My journey ends here...
1955
JANUARY :
Friday, January 7 : Milton Greene organized a press conference and brought together 80 reporters, few friends and potential partners at Frank
Delaney's place (
,
), one of her lawyers (the lawyers Frank Delaney, Irving Stein and Lloyd Wright worked with
Milton Greene on the creation of the Marilyn Monroe
Productions), on 64th Street.
Marilyn hadn't been publicly seen for more than 3 weeks and the reporters curiosity was at its paeak (
,
).
Reporters Dorothy Kilgallen and Walter Winchell, hostile to Marilyn, were the only absent.
When she was asked how she intended accomodating it with the Fox, Delaney answered that she was no more under contract with the studio, and that she planned to work for television.
The Fox later held a press conference and announced that Marilyn was still well and truly under contract and that she still owed the studio 4 years.
,
,
).
Among others, the people attended this party were Elsa Maxwell (
,
), playwright Sidney
Kingsley, composer Richard Rodgers (friend of Milton Greene), Janet Leigh andTony Curtis, and Marlene Dietrich
(
,
,
), who offered Marilyn to come to her place, on Park Avenue, later in the evening, to have a drink.
Marilyn celebrated the event, in the evening, with the Greenes at the Copacabana Club, a night-club where Frank
Sinatra performed. This one took them to have dinner at the "Club 21".Then, they visited Marlene Dietrich.
Frank Delaney, by announcing that Marilyn was no more under contract with the Fox, hadn't spoken without thinking.
With care, he had calculated how many days of suspension Marilyn had since the beginning of 1954, and he had also checked the date to which the Fox had to renew her contract for "There's No Business Like Show Business" and for "The Seven Year Itch".
Taking a long time renewing the contract signature and putting down in writting the verbal promise of a 100 000$ bonus for "The Seven Year Itch", the studio was legally in the wrong.
Delaney also pointed up the fact that it seemed legally impossible that Charles Feldman was Marilyn's agent and the producer of the movie ("The Seven Year Itch") without Marilyn's prior consent. That's why Delaney wasn't wrong when he said that the "The Seven Year Itch" production ended the 1951 contract between Marilyn and Fox.
As it was expected, there was an outcry both from the Fox and Milton Greene.
The studios began to threat Marilyn with a suspension. Vain threat, because, insomuch as the shooting of "The Seven Year Itch" wasn't officially completed and the production still needed Marilyn for the last shots which had to take place in January in Hollywood, she kept on receiving her weekly fee. The Fox also announced that they were determined to take other sanctions if Marilyn didn't come on the set of her next movie, "How to be Very, Very Popular", in which she was supposed to perform a stripper, what she didn't intend to do.
Sunday, January 9 :
she flew to Hollywood with Milton Greene, to make the last shots
of "The Seven Year Itch" in studio.
She spent the Sunday evening at
home in Doheny Drive, and the following day, Monday, January 10, at 10.00 AM, she was at the studio.
She was asked to come the next day to finish a publicity work in the portrait gallery. Milton Greene agreed because this task was in connection with "The Seven Year Itch". But the studio also called her for "fittings"..
Tuesday, January 11,
Marilyn and Milton Greene attended Sammy Davis Jr 's show at the Ciro's, a
night-club of Los Angeles (
,
,
,
,
,
).
Wednesday, January 12 : she worked on the portrait gallery until 4.00 PM and agreed to finish the session the next day.
A summoning was brought to her for the fitting of the costumes in
preparation for the shooting of "How to be Very, Very Popular" for the
following day, at 10.30 AM.
Thursday, January 13 : Marilyn arrived at the studio and directly went to her dressing-room. Some assistants took care of her hair and make-up for the appointment of 1.00 PM in the portrait gallery. But Marilyn didn't go.
Afraid she fled with Milton Greene, the Fox commanded her to meet Nunnally Johnson (the screenwriter of "How to be Very, Very Popular"), on Saturday, 15 for the pre-production.
Saturday, January 15 : Marilyn flew to New York. The Fox suspended her for not having been at the studio.
Joe DiMaggio did the same and settled in New York.
Marilyn settled at the Gladstone
Hotel, 52nd Street, near Lexington.
She moved in on Wednesday, January 19 , helped by DiMaggio. Sam Shaw, her friend photographer, who knew the owners of the hotel, had organized everything so that she could settle there.
Milton Greene had rented her a suite she lived in until March, until her settlement at the Waldorf Astoria.
