History Film / Niagara

Monroe was given first billing in ''Niagara'', which elevated her to star status. Her following two films of that year, ''Literature/GentlemenPreferBlondes'', with Creator/JaneRussell, and ''Film/HowToMarryAMillionaire'', with Creator/BettyGrable and Creator/LaurenBacall, were even bigger successes. One of the last films for Jean Peters, who soon retired from the screen in order to marry Creator/HowardHughes.

** When the Cutlers visits the waterfall for the first time, we see how the token system of the cloakroom works. It becomes an important plot device later, when [[spoiler:George uses it to fake his on death]].

* LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine: Faithful, good-natured Polly (light feminine) is contrasted with scheming, duplicitous FemmeFatale Rose Loomis (dark feminine). Ironically for the trope, Rose is blonde and Polly is brunette.

* BuxomIsBetter: The cheerfully horny Ray tells Polly to turn so he can get a profile picture with his camera. When she only turns her face he says "''Profile!''" Polly smirks at him knowingly and turns her torso to show off her breasts to the camera. Roy then pushes further by telling her "Inhale! You've got nothing to hide, inhale!" After doing an obvious mental eye roll Polly complies again.

-->-- {{opening narration}} by '''George Loomis'''

* BuxomIsBetter: The cheerfully horny Roy tells Polly to turn so he can get a profile picture with his camera. When she only turns her face he says "''Profile!''" Polly smirks at him knowingly and turns her torso to show off her breasts to the camera. Roy then pushes further by telling her "Inhale! You've got nothing to hide, inhale!" After doing an obvious mental eye roll Polly complies again.

* InTheStyleOf: Henry Hathaway was mainly known as a director of {{Western}}s and [[ActionGenre Action]] movies, but he was also adept at being a second-string Creator/AlfredHitchcock (''Film/KissOfDeath'', ''Call Northside 777'') and there are quite a few similarities between ''Niagara'' and Hitchcock's films from TheFifties, right down to a blonde woman as the focus of the story. Specifically, some commentators have wondered if Hitchcock might have borrowed some ideas for ''Film/{{Vertigo}}'' from ''Niagara'' (the shots of George following Rose, plus the bell tower scene, being the most obvious examples).

* TooDumbToLive: Rose sees her homicidal husband. She's at Niagara Falls, a place packed with tourists. She chooses to climb to the top of a carillon tower, where he can catch her alone.

* ShellShockedVeteran: Part of the reason why George is so emotional and prone to rage. He was discharged from service in UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar for "battle fatigue" and hospitalized for a time.

* TooDumbToLive: Rose sees her homicidal husband. She's at Niagara Falls, a place packed with tourists. She chooses to climb to the top of a tower, where he can catch her alone.

* ShellShockedVeteran: Part of the reason why George is so emotional and prone to rage. He was discharged from the Korean War for "battle fatigue" and hospitalized for a time.