Westin, Av, 90, 91
Westwood Village Mortuary, 9, 15–16, 26, 34, 53, 240
Wexler, Milton, 337, 407, 421
What a Way to Go, 432, 440, 444
White, John, 153
Whitman, Walt, 185
Why England Slept (J. F. Kennedy), 152
Wiener, Leigh, 9, 32, 70, 75
Wilder, Billy, 273, 314
directing style of, 316–317
Seven Year Itch and, 244–245, 265, 316
Some Like It Hot and, 314–322
Wilkie, Jane, 271
William Morris Agency, 220
Wilson, Don, 64
Wilson, Earl, 432
Winchell, Walter, 55, 63, 245, 251, 258, 448
Winters, Shelley, 200–201, 338, 370
Wolff, Raphael, 180–181
Wood, Natalie, 27, 199
Wood, Ward, 58
Woodfield, William (Billy), 10, 14, 15–16, 58, 79, 276, 414, 442, 462
Worton, William, 223
Wurtzel, Sol, 202
Wyman, Jane, 217, 259
Years of Lightning—Day of Drums, 66
Yorty, Sam, 49, 91, 100, 102, 455
Zanuck, Darryl F., 118, 185, 193–194, 266, 369, 455
fight for 20th Century-Fox by, 430, 432–433, 437–438
MM and, 188–189, 221, 223, 231, 233, 234, 237, 241, 245, 253, 425–426
“Zelda Zonk,” 247, 254, 305
Ziegler, Harry, 371
Zimbalist, Efrem, 171
Zolotow, Maurice, 251, 271
Zona Rosa, 394
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book is the culmination of years of research, not only by me but by many authors, biographers, and investigative journalists. I owe all my predecessors a deep debt of gratitude. Fred Guiles, who wrote the Baedeker of all Monroe biographies, was more than helpful in guiding me through the labyrinthine path of Norma Jeane’s story. Milo Speriglio also kindly gave of his time and energies in helping me understand the complexities of the cover-up.
I’m especially thankful to Robert Slatzer and his wife, Debbie, for opening up the Slatzer archives to me. A man of rare wit and dedication, Bob Slatzer was uncommonly generous with his time and energies.
Although Anthony Summers was deeply involved in his own project, he took the time to search through his files and run up giant phone bills in lengthy discussions. I’m most grateful to him for guiding me through the forest of disinformation—cheers!
I thank genealogist Roy Turner for sending me his treasure trove of Norma Jeane Baker files, for extensive hours of conversation and guidance, and for his patience.
Peter Brown, who was supportive from the beginning, also shared transcripts of his interviews and files from the Fox archives—thank you, Peter.
Greg Shriner, Roman Hrynjszak, Patrick Miller, and the unique members of “Marilyn Remembered,” were very helpful in making contacts with those who knew Marilyn. Their assistance was invaluable.
I want to thank Ted Landreth, the producer of BBC’s Say Goodbye to the President for his time and generosity.
I owe Kathy Buster very special thanks for her extensive editorial assistance and her frequent attempts to rescue me from the fetid swamp of hyperbolical purple prose.
To Michael Harris, esq., distinguished member of the bar, I owe a deep debt of gratitude for good advice and good friendship.
Lucille Ham and Liz Derby, who burned the midnight oil at their word processors, deserve a million words of praise. I must not forget David Henschel, blessed with the gift of total recall, who was of invaluable assistance. Marilyn’s friend forever, Jimmy Haspiel, was endlessly helpful. I’m grateful to the author James Spada for his assistance and advice. To Gus Russo go many thanks for sharing his wealth of information.
To the staff at the UCLA Special Collections Department; the Psychoanalytic Institute of Los Angeles, New York, and Boston; the FOI office of the FBI; the National Archives at College Park; the Special Collections Department of the University of Texas; the Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; and the Kennedy Library—thank you all for your guidance and assistance.
The gold-medal winner of the paper chase is my agent, Alan Nevins of the Renaissance Agency. Alan believed in the book from day one and had the patience and determination to overcome all the obstacles along the path to publication. My special thanks to Alan, Joel Gotler, Irv Schwartz, Brian Upp, and all the remarkable people at Renaissance.
A special word of thanks to Alan Samson of Little, Brown and Company (UK) and Tony Cartano of Albin Michel, who were so helpful and supportive from the first word to the last. And I’m indeed grateful to Michael Murphy of William Morrow and Company. His excellent judgment guided the book through the harrows of the publishing process.
I especially want to thank my wife, Ann, who was not only supportive from beginning to end but had so much to do with bringing about an understanding of Norma Jeane and solving so many of the Marilyn mysteries. Ann was always there—whirling the tumblers of truth.
I must express a special sense of gratitude to a remarkable man who became a true friend in the course of my research—Jack Clemmons. A man of integrity, Jack was a rare breed in pragmatic times. What a far better world it would be if there were just ten more people in it like him. He’s gone to the place where all men are honest, and it’s the world’s loss. I thank Jack Clemmons for being Jack Clemmons.