Thus, she could receive the reporters, give the interviews and take advantage of all the leisure activities of New York.
She would also be closer to Milton's studio , 480 Lexington Avenue, where the work sessions (
,
;
,
) and picture session were often scheduled (
-
,
,
,
-
,
-
).
At that time, she lived in New York during the week, and spent her week-ends at the Greene's place in Connecticut.
The Greenes introduced her to their many professional circles and others.
He spared no effort although he wasn't regularly paid. Because until Milton Greene mortgaged his house in Connecticut, this Spring, to prioritize and cover the business expenses (like Marilyn's rent in New York), the firm didn't have any capital.
In case the Fox would sue Marilyn, Stein advised her to become resident in Connecticut, where, other advantage, there was no income tax.
That's how, end of January, she made a request for a driving license and registered on the Connecticut electoral roll.
As
well important, Irving Stein had undertstood it, was Marilyn's relation
with DiMaggio. This one had visited her in New York during
the Christmas holidays and had spent at least a night with her, at the
hotel. In a strategic point of view, this relation could become a
liability or on the contrary an asset for the company, because,
obvisously, Marilyn was still dependent on DiMaggio
(
).
When Milton and Marilyn went to Boston on Sunday, January 23 to meet a potential partner (Henry Rosenfeld
), Joe DiMaggio arrived unexpectedly at the hotel, and Marilyn dropped
Milton to spend 5 days at Joe's brother's place, Dominic, in
Wellesley, suburb of Boston (Massachusetts) (
,
,
).
Marilyn often asked him for advice, listened to him and followed his directives, notalby when he recommended her to renegotiate her contract with the Fox.
Marilyn appealed him, but he wasn't the big investor Greene desperatly needed.
He refused to give his support to the Marilyn Monroe Productions.
Joe learned his election at the Base-Ball
Hall of Fame : 
.
Milton
Greene dealt with the financial development of the main capital of the
company, prepared some movie projects and worked with his lawyers crew
to renegotiate Marilyn's contract with the Fox.
Marilyn
was left penniless, and Milton Greene thought that she had to keep on
having her star life; he mortgaged to his last penny.
In the beginning of this year, Marilyn spent a week-end in Connecticut, at Fleur Cowles's place, from Look magazine, who worked with Milton
Greene. There, she met the humanist Bertha
Spafford-Vester : 
.
Wednesday, January 26, Marilyn gave an interview at the Gladstone Hotel (
,
,
,
) to reporter George
Carpozi Jr and photographer George
Miller, then went for a walk in Central Park with the photographer (
,
,
).
FEBRUARY :
Tuesday, February 1st : Sam Shaw, her friend and photographer, took her to a dinner offered by Paul Bigelow.
Milton
Greene invited himself to this dinner. This evening, Marilyn was seated facing Cheryl
Crawford, one of the most important producers in Broadway, who had founded with Elia Kazan and Robert Lewis, the Actors Studio.
Cheryl Crawford reproached Marilyn for her regrettable behavior with a
very good friend of her, a man with a formidable integrity named
Charles Feldman.
Marilyn explained her why she had left the Famous Artists : Charles Feldman, not much desirous to put his position within the Fox in jeopardy, hadn't fought enough for her. Her objections were limited to Feldman as an agent; she insisted on the fact that she had the biggest respect for him as a producer.
Cheryl
Crawford was enchanted and impressed by Marilyn; she suggested her to
talk about her acting problems with the art director and main teacher
of the Actors Studio, Lee Strasberg.
Marilyn, enthusiastic by her meeting with Strasberg who agreed to give her private lessons, had from then on, many projects. She first had to find a psychoanalyst and organized her timetable for her private lessons with Lee Strasberg. She also decided to find a permanant place to live.
Milton Greene put her in touch with Dr
Margaret Hohenberg, his own psychoanalyst ( he had been under her care several years earlier, prior 1953).
Mid-February :
she attended the pyschiatrist Margaret Hohenberg's office, at the
rate of 2 sessions in the morning, and 3 sessions in the afternoon a
week.
During these sessions, which lasted until1957, Marilyn worked on the acceptance of her chilhood traumas, her inability to establish lasting friendships and her fear to be abandonned.
,
–
,
,
,
;
,
;
,
).
Three evenings a week, she worked with Strasberg, at his home and often stayed to have dinner with the family.
