harsh landscape.

Directed by John Huston, The Misfits presents an original screenplay by Arthur Miller and a star packed ensemble led by Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift, and Eli Wallach. Released in 1961, the film blends stark Western settings with Miller's dialogue and Huston's rough, honest approach to character.

With a budget of 4 million, the movie grossed about 8.2 million worldwide, a modest but solid return for a prestige project that pushed adult themes and raw landscape rather than crowd pleasers.

The Misfits is often remembered as Marilyn Monroe's final completed film and a rare dramatic turn that pairs her with leading men amid a study of age, desire, and the fading myth of the West. The desert sequences linger in memory and the performances leave a lasting impression on late era Hollywood cinema.

Critics at release praised the performances and Huston's unvarnished tone, while noting Miller's sharp exchanges and the film's austere moral questions. Themes include loneliness, vulnerability, and the clash between freedom and obligation as a group bonds against a hard frontier. The film endures as a compact, character driven exploration of love, loss, and the price of men choosing their own codes over convention.