My journey ends here...


  •          HOME PAGE
  • BIOGRAPHY
  • FILES
  • BOOKS
  • LINKS
  • COMMENTS
  • S

1959

Marilyn started this year with a depression she tried to lighten  by taking some sedatives to fight against tension and anxiety. 
But Amytal and Nembutal were themselves depressant , and she found herself in a real vicious circle between insomnia,

provoked sleep, hazy mornings and gloomy days. She took her regular sessions with Dr Marianne Kris () up again but they didn't seem to be very salutary. Dr Kris prescribed her the sedatives she needed.

She definitely guaranteed her the financial future of her mother, Gladys (), with a trust fund.
 

JANUARY

Marilyn continued her lessons with Lee Strasberg () and worked at the Actors Studio, which didn't much please to Arthur, because the gap didn't stop widening between him and the Strasbergs.

She meticulously read the screenplays her agents sent her but none of them seemed interesting to her.

With Arthur, she thought about new improvements to bring to their house of  Roxbury.

However, she didn't live as a recluse and met the greatest writers. 

Carl Sandburg, who had briefly met Marilyn on the set of  "Some Like it Hot", visited her in her apartment.

Tuesday, January 20, Lew Schreiber (one of the head of the Fox) and Frank Ferguson (one of the studio's lawyers) consulted the list of directors approved by Marilyn. The studio had until April 14 of this year, to suggest her a film.

But they couldn't do it  as long as there were no firm commitment from one of the 16 directors on the list.

Billy Wilder (), who appeared on the list, refused to shoot once again with her, after the trying shooting of  "Some Like it Hot".

Joshua Logan () was also on the list, but Marilyn was angry at him to have cut her big scene in "Bus Stop". 

As for John Huston (), he was busy with the shooting of "The Unforgiven" until May of this year.

The name of Lee Strasberg also appeared on the list,  but he had never directed a movie.

Remained an interesting name, the one of Elia Kazan (), who was still under contract with the Fox.

The studio got hold of a dear subject to Kazan, a screenplay around theTennessee Valley Authority, based on 2 novels, "Mud on the Stars" of William Bradford Huie and "Dunbar's Cove" of Borden Deal. For the studio, this movie would be called "Time and Tide".

But before an agreement was signed, Kazan had to officially agree. So it was impossible to the Fox to set Marilyn to work before. 

Arthur suggested her the screenplay of  "The Misfits", but she wasn't sure to want to play it, even if she considered the movie as a love gift.

Miller earned 250 000$ from the Marilyn Monroe Productions for this "gift". Miller suggested John Huston as director and

included Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift (), Kevin MacCarthy and Eli Wallach in the distribution.

Miller had to convince Clark Gable by explaining him it was "kind of a western of the East, which dealt with the lack of meaning of our lives and maybe also the way we've come where we are".

But if the shooting was planned for a long time, John Huston took his time to read the various versions of the screenplay of "The Misfits".


FEBRUARY

Thursday, February 5,  Carson McCullers invited them in her house of Nyack (State of New York), where Karen Blixen joined

them to talk for a long time about poetry (,,,

). The attendees were also Clara Svendsen, loyal Blixen's secretary, Jordan Massee, McCullers's cousin and Felicia Geffen, executive secretary of the National Institute and National Academy of Arts and Letters.

The meal was made of oysters, white grapes, champagne and a soufflé.

 

In the evening, the New York presentation of "Some Like it Hot" took place. Marilyn attended with Arthur Miller (,

,;,,, ).  

This showing plunged Marilyn in despair. Arthur Miller, as many of the critics, found her an incredible comic talent. 
Billy Wilder showed her at the peak of her talent. She proved herself to be brilliant and though, in her paranoia, she was sincerly convinced that Wilder had decided to show her worse side.

In an interview given by Wilder in the New York Herald Tribune, she discovered how the director joked about her . She rushed, yelling, in Miller's office.

Wilder suggested that for his mental and physical health, there was no way for him to start another shooting with Marilyn.

Arthur Miller and Wilder exchanged furious telegrams : Miller accused Wilder to have overburden his wife with work while he knew she was pregnant; Wilder enumerated the affronts and humiliations he had suffered from Marilyn during the shooting, and also the loss of hundreds of thousands million dollars for the delay of the shooting, while expressing his sadness for her miscarriage.