She soon joined one of Lee's private class, which met 4 hours a week, including 2 devoted to sensory memory exercises, and 2 to the work of the stage.
Their meeting marked the beginning of an essential personal and professional relation to Marilyn, which lasted until her death.
,
,
),
met during the shooting of "The Seven Year Itch". She let him coming to
her home, and accepted his company when she criss-crossed New York City
(
,
,
,
).
He
helped her to do her shopping at Wheelan’s, one of her
favorite drugstore, at the corner of Lexington Avenue and
93rd Avenue.
She also met photographer George
Barris, who also worked on the outdoors of "The Seven Year Itch", and more particularly on the famous scene of the subway grille.
He took pictures of her, several weeks before her death in 1962.
Writer
Truman Capote introduced her to the English actress Constance Collier, eminent
drama teacher who only worked with stars (Audrey
Hepburn, Vivien Leigh).
Marilyn worked with her for a while.
Saturday, February 26, Marilyn attended, with DiMaggio, the birthday party of Jackie Gleason, at the Toot’s Shor in New York (
,
;
;
,
,
;
).
Monday, February 28 :
Irving Stein (the lawyer of the Marilyn Monroe
Productions) reported at the Gladstone Hotel for a work meeting
with Marilyn; they had to talk about the best tactic to adopt to
negotiate a new contract with the Fox; Marilyn wanted to talk about it
with Joe
DiMaggio.
), at the Madison Square Garden, in favor of arthritis and rheumatic affections which took place on March 30
(
,
).
MARCH:
Wednesday, March 9 : premiere of "East of Eden", at the Astor
Theater of New York (
) ; she volunteered to serve as an usherette (
,
). At this party attended, among others, her MCA New York agent Jay Kanter
(
), Milton Greene (
,
,
), Sammy Davis Jr
(
), reporter Earl Wilson (
) and presenter Milton Berle
(
,
).
The party was organized in favor of the Actors Studio, which desperatly needed a place. This fundraising had to be used to purchase an old Greek church.
After the showing, she attended a reception (
,
,
) during which every member of the Studio and its partisans wanted to meet Strasberg's most recent disciple.
During this evening, Marilyn met Arthur Miller accompanied with his sister, actress Joan Miller
Copeland.
It was Miller who approached her and they talked for a while. A couple of weeks later, Miller called Paula Strasberg to ask her Marilyn's phone number. They met again later, since Spring, at the Rosten's place, and their affair began.
At that time, Miller, after the success of "Death of a Salesman" and "The Crucible", was writing a one-act play "A View From the Bridge", which had to be presented in Broadway in Fall, at the same time than another one-act play he had just finished.
She became tense, agitated, unable to sleep. A doctor was
called, Dr Philip
Shapiro,
who prescribed her some sedatives and barbiturates, and advised her to
space the psychoanalysis sessions out , her outings and work meetings
for few weeks.
Monday, March 14
: the Fox sent Frank Delaney, the Marilyn Monroe Productions lawyer,
3 checks of an amount which covered the weeks prior Marilyn's
suspension. Delaney sent them back. Since this day, the Fox refused to
keep on dealing with him and announced its plan to postpone the release
of "The Seven Year Itch" to 1956.
Thursday, March 17 : with Milton Greene (
,
,
) she attended a party at the New York
Friars Club, with Milton Berle as master of ceremony (
,
,
,
).
Sammy
Davis Jr (
,
) and Dean Martin belonged to the guests (
,
,
,
).
She made pictures during a week with photographer Ed Feingersh, who ttok her in picture in the subway, at Grand Central Station (
,
,
,
), at Brooks
(
,
,
,
) to make a fitting of the costumes for the party on March 30 at the Madison Square Garden, at Costello's restaurant (
,
,
),
at the Ambassador Hotel (
,
,
;
;
,
;
,
) at the Morosco theater, at the El Morocco
restaurant and at Elizabeth Arden (
,
,
).
She went in several bookshops of Lower Manhattan and bought several books including "Ulysse" of James Joyce, Gertrude Lawrence's biography by her husband Richard Aldrich, "Letters to Terry" and "Letters to Mrs Patrick Campbell" of George Bernard Shaw, and "Fallen Angels" of Noël Coward, which was played this year in Broadway.
Thursday, March 24 : she attended the premiere of the play "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (
,
,
,
) of Tennessee
Williams, directed by Elia Kazan, with the Greenes (
,
,
).
After, they had dinner at the El Morocco restaurant.
