Marilyn Monroe
Page 34
Disillusioned with the kind of roles that Fox was giving her and fearing she would always be cast as sexy dumb blondes, Marilyn walked out on her studio and spent a year studying at the prestigious Actor’s Studio in New York.
After a year of study with Lee Strasberg, Marilyn returned to the screen in 1956, costarring with Don Murray in Bus Stop. With this performance critics finally began to acknowledge she had acting talent that went beyond a dynamic sexual allure.
The Prince and the Showgirl with Laurence Olivier was the first and only movie produced by Marilyn’s production company. There was high tension on the set because of her constant lateness and Olivier’s fear she was stealing the picture.
On October 29, 1956, Marilyn was presented to Queen Elizabeth for a Royal Command Film Performance. The Queen’s eyes curiously went up and down Marilyn’s tight, revealing gown before she smilingly extended her hand in greeting.
Marilyn with her third husband, playwright Arthur Miller, at the premiere of The Prince and the Showgirl in 1957. They each fell in love with aspects of the other but were never able to fully grasp or accept the full person.
Marilyn poses on the set of Some Like It Hot. Her constant lateness and absences caused friction with costars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, as well as director Billy Wilder. But the movie would go on to be the greatest hit of all their careers.
Marilyn’s marriage was already in trouble when she started an affair with French film star Yves Montand during the making of the ironically titled Let’s Make Love. Here they are at a press conference announcing the start of filming in 1960.
Marilyn performing in the “My Heart Belongs to Daddy” number in Let’s Make Love, a bright spot in an otherwise dismal film. Some critics marked this movie as the beginning of a decline in her career.
Marilyn was physically and emotionally ill when she arrived—tired and slightly bloated—in Reno to start shooting The Misfits in July 1960. Nevertheless, a great crowd greeted her at the airport and she did her best to project the expected movie star image.
Although Marilyn looked stunning when she attended the premiere of The Misfits in January 1961 with costar Montgomery Clift, she was close to an emotional breakdown. A week later she was committed to a psychiatric hospital.
In a year plagued by illness, Marilyn was released from Manhattan Polyclinic Hospital in July 1961 after having her gall bladder removed.
Feeling rejuvenated, Marilyn looked every inch the movie star when she left for a trip to Mexico in February 1962 to buy furnishings for her newly purchased house.
At a high-spirited press conference in Mexico City, Marilyn sipped champagne and wittily answered questions. She is wearing the green Pucci dress she would be buried in.
A tipsy Marilyn falling into the arms of Rock Hudson, after she was presented with the Golden Globe Award in March 1962 for being the Female World Film Favorite. She was gratified to get this particular award at a time when some people in the press were speculating that her career was finished.
After losing more than 20 pounds, Marilyn was excited to show off her svelte body in Something’s Got to Give. In the wardrobe and makeup tests for the film, her beauty seems to have reached its zenith.
Marilyn looked lovely and was giving a very tender performance in Something’s Got to Give, but because of deepening psychological problems and a fear of facing the camera, she rarely showed up for shooting. The film was never completed.
The air was swirling with gossip and innuendo when Marilyn was escorted into Madison Square Garden with press aide Pat Newcomb on May 19, 1962. Marilyn was there to sing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy. Her sexy, breathy serenade caused a sensation.
Marilyn made her last public appearance with Angels center fielder Albie Pearson at a charity event at Dodger Stadium on her thirty-sixth birthday, June 1, 1962. It was also the last day she filmed a scene for a motion picture. The final weeks of her life were fraught with illness, intrigue, and mystery.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank my parents, Gloria and Ralph, who gave me everything.
I am grateful to my agent, Tom Miller, who believed in this project and encouraged me from our first meeting in his office until the last sentence was written. I was fortunate enough to have Charles Spicer as my editor at St. Martin’s Press—his instincts and guidance were invaluable. Thanks also to April Osborn for her assistance.
