Marilyn Monroe

by Michelle Morgan

  By this time Marilyn was involved in the production of River of No Return, a lightweight Western which she was not impressed by, but agreed to do because she liked the songs. In it she was to play the part of a saloon singer, opposite Robert Mitchum, an old workmate of first husband, James Dougherty. She liked Mitchum a lot and the two immediately gelled, as she cheerfully told reporters, ‘It’s nice when you hit the ball and somebody hits it back.’

  From the beginning, Marilyn got along very well with producer Stanley Rubin, whom she had unsuccessfully auditioned for all those years ago, but the two had a common enemy in director Otto Preminger, who was known to be something of a bully. Rubin remembered: ‘The problems between Otto and I began when I told him he wasn’t my choice for director – he was the studio’s choice. Otto didn’t take kindly to that. Otto had something in him that made him capable of bullying, and he bullied Marilyn, but never Bob Mitchum because he knew he wouldn’t get away with it.’

  In fairness to Preminger, while he was a tough director, he did have a reason to be upset with Marilyn, in the shape of none other than Natasha Lytess, who once again accompanied the star on to the set. ‘When the take was finished,’ remembered Rubin, ‘Marilyn looked past Otto to Natasha, who was standing a few feet behind the director. It was not a good arrangement – Otto was a very proud man and didn’t like Natasha being on set. The problem went all the way to the Head of the Studio – Darryl F. Zanuck – and for a while Natasha was banned from the set, but then Marilyn went to Zanuck herself and Natasha came back.’

  When the cast and crew travelled to Canada for location shots the problems were intensified whilst shooting scenes on a raft. On one occasion both Marilyn and Robert Mitchum almost hit rocks and had to be saved by a rescue boat, and on another Marilyn slipped and fell into the water, as remembered by make-up artist Allan ‘Whitey’ Snyder: ‘We had a raft tied to the shore and Marilyn and Robert Mitchum were supposed to push it off. The river bed had a rocky bottom, and when she took two or three steps, she twisted her ankle and fell down.’

  From then on Marilyn was to be seen around the set with a bandaged foot and crutches, but all the same, some people have disputed the sprained ankle story, stating that Marilyn did it in order to take her revenge on ‘bully’ Preminger. Producer Stanley Rubin thinks otherwise: ‘I believe she did sprain her ankle badly. She had to hobble around and they shot around her for a few days and also shot scenes where she didn’t have to move. I find it very hard to believe it was fake. She did trip on the raft – either getting on or getting off – she did fall.’

  The sprained ankle did give Marilyn a few perks, one of which was the arrival of Joe DiMaggio, who hurried to the location as soon as he heard the news. The other was some time off, which she spent relaxing beside the hotel pool.

  Marilyn spent much of the summer of 1953 taking photographs with New York photographer Milton Greene, and then on 13 September she made her television debut on the Jack Benny Program, and was presented with a new car in lieu of payment. She was so proud of her new vehicle that she drove it up to show Uncle Sam and Aunt Enid. The Knebelkamps’ son-in-law, Forrest Olmstead remembers Marilyn’s relationship with the family, and her ability to leave her movie star image behind: ‘A new room had been added to the house and I was putting up button board for plaster on the wall; Marilyn would hand me the board so I could attach it to the wall. Then another time I was working on a new cess pool and she would hand me down bricks . . . She was the only woman there that wanted to help.’

  She also went to great lengths in order to spoil her foster family, buying gifts and holding parties during special celebrations: ‘[Diane and I] bought a house in Long Beach,’ recalls Forrest, ‘and Cousin Pat and her husband Ben also bought a house. Marilyn gave both of us a house warming in Pat and Ben’s back yard. She came down in a limousine with her chauffeur and gave us both a gift; we had a whole tub of beer and got the chauffeur a little drunk.’

  Unfortunately her relationship with the Knebelkamp/Goddard family changed when Grace Goddard was rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties, and passed away on 28 September 1953. ‘I was horribly sad and devastated,’ Grace’s stepdaughter Bebe remembered. ‘And Marilyn was 50,000 times as much.’

