Bus Stop (1956 film)

Bus Stop is a 1956 American romantic comedy-drama directed by Joshua Logan, adapted by George Axelrod from the 1955 play by William Inge. It stars Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray, Arthur O'Connell, Betty Field, Eileen Heckart, Robert Bray, and Hope Lange. The film is about a group of long-haul bus passengers at stranded a diner during a snowstorm, and the ensuing relationship between a naive cowboy (Murray) and an aspiring singer (Monroe). It is the film debut of both Murray and Lange.

Unlike most of Monroe's films, Bus Stop is neither a full-fledged comedy nor a musical, but rather a dramatic piece; it was the first film she appeared in after studying at the Actors Studio in New York. Monroe does, however, sing one song: "That Old Black Magic" by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer.

The film was released by 20th Century Fox on August 31, 1956, and was both a critical and commercial success. Don Murray was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for his performance. At the 14th Golden Globe Awards, the film was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Monroe for Best Actress. The film was also nominated for Golden Lion at the 17th Venice International Film Festival.