Though Marilyn was not happy with Hathaway’s decision and called Natasha daily during the filming, Joe DiMaggio was delighted as he accompanied her to Ben Springs, Canada, the honeymoon haven. Much to Hathaway’s surprise, Marilyn remained in line and seemed less insecure than had been reported. Members of the cast and crew attributed her improvement to Joe’s presence.
During the first scene of the film, Marilyn displayed her famous gait, swaying her hips as she walked. In an ingenious move to accentuate her walk, the director shortened one heel on her shoes. An instant success, she swayed like never before. But Joe didn’t like it. He felt her character was too cheap. He wanted his woman to play more respectable parts.
Monroe had become the hottest actress in Hollywood. Her lover was an all-American hero. The one-million-dollar production of Niagara quadrupled in revenues, turning out to be one of the year’s biggest box-office hits.
Though she could barely tolerate premieres by this point, the publicity department made a bargain that if she attended the premiere of Monkey Business, she could take a few days off in New York. The chance to enjoy Gotham City with the retired Yankee was enough for her. They were mobbed everywhere they went. Joe wanted to spend more time with his close friends, like George Solotaire, while Marilyn wished to hit all the night spots, the theater, and museums. New York was home for Joe and, like a typical New Yorker, he was not interested in sightseeing. While they argued over what to do, reporters were in a frenzy covering the relationship between the “All-American Gal” and the “All-American Guy.” Their telephone never stopped ringing for interviews.
The mayor of Atlantic City invited the couple to “his city,” where they were welcomed with a police escort and a parade. The streets were jammed with her followers. Marilyn wore her usual low-cut dress, this the one that had raised critics’ eyebrows in Niagara. She rode in the backseat of a convertible and threw rose petals to her fans, who roared as her car passed. She created quite a stir, both on the streets and in the tabloids. The press targeted her for her lack of propriety. Though Joe believed that she lacked dignity and respect when she played up her wild sexual image, he kept his feelings in check. He was in love with her. But the die was cast; Marilyn was America’s sexiest attraction. This image would soon come to haunt her when she attempted to become a serious dramatic actress.
DiMaggio despised the studio system, which had literally made Marilyn a property. Though he was grateful for his own financial security and independence, he resented his loss of privacy and personal happiness. He had heard the gossip, read the publicity, and was convinced the studio and Marilyn were taking the bombshell image too far. Wanting to protect her from further damage, he decided that the time had come for marriage. Marriage would make a “lady” out of the “tramp,” and he insisted they tie the knot right away. But Miss Monroe had grown to cherish her independence. Making excuses, Marilyn would either avoid the subject entirely or say she wasn’t ready. By keeping him at a comfortable distance, she could bask in the security of knowing he was available whenever she needed him.
In July 1952 the last of the interior scenes were filmed for Niagara. With all the negative press regarding her risque décolletage, Skolsky suggested Marilyn “get serious” and study the Stanislavsky method of acting, taught locally by Michael Chekhov, nephew of the great Russian playwright. Much to Natasha Lytess’s chagrin, Chekhov agreed to provide private lessons. He was impressed by her raw talent and sensuality. She had been listening to Joe’s lectures and wanted to somehow temper those animal sexual emotions. The Stanislavsky method advocated the use of positive and negative personal experiences in order to deepen an actor’s performance. The method made it possible to use unfortunate events in her life in a constructive way, and Marilyn became hooked on the technique. She would use it quite successfully later in her career.