About the Author
DONALD H. WOLFE worked in Hollywood as a screenwriter and film editor for twenty-five years. His fascination with Marilyn Monroe began when he met her in 1958 during the filming of Some Like It Hot at the Samuel Studios. Wolfe lives in Georgia.
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Credits
Cover design by Mumtaz Mustafa
Cover Photograph © by Cecil Beaton/Camera Press/Rudux
Copyright
Grateful acknowledgment is made for permission to quote from the following:
After the Fall by Arthur Miller. Copyright 1964 by Arthur Miller. Reprinted by permission of Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Putnam, Inc.
Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe by Anthony Summers (U.S. reprint). Copyright 1984 by Anthony Summers. Reprinted by permission of Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc.
The Life and Curious Death of Marilyn Monroe by Robert F. Slatzer. Copyright 1974, 1975 by Robert F. Slatzer. Reprinted by permission of Robert F. Slatzer.
Marilyn: An Untold Story by Norman Rosten. Copyright 1967, 1972, 1973 by Norman Rosten. First published by New American Library. Reprinted by permission of Harold Ober Associates, Inc., and Patricia Rosten Filan.
Marilyn: The Last Take by Patte B. Barham and Peter Harry Brown. Copyright © 1992 by Patte B. Barham and Peter Harry Brown. Used by permission of Dutton, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.
My Sister Marilyn: A Memoir of Marilyn Mornoe by Berniece Baker Miracle and Mona Rae Miracle. Copyright 1994 by Berniece Baker Miracle. Reprinted by permission of Algonquin Books, Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing.
My Story edited by Milton H. Greene. Copyright 1998 by the Archives of Milton H. Greene, LLC. Reprinted by permission of The Archives of Milton H. Greene, LLC. www.archivesmhg.com.
The Prince, the Showgirl, and Me by Colin Clark. Copyright 1995 by Colin Clark. Reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Press, Inc.
The Secret Happiness of Marilyn Monroe by James Dougherty. Copyright by James Dougherty. Reprinted by permission of James Dougherty.
Timebends by Arthur Miller. Copyright 1987 by Arthur Miller. Reprinted by permission of Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
“Unfortunate Coincidence” by Dorothy Parker. Copyright 1926. Renewed 1954 by Dorothy Parker, from The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker. Used by permission of Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Putnam, Inc.
You See I Haven’t Forgotten by Yves Montand with Herne Hamon and Patrick Rotman. Copyright 1992 by Yves Montand
, Herne Hamon, and Patrick Rotman. Reprinted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Song lyrics reprinted:
“Every Day I Have the Blues” by Peter Chatman. Copyright 1952. Renewed by Arc Music Corporation. All rights reserved. Used by permission. International copyright secured.
“I’ll Get By (As Long As I Have You)” by Fred E. Ahlert and Roy Turk. Copyright 1928. Renewed 1956 by Fred Ahlert Music Corporation, Pencil Mark Music, and Cromwell Music, Inc.
“Runnin’ Wild” by Leo Wood, A. Harrington, and Joe Grey Gibbs. Copyright 1922. Renewed by EMI Feist Catalog, Inc., and TRO Cromwall Music, Inc., for USA. Used by permission of Warner Bros. Publications, U.S., Inc.
THE LAST DAYS OF MARILYN MONROE. Copyright © 1998 by Donald H. Wolfe. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
A hardcover edition of this book was published in 1998 by William Morrow and Company, Inc
FIRST WILLIAM MORROW PAPERBACK EDITION PUBLISHED 2012.
* * *
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Wolfe, Donald H. (Donald Hartwig), 1931-
The last days of Marilyn Monroe / by Donald H. Wolfe.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-688-16288-7
1. Monroe, Marilyn, 1926-1962—Death and burial. 2. Motion picture actors and actresses—United States—Biography. I. Title.
PN2287.M69W63 1998
791.43'028'092-dc21
[B]
98-36510
CIP
* * *
ISBN 978-0-06-220649-7
EPub Edition © AUGUST 2012 ISBN: 9780062237033
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* This comment by Dr. Engelberg to Sergeant Clemmons has gone unreported for over thirty years. It was discovered in the transcript of a talk given by Jack Clemmons on March 22, 1991, to the Los Angeles organization Marilyn Remembered. He has recently reconfirmed the statement. It has a significance relating to the autopsy. Regarding the digestive tract, Dr. Noguchi states, “The colon shows marked congestion and discoloration.” This heretofore unexplained notation has given substance to erroneous speculation that the mode of death was via a suppository or enema infusion of barbiturates. But according to Monroe’s New York internist, Dr. Richard Cottrell, she had episodes of colitis brought about by emotional stress, and in 1961 she was diagnosed as having an ulcerated colon.
