Marilyn Monroe

by Michelle Morgan

But Miller wasn’t the only one who had developed a relationship with Marilyn in 1955. During the course of the year she built up a unique friendship with her fans, particularly seven eager teenagers who would wait each day outside her hotel. Six of the fans were nicknamed ‘The Monroe Six’, while the seventh fan may never have been an official member of the group, but did enjoy a close friendship with Marilyn that lasted until her death in 1962. James Haspiel was so close to Marilyn that the two would share taxis, drink coffee and otherwise ‘hang out’. He took photos of her that were later compiled into a book, The Ultimate Marilyn, and took delight in documenting her going about her normal life. But he was not the only fan to be allowed to do this: Peter Mangone spent much of winter 1955 outside Marilyn’s hotel, and she even agreed to let him film her while she went shopping. She welcomed the attention, although from time to time she was known to wear disguises in order to maintain some kind of anonymity.

  During her days off, Marilyn was unconcerned with her physical appearance and would go round town with no make-up and sloppy clothes, and never be recognized. ‘A pretty girl like you doesn’t have to wear a lot of make-up like Marilyn Monroe,’ she was amused to hear from an unsuspecting taxi-driver.

  Meanwhile her hairdresser at the time, Julius Caruso, complained that after hours spent fixing her hair, she would mess it up the moment he’d finished. But when Norma Jeane felt like ‘being Marilyn’, it was all hands on deck, as stylist George Masters found out when he was assigned to work on her face and hair, later in her life.

  Describing her as ‘the biggest egomaniac I ever worked with,’ Masters complained that it took her up to eight hours to get ready for a night out, and he would spend the first couple of hours trying to get her out of bed or away from sipping champagne and listening to Sinatra. If she was in a bad mood, she would splash water on her face so that he would be forced to start again, or would jump into the bath, completely ruining his work. Masters also claimed that she became upset when someone mistook the fair-haired Masters for her brother and asked him to dye his hair black. Masters resisted her wishes, eventually dying her hair a lighter shade than his to try and keep the peace.

  On 31 December 1955, the year-long feud between actress and studio was resolved when Fox executives announced that they had given Marilyn a new contract. It called for her to make four movies for them over the next seven years, but gave her both director approval and the opportunity of appearing in outside movies, television programmes and plays. At a time when the studio system was still very much in force, the contract was remarkable and paved the way for other actors and actresses to gain more independence too.

  Of her new contract, Marilyn admitted that it was a compromise on both sides; ‘I do not have story approval, but I do have director approval. That’s important. I have certain directors I’ll work for and I trust in them and will do about anything they say. I know they won’t let me do a bad story.’

  On 9 February, Marilyn and Laurence Olivier held a press conference at the Plaza hotel to announce their joint project, The Sleeping Prince (which was later retitled The Prince and the Showgirl), the first film to be made by Marilyn Monroe Productions. The relationship began on a positive note, with Marilyn impressing Olivier so much that he feared he would fall in love with her, but his opinion soon changed. He had played opposite his wife Vivien Leigh in the stage version of the play, and Marilyn became concerned when it was announced that he intended to direct the film as well as star. She feared that their techniques would clash and she was proved right when production began in July 1956.

  But back in February 1956 Marilyn had other things on her mind when she invested money into Mr Johnson, a play written by her friend Norman Rosten and starring Earle Hyman, who later went on to star opposite Bill Cosby in The Cosby Show. ‘She probably lost the money,’ remembered Hyman, ‘because the play was not a success financially – it only ran six weeks. But it was a success for me because I was able to join the Actors Studio because of my performance.’

  The first time Marilyn saw Hyman in class, she greeted him warmly, and he found her, ‘Extraordinarily beautiful in a way that was never fully captured on screen. She was an extraordinary actress. She sat at the back, wearing black slacks and a mink coat, and exuded an incredible light. Even if it wasn’t Marilyn, people would have still wondered who she was.’

  When Hyman performed his first scene at the studio he was very nervous, and when he’d finished Lee Strasberg asked everyone for their comments. Hyman recalled, ‘People were quite nice about it but then Eli Wallach said, “I don’t think Earle’s work was clear.” There was a silence and a pause and everyone turned to Marilyn who had raised her hand for the first time ever. She said, “Well I don’t know, Lee, but it seems to me that life is sometimes unclear.” I thought she was extremely brave to stand up and say that and I never forgot it.’