One of Zanuck’s pastimes was searching for Broadway hits that could be transformed into cinematic gold. One such play was Anita Loos’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, starring Carol Channing, the big-eyed blonde with the raspy voice. Betty Grable, World War II’s favorite GI pinup girl, needed a hit to resurrect her floundering career. But Marilyn as the rising star hustled for the part of Lorelei Lee, campaigning to both the casting and publicity departments. Though there were doubts about her singing ability, a recent performance entertaining servicemen provided her with enough credibility for Jule Styne and Leo Robins to give her the nod. Such standards from the play as “Bye, Bye, Baby,” “I’m Just a Little Girl From Little Rock,” and of course, “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” seemed like suitable vehicles for her voice and demeanor. Even Anita Loos supported Marilyn for the lead. Charles Lederer, who had worked with Marilyn on Monkey Business, adapted the screenplay and Howard Hawks was slated to direct. Jack Cole’s choreography trained the song-and-dance novice in the basic stage movements that kept both Marilyn and her musical numbers in line. Hawks barely complained. Marilyn’s antithetical costar was none other than Van Nuys High School alumna Jane Russell. On loan from The Outlaw, Jane Russell’s acting career was skyrocketing as a result of the enormous publicity surrounding her relationship with Howard Hughes. Jane was confident, sexy, with breasts much larger than Marilyn’s, and was surprisingly down-to-earth. The more self-assured Jane freely gave Marilyn direction and support, especially with the musical numbers and dance routines. Lytess once more took a backseat, this time to Russell. Marilyn’s performance in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was another smash hit. Most critics were pleasantly surprised by her capable handling of Hoagy Carmichael’s new tunes and the dance numbers. Not only did she gain respect for her singing and dancing, but also for her ability to get along so well with her costar. Two such gorgeous actresses were expected to hate each other, but Marilyn was grateful for Jane’s help and inspiration.
Jane’s agent and producer, Howard Hughes, negotiated a top salary of $200,000, whereas Skouras negotiated only a measly $18,000 for Marilyn. Hughes expected and demanded the star treatment for Jane. In contrast, Marilyn received only her meager salary and a small dressing room. When Marilyn learned of the large discrepancy between herself and her costar, she demanded more money but ended up with only a larger dressing room.
At a ceremony hosted by Jerry Lewis at the Beverly Hills Hotel’s Crystal Room, Marilyn received her first acting award, in March, 1954. Escorted by Sidney Skolsky and wearing skin-tight gold lame, she wowed both Lewis and his audience
Marilyn’s next film, River of No Return directed by Otto Preminger, was to test her both personally and professionally. On location in breathtaking Jasper, Canada, the filming was fraught with strife. Costar Robert Mitchum carried a gallon can of straight vodka with him at all times. On several occasions shooting had to be halted because he was so plastered. Whitey Snyder recalls Mitchum as a “good guy” who tried diligently to help Marilyn deal with the dictatorial Preminger. When the already apprehensive and nervous Monroe would botch a line, the impatient director would unleash a tirade. Robert Mitchum attempted to intervene but more often than not was too incapacitated by alcohol to be of any help. Marilyn chose not to indulge when Robert would offer her drinks, except when the tension that day had been especially nerve-racking.
Upon completion of River, Marilyn felt enough self-confidence to turn down what she called a “lousy” script, The Girl in the Pink Tights. The personal integrity she’d learned from Joe DiMaggio allowed her for the first time to say no to the mindless drivel submitted by Fox’s studio brass. With DiMaggio’s help Monroe was finally feeling a little power of her own.
Marilyn did follow one dictum of the studios: she looked gorgeous, often in borrowed studio finery, whenever attending a premiere or while being photographed in public. DiMaggio had given her a black full-length sable coat valued at $3,000, which she loved and wore on many occasions. But she treated it as poorly as she did the rest of her own clothing. She would often sit on it, or lay it on her sofa or bed as a throw or cuddle up against it, enjoying the silky feel of the f
ur.
Marilyn was now very unhappy at Twentieth Century-Fox. She was being paid $15,000 a week and was not benefiting from the box-office successes of her latest films. Aside from an increase in salary, she pushed for more creative control over her career, including script and director approval. When her demands were not met, she got ready for a risky new venture.
Grace Kelly hosted a party in which Marilyn met with Look magazine photographer Milton Greene. Scheduled to appear on the upcoming Look cover, Monroe disclosed to Milton her discontent with previous film choices, her image, and her Fox contract. She wanted to be accepted as a serious actress. Though Joe had been placing increasing pressure on her to retire from films to marry him, her newly found confidence propelled her to make a daring career move that might give her the dignity and respect her image did not afford. And Joe might back off with his complaints. At the right place at the right time with the right words, Greene enthusiastically supported the bold plan to create her new image for both the public and the studio. In addition to being a talented photographer, able to capture Marilyn’s subtler, softer side, Greene also had the savvy to convince her he could produce films as well, explaining that he oversaw the work of many assistants during photo sessions. And with some help from a Wall Street investor, Greene talked himself into a partnership with one of the most bankable talents in the world.
