Something's Got to Give

Something's Got to Give is an unfinished American feature film shot in 1962, directed by George Cukor for 20th Century Fox and starring Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin and Cyd Charisse. A remake of My Favorite Wife (1940), a screwball comedy starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant, it was Monroe's last work.

Principal photography began on April 23, 1962, without Monroe present on set, who had said she suffered from bouts of illness. Monroe did arrive on set to film several scenes on select days in May 1962 before she left to sing "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to U.S. President John F. Kennedy at his birthday celebration in Madison Square Garden. She returned to Hollywood to film her naked swimming sequence, where she donned a flesh-colored bikini to appear nude. Monroe suggested being photographed in the nude, in which several photographers were invited to take pictures of her. Monroe's last full day of filming was on Friday, June 1, her 36th birthday. Afterwards, Monroe was unavailable on Monday, June 4, due to severe illness.

Frustrated by the frequent delays, and with production weeks behind schedule, 20th Century Fox fired Monroe on June 8, and sued her and her production company for $750,000. She was replaced with Lee Remick. However, Dean Martin, Monroe's co-star, refused to return without Monroe. As a result, the film was indefinitely suspended. In the interim, Monroe's representatives entered negotiations with Fox to withdraw the lawsuit and have production resume with Monroe. However, Monroe was found dead at her Brentwood residence on August 5, 1962. Most of its completed footage remained unseen for several decades.

A year later, 20th Century Fox overhauled the entire production, which was retitled Move Over, Darling (1963) and starred Doris Day, James Garner, and Polly Bergen.