Marilyn Monroe Photographed by Milton Greene on the Set of “Bus Stop” (1956) in Phoenix, Arizona

Milton Greene photographed Marilyn Monroe extensively during the 1950s, capturing some of her most iconic and intimate portraits. On the set of Bus Stop (1956), Greene documented Monroe’s transformation into a more serious actress, as this was one of her first major dramatic roles after breaking away from her earlier typecast performances.

While the majority of Greene’s famous collaborations with Monroe were done in studio or more stylized settings, he did accompany her during production and on-location shoots, including Bus Stop, which filmed partially in Phoenix, Arizona and other locations in the Southwest.

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.

Bus Stop became a box office success, earning more than $7 million in distributor rentals, and received mainly favorable reviews, with Monroe’s performance being highly praised. The Saturday Review of Literature wrote that Monroe’s performance “effectively dispels once and for all the notion that she is merely a glamour personality.” Bosley Crowther of The New York Times praised the lead performances, as well as O’Connell, Eckart, Field and Bray. He wrote of Monroe, “Hold on to your chairs, everybody, and get set for a rattling surprise. Marilyn Monroe has finally proved herself an actress.”