Calling her newly formed company Marilyn Monroe Productions was flamboyant in and of itself, especially for a woman in those days. But she insisted that it would touch off the right responses, clearly indicate who was at the helm, and make the world take notice that she was no “dumb blonde,” but a major force to be seriously reckoned with. But that name would later intimidate other stars offered roles in her movies. Knowing Joe would not approve, Marilyn chose to keep her latest project to herself.
Bent on commitment, Joe made tentative plans for marriage in mid-January 1954. Ultimately he put his foot down, declaring that he would not travel to Japan as scheduled unless they were “legal.” DiMaggio would not stand for any more delays. Marilyn did not want to lose him, so she agreed to marry him. She was determined to earn his support in upgrading her sex-kitten image and taking charge of her own company. She had something to prove to the studios, her future husband, and herself. But the present precarious situation argued that she should temporarily withhold her career plans from him. Monroe imagined that she could secure her future with simultaneous personal and professional commitments.
Marilyn and Joe were married January 14, 1954, in a civil ceremony in DiMaggio’s hometown of San Francisco by Judge Charles H. Perry. The wedding party and guests consisted entirely of Joe’s family and friends, including Reno Barsochinni as best man, George Solotaire, and Lefty O’Doul. On the other hand, the actress conspicuously invited no one. Marilyn was so ambivalent about getting married that she only called Whitey Snyder the night before to let him know. Since Snyder had openly encouraged her to marry DiMaggio, he was both pleased and gratified. In a simple brown suit adorned by white ermine, Marilyn looked stunning. Reporters and photographers from around the world converged on City Hall. The mayhem in the streets made their honeymoon escape treacherous. Their wedding night was spent in an obscure motel in Paso Robles followed by a visit to a DiMaggio friend near Palm Springs.
Marilyn settled in, playing housewife in DiMaggio’s San Francisco home. With plenty of warm family members around, she was temporarily content to accept her new role. She learned to cook Sicilian cuisine from his sisters, and DiMaggio was pleased with their idyllic life-style. After all, he had been dreaming about it for some time. Just as he felt peace had finally come to stay, he happened to eavesdrop on a phone conversation and learned of her pending production company. DiMaggio felt betrayed, knowing she had purposefully concealed her plans. Marilyn and Joe had a quarrel, one of many to come.
Mrs. DiMaggio ardently defended her recent career moves, insisting that together they could exercise creative control and decision-making power that would allow her to play important roles reserved for only the most respected and dignified of serious actresses. Marilyn attempted to persuade him that they could be happy while she would make him proud of her career accomplishments, just as she was of his. It was clear they had divergent expectations for their future.
The smoke had barely cleared when the DiMaggios joined Lefty O’Doul (Joe’s mentor, Lefty had recruited him into baseball with the San Francisco Seals) and his new bride Jean on an extended honeymoon in Japan. Marilyn had always wanted to travel and especially to visit Japan. While DiMaggio was making appearances before his adoring Japanese fans, the ladies would relax, tour, and shop, or so they had planned. In Honolulu, a mob tore at Marilyn’s body and clothes while they made for their connecting flight to Japan. Once on the airplane, General Christenberry approached the newlyweds with a request. Would Marilyn be willing to entertain the troops in Korea? Though she instantly agreed, she looked to her husband for final approval. Because Joe knew how important it was to both his wife and the American soldiers abroad, and that it would also enhance her public image, he gave his consent. A three-day tour to the front line was added to their Asian itinerary.
Tens of thousands of screaming Japanese fans thronged Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport to catch a glimpse not of the baseball hero but of America’s biggest blond sensation. Marilyn became frightened upon seeing the crowd when the plane’s passenger door opened, so they quickly descended through the baggage hatchway and fled to a waiting car to check into their nearby hotel. News of the actress’s arrival filled the streets with Japanese well-wishers.