Wednesday, March 30 : Marilyn attended the party organized by MikeTodd and the
Ringling Brothers Circus, at the Madison Square Garden, in favor of the Arthritis and and Rheumatic Affections Association.
She
made a triumphant entrance, dressed with a very sexy pantyhose,
embroidered with spangles and feathers, riding a pink painted elephant (
), named Karnaudi, in front of 18 000 personnes ().
She was taken in picture by photographer Ed Feingersh (
;
;
;
,
).
Milton Berle (
,
) presented the gala. Milton
Greene was also present (
).
Thursday, March 31, Marilyn visited the ship Uss Bennington (
,
,
).
APRIL :
Marilyn
left the Gladstone Hotel and settled at n° 2728 Waldorf
Tower, in a three-rooms, at the 27th floor (rented by Milton Greene to
the English actress Leonora Corbett for the sum of 1 000$ a week).
The apartment was decorated in blue and gold, with white touches.
().
It was Arthur Jacobs's agency which dealt with the Marilyn Monroe Productions publicity, while Rupert Allan, a press agent working in the same agency, took care of Marilyn's personal publicity (and did it until 1960).
Arthur Jacobs and his associates on the East and West Coast (John Springer and Lois Weber in New York City; Rupert Allan and Patricia Newcomb in Los Angeles) were in charge of sorting the mails arriving by hundred each week, to request Marilyn's presence to attend galas, charities or to give interviews.
Marilyn who didn't want at all to cease her sessions with Dr Hohenberg and with Lee Strasberg, limited the meetings with reporters and the picture sessions, at a minimum.
Charles Feldman, aware of the situation in which Marilyn was, sent one of his agent to New York, to know if she would be interested to play in "The Sleeping Prince" with Richard Burton, in case he would purchase the rights. Marilyn agreed but didn't want to return to the Famous Artists. So she chose the MCA, rival of Feldman, to represent her in her discussions with the Fox.
To Milton Greene, the best way to guarantee their independence was ro rely on Lew Wasserman, manager of the MCA, to ensure Marilyn's movies distribution, produced by the Marilyn Monroe Productions, and, by doing so, giving Charles Feldman up.
Her
breach of contract with Feldman forced her to repay the advance of
23 000$ he had paid her to cover the expenses caused by the
search of a new contract, Natasha Lytess's salary and other professional needs.
It took 5 years to Feldman to get the sum back.
The MCA kept on representing her after the Marilyn Monroe
Productions settlement , until 1962, when she chose the lawyer Milton Rudin to represent her.
Friday, April 8 :
Marilyn took part in a live TV program "Person to Person", presented by Edward R. Murrow on CBS.
The program had been prepared with care for weeks of intense work (
,
,
), despite the relaxed atmosphere which seemed to reign on the set.
The shooting took place at Greene's home, in their house of Weston, Connecticut.
Marilyn
lived an anxiety attack before the program, because she thought that
her too light make-up and her too simple clothes made her appear insignificant next to Amy Greene
(
,
,
,
).
Marilyn was nervous during the shooting and wasn't satisfied of the result (
,
,
,
).
During the program, she paid tribute to the persons who had helped her through her career, notably John
Huston, Billy Wilder,
Natasha Lytess and Michael
Tchekhov.
Tuesday, April 26, she attended the Newspaper Public Convention (or Banshee Luncheon) at the Waldorf Astoria
(
), where also attended Milton Berle (
,
,
), J.Edgar Hoover
(
) and reporter Hedda Hopper (
).
End of April :
she attended the funeral of
Constance Collier, who had died aged 77, with who she had followed some
lessons in February. The funeral took place at the Universal Funeral
Home, few blocks from the Waldorf Astoria.
Truman
Capote was seated next to Marilyn.
Spring :
The
first work session of Marilyn with Lee Strasberg took place during
this Spring, in Strasberg's apartment, 225 86th Street ; she only
attended the lessons at the Actors Studio when she felt ready, in May1955.
He completely took her under his wing, assuming the part of a guru, to Milton Greene's great displeasure.
Lee completely shared Marilyn's resentment toward the movie industry studios, in particular the Fox.
Because she was too cowed to take part in the group sessions, Marilyn had been invited to work in private at Strasberg's place.
Photographer Sam Shaw and his wife had dinner several time with Marilyn and Joe
DiMaggio. When Marilyn declared that she was interested in poetry, Sam Shaw organized a meeting with his friends, Norman and Hedda Rosten.