Tuesday, February 10 , Marilyn and Arthur Miller attended the representation of "Macbeth" at the New York Metropolitan Opera  

(,,,,,).

Thursday, February 19 , Frank Ferguson (lawyer of the Fox) informed his manager, Lew Schreiber they had to notify Elia Kazan about the subject of the movie "Time and Tide", on Wednesday, February 25 at the latest, if they wanted to respect the extension of 30 days to inform Marilyn.

Kazan was in New York where he directed "Sweet Biord of Youth", a play of Tennessee Williams, produced by Cheryl Crawford, and whose premiere was scheduled on Tuesday, March 10  in Broadway.

Accompanied with Abe Lastfogel, head of the William Morris Agency which represented him, Kazan met Spyros Skouras (headP
of the Fox)(
). He officially agreed to shoot "Time and Tide", in return for which once he would be relieved of the movie, he would be exempted from shooting the 5th and 6th movie planned in his contract of 1950.

 
Thursday, February 26, Marilyn received the Crystal Star () for the "Best Foreign Actress in "The

Prince and the Showgirl » ; it was a French award presented to her at the French Film Institute (,;

,,,,;,,,,,). May Reis also

attended the party (,).

 

MARCH

Wednesday, March 4, Kazan sent a telegram to Buddy Adler (producer at the Fox)(), promising to come on Wednesday, April 1st at the latest, for work sessions with Calder Willingham, who worked on the movie screenplay.

Immediately, Adler asked Lew Schreiber to warn Marilyn, informing her she would officially shoot "Time and Tide", under Elia Kazan's direction, asking her to come on Tuesday, April 14.

 
Tuesday, March 17 , Marilyn arrived in Chicago for the roadshow of  "Some Like it Hot" (,;

) ; at the Ambassador East where a lunch was offered (,,

),

Marilyn was charming with the press (,,,).

 
Sunday, March 29, release of "Some Like it Hot" (;,,).

The premiere took place at the Lowe’s Capitol Theater in New York (,;

,,,,,,,,,).

To celebrate the release of the movie, the Strasbergs gave a party in their apartment.
 

MAY

Wednesday, May 13, Miller accompanied Marilyn who received the David Di Donnatello award for the "Best Foreign

Actress in 1958" () in "The Prince and the Showgir" ; this award was given to her by the Cultural Italian Institute of  New York (686 Park Avenue). 400 people attended the ceremony where the prize was presented to her by the manager of the

Institute, Filippo Donini (,,,,,,

,).


Miller hadn't much progressed in the modification of the screenplay of "The Misfits" when John Huston stopped in New York before going to Ireland, having finished the shooting of his movie.

Wednesday, May 20, Marilyn and Miller attended the annual exhibition organised by the "American Academy of Arts and

Letters" .

 

JUNE

Miller ended the re-writing of the screenplay and sent it to John Huston.

Several days later, this one sent a telegram of congratulations to Miller for his work , while announcing his arrival in New York.

Miller and Huston met in June. Without any ambiguity, Huston announced him that the screenplay needed a complete revision. 
If Miller managed to end the re-writing before the end of summer, Huston thought about beginning the shooting of  "The Misfits" in April 1960. Otherwise, he would start the shooting of "Freud", even if the screenplay, written by Jean-Paul Sartre, wasn't much ready.

 
Monday, June 22
, Marilyn entered the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York to have a surgery on Tuesday 23 , another one of her endometritis by Dr Mortimer Rodgers.

 
Friday, June 26, Arthur Miller took her back to their New York apartment (,,

).

 

SUMMER

Miller and Marilyn withdrew in Connecticut; Miller wrote all the time, without  giving in to temptation to contact John Huston. 
No question to show him something else than concrete results.

While Miller was writing, Marilyn ensured that  she put her marks in the old property.

She made add some dark wooden beams and attic rooms, and install an additional room next to the kitchen. She put some pictures of Arthur in the solarium, and some posters of his plays.

She did some shopping in Roxbury and Woodbury, not far from there, often twice a day.

Her contract with the Fox required that she shot a movie before starting "The Misfits" with her own company.

Jerry Wald (), producer at the Fox, suggested her "Let's Make Love", directed by George Cukor (), with Gregory Peck.