* In his book Marilyn Monroe: The Biography, Donald Spoto accused Slatzer of being merely a fan who once met Marilyn during the filming of Niagara. However, evidence and statements made by numerous individuals who knew Slatzer and Marilyn during the decades of their friendship clearly establish their enduring relationship.
* While only the Nembutal bottle was found and inventoried, Dr. Engelberg had inexplicably erred in stating the number of capsules he had prescribed. The records of the pharmacy indicate that the Nembutal prescription was for twenty-five capsules—not fifty as Engelberg had stated.
* Amount recovered from total stomach contents.
* The question arises as to why there was no indication of the puncture mark in the autopsy. There are several possible explanations: 1) It wasn’t discovered. 2) It was discovered, but not included in the report because of the problems it presented. 3) The “careful examination for needle marks” occurred after the body was opened up and Noguchi was surprised to find that the stomach and small intestine gave no indication of an oral ingestion of the overdose. As Alan Abbott recently stated, “By that time the ‘Y’ incision in the chest cavity would have obliterated the telling puncture of the heart needle.”
† Hall had originally maintained that the Code 3 call to the Monroe residence was between 2 and 4 A.M. Sunday; however, substantial evidence indicates that Monroe died at approximately 10:45 Saturday night. It was late Saturday night that the neighbors saw the ambulance at the residence. The time discrepancy is perhaps explained by Hall’s disclosure that he worked a twenty-four-hour shift (a practice now outlawed by the state of California). His shift began at four o’clock Saturday afternoon. Between ambulance calls Hall tried to sleep on a cot provided by Schaefer at the W. L. A. office. On an average twenty-four-hour shift there were often as many as fifteen emergency calls. Hall admitted that it was easy to become time-disoriented on such a schedule. When asked how he had established the time frame of his call to the Monroe residence, he stated that he may have established the time in retrospect, after reading the account in the newspapers on Monday morning.
* Mrs. Murray was unaware that Jack Schermerhorn had a tape recorder concealed under a hat on the table. Though the metal table and the hat distorted the sound, her revelations are preserved on the Schermerhorn tape. An edited version of the interview appeared in the New York Post on October 16, 1985, but it was not picked up by the press, its significance overlooked.
* The IATSE filed a civil suit against Murray and Sorrell, which is in the Los Angeles Hall of Records under civil case #446193.
* The German novelist Bruno Frank became a refugee immigrant in 1936. His wife would become Marilyn Monroe’s drama coach in 1948.
* SLATE was identified by the California Senate Fact Finding Committee as a Communist front organization. It was SLATE that organized the violent demonstrations against the House Committee on Un-American Activities in San Francisco in May 1960.
* Clark, son of art historian Kenneth Clark, kept a fascinating diary of the production, which was published in England under the title The Prince, the Showgirl, and Me.
* For many years Miller had been a patient of Loewenstein, who was on the Communist Party’s “approved list” of Marxist analysts. Loewenstein, a friend of Ralph Greenson, was also a disciple of Otto Fenichel. When Fenichel died it was Loewenstein who wrote his eulogy: see “In Memorium—Otto Fenichel” by Loewenstein in Psychoanalytic Quarterly 15 (1946): Chapter 19.
* One evening at a poetry reading at the Rostens’, a copy of Yeats was passed around for each person to open and read at random. At Marilyn’s turn, she opened to “Never Give All the Heart.” “She read the title, paused, and began the poem,” Rosten said. “She read it slowly, discovering it, letting the lines strike her, surprised, hanging on, winning by absolute simplicity and truth. When she finished, there was a hush.”
* The Krises’ son, Anton, became John M. Murray’s analysand and delivered the eulogy at Dr. Murray’s funeral.
* Lewis Fielding, who was a close friend and associate of Ralph Gr
eenson’s along with Norman Leites of the Rand Corporation, became Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist and was the object of a break-in by the “Plumbers” during the Nixon administration. It had become a matter of concern that the Pentagon Papers had appeared in Moscow before they appeared in the New York Times.
* After Dr. Hyman Engelberg’s wife, Esther, divorced him in 1963, she married Albert Maltz.
* Probate records indicated that the money was repaid to DiMaggio from her estate.
* The Spoto interviews for Marilyn Monroe: The Biography are housed at the library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Many of the interviews substantiate the relationship between Bobby Kennedy and Marilyn; however, this material was excluded from Spoto’s book.
* What Bobby Kennedy and Marilyn discussed became the subject of a national “security matter” in the FBI document dated July 13, 1962.
* When Kilgallen later conducted an investigation into the assassination of President Kennedy, she confided to intimates that she had discovered “explosive information” that would be published in her book Murder One. Kilgallen had just returned from a Dallas interview with Jack Ruby when she died under questionable circumstances on the night of November 8, 1965. The nearly completed manuscript of her Ruby interview vanished along with her notes. When Ron Pataki was asked if he had seen the manuscript, he indicated that he had. When asked what it revealed, he responded with the strange caveat, “Nothing anybody should know about.”
The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe Page 62
