BUS STOP has got to be one of the most enjoyable and entertaining Western/Comedy/Romances that I have ever had the pleasure of watching.With an excellent cast, showcased by the likes of the voluptuous Marilyn Monroe and the virile Don Murray, BUS STOP is a Western/Romance that's certainly worth a second view.When husky Montana rodeo-champ, Bo Decker, finds his "Angel", it's love at first sight. Bo instantly falls heads over heels for the sweet'n'sexy Cherie, a fifth-rate nightclub chanteuse.Bo wants marriage. Cherie wants Hollywood.For the headstrong Bo, "no" does not always mean "no", especially when it comes to the wishes of his beloved "Angel". And so Bo finds that he must learn the hard way - That he can't just rope a gal the same way one lassos a steer.When it comes to Bo learning a lesson on sheer stubbornness, it's Carl, the rugged and gallant bus-driver, who must intervene and rearrange Bo's face for him.Beaten and disgraced in front of his "Angel", everything somehow turns out for the best for Bo Decker. Before you know it, it's suddenly cheers and happy times ahead when Cherie realizes that, yes, she is, indeed, in love with this impulsive, but basically good-hearted cowboy-dude.Released in 1956 - BUS STOP is, most definitely, Western/Comedy/Romance at its rootin'-tootin' best!

And I mean it. *The acting is very good. Bo is supposed to be an obnoxious hick.* I don't get why it gets so many hate. I mean, just take a loot at it's message board. A lot of users talking about how 'obnoxious' this film is, and specifically how Bo's character was annoying. Well, the character is supposed to be annoying. He's a jerk, who had never been in contact with civilization before. As an ignorant, hick jerk, he doesn't understand that people need to respect the free will of others. The film isn't glorifying anything, and Bo ISN'T a bad person, he is only immature, and he definitely learnt his lesson in the end. Don Murray was also great in it. *Bland cinematography, just like many films from that same age.* I didn't like the cinematography, it just isn't advanced enough nor there is a lot of craft put on it. But compared to other films from the same age, it allows a deeper immersion of the modern viewer in the story so I give it kudos for that. There is a few awesome shots and a nice editing work, such as in the rodeo sequence, and the fight scene between the Bo and the bus driver. *Quite formulaic, but the story is enjoyable enough.* As I mentioned already, the film wouldn't show an ignorant hick as the character who is the bully if it had any intention of glorifying his actions. Is quite the opposite, actually. And I didn't find this film all that annoying at all. In the final 10 minutes there is a bit of insufferable melodrama, and is quite formulaic, but besides that, is enjoyable and even funny at times. "Conclusion:"  *Isn't what I would call "a good film", but is definitely the best film starring Marilyn Monroe ever made. At least, the less annoying one...*

When Joshua Logan tested the play "Picnic" out of town, he had to confront the fact that audiences did not like certain aspects of the William Inge play, especially the ending. Over Inge's protests, he changed the play. It went to Broadway where it was successful. Logan was then pegged to direct the film. He brought the play "out of the box" of the theater and set the movie in an actual town.After the success of "Picnic" the movie, another Inge play, "Bus Stop" was brought to film with Logan again directing. This film has obvious similarities to "Picnic" even though Logan is not listed as writer. In particular, the scenes that occur before they reach the bus stop--with their slice of life montage--and the presence of Arthur O'Connell. Marilyn Monroe replaces Kim Novak as the small-town girl and Don Murray replaces William Holden as the interloper who enters her life.I disagree with those who find Marilyn Monroe's performance lacking. She plays Cherie--at least that's what she calls herself--a "chanteuse" from the hill county who has created what she thinks is a refined personality. For those who find her accent uneven, I suggest that it is no more real than her name, so it makes perfect sense that it comes and goes, mixed with her hill folk twang.Don Murray's performance is criticized by some as annoying or overly loud. Beau is a farm boy who has probably never talked with a woman, let alone kissed one. His manners are suitable for the barn because he doesn't know any better. His attraction to Cherie (whom he calls "Cherry") is like the first crush of a schoolboy, transformative and tempestuous. He is bursting at the seams with enthusiasm. His ideas of manhood are, no doubt, garnered from ranch hands. Jack Lemmon has played a few characters with similar traits--loud and enthusiastic.The original play was much different and, as Inge intended, much darker. It is a story about the essential loneliness of life. The movie has been considerably brightened. No doubt Logan had a large hand in that. When Cherie and Beau are waylaid at a bus stop with some strangers, Beau is forced to confront his caveman ways. Cherie is touched, leading to her revelation about her background. Somehow the bus stop scene is still the central part of the film. The kiss between Cherie and Beau after their transformations is touching and intense (thanks to the contrast with Beau's behavior beforehand).I don't think Cherie's decision at the end is as risky as the decision Madge makes at the end of "Picnic", but it still indicates a major change in the character. In the end, "Bus Stop" goes from over-the-top comedy to a love story.

If you want to see Marilyn Monroe in a good movie, I don't think you want to start here. Though I am surprised by the number of reviewers here that think the film and her performance in it was wonderful. I just didn't see it. Looks aside, Monroe's performance ranged from adequate to somewhat good, but when she sang 'That Old Black Magic', I wondered to myself if she was supposed to sound terrible. To my ear, the song didn't sound good at all.As for Beauregard (Don Murray), well he was enough to make you want to turn the film off just about any time he was on screen. I suppose the director takes some of the blame, but man, he was just plain annoying. I can't believe someone acting like a bull in a china shop just about the whole picture without anyone having to say something about it. Like the scene where he admonishes the crowd in the saloon while Cherie (Monroe) sings her number. His behavior seemed to invite antagonism just about any time he opened his mouth.So with all that said, the finale seemed to come out of left field with Cherie and Bo reconciling their differences and agreeing to get hitched. Considering her aspirations, it would have made more sense for Cherie to head on West to Hollywood like she planned and have Bo find true romance with a sweet girl like Elma (Hope Lange) who shared his background. Seems to me she would have been more at home at the Suzie Q Ranch.