At the Imperial Hotel, another crowd confronted them. When the hotel manager ordered the admirers to leave, windows were broken and blood was spilled. Eluding the violent chaos by shifting to the stairway that led up to their honeymoon suites, they were out of breath and physically shaken. Neither expected this. Though Joe had been invited to Japan to play in an exhibition game, his wife was the one who captured all the attention. A numb Marilyn was apologetic as she attempted to soothe Joe’s bruised ego. Having been reminded that his glory days were behind him, he became sullen and distant. Whitey, who was on the trip with them, said that of all the time he had spent with Joe and Marilyn, he had never seen him so depressed. All Joe wanted to do was settle down to a quiet life with his wife, with an occasional bit of glitz for a change of pace.
Special Services organized Marilyn’s trip to Seoul, Korea, by February 10. Though Joe had been asked to accompany her, he had had enough by this time and declined. Without her husband, Marilyn touched down in an Army Air Force propeller plane in the winter cold of Korea. Since she had not expected such harsh weather, or to be there alone, she neglected to protect her delicate health and caught a nasty cold. Fearing serious respiratory illness, Marilyn was also anxious over the fact that she was not experienced performing before a live audience. Her feelings of inadequacy surfaced, but knowing how special her appearance would be to the thousands of lonely GI’s, she was able to pull herself together.
Outfitted in Army fatigues and flown by helicopter to the western front, Marilyn briefly rehearsed her song-and-dance routines in her makeshift dressing room. As she slipped into another skimpy, low-cut cocktail dress, clipped on her good hoop earrings, and donned a pearl bracelet, she was sneezing repeatedly. “We want Marilyn!” echoed outside her dressing room. As the minutes dragged on, soon the soldiers were stamping their feet and clapping their hands as if the louder their demands, the sooner she would appear. The roar of 13,000 servicemen was overwhelming, but despite her cold and hoarse voice Marilyn persevered as she ran onto the stage. The cheering and whistling fell silent when she started singing “Do It Again.” In spite of her hampered voice and poor sound system, the audience went into ecstasy over her rendition. Marilyn Monroe sent them into a frenzy by her wiggling and moving her curves around the stage. Between performances the Special Services officer asked her not to sing a sexy song for fear that the troops would become so overexcited
that pandemonium would break out. Though she disagreed, Mrs. DiMaggio complied with the request.
After ten exhausting performances and a return flight to Tokyo, Marilyn was running a high fever. She was satisfied with her shows, as they had helped reaffirm her popularity. She had seen the full impact of those thousands of eight-by-ten glossies distributed throughout the services by the studios.
Back in Tokyo when the most desirable woman in the world began to share her exhilaration with her husband, he quickly dampened her spirit by reminding her that he, too, had had similar experiences and that one mistake could instantly turn all that adulation into boos and hisses.
By the time they returned to San Francisco in April 1954, Marilyn and Joe had struck a deal.
They would live in his city and she would travel only when in film production. Otherwise his wife would stay with him and his family as his widowed sister Marie would run the household while he would tend to the extensive real-estate holdings and their family-owned restaurant. His whole family adored and adopted his wife. Marilyn paid special attention to the children and they especially cherished her. Again the actress put her own career on hold to become the ordinary housewife married to a rich and famous man. But every time she left the house San Franciscans reminded her that she was Marilyn Monroe. She could not dine in public without the ogling fans and autograph requests. Though again she caught a glimpse of peace surrounded by his down-to-earth family, Mrs. DiMaggio still didn’t know how she could integrate her booming acting career with her family life.
Still obsessed with turning another musical into film profits, Zanuck invited Marilyn to return to Hollywood for There’s No Business Like Show Business. The Irving Berlin composition had been a smash hit in Ethel Merman’s Annie Get Your Gun Broadway success. Though Monroe was still virtually untrained as a dancer and singer, Zanuck was hoping to create another blonde musical comedy actress like Betty Grable before her.
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