At the beginning, the movie had to be directed by Billy Wilder, who, despite the difficulties felt on the shooting of "Some Like it Hot", had agreed to collaborate once again with Marilyn; but this one was still committed in another movie.

Marilyn agreed to make the movie, but the screenplay was still modified by Miller. When Gregory Peck learned that Miller was reviewing the screenplay and that his role dwindled, he withdrew.

Many stars were approached for the part : Yul Brynner, Cary Grant, Rock Hudson, Charlton Heston, William Holden and James Stewart declined the proposal.

George Cukor engaged Evelyn Moriarty () as Marilyn's stand-in in "Let's Make Love";  she remained her stand-in in her following movies ("The Misfits" and "Something’s Got to Give").

Marilyn, according to her contract, could only shoot "Let's Make Love" if the Fox would sign with Cukor. 

At the end of summer, while the Fox was negotiating with Cukor, Arthur Miller hurried to end the new version of his screenplay. 
 

AUGUST

Saturday, August 15, the Millers attended a representation of  "Macbeth" at the Boston Arts Center Theater 

(,).

 

SEPTEMBER

Tuesday, September 1st, Marilyn gave an interview to Lester Markel, the director of the Sunday Times 

().

 

Wednesday, September 2 , Miller sent a telegram to John Huston, in Ireland, informing him that he had almost finished his screenplay of "The Misfits".

 

Wednesday, September 16 , the Fox reached an agreement with George Cukor.

Thursday, September 17, the Fox sent a letter to Marilyn, calling her for the pre-production of "Lets Make Love" on  Monday, November 2.

She had to sign her obligations toward the Fox, before even deciding anything toward "The Misfits".

Gregory Peck had to be released on February 1st, 1960; it would be a bit tight but she should be on time to shoot "The Misfits".

 

Saturday, September 19, Marilyn, on Spyros Skouras request, was in Los Angeles (,,

).

Miller didn't accompany her. He had thought that if he had gone with her, it would only awaken his political resentements.

So it was Frank Taylor (Miller's friend and publisher)() who accompanied Marilyn this evening.

The Fox organized a banquet at the Café de Paris in the honor of  Nikita  Khrouchtchev, the Communist Party First  Secretary,

came to visit the Fox studios (;;).

Frank Sinatra  was the master of ceremony. The guests were, among others, in addition to the heads of the studio (Buddy Adler

) and reporters, Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds, Judy Garland () and Kim Novak 

().

Marilyn arrived at  George Cukor's arm (,), to promote their next movie "Let's Make

Love" (,,,,,,

.).

It was for this occasion she saw Billy Wilder again (with who she hadn't  any more contact since the shooting of "Some Loke it Hot" in1958) and their relationship thawed.

Sunday, September 20, Marilyn met, during 4 hours, Jerry Wald, producer of her next movie, and George Cukor.

Nobody took offence to the fact Marilyn hadn't yet read the screenplay of the movie, all the more so as Cukor had asked the screenplay would be modified. Marilyn promised to refrain from peeping to the script, as long as it wouldn't be definitive. 
But nevertheless, she had few demands.

If, through her contract, she wasn't entitled to her say about the choice of the cameraman for this movie,  she clearly made understood she had a preference for Harry Stradling who had worked with Elia Kazan on "A Streetcar named Desire".

Dancing in front of a camera was certainly the thing that  much worried Marilyn; so she called her old friend, choregrapher Jack

Cole (), who had already worked with her on "There's No Business Like Show Business" and " Gentlemen Prefer Blondes".

She was enchanted to shoot with Gregory Peck and George Cukor.

After the meeting, she flew back to New York (,,,,).

 

Monday, September 21, Marilyn attended the premiere of  Yves Montand one-man-show, "An Evening with Yves Montand"

at the Henry Miller Theater in Broadway. The show had a huge success  (,).

This evening, Marilyn was accompanied by Montgomery Clift, Arthur Miller working on the last changes of "The Misfits"

(,,,,,).

But she was so delighted by the show that she went back, accompanied by Miller and Norman and Hedda Rosten 

(). The 2 couples went backstage to greet and meet Yves Montand and his wife, Simone Signoret.

Sharing the same political ideas, they became friends. 