Norman Rosten, poet and novelist, was an old University friend of Arthur Miller. He would be one of the rare people to who Marilyn showed her own poems.
That's how started between them a solid friendship which lasted until Marilyn's death. Norman played the cultural mentor in New York, as for Hedda, she later became Marilyn's secretary.
The Rostens were immediately won by Marilyn, by her unpretentiousness and her shyness.
,
,
),
a group of young fans. They had known each others on the job, each of
them realizing that they weren't the only one to be on the look out at
the exit of the buildings or the offices where she was. James Haspiel
didn't often join them.
Marilyn
ended by spending less time with the Greenes. Her need of security
being fullfilled, she spent the week-ends and the feasts with the
Strasbergs; she shared their meals, spent many nights at their home
when she felt alone and couldn't sleep, and accompanied them in their
holiday home of Fire Island.
The years passing, Marilyn, with her surge of generosity, requited them for their hospitality.
It was at the Strasbergs place that Marilyn met Ralph Roberts, actor, also student at the Actors Studio, friend of the Strasberg's family and appointed masseur of Susan Strasberg (Lee and Paula Strasberg's daughter).
Although very attentive, the Strasberg's family was far from being the ideal foster family for Marilyn. Lee was quick-tempered by nature and Paula often threw a fit during which she threatened to commit suicide.
Everything turned around Lee, her soul-searching, her dreams, her ambitions and her neurosis. Negligent father against his wishes, he gave Marilyn all the attention he refused to his children. He acted this way because he was convinced that Marilyn contained within her a raw and unexplored talent. There was a fundamental link between them : the need to be respected by the mass above which they had manage to rise up.
The Strasberg's Method, the plays and the Russian poetry he used for his exercises, to Marilyn, fitted in line. Arthur Miller, whose political sympathies were close to Strasberg's one, also belonged to this circle. His sympathy for the dropouts and the outcasts had led Marilyn to become attached and even identified to the characters of Miller's last plays. So, Lee Strasberg and Arthur Miller formed 2 commplementary halfs, on one hand the one of the father and lover, and on the other hand, the one of a teacher and guide.
MAY :
The release of "The Seven Year Itch" was announced for the beginning of June.
She spent the evening at the El Morocco where she danced with the writer Truman Capote (
,
,
).
,
,
;
).
The actors presented a scene to the students group, then explained what
hey tried to express through them. Every person present, students
and spectators, was free to comment, encourage and criticize. Then Lee
Strasberg expressed himself in his turn.
The Actors Studio taught the Method, a drama technique which was based on the feelings revelation which was itself based on the teaching of actor and director, Stanislavski.
An essential aspect of the Method was the actors relief thanks to the psychoanalysis.
Lee Strasberg would be the only Marilyn's drama teacher to believe in her as a stage actress, but despite the many years she studied the Method and Strasberg's many contacts in the theater circle, Marilyn had never had any stage role for her.
Nevertheless, she was much more a movie actress than a stage one; actually she was unable to put up with the hazards of the good days and bad days, without any opportunity to play the scene again.
At the Actors Studio, she played several scenes of famous plays including "Anna Christie" (with Maureen Stapleton) of Eugene O’Neill (Marilyn had formerly studied with Natasha Lytess), "Golden Boy" of Clifford Odets,
"A Streetcar Named Desire" of Tennessee Williams.
JUNE :
Wednesday, June 1st, Marilyn, accompanied with Joe
DiMaggio, attended the premiere of "The Seven Year Itch" (
) at the Loew’s
State Theater (
) of Times Square, New York City (
,
,
, 
,
;
,
,
,
).
To mark the event, the theater received a poster of almost 16 meters high, representing Marilyn, the skirt hiked up (
,
,
).
Many celebrities attended the showing, including Grace Kelly, Henry Fonda, Tyrone Power, Margaret Truman, Eddie Fisher, Judy Holliday and Richard Rodgers, and thousands of fans gathered on Broadway, hoping getting a glimpse of her.
,
).
Everyone had loved her in the movie, but she couldn't be delighted with her success, because Strasberg had led her to violently criticize everything she had accomplished in Hollywood. Everybody expected her to be proud of herself this evening, but the premiere had produced on her the opposite effect.
She
had an argument with Joe DiMaggio, who didn't understand anything to
that was going on, and she left the party. Sam Shaw drove her back
home.
