My journey ends here...
1957
JANUARY :
Tuesday, January 1st : Marilyn received the "Award of Achievement"
(
) from the Motion Picture Herald in Association with Fame, for her rank in the "Top Ten Money Making Star" in 1956.
Thursday, January 3 : Marilyn and Arthur Miller took off from Idlewild Airport
(
,
,
) to Jamaica (
,
).
From January, Thursday 3 to Saturday 19 :
Marilyn and
Arthur Miller spent several days at Moon Point, Jamaica, in the
luxurious villa of Lady Pamela Bird, an English aristocrat (
).
Saturday, January 19, they went back to New York City (
,
,
).
At that time, the Marilyn Monroe Productions in which she had set her hopes of independence and the control of her destiny, were in a bad financial situation. That's why she assumed as best as possible a socially satisfactory position, but personally disastrous, as housewife.
Life
with Arthur was often a sad simplicity, but it's needed to notice that
Marilyn financially supported her husband while himself tried hard to
help her psychologically, after the regrettable atmosphere during the
shooting of "The Prince
and the Showgirl". Marilyn believed in Arthur's talent, but she didn't see anyhting concrete : he worked very irregularly and got nowhere.
Arthur having sold the farm of Roxbury, they rented an apartment in New York, located 444 East 57th Street
(
;
,
,
,
), at the 13the floor, overlooking the East River. It was located near Marilyn's previous apartment at 2 Sutton Place South (which was owned by Milton Greene).
Their phone number appeared in the phonebook.
With set designer John Moore, she made repaint the walls in white and install mirrors from the floor to the ceiling in the sitting-living-room, after having joined the 2 rooms.The main color of the apartment was white : walls, curtains, furniture in pale color, white piano, sofa, armchairs.
Marilyn was never content with the result, and she didn't stop changing the furniture, the draperies, the accessories or the art items, whatever it was in New York or in the villa rented for Summer in Long Island.
The rooms were invaded with books and records. There was also a workspace for Arthur, but he nevertheless kept his studio at the Chelsea Hotel, 23rd Street.
Together, they went out on a rowing boat on the Central Park lake. She took Hugo the basset hound for a walk (
,
,
). She also played with pleasure the role of mother-in-law of Arthur's children, Jane 10 and Robert 9
(
,
). Marilyn stayed in touch with them, even after her divorce from Miller.
She almost didn't give any interview about her private life.
When this year Miller's complete drama works were published, he dedicated them to Marilyn.She made her last picture session with Milton Greene (
,
,
,
).
Monday, January 28, in New York City, Marilyn attended a fashion show at the Waldorf Astoria, for the Dime March to help the children affected by poliomyelitis (
,
,
,
,
).
FEBRUARY
Monday, February 18 : Arthur was charged by the Federal Grand Jury, with 2 contempts toward the US Congress : piece of evidence retention and contempt of court. Each of them was punishable by one year in jail and a 1 000$ fine.
His lawyers Joseph Rauh and Lloyd Garrison had planned to explain that the questions Miller had refused to answer had nothing to do with the avowed purpose of his questioning (the passport request).
Marilyn started a treatment at the Doctor’s
Hospital in New York in order to be able to bring a pregnancy to fruition.
Friday, March 1st : Arthur Miller
appeared in front of judge Charles F. McLaughlin, in Washington DC.
He
pleaded not guilty and the trial was scheduled in May.
He was released under Jospeh Rauh's responsability until he sends a 1 000$ bail.
Miller advised Marilyn to change her psychoanalyst (she was still treated by Dr Margaret Hohenberg).
She called Anna Freud, she had seen in London; this one advised her her great childhood friend who worked in New York City, Marianne
Kris.
Dr Marianne Kris had lost her husband, Ernest, several weeks earlier, in February; together, they had a private practise, specialized in child psychoanalysis.
Marilyn met her at her office 5 times a week, until the beginning of 1961.
At that time, Dr Marianne Kris developped a much controversial principles set , which according to her, allowed her to predict the psychological development and the potential problems of a child; to her, the children were the key of the adult psyche understanding. She received adult patients but said that the problems they lived were completely the consequence of child experiences.
Marilyn wanted more than ever, to face her "real ego", remove the brilliant aspects making her a star, face her fears and memories and become someone good and respectable, something she still doubted to be.
But Dr Marianne Kris constantly brought her back to her childhood (like Strasberg did during the private sessions). However, Marilyn continued the analysis because she was in the presence of parental authority representations...
Very in vogue in those years, this kind of Freudism wasn't really efficient because the 5 weekly sessions method only reinforced Marilyn's almost child dependence.