For this biography, I had contact with many individuals, each with special qualities, who added to the book in different ways. Because Marilyn Monroe’s life was a mosaic, each person led me to a piece of the puzzle in some unique way (whether they are quoted in the text or not). I am grateful to the extraordinary Joan Copeland, who was generous with her time talking about Marilyn—her sister-in-law through Arthur Miller—and who gave me rare, firsthand insights. Photographer Murray Garrett—who took ravishing and revealing photos of Marilyn at many public events—stunned me with his perception into the dichotomies of the public Monroe and also about the relationship between the media and celebrities in the 1950s and ’60s. I also enjoyed talking with Michael J. Pollard, who studied and performed with Marilyn at the Actor’s Studio, and became a friend.
I was fortunate enough to share a meal with Angela Allen (John Huston’s script supervisor), who was perfectly lovely and forthcoming with her memories of Marilyn on the set of The Misfits, even while planning her own memoir. Curtice Taylor could not have been more welcoming when we discussed the relationship his parents (Frank and Nan Taylor) had with Marilyn and his own experiences knowing her. The gregarious Hap Roberts, nephew of one of Marilyn’s greatest friends, Ralph Roberts, added another level of understanding to that multifaceted friendship.
Three gentlemen were particularly enlightening on three different periods in Marilyn’s life: Al Carmen Guastafeste arranged Marilyn’s music and played piano for her when she entertained troops in Korea in 1954. Al Brenneman worked with Marilyn on the classic comedy Some Like It Hot in 1958. Kimothy Cruse had fascinating information regarding Marilyn after she was fired from Something’s Got to Give in 1962. Their interviews added greatly to Marilyn’s life story.
For their time and input into this biography I would like to thank Allan Abbott, Bobby Banas, Leslie Caron, Marion Collier, Joan Collins, Rhonda Fleming, Buddy Greco, Joshua Greene, Joan Greenson, Betsy Duncan Hammes, Lou Harris, Kathleen Hughes, Christian Larson, Paul Libin, Roberta Linn, Chris Lemmon, Bob Mardesich, Edward Parone, Stefanie Powers, Michael Selsman, Nancy Sinatra, Eric Skipsey, Lena Tabori, Lisa Immordino Vreelend, Dawn Wells, Bette Westcott, Ken Wescott, and David Wills. There were also several important sources who asked to remain anonymous.
For valuable insight into mental illness and therapy I would like to give my sincere thanks for interviews granted by Jared Seltzer, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist. And Douglas Kirsner, Ph.D., author of the enlightening essay “Do As I Say, Not As I Do: Ralph Greenson, Anna Freud, and Superrich Patients.”
Biographer James Spada shared long talks with me and divulged new information he had uncovered regarding Marilyn Monroe. I will always cherish the memory of James.
I am grateful to the Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The entire staff made it one my favorite places in the world. They are gracious, knowledgeable, and actually go out of their way to be helpful. I would particularly like to thank Jenny Romero, Louise Hilton, and Marisa Duron for all their good-natured assistance.
The Margaret Herrick Library houses three collections which were extremely helpful in my research. I would like to thank three wonderful writers who donated their extensive research on Marilyn Monroe. Sources who were close to Marilyn who are dead or no longer available are heard in these pages because of the work of these impressive authors:
Lois Banner Collection. Notes on interviews for her book Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox.
Donald Spoto. Oral interviews for his biography Marilyn Monroe: The Biography.
Anth
ony Summers. Oral interviews for his biography Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe.
I also consulted the Guido Orlando papers regarding Marilyn’s relationship with Natasha Lytess.
The Newberry Library houses the Ben Hecht Collection. Hecht was Marilyn’s ghostwriter for her early memoir My Story. Samantha Smith was especially helpful to me in comparing what is in the published version of My Story and Hecht’s unpublished notes.