At that time, and while few people were informed, Marilyn spent more and more time with Arthur Miller; together, they made long walkings in Lower Manhattan, had dinner at the Rostens place or, in a more private way, at the Waldorf.
Friday, June 3 : official release of "The Seven Year Itch" (
,
,
,
).
The movie was the biggest success of this Summer, generating a gross receipts of almost 5 millions $ (4 millions and a half), reaching 6 to 15 millions $ at the end of the first release.
As producer and director, Billy Wilder reaped a half million $, plus a commission on the takings, and Marilyn's agent and co-producer Charles Feldman earned 318 000$, plus a commission on the takings. For the time being, Marilyn was still waiting for her 100 000$, and she only earned a weekly fee.
To Milton Greene and his lawyers, it was the right time to closely negotiate a new contract with the Fox, whitout which they knew they couldn't keep on working for a really long time, nor buying the rights of original works or launching into production. Furthermore, they had understood that the Fox had better to keep its best product and not to turn her againt the studio.
Tuesday, June 7, Marilyn went to Broadway to see the play "Damn Yankees" (
,
,
).
).
Tuesday, June 28 : publication of an article of Dorothy Kilgallen in the New York Journal American
in which the reporter declared that Lee Strasberg had
supplanted Milton Greene and took the place of mentor in
Marilyn's life.
This statement caused a serious tension within the Marilyn Monroe Productions.
Marilyn spent time at Richard Rodgers place, a friend and neighbor of the Greenes, in Weston (
,
,
,
,
,
,
).
JULY :
Around Friday, July 1st, Milton Greene insisted so that Marilyn followed him, him and his wife Amy in Italy, where they left for a trip. But Marilyn flatly refused to leave New York, declaring that her lessons, her analysis and the outings in Broadway stopped her.
Furthermore, she had agreed an invitation from the Strasbergs to spend the
week-ends with them in their house of Fire Island, near Long Island.
At that time, she became more and more dependent on Lee and Paula Strasberg.
Publication of the photo reporting of Ed Feingersh, made in March 1955 "A Day in Marilyn's Life" in
Redbook magazine.
AUGUST:
Saturday, August 6 : Marilyn went to Bement (Illinois) to make the opening of the Abraham Lincoln Museum, for the occasion of the town centenary.
On
her request, she was accompanied with photographer Eve Arnold, she had
invited to cover the event. She took off from La Guardia at
10.00AM, landed in Chicago where she made a 2 hours stopover (
,
,
).
Then, she changed the plane (
,
,
,
,
) to go to Champaign (
), where a car procession with the Governor motorcyclist escort, accompanying her to Bement.
She attended a work of art exhibition (few pieces of primitive art had been lent by a Chicago museum)
(
).
For the Lincoln Museum opening (
,
), she delivered a speech she had prepared in the plane (
).
She also granted the local radios and press a serie of interviews (
,
,
).
Eve
Arnold took her in picture during the breaks between the festivities (
,
,
).
In Chicago, she took the plane back to New York (
,
,
,
) and took off around 11.00 PM.
She arrived at La Guardia around 2.00 AM.
Carleton Smith from the National Arts Foundation (who accompanied her), asked her if she would agree to go to Moscow with an American artists delegation to initiate a cultural exchange between the East and the West. Marilyn didn't hesitate.
,
) and in Long Island (near New York
City).
She saw the Rostens a lot, in New York or in their country house of Long
Island (
,
,
,
;
,
) and met Arthur
Miller more and more often
(
).
Fred Karger,
her Los Angeles singing teacher with who she had fallen in love, went
in New York and stayed at the Waldorf Astoria where Marilyn lived.
He witnessed the shooting of "The Eddy Duchin Story", with Tyrone Power as the leaeding role.
He invited her for a drink, but found her completely dazed by alcohol and sedatives.
Furthermore, she had more and more suspicion toward the Greenes, her professional relations with Milton and her personal ones with Amy. Feeling inferior, she had the sense of being pushed aside the decisions of the company, and couldn't stand her loneliness anymore.
Milton and her associates still didn't manage to conclude a satisfying contract with the Fox, and Marilyn began to wonder if she had done the right thing, leaving Hollywood.
All of this, she poured it to the Strasbergs, drinking some champagne or some tea, taking some sedatives before lastly sinking into sleep around 5 or 6.00 AM.
That's how, in this year full of discovery and teaching in many ways, Marilyn took simultaneously an excessive amount of sedatives and glasses of champagne.