  By mid-February 1956, Marilyn had built up enough confidence to perform a serious scene at the Actors Studio. ‘I don’t want to do just light roles always,’ she later said. ‘Some people say I should, maybe because they’ve never seen me do more serious things. But I can – I did Anna Christie at the Actors Studio and other plays like that.’ Her partner for the performance was Maureen Stapleton and together they worked on a scene from the Noel Coward play, Fallen Angels, before eventually settling on Anna Christie. Although it was initially kept quiet, word soon spread around school and when the day eventually came, everyone was very excited, except Marilyn. ‘I was terrified,’ she remembered. Fellow student Stefan Gierasch was witness to the spectacle. He remembered: ‘Everybody piled in to see the event; the studio was full and everyone enjoyed it. After she had done the scene, the students realized she was talented and were in awe of her in a way.’ Indeed, after she had finished the scene, the whole room broke into applause, which was to be the first time in the studio’s history.

  Another student who witnessed her performance was Mark Weston, who recalled: ‘At the end of the scene Lee asked as always for comments. I said “Lee, I couldn’t hear a single word from Marilyn.” Lee responded, “But you felt her sensitivity!” That was so true. Once while watching acting exercises in the darkened theatre I noticed Marilyn doing a “sunshine” exercise next to me. Oh my, it was so sensual.’

  Shortly after the scene at the Actors Studio, Marilyn visited friend Elsa Maxwell who found her in a happy, excited mood as she had just discovered that famed photographer Cecil Beaton was going to take her portrait. But even at this point she was still denying a serious relationship with Miller, telling Maxwell that although she was happy to have Miller as a friend, she had no plans to marry him – yet.

  On 25 February 1956, Marilyn departed New York to return to Los Angeles and star in Bus Stop, a Fox film about a saloon singer called Cherie, who dreams of fame in Hollywood, but finds love in the form of unsophisticated cowboy, Bo, played by Don Murray. As she departed, she was given a great send off by fans and reporters. ‘I’ll be back by June,’ she said. ‘My real home now is in New York.’

  The welcome she received in her former home town was frostier than expected. Although reporters were thrilled to see her return, Judge Charles J. Griffith was not so enthralled. On 21 November 1954, Marilyn had been driving in Hollywood when she was stopped and charged with three traffic violations: driving without a licence, driving too slowly and driving after her licence had expired. She took such a long time to settle the matter that by the time she appeared in court on 29 February, the charge of failing to appear had been added to the list.

  Marilyn pleaded guilty to all charges, but Judge Griffin was not amused. He fined her a total of $56 – $5 for traffic costs; $50 for failure to appear; and $1 for court costs – and told the actress, ‘If you had settled the citations by appearing, or having a rep appear, I would have dismissed the charges. Laws are made for all of us . . . whether our name happens to be Miss Monroe or not.’ He went on, ‘You may have the idea that this is good publicity. For your information I’ve received many l
etters and it would seem that your so-called public doesn’t think it’s such good publicity.’

  Marilyn replied, ‘I’m very sorry for the trouble I have caused, but I was out of California, studying acting in New York.’ To which Judge Griffin retorted, ‘Well this kind of acting won’t bring you an Oscar. I would suggest, Miss Monroe, that in the future I would much rather pay to go and see you perform than have you pay to come and see me.’

  Court case over, Marilyn concentrated on the business at hand, and held a press party at the Beverly Glen home she was sharing with the Greenes. She happily answered reporters’ questions but, when asked about Natasha Lytess, was quick to change the subject. ‘She was a great help to me,’ she said adding, ‘whatever road leads to growth you take.’ A short time later Lytess made her way to Marilyn’s rented home, in the hope of reconciling with her famous student. Her trip was in vain, however, as she was refused an audience with Marilyn, the only glimpse of her being from an upstairs window, as she walked away from the house.

  Several months later Lytess poured scorn over her former student’s new life: ‘She’s surrounded by these people who don’t let her do anything by herself. They’re afraid to lose her. She never goes anywhere alone, they’re stuck to her like glue.’