My research of Marilyn Monroe started as a child when I became fascinated with a photo I saw of her in a magazine. I have been following a trail ever since. As an adult, through my work as a writer, I had an opportunity to cross paths and interview people who were connected to Marilyn in a variety of ways. In 1997–99, when I was working on a totally different Marilyn Monroe project, I interviewed Bert Stern, Bill Asher, Jeanne Martin, Milton Ebbins, Arthur James, and Gloria Romanoff, and I’ve now been able to incorporate those conversations in the text. I am thankful to them. Through my longtime friendship with Los Angeles cult personality and public access talk show host Skip E. Lowe, I met and got to know Susan Strasberg, Cyd Charisse, Jack Larson, Shelley Winters, Carol Lynley, and Jane Russell. These lovely personalities indulged my interest in Marilyn and patiently answered my questions while sharing their own memories and observations, which are woven throughout the book.
I joined the group Marilyn Remembered in 1999, founded by the wonderful Greg Schreiner (an affable man who is always generous with his time and insights regarding Marilyn), and regularly attended meetings through 2005. These meetings led to many interesting, in-depth discussions about Marilyn with knowledgeable, sensitive individuals, some who knew and worked with Marilyn and some of them Monroe scholars. One thing they taught me is how passionate people can be about Marilyn Monroe, how attached they are to their beliefs, what a hold she continues to have, and how there is a different Marilyn Monroe for all of us. My friends there included George Barris, Evelyn Moriarity, Gene Allen, George Chakiris, Ernest Cunningham, Stanley Rubin, and Lily Woodfield.
One of the big breaks in my life happened when I first moved to Los Angeles and met and befriended the renowned biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli. I became a member of his team for a number of his celebrated books. Through the years I learned a lot from working with him. Randy is not only a blockbuster biographer but a blockbuster friend, and my affection and thanks go out to him.
I am also grateful to B. Harlan Boll, Harrison Held, Alison Martino, and Evan MacDonald for their assistance. The agency Photofest was an enormous help to me in gathering the photos that illustrate this book.
A second pair of eyes was so helpful in editing down Marilyn’s complex life story. I am enormously grateful to my red rose, Rossana Scottodivettimo Weitekamp, who greatly assisted me with her intelligence and skill—above and beyond the call of friendship.
Laughs, understanding, and support are the greatest gifts a friend can give. In that regard, I have been very gifted with the friendship of Jeff Dymowski. My dearest friend and a kindred spirit.
I am extremely grateful for the friendship, support, and wisdom of Denis Ferrara. Not only a brilliant writer (and Marilyn scholar) but also a friend who is dear to me.
The writer Vincent Curcio has been a longtime encourager and friend whom I value. He often pointed me in a direction that yielded gold.
When occasionally lost in a world of words, it’s wonderful to have someone to turn to for some clarity. At various times I was fortunate enough to be able to turn to Lily Acevedo, Tricia Civello, and Mary Gaitskill. Each of them mean a lot.
Sometimes friends and family contribute to a work without even knowing they’re contributing. A shoulder to lean on, not telling me to shut up when I can’t shut up about my subject, being light when I’m dark, or just being. I have been very blessed in the family and friends department: I love John Rechy, period. And Scott Lesko, Rick Brooks, Marcella Winn, Lisa Santucci, Frank Perry, Mike Prestie, Sally Kirkland, Steve Curtis, Isaac Rodriguez, Debra Tate, Stewart Penn, Jacqueline Michelle, Greg Veneklasen, Bernie Guzman, Tony Frere, David Sloan, and Marc Wynn. And Anthony and Marlene Casillo, Anthony Jr., Joseph, and Adrianna.
NOTES
The page numbers for the notes that appeared in the print version of this title are not in your ebook. Please use the search function on your e-reading device to search for the relevant passages documented or discussed.
Prologue
See Anthony Summers, Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe (Macmillan, 1985). See also Anthony Summers, “Marilyn’s Darkest Days Laid Bare,” The Sunday Times, July 29, 2012.
record of her calls that night: David Marshall, The DD Group: An Online Investigation into the Death of Marilyn Monroe (iUniverse, Inc., 2005). See also Say Goodbye to the President, British Broadcasting Corporation,1985.
1. Mama
“went nuts and then went to God”: J. Randy Taraborrelli, The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe (New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2009).
“Mama liked men”: Donald Spoto, Marilyn Monroe: The Biography (New York: HarperCollins, 1993).
lewd and lascivious: Adam Victor, The Marilyn Encyclopedia (New York: Overlook Press, 1999).