,
).
SEPTEMBER :
Saturday, September 3, Sunday 4 and Monday 5 (Labour Day), she spent this
week-end in Long Island with the Rostens (
,
,
).
On this occasion, she worked for the first time with photographer Eve Arnold who took her in picture at Miller Place
(
,
,
) and at Mount Sinaï (
,
,
,
).
Thursday, September 29 :
Marilyn attended the premiere of "A View From the Bridge", written
by Arthur Miller, at the Coronet Theater of New York.
She was standing on the left side of the ocrchestra, so that she couldn't meet Arthur, came without his wife Mary but with his children.
For the first time she met Arthur Miller's parents, Augusta and Isadore.
The affair between Marilyn and Arthur Miller wasn't anymore a secret, even if he was still married. The links that united them put a definitive end to the rumor of reconciliation with Joe DiMaggio.
Miller's slightest actions and gestures were watched by the FBI, because of his youthful sympathy toward the Marxist-Leninist theories, sympathy he had then put aside from a long time to completey devote himself to his work as a playwright.
When the critics came out, he was immediatley obvious that , once again, the success Miller was waiting for so desperatly, had once again escaped him.
This
Fall, Anton Tchekhov was honored at the Actors Studio, and Lee
lent Marilyn the records of Tchaïkovski, Scriabine and
Prokofiev, so many works which contributed to strengthen her already
very great interest for the Russian culture.
Arthur Miller who shared this same interest, strongly encouraged her in
this way and when she heared about Michael
Tchekhov's death, her former teacher, who had died in California at
that time, she asked Arthur to read with her some passages of
"The Borthers
Karamazov" as a private tribute.Tchekhov had been the first to
encourage her in the part of Grouchenka, and this evening, Arthur
promised her to write for her a version of Dostoïevski's
novel.
Marilyn's
lease at the Waldorf expired; Milton Greene not having any more penny,
settled Marilyn in an apartment he owned, at the 7th floor of 2 Sutton Place South.
From there, she went to her lessons and to her analyst's office, but also more and more often to theaters
(
,
,
).
OCTOBER :
The
Fox and the MCA (which represented Marilyn) agreed on a new contract.
When she'd signed, she'd earned 142 000$ more for "There's No Business Like Show Business" and "The Seven Year Itch".
Furthermore, she's received 225 000$ in 4 payments for the movie rights of "Horns of the Devil", a novel DiMaggio had advised her to purchase as an investment, like she had done with Feldman's money; she simply had to pay him off.
One
of the important point to sort out in the new contrat, was the right to
make movies out of the studio. With the Fox money, Marilyn planned to
buy "The Sleeping Prince" of Terence Rattigan, the play Feldman
had suggested her to purchase for her in 1954
and again in previous Spring.
English actor Laurence Olivier had staged it in 1953.
Brilliant play, it wasn't qualitatively different than the light comedies she had already made. But for the moment Marilyn remained convinced that if she played next to Laurence Olivier, she would achieve the respect of her profession and of the studios.
Wednesday, October 5, Marilyn attended the premiere of "The diary of
Anne Frank", at the Cort Theater of Broadway, in which Susan
Strasberg held the leading role (
,
,
,
).
Tuesday, October 11 :
to keep her interest for the Russian culture up, Marilyn, with the
Rostens, attended the recital of Russian pianist Emil Gilels, at the
Carnegie Hall.
Thursday, October 13
: she attended the premiere of George Axelrod's new comedy (the author
of the play "The Seven YearIitch" and co-screenwriter of the movie), a
vaudeville entitled "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter ?", about a
stupid and egocentric star.
Embodied by Jayne Mansfield, caricature of Marilyn, the heroine of the
play insisted on the fact that she was a real actress, complained that
she was considered to be a sexual symbol and even founded her own
production company. Axelrod had put many of her attitudes, hopes and
dreams, and even some words of Marilyn in the play.
Arthur Miller's wife, Mary, found out the affair between her husband and Marilyn.
She booted him out of their home, shortly after October 17 (date of Arthur's 40the birthday). He temporarily settled at the Chelsea Hotel.
Monday, October 31 :the final judgment of the divorce (
)
between Marilyn and Joe DiMaggio was granted by judge Elmer D.Doyle of
the Los Angeles Court, in Marilyn's favor, for the motive of mental
cruelty.