  Bus Stop was the first movie Marilyn had appeared in since her training at the Actors Studio, and the difference in her role and acting was unprecedented. She immersed herself in the role of Cherie, and together with Greene devised several character traits such as ‘pasty’ make-up, torn stockings and a thick, hillbilly accent.

  Unfortunately, her intense acting lessons had not made any difference at all to her conduct on set, and both cast and crew became quite irritated by her behaviour. A friend offered a reason for it, whilst talking to reporters: ‘When she is late, she feels guilty, and since she has always felt guilty she feels comfortable that way. It is easier for Marilyn to take guilt than responsibility.’

  Natasha Lytess had been replaced by the ever-present Paula Strasberg, which irritated the director, Joshua Logan, who would have to wait until they’d finished talking before he could step in and direct the scene. Meanwhile, Marilyn’s temperament was also causing problems and when a young press rep called Pat Newcomb was assigned to her during the shoot, Marilyn began to see her as a threat and had her replaced.

  Logan felt the brunt of her anger when she disapproved of him cutting a scene, while on another occasion tempers flared when Don Murray was required to pull the tail of Marilyn’s costume during an argument. After several attempts at the scene, Marilyn slapped Murray across the face with the tail, causing him to be cut by one of the sequins sewn on to the fabric. Needless to say, he was furious with his co-star and had to be calmed down by the director.

  But at the same time she could be quite charming off set, playing catch with co-star Eileen Heckart’s sons and signing autographs for fans. It was a confusing situation, made more so when she came down with a bronchial infection and had to be hospitalized for several days.

  Whilst on location in Phoenix and Idaho, it was the fans and security who caused the disruption. When police escorted her from the airport, they turned on their sirens and ran red lights, much to the chagrin of the Chief of Police. Then when filming took place at the local parade, fans were asked to behave normally, stand back and refrain from taking photos, but even so, one spectator saw fit to set up his campstool in the middle of the street to get a better view. There were problems with the press, too, who complained that they had been unable to interview Marilyn or take any good photos of her. When one enterprising photographer took a shot of her putting on make-up, she hid her face and screamed, ‘Don’t shoot pictures while I’m making up! Are you crazy or something?’

  After reporters blamed Milton Greene for the lack of access to Marilyn, several photo opportunities were arranged, although the media intrusion never died down, and by the end of May 1956, Marilyn was miserable. On weekends she had been visiting Miller in Reno, where he was residing during his divorce, and had also stayed with him at the Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles, but it was not enough. On 24 May she had a fight with Milton Greene about money, and shortly before that became involved in a heated discussion about Paula Strasberg. She confided all this to Miller, who felt that Greene was becoming threatened and worried that she could be led out of ‘the circle of glamour’, and into the ‘circle of art’. This was slightly dramatic, but nevertheless it had a grain of truth; as Marilyn was now relying on Miller more than her film partner, and it was apparent to all corners that Miller did not think particularly highly of either the Greenes or the Strasbergs.

  But Miller had more on his mind than his dislike of Marilyn’s friends. In 1947 he had attended several meetings with a communist-tainted organization, but had never actually been a member. However, this did not stop Congress’ House Committee on Un-American Activities from calling him before them on 21 June 1956 after he had applied for a passport to travel overseas. Standing before the Committee, they demanded he name the other people who attended the meetings, and when Miller refused point-blank to do it, he was declared in contempt of Congress.

  After his appearance, reporters asked why he had applied for a passport. He answered, ‘I have a production which is in the talking stage in England, and I will be there with the woman who will then be my wife.’ When asked if the woman was Marilyn Monroe, he admitted it was. Back in New York after completing Bus Stop, Marilyn heard his declaration on the radio and was pleasantly surprised.

  They had never formally discussed their marriage, but she was thrilled enough to phone the Rostens and tell them all about it. Of course, the announcement sent the press into a frenzy and she was unable to leave her home without being cornered in the lobby of Sutton Place to answer their questions. Finally, publicist Arthur P. Jacobs recommended a small press conference outside the apartment block, and scheduled a bigger one at Miller’s Roxbury home on 29 June.