Dr Marianne Kris, as long as Dr Hohenberg, would be unable (in 4 years) to reduce the sedatives doses of Marilyn.
Every morning, after her session with Dr Kris, Marilyn took the elevator to go at Lee Strasberg's home (the Strasbergs and Marianne Kris lived in the same building, the Langham,135 Central Park West), who imposed her a serie of exercises where she had to act and think as a child. It was the key which allow her to set her "real tragic power" free, and Marilyn believed it because she needed it. As the Drs Hohenberg and Kris, Strasberg knew how to be essential. Marilyn asked herself many questions.
Although shed didn't want to go back to work right away, Marilyn still owed 3 movies to the Fox, on the 4 of her contract; she had only shot "Bus Stop" for the
studios.
The second year of her contract started on December 31th of this year. Whenever after this date the studio could ask her to begin a movie.
APRIL:
Monday, April 1st :
Marilyn
and Miller viewed the first sounded version of" The Prince and
the Showgirl"; Marilyn was very disappointed by the changes, done,
according to her, by Milton Greene (she had already viewed the
movie at the end of December 1956).
At that time, Miller encouraged her to get rid of Milton Greene.
In this period of wait for Arthur's trial, Marilyn's life wasn't really quiet.
She wanted that her production company went to Arthur and his associates, and she had declared war to Milton Greene.
Their relation had began to deteriorate during the shooting of "The Prince and the Showgirl", the previous year.
Marilyn announced that she broke every connection with him; she accused him of incompetent management and said that she had hoped much more from him.
Marilyn's personal and professional relations with Milton Greene quickly deteriorated; each one reproached the other for the problems which had occured during the shooting of "The Prince and the Showgir" ; they had suspicions about their mutual honesty; they talked about the possible projects and the more bigger place Arthur took; finally, they both took too many drugs. However, the main reason of their break-up was Marilyn's violent dashes of loyalty toward Arthur, who encouraged her to withdraw the Marilyn Monroe Productions control to a man he didn't llike.
His talent was very affected by the taking of Dilantine, an anti-epileptic he didn't need at all, but which was usually granted to be able to increase energy tenfold by rising the brain electrical impulses. The Dilantine was also supposed to fight against the effects of Nembutal and other barbiturates or hypnotics : to a provoked sleep followed an energy equally artificial.
To
Arthur, Marilyn had to break up with everything that, in her husband's
mind, represented Milton : the Marilyn Monroe Productions business, a
kind of a social life, the choice of the movies.
Marilyn
dictated to her new secretary May Reis(Miller's
former secretary who then, dealt with Marilyn, running the
appointments, the mail and the phone calls in the small office of the
apartment), a long and detailed letter to Jack Warner ; she only cabled this letter on Friday, April 22.
She said that Milton Greene should have dealt with any post-production problem, by working with Laurence Olivier and the movie editors. She insisted on the fact that Milton had never been considered as the movie executive producer. However, in the contract signed in 1956 between the Marilyn Monroe Productions and the Warner, Milton Greene's status was clearly defined, before the shooting of the movie.
Milton asked her for 100 000$ to end their partnership; Marilyn reimbursed him a part of his investment.
Thursday, April 11 : Robert H. Montgomery Jr, one of Miller's lawyers, published a press release explaining that the Marilyn Monroe Productions had been incompetently managed by Milton Greene and that this one hadn't well informed Marilyn about some contractual agreements, and that he led secret negotiations without her consent.
As a result, she was about to soon name a new board of directors.
At night, they attended the gala celebrating Lafayette 200th birthday at the New York Waldorf Astoria (
,
,
,
,
,
,
).
Elsa
Maxwell (
,
), Gerard Philippe and Jean
Marais, among others, attended this evening (
,
).
Tuesday, April 16 : Marilyn announced that the president of Marilyn Monroe Productions, Milton Greene, the lawyer Irving Stein and the accountant Joseph Carr were dismissed.
Their substitutes were Robert H. Montgomery Jr (Miller's legal advisor), Miller's brother-in-law, George Kupchik, who became the production company financial manager and George Levine (a friend of Miller who worked as a city employee).
Miller succeeded him as vice-president..
Greene's
public answer was quite dignified : "It seems that Marilyn wouldn't
want to continue the way we've planned. I have some lawyers to
represent me, (but) I don't want to do anything which could be harmful
to her career. I have devoted myself quite completely to her for a year
and a half. I have practically given up photography".
Marilyn
found herself in the same situation as previously; as she had left
Milton name his friends at the head of the Marilyn Monroe
Productions, then she allowed Arthur Miller to do the same. Despite her
anger and protests, she didn't much control her career in1957 than in 1954.