  It has been rumoured over the years that Grace was suffering from cancer at the time of her death. This may be so, but the death certificate states that her death was suicide caused by barbiturate poisoning, due to the ingestion of phenobarbital. ‘She did have a whole box of pills like nothing you’ve ever seen before. And in those days they were much easier to get,’ remembered Bebe. Whether or not Marilyn knew the exact cause of death is unclear, but if she did it must have been extremely upsetting; for her whole life Marilyn had dealt with her mother’s emotional problems, and now to discover that Grace had taken her own life must have been truly disturbing.

  ‘I believe that Marilyn loved Grace more than anybody in the world,’ Bebe Goddard recalled. ‘Grace had been a second mother from the time she was born, and had been such a fair person, and as much a mother, or more so, than Gladys had been. Grace was the single most constant factor throughout Marilyn’s life.’

  Many people have said that Marilyn refused to attend Grace’s funeral, but this is simply not true: ‘She absolutely was at Grace’s funeral,’ Bebe Goddard later told the ‘All About Marilyn’ fan club. This is also confirmed by Will Sykes, who was married to Aunt Ana’s niece, Sybil Louise Howland. ‘Marion said she met you at Grace’s funeral. How is Doc getting along?’ he asked in a letter to Marilyn in October 1954.

  The funeral was a quiet, family affair and afterwards Marilyn travelled to Aunt Enid and Uncle Sam’s house, where she sat solemnly with the other family members. Diane Knebelkamp’s husband, Forrest, remembers: ‘I was sitting in Diane’s old room which had been turned into a den, when Marilyn walked in and sat down. She didn’t say much because she was so upset.’

  After recovering sufficiently from the passing of Aunt Grace, Marilyn attended the premiere of How to Marry a Millionaire on 4 November 1953, and shortly after underwent more gynaecological surgery. Having spent a huge amount of time working in 1953, she was quite literally exhausted, as she told reporter Rita Garrison Malloy: ‘I’m so tired. I’ve been working seven days a week at the studio. My doctor Elliot Corday says I’m anaemic.’ Doctor Corday prescribed an iron-rich diet that consisted of raw eggs, raw ground liver (which she spiked with lime and Worcestershire sauce to mask the taste), gelatine, orange juice, rare steak and spinach, along with iron and vitamin shots. Unfortunately nothing seemed to help and Marilyn still felt absolutely awful.

  When Fox announced that she was to star in The Girl in Pink Tights, Marilyn agreed to do it only if she could see the script first. In the twenty-first century, that would be an understandable request, but in the 1950s, when actors were just cogs in the machine, it was unheard of. Zanuck rejected her request and she found herself in the unenviable position of being threatened with suspension from the studio. She dug her heels in further on discovering that while she was going to be paid her by now usual $1,500 a week, her co-star, Frank Sinatra, would be paid $5,000. She stood firm and when an executive told her, ‘I’ve been in this business a long time and I know what’s good for you,’ she retorted, ‘I’ve been in this business a very short time but I know better what’s good for me than you do.’

  ‘They throw me from one picture into another,’ she complained in December. ‘I don’t travel, see things, meet people and know them under normal circumstances . . . Directors think all I have to do is wiggle a little, not act.’

  When Marilyn did not show up for filming on 15 December, the studio was incensed and sent various executives and staff members (including Lytess) to her Doheny Drive home; there they were met by a furious DiMaggio, who ordered each one away from the door. Although he did not like to get involved with Marilyn’s career matters, he was adamant that she would not be taken advantage of again, noting that as she made millions for the studio, she
surely had a right to share some of it.

  Finally, after fighting off illness, studio executives, Lytess and countless reporters, Marilyn packed her things and on 23 December she flew to San Francisco for privacy and rest in the DiMaggio family home at 2150 Beach Street.

  Chapter 13

  Mrs DiMaggio

  By the time Marilyn reached San Francisco, she was feeling worse than ever, and was put to bed by DiMaggio’s sister Marie, who still lived in and looked after the family home. A relative of Joe’s ex-wife Dorothy Arnold recalled: ‘She cooked, cleaned, etc. as Joe wouldn’t spend money to pay someone. I didn’t know her but I was told she was a dear lady, waiting on him hand and foot.’

  Once Marilyn moved into the home, Marie also began caring for her too and soon warmed to her new house guest: ‘She’s just like Joe,’ she told reporter Alice Hoffman in 1954. ‘They were made for each other. I know it sounds corny but it’s true.’