  Now that their secret was finally out in the open, Marilyn and Arthur could show their joy to friends and family, who had been semi-aware of the relationship for some time. She tried hard to befriend Miller’s children, but while seven-year-old Bobby warmed to her, she had a harder time with elevenyear-old Jane, who was upset that her parent’s marriage had broken up and found the relationship with Marilyn unacceptable. Still, she persevered, and even when her marriage to Miller broke down, she did not hide her desire to stay friends with his children.

  The next introduction came when Miller drove Marilyn to Brooklyn, where she was formerly introduced to his parents, Augusta and Isidore. She adored both her in-laws but particularly Miller’s father, with whom she developed a close relationship that lasted until the end of her life. She also met various friends, including Mr and Mrs Louis Untermeyer, enjoying a home-cooked Sunday meal with them in early summer 1956. Wearing a simple black shirt, black and white trousers and no make-up, Marilyn cooked borscht, and ham with cloves and apricot. Untermeyer later wrote that the couple had acted as though it was their first date and seemed very much in love.

  As rumours spread that Marilyn and Miller were to tie the knot sooner rather than later, a mass of reporters gathered at his home on Old Tophet Road in Roxbury for the scheduled press conference. The couple had been lunching at the home of Miller’s cousin, Morton, and on leaving were followed by Princess Mara Scherbatoff, from Paris Match magazine, photographer Paul Slade and his brother, Ira. Driving through the winding roads leading to Arthur’s house, the driver lost control of the car and ploughed into a tree, severely injuring Scherbatoff and Ira Slade.

  On hearing the crash behind them, Marilyn and Arthur were mortified and ran back to help, but there was nothing they could do; although an ambulance was called, Scherbatoff lost her battle for life just four hours later.

  The press conference went on regardless, and the couple somehow battled their way through; Marilyn hanging on to her fiancé for support, and stuttering over some of her answers. It had been a traumatic and tr
agic day but when the reporters finally left, Marilyn and Miller headed to White Plains, New York, and at 7.30 p.m. were married in a courthouse ceremony by Judge Seymour Rabinowitz. Shortly afterwards, Miller released a statement saying, ‘We’re just spending a few quiet minutes now. Marilyn is very happy and very tired; it’s been a hectic day. We plan to have some kind of party in the next few days, but we hope for that to be kind of quiet too.’

  Two days later, on 1 July, the couple had a Jewish ceremony at the home of Miller’s agent, Kay Brown, before which Marilyn received a short instruction to enable her to convert to Judaism. Then on 6 July, Miller was issued with a temporary passport in order to accompany his new wife to England, where they hoped to enjoy a quiet, working honeymoon.

  How wrong they were.

  Chapter 15

  Great Hopes

  In the spring of 1956, months before the wedding, preparations were underway for Marilyn’s arrival in England, with Laurence Olivier working with Terence Rattigan on his script of The Prince and the Showgirl, and auditioning the supporting cast.

  When actress Vera Day walked into the office of Laurence Olivier Productions she was twenty years old, and had been in show business for about a year. Olivier looked at the blonde-haired actress and exclaimed, “Oh dear, she’s so like Marilyn.” While Vera Day was naturally flattered by such a comparison, Olivier feared the worst, knowing that Marilyn would not take kindly to another blonde on set. And so it was that before Day was allowed anywhere near the film, she found herself sporting a brunette wig to play Betty, one of Marilyn’s friends.

  In recent years it has been said that a house called Tibbs Farm in Ascot was rented for Marilyn and Arthur Miller, purely as a red herring, on 13 June 1956; a way of putting the press off the scent of the real home, Parkside House. However, this cannot be correct, as on 25 April newspaper reports first surfaced to say that the owners of Tibbs Farm, Mr and Mrs Cotes-Preedy, had been asked to rent the home to Marilyn during her stay in England. More reports surfaced on 26 April and 14 May, and even included interior shots and interviews with Mrs Cotes-Preedy herself. This media intrusion was simply unacceptable and another home was sought, this time in the form of a Park Lane apartment. Unfortunately, on 16 June, the owner Michael Ferszt leaked the news to the press and those plans were immediately shelved.