The lawyers fought for a year until she ended by buying Milton Greene's parts out for 100 000$ (his earnings in more than 2 years of work), and this one abandonned his producer career. He took his photographer work up but rancor spread and he soon gave in to alcohol and drugs. However, he always remained courteous toward Marilyn.
During this time, Marilyn continued her treatement at the Doctors Hospital.MAY :
It was at that time that the "raid on the wrong door" was on the newspapers main headlines (publication of the whole story in Confidential magazine).
Monday, May 6i : Marilyn made a picture session with photographer Richard Avedon, for the release of "The Prince and the Showgirl" (
,
,
).
Sunday, May 12 : she gave the kick-off of a soccer game matching the USA and Israël at the Ebbet's Field Stadium
(
) in Brooklyn (New York) (
,
;
;
;
,
,
,
,
).
She hit the ball so strongly she sprained 2 toes. This injury didn't prevent her from staying until the end of the game and presented the trophy to the winning team.
Then she left to Washington DC, where Arthur's trial had to start the following day, on Monday, May 13(
,
,
).
They stayed at Joseph and Olie Rauh's place.
In order to avoid the media's fury, they had agreed on the fact that
Marilyn wouldn't go to the court but would remain with Olie.
Tuesday, May 14
: beginning of the trial. There were no jurors because judge McLaughlin
had decided that the case would touch a point of the law that only
jurists could deal with. Joseph Rauh developed his argumentation : the
identity of the persons who attended the Communist writers
meetings in 1947 had no link with the passport fraud subject.
Prosecutor reminded that it had been necessary to ask those names to
Miller to make sure of his credibility. But Miller didn't much testify.
,
,
). Then the Millers went to the Washington DC railway station to come back to New York City (
,
,
).After their return in New York, Miller was informed about the sentence.
Judge McLaughlin having reviewed his verdict (forced by the Supreme Court decision in a similar case) only upheld one contempt. He fined Miller 500$ and a one month suspended sentence.
Miller immediately appealed but the preparation of the appeal would still last a year.
He finally would be acquitted 2 years later.
JUNE:
Since the beginning of June, Miller and Marilyn settled in Amagansett (2 hours by car from New York), at the eastern point of Long Island.
They rented a house, Story Hill Farm (
), where they lived a few months; most of the time, they lived secluded.
In Amagansett, the work came after Marilyn; they strolled together a lot. Marilyn walked on the beach, read poems, visited the Rosten (
) who had a summer residence in Springs, near Amagansett in Long Island.
Wednesday June 12 : their friend, photographer Sam Shaw took them in picture in New York (
,
Thursday, June 13 : premiere of "The Prince and the Showgirl" (
;
,
;
,
,
) at the Radio City Music Hall (
) in New
York.
Jack Warner was there this evening (
).
Marilyn saw Amy Greene again, pregnant of her second child. It was several months they hadn't seen each other.
A party was given after at the Waldorf Astoria.
The critics welcomed the movie in a lukewarm way, but admitted that it was one of Marilyn's best performance, who easily stole the show to Laurence Olivier.
It was also the first movie for which her status of independent contracting part allowed her a commission on the profit , a very unusual kind of earnings at an era of the studios all-power; she earned 10% of the profit (160 000$; the movie having generated a takings of 1.6 millions $).
Marilyn donated the takings of the world premiere of "The Prince and the Showgirl" to the Milk
Fund for Babies (
,
,
).
Tuesday, July 2 :
Marilyn agreed to attend the inauguration of the Sidewalk
Superintendants Club (the people in charge of watching the place where
demolition or contsruction work are in process) in the new skyscraperTime and Life ( 
), located not far from the Rockefeller Center, in Manhattan.
She had only one condition ; to be taken and taken back in helicopter (
;
,
,
,
).
SUMMER :
Miller and Marilyn were not much in Manhattan; they stayed at Amagansett where their friend Sam Shaw took them in picture, both in Amagansett (
,
,
;
,
;
,
) and in Hampton Beach (
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
).
Marilyn learned she was pregnant.
AUGUST:
Thursday, August 1st, Marilyn did some gardening in Amagansett, when she suffered from a violent pain in her belly.
Arthur called an ambulance, but being almost 200 kilometers from New York, they only arrived at the New York Doctor’s
Hospital at noon (
).
Dr Bernard Berglass and Hilliard Dubrow operated her : as they were feared it , Marilyn had an ectopic pregnancy.
They couldn't save the baby : to protect Marilyn's life, the pregnancy had to be terminated.