  Marilyn settled into DiMaggio’s world easily, enjoying the company of his family and taking part in pursuits he enjoyed, such as fishing with his brother, Tom, who later recalled: ‘Marilyn was tops. Never a peep or a complaint out of her. When I came home that night my wife Lee said, “What do you think of Joe’s girlfriend?” And I say, “Funny thing. She’s just like Joe. She’s quiet and plain and shy and I like her very much.”’

  She also integrated herself into the general running of the Beach Street home, and enjoyed simple pleasures such as washing Joe’s car and making breakfast for the household, including coffee (although she herself drank tea and milk), freshly squeezed orange juice, and bacon and eggs. ‘She’s really very handy in the kitchen,’ remarked Marie DiMaggio. ‘I knew she was a good girl the first time Joe brought her up. Right away she was helping with the dishes.’

  On New Year’s Eve, the couple dined out at the famed DiMaggio’s restaurant, run by family members Tom and Dom, and Joe’s closest friend, Reno Barsocchini. When they returned to Beach Street, Joe took the opportunity of asking Marilyn if she would like to marry him, and she agreed.

  The couple decided to keep it quiet, apart from telling a few friends and relatives, such as sister Marie, who went to Joseph Magnin’s with Marilyn for a wedding outfit. While there she was mobbed by fans and insisted on signing all autographs before she left with a $149.50 suit, complete with ermine collar.

  By this time Fox had relented and sent Marilyn the script for The Girl in Pink Tights, but were outraged to discover that far from persuading her to do the film, the script only reinforced her feelings that the part of a teacher turned saloon dancer was not for her. ‘It is just not in the same league as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,’ she later told reporters. ‘If I’d done Pink Tights there would have been “Yellow Tights”, “Blue Tights”, and “Green Tights”, afterwards.’ On 4 January she was suspended without pay, and Fox announced that newcomer Sheree North would act in Pink Tights instead.

  The rumour mills went into overdrive, firstly wondering where Marilyn was, and then deciding that she and DiMaggio had run away to be married. They were apparently spotted tying the knot in Mexico, Hawaii, the High Sierras and even in New Orleans with Rock Hudson. There was also talk of a wedding being booked at the Hotel El Rancho in Vegas, only to be cancelled at the last minute.

  A Fox spokesman denied all stories, however, insisting that Marilyn ‘promised to notify us if she decided to get married,’ and adding that she was missing from the set because, ‘She’s mad at the studio and wants a raise.’

  Natasha Lytess was also kept out of the loop and was forced to admit on 4 January that she hadn’t heard anything from her student. By now Marilyn’s relationship with her coach was starting to deteriorate; a result, some say, of the feud between Lytess and DiMaggio. However, things had never been entirely stable between them with Marilyn often complaining that Natasha was just too possessive of her. Lytess was also not opposed to commenting on her student in the press, declaring in 1953, ‘She is not a natural actress. She has to learn to have a free voice and a free body to act. Luckily Marilyn has a wonderful instinct for the right timing. I think she will eventually be a good actress.’ A private person at heart, comments such as this must surely have added to the irritation being felt by both DiMaggio and his fiancée.

  Towards the end of 1953, Marilyn began working on her autobiography with talk-show host, Joe Franklin. They worked for two weeks on the project and Marilyn even chose suitable photos for the book, before her studio discovered what she was up to. ‘She was under contract to work on another book and she was stopped from working on [mine],’ remembered Franklin, who went on to complete the book himself, which became the first of its kind dedicated to the star.

  The book she was under contract to write was a 200-page ‘autobiography’ ghostwritten by respected author Ben Hecht, on which she began working on 2 January 1954. Hecht had been asked by a studio representative to travel to San Francisco, and together with his secretary, Nanette Herbuveaux, he spent four days asking Marilyn questions on all aspects of her life. She was extremely cooperative and agreed to both magazine and book publication, and promised to ask her lawyer, Loyd Wright, to draw up a contract giving her a 50 per cent share of the book rights and a 15 per cent share of magazine rights.

  During the interviews between Marilyn and Hecht, she surprised the writer by declaring that she had twice tried to commit suicide, both times after the failure of a relationship: ‘The full reason was that I didn’t want to live. There was too much pain in living,’ she told him. She also claimed that when she had been revived after the second attempt, she felt angry that someone was forcing her live, even when she didn’t want to. ‘But now I’m glad it happened the way it did. I’m glad I’m alive. I hope to stay glad for a long time.’