“loose morals”: Maurice Zolotow, Marilyn Monroe (New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1960).
2. Struggle for Survival
police were called: The Legend of Marilyn Monroe (1966), documentary directed by Terry Sanders, interview with Ida Bolender.
“Manic Depressive Psychosis”: Los Angeles death certificate of Della M. Monroe.
“because we loved her”: The Legend of Marilyn Monroe, documentary directed by Terry Sanders (1966), interview with Ida and Wayne Bolender.
“in the world”: Michelle Morgan, Marilyn Monroe: Private and Confidential (New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2012).
“… with a leather strap”: Marilyn Monroe, My Story (Lanham, MD: Taylor Trade Publishing, 2007).
“I was hard on her for her own good”: J. Randy Taraborrelli, The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe (New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2009).
“churchgoers not moviegoers”: Monroe, My Story.
“afraid and ashamed” of her genitals: Marilyn Monroe, Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010).
“and they would look up at me”: Monroe, My Story.
“Hello Mama”: Maurice Zolotow, Marilyn Monroe (New York: Harper & Row, 1990).
3. Be a Good Girl
screaming and laughing: Marilyn Monroe, My Story (Lanham, MD: Taylor Trade Publishing, 2007).
“Oh, I feel it in my bones”: Maurice Zolotow, Marilyn Monroe (New York: Harper & Row, 1990).
count was ten including the orphanage: Marilyn Monroe audiotape interview with Georges Belmont, editor of Marie Claire magazine, 1960.
“forgive the sins of others”: Monroe, My Story.
“protect ourselves”: Marilyn Monroe audiotape interview with Georges Belmont, editor of Marie Claire, 1960.
“she wasn’t a virgin”: Donald Spoto interview with Lucille Ryman Carrol, Donald Spoto Collection, Margaret Herrick Library.
“It was pretty terrible”: Elsa Maxwell, “I’ll Never Be the Same,” Modern Screen, July 1956.
“not even my mother’s best friend”: George Barris, Marilyn: Her Life in Her Own Words: Marilyn Monroe’s Revealing Last Words and Photographs (New York: Citadel Press, 2001).
“can really know”: Arthur Miller, Timebends: A Life (New York: Grove Press, 1987).
4. The World Became Friendly
“it opened up to me”: Marilyn Monroe interview with Richard Meryman for Life, 1962. Taken from audiotapes for the interview (in private hands).
“us to know about”: Charles Casillo interview with Bette Wescott, February 8, 2016.
out of state: The Many Loves of Marilyn Monroe, interview with James Dougherty, E! True Hollywood Story documentary, 2001.
high school football captain: Los Angeles Times, James Dougherty obituary, August 18, 2005.
“very important to her”: Inside Edition interview with James Dougherty; the 1990s clip is on YouTube.
what was expected of her: Marilyn Monroe audiotape interview with Georges Belmont, editor of Marie Claire, 1960.
“and be Norma Jeane again”: From a James Dougherty interview posted by “The Marilyn Monroe Archives” on YouTube on May 29, 2012.
“wanted me to look into”: The Discovery of Marilyn Monroe, documentary interview with Bebe Goddard (who reads the letter on camera).
“the cute way she said it”: Charles Casillo interview with Christian Larson, July 30, 2016.
“radiated sex”: Clark Kidder, Marilyn Monroe: Cover to Cover (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, February 2003).
“that was related”: Marilyn Monroe audiotape interview with Georges Belmont, editor of Marie Claire, 1960.
“supply and demand”: The Legend of Marilyn Monroe, documentary narrated by John Huston, 1966.
5. “A Stray Little Kitten”
“love me”: Donald Spoto interview with Lucille Ryman Carroll, Donald Spoto Collection, Margaret Herrick Library.
“oldest profession”: Charles Casillo interview with Susan Strasberg, 1999.
“only chance at stardom”: Donald Spoto interview with Lucille Ryman Carroll, Donald Spoto Collection, Margaret Herrick Library.
“little kitten”: Ibid.