So Marilyn lost her baby.
Terribly depressed, she stayed 10 days at the hospital.
In the loss of her child, she saw the sign there was something wrong with her. Miller thought that maybe, a good part could make her having more respect for herself.
Saturday, August 10 : Marilyn and Arthur left the hospital (
,
,
,
,
,
)
and went to Amagansett
where she had to rest. It was a sad test for her. The loss of her
child seriously affected her self-confidence and her maturity feeling.
It was their friend and photographer Sam Shaw (who had visited her at the hospital), who advised Miller to make his short story "The Misits" a movie, specially for Marilyn.
He convinced Miller that it would be the ideal way to prove that Marilyn was a talented drama actress.
Having read Miller's short story, he thought that this subject would make a perfect movie for Marilyn.
Until then, Miller had always refused to write screenplays. But he started to write the scenario of "The Misfits", based on his same name short story.
He had to develop the character of Roslyn, Marilyn's part, he found too colorless.
By
creating this character, Arthur sincerely thought he had done a
wonderful thing for Marilyn, but she didn't react this way.
She even didn't want to embark on this role.
During the last days of summer, the Millers went back to Manhattan.
FALL:
Marilyn's house cleaner, Lena
Pepitone (
),
hired in Fall (and would remain until Marilyn's death), described her
as disturbed and non relaxed despite the months of rest and sun.
Miller seemed stoical and avoided the company.
They were alternatively in the Roxbury farm (
,
,
;
,
)
and their New York apartment of the 57th Street. Their relation
deteriorated : Marilyn remained more and more in town and took more and
more drugs.
SEPTEMBER
End of September : one of the Fox heads, Lew
Schreiber, visited Marilyn in New York, in order to talk with her about the movie "The Blue Angel".
The vague writing of a clause of her new contract left a doubt about the delay the Fox had to distribute her in 4 movies, within 4 or 7 years.
The
studio had suggested the masculine role to to Spencer Tracy, but this
one was engaged on another shooting. The Fox thought of Curt
Jurgens or Frederic March, as Marilyn's partner.
OCTOBER
Wednesday, October 2
: Marilyn went to the Fox office in New York. She announced that she
was ready and even impatient to start the shooting of "The Blue Angel",
but that she'd rather play with Spencer Tracy.
Charles Vidor had to direct the movie, which wasn't a problem for Marilyn. She agreed to come to the projection of Curt Jurgens new movie, but she had a preference for Spencer Tracy.
Schreiber explained her that, if she wanted to wait, the shooting of "The Blue Angel" couldn't start before the following summer. For her part, it wasn't a problem for Marilyn.
But he didn't mention the contract regrettable ambiguity which left the Fox in a state of uncertainty about the necessity to have her distributed in a second movie before the end of the year.
Schreiber would have rather had another answer because the studio wanted to start right away; on the other hand, he was relieved to see that at least, Marilyn didn't reconsider the project and didn't have any objection to shoot in 1958.
As expected, Arthur Miller made an end of the screenplay of "The Misfits".
Since a while, Arthur Miller was looking for a new country house
in Connecticut. With Marilyn's money and the amount of the sale of
the Roxbury first house, they bought a property of 120
hectares in the Roxbury area (Connecticut) (at about one kilometer from
his former house).
The construction dated from the 18th Century (1783); they began to do it up , fitting out a a desk for Miller, building a new wing that Marilyn, full of hope, called the nursery. Miller declared : "It's the place we hope to leave until our last days".
Marilyn
and Arthur, impatient to have a refuge, planned to went there on
week-ends, before the trodden earth paths would be icy.
).
At the Fox, it was noticed that Marilyn had once again disappeared. 3 times she cancelled the showing of Curt Jurgens new movie, using as an excuse the fact she was unwell.
The end of the year was coming and the anxiety increased at the studio. The year 1957 was going to end without having patched together the second of the 4 movies Marilyn owed to the Fox.
November :
Monday, November 18 :
the Millers attended the premiere of "Conversation Piece", a play performed by Joan Copeland, Arthur's sister, then the reception which followed at the Barbizon Plaza Hotel (
,
,
).
WINTER:
Christmas: as usual, Marilyn was very generous. Arthur received the last edition of the Encyclopedia
Britannica ; Susan
Strasberg, a drawing of Chagall; there were books and records for Lee Strasberg; she gave Paula the string of pearls with a diamond clasp (
) offered to her by the Japan emperor, during her honeymoon with DiMaggio in 1954 ; to John Strasberg, aged 18, she signed the papers of the cession of her Thunderbird.
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