  The interviews showed Marilyn to be a somewhat sad and unfulfilled young woman, especially when she confided, ‘I’ve never liked sex. I don’t think I ever will. It seems just the opposite of love.’ Although she didn’t admit it to Hecht, it has been widely rumoured since that she had never been able to achieve orgasm, and if that is true, it was an ironic and tragic twist that the most famous sex symbol of all time never found any fulfilment in sex herself.

  When the interviews were done, Hecht travelled back to Los Angeles in order to write up what he had so far. Publisher Doubleday advanced him $5,000 in royalties, and there was even talk of the Ladies Home Journal wanting to serialize it. However, after writing almost non-stop for five days, Hecht received word from Marilyn’s lawyer Loyd Wright that she had changed her mind – she no longer wanted a book publication, but was still happy for the magazine printing. Hecht was confused and dismayed; he knew that if the book publication did not go ahead, he would be forced to pay back his $5,000, but for now he continued work on the story, and waited to hear from Marilyn once again.

  Back in San Francisco, Joe and Marilyn decided that they should get married as soon as possible, so that they would be together when DiMaggio travelled to Japan on a baseballcoaching trip the following month. He took advice from an old friend, Judge Charles Peery, who was happy to help; he arranged for the licence to be typed in his chambers and suggested they marry during the lunch hour, since the building would be quieter at that time. Meanwhile, Natasha Lytess finally managed to get Marilyn on the telephone and blasted the star with her grievances towards DiMaggio, declaring that she saw the man as a punishment in her life. Marilyn ignored her advice, however, and three days later she became Mrs DiMaggio.

  At 12.30 p.m. on 14 January 1954, Marilyn telephoned Fox to tell them she would be married ‘in some courtroom’ in a few minutes. It had originally been decided that the couple wouldn’t tell anyone until after the ceremony itself, but Marilyn – loyal despite being suspended – knew that she owed it to Fox to let them know. Unfortunately, the loyalty did not extend far within the studio, and an enterprising executive phoned everyone he could think of to let them know what was going on.

  By the time Marilyn, Joe and their witnesses arrived at t
he San Francisco City Hall, at least 500 people were present: ‘We were amazed when we walked into the City Hall and saw that mob of people,’ DiMaggio later said.

  Due to a slight mix-up with the licence, the reporters had the opportunity to interview the couple waiting outside the chambers, asking such futile questions as, ‘How many children will you have?’ ‘Are you excited?’ and ‘Will you give up your career?’ to which Marilyn retorted ‘What difference does it make? The studio has suspended me.’ Finally deputy county clerk David Dunn appeared with some blank licenses, which he proceeded to fill out, before Judge Peery threw everyone out of his chambers to begin the ceremony at precisely 1.46 p.m.

  Within two minutes the couple were pronounced man and wife, and they came bounding out of the court room, only to find themselves wedged in by hundreds of reporters and fans. The entire building was crammed with people, forcing them to ride the elevator to the basement instead of the first floor, a trip which was made all the more bothersome when a spectator forced himself in and lambasted the couple: ‘This is a fine thing – dodging your loyal fans like this.’ DiMaggio is reported to have angrily replied, ‘Don’t tell me what to do.’

  Finally, the couple reached outside and, watched by hundreds of people, climbed into Joe’s blue Cadillac and sped away. On her departure from the building, one reporter asked Marilyn when they had decided to get married, to which she mysteriously replied, ‘We’ve been thinking about it for a long time, but we were not too sure until we walked into the door here now.’

  In order to put reporters off their scent, the couple headed to Monterey and registered at the Mission Inn Hotel, before secretly travelling on to Paso Robles, where they ate quietly at the Hot Springs Hotel, and checked into the Clifton Motel. There, the surprised manager, Ernest Sharp, promised not to tell the media of their whereabouts until after they had left the premises the following morning. He was true to his word, and when they did leave, he refused to even look in which direction they were headed, lest he give away any information to the eager paparazzi. Meanwhile, one of the staff at the Hot Springs Hotel told reporters that Marilyn said she was going back to Los Angeles in order to work.