In October, the Actors Studio moved in a small desecrated Greek church, near 9th Avenue (
).
NOVEMBER :
Frank Delaney, the Marilyn Monroe Productions lawyer resigned, put out by Marilyn's sudden and inexplicable suspicion toward him. So Irving Stein acquired Delaney's work.
In the Marilyn Monroe Productions office, Milton Greene and the production company lawyers gave 2 times more energy.
Furthermore, Dr Hohenberg's influence on Marilyn's professional life grew at a rough guess.
Greene had to obtain Dr Hohenberg's consent or to consult her for professionaa or legal issues. This one had managed to be indispensable to both Milton and Marilyn. They were both unable to decide on their own (or to control their use of barbiturates), which led to think that Dr Hohenberg's treatement was probably inappropriate.
Thursday, November 17,
she attended the "1955
Thanksgiving March of Muscular Dystrophy Drive", organized by the Firemen International Association : 
,
.
Mid-November
The Marilyn Monroe Productions suggested an exclusive rights contract to the Fox :
-
a 100 000$ bonus for "The Seven Year Itch"
- during the 7 next years (from 1955 to 1962), she had to shoot 4 movies with a 100 000$ bonus per film, would be allowed to make one movie a year with her own production company and would obtain a commission on her movies profits.
She could also perform in 6 TV or radio programs and record some records.
The Fox would promise to pay the Marilyn Monroe Productions her 100 000$ annual gross salary as monthly payments.
For Milton Greene, he would receive a 75 000$ annual salary.
According
the 1955 norms, it was an unprecedented case : Marilyn could rely on a
total income of 8 millions $ minimum, for the considered period. Lastly
a very important special clause for Marilyn, allowed her to refuse to
play in movies she considered as a low level, or to work with
directors, or even cameramen she didn't like. To make things
easier since the beginning, Marilyn submitted to the Fox a list of 16
directors (a list drew up with the Greenes help) with who she
agreed to collaborate :
George Cukor,
Vittorio De Sica, John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Elia Kazan, David
Lean, Joshua Logan, Joseph
L.Mankiewicz, Vincente Minelli, Carol Reed, George Stevens, Lee Strasberg,
Billy Wilder, William Wyler and Fred Zinemann.
The terms of her new contract granted her a right of inspection, not only about the screenplay but also on the choice of the director of photography, an unprecedented power for an actor.
The Fox agreed her conditions and Milton Greene won his gamble.
DECEMBER :
She was often seen accompanied with Marlon
Brando at the theater or the restaurant.
Monday, December 12,
they made a picture session at Milton Greene's studio (
,
,
,
,
), before attending the premiere of "The Rose Tattoo", a party which intended to raise money for the Actors Studio (they collected 100 000$) (
,
,
;
,
,
,
,
) ; then, they attended the dinner given after the representation, at the Sheraton Astor
Hotel, where also attended, among others, the Strasbergs (
,
), the Rostens (
,
), Arthur Jacobs(
,
) her publicity agent, Jayne Mansfield (
) and Arthur
Miller (
).
END OF THE YEAR:
Marilyn
did her shopping at Saks, accompanied with James Haspiel. She bought many things in this famous store (
).
She
also went to the Metropolitan Museum with Norman Rosten to see an
exhibition on Rodin and was fascinated by the sculpture Pygmalion
and Galatée.
Thursday, December 29 :
at 4.00 PM, the Fox management committee held its ordinary meeting in
New York; one of the point they got onto, was about the approval of the
new agreement with the Marilyn Monroe Productions. Spyros Skouras,
director of the Fox, conduced the committee to approve the contract.
There wasn't anything effective in it, it was just the business good
sense. The studio wanted Marilyn to go back to work as fast as possible.
Marilyn's contract terms were incredibly favorable to her : the MCA had made maintain the price of 100 000$ per film Charles Feldman had negotiated, but then, she owed the studio no more 14 but 4 movies in 7 years. She was also allowed to shoot some movies out of the studio. Furthermore, she had the right to approve or not the director of each of her movies with the studio and the one to choose the head cameraman of 2 of them.
After all, Marilyn had managed to make the studio, and through it Darryl Zanuck, give in.
Saturday, December 31, she signed her new contract with the Fox. Marilyn's victory was the first gap in the Hollywood big studios system. Her position as president gave her a much more important power than the one of the actresses of this era.
She celebrated the New Year's Eve with the Greenes, in Connecticut.
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