Miller had met Yves Montand and Simone Signoret in 1956 in Paris, to put a last touch on his play "The Crucible", performed by the couple Montand-Signoret, for 2 years.

What's more, Miller as Montand, had dealt with the US government Passport Division.

In 1949 and 1957, Montand was banned to enter the USA and his reservations had been cancelled. This time, he had been allowed to enter the US territory because he had vigorously denied his belonging to the Communist Party.

Montand's commitment  went on and when his lease at the Henry Miller Theater ended, he went to perform at the Longacre.

During their stay, the Millers and the Montands saw themselves a lot.

 

Thursday, September 24, Miller finally sent the second version of the screenplay of "The Misfits", on which he regardless,  intended to work on the end.

Saturday, September 26, Huston sent a telegram to Miller : "Brilliant screenplay".

This evening, they attended the premiere of Judy Garland's show at the Palace Theater of New York.

Marilyn tried to obtain the leading role of "Breakfast at Tiffany’s", but, if she managed to, she probably couldn't shoot "The Misfits".

For the main character of the novel  with the same title, on which the movie was based, the author, Truman Capote, had been much inspired by Marilyn. When she had arrived in New York, Marilyn was a young woman, full of life and hope, sure that the future would smile to her. By playing the character of Holly Golightly, she thought maybe living for a while this time of relative innoncence.

At the same time, she seemed wanting to hinder Arthur's movie projects, doing her best to block them, while he did everything to achieve them.

She prepared 2 scenes from "Breakfast at Tiffany’s" for the private lesson with Lee Strasberg, and played them in front of Truman Capote, who thought that she was perfect for the part.

But the counter-publicity she had from her wrangles with Billy Wilder during the shooting of "Some Like it Hot", had made her persona non grata at the Paramount.

Finally, Audrey Hepburn was chosen, despite Truman Capote's objections.

Now that Arthur had finished his screenplay, the Millers lived most of the time in New York. On week-ends, they went in Connecticut.

Norman Rosten, who was working on the movie version of Arthur's play "A View From the Bridge", did many stays at their home, in Roxbury.

But when they were in New York and that they had some arguments, Marilyn spent the night at the Strasbergs place.

Lee Strasberg also needed to be comforted.

Strasberg was refused for the position of manager of the new theater of the Lincoln Center.

The Actors Studio was in negotiation with the Lincoln Square Project (at that time called the Lincoln Center) since 1956.

With Elia Kazan and Cheryl Crawford, Lee Strasberg suggested that the theater was inserted to a cultural complex made up of the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philarmonic and the New York City Ballet.

He was convinced that the Actors Studio would be the theater company in residence, and considered himself worthy of occupy a position of cultural leadership.

Instead of that, Robert Whitehead, recruited to set up the theater, asked Kazan to be his partner.

Robert Whitehead who had co-produced "A View From the Bridge" organized a meeting between Arthur Miller and Elia Kazan. The 2 men talked together with pleasure. None of them mentionned the reason of the quarrel which separated them since 1952. Miller agreed to write for the new theater, which was a huge argument to encourage Kazan to accept the position of manager of the Lincoln Center.

To Kazan, Arthur Miller was the playwright to who he was the closest. To Miller, Kazan was the ideal stage director of the autobiographical play he was working on.

Sunday, September 27, they attended the AFHU ceremony (American Friends of the Hebrew University) at the Bellevue

Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia ,,;;

.

 

OCTOBER

Wednesday, October 14, choregrapher Jack Cole arrived at the Dance Players Rehearsal Hall of New York.

The Fox, in its wish to satisfy Marilyn, did its best to engage Jack Cole.

Being very popular, he had commitments for television and in Broadway, and could only work on the movie several weeks each time.

Gregory Peck  had to be available for February 1st, 1960, Cukor had to shoot with a very tight schedule and Jerry Wald, the producer of the movie, thought  it was preferable that Marilyn mastered her musical acts before her arrival in Los Angeles.
Cole knew that Marilyn didn't have much gift for dance. He also knew she was a perfectionist. So they would need much time to develop her first important act.

This day, Cole had to work on the act of  "My Heart Belongs to Daddy". He intended to work the musical rhythm with the pianist and the bass player before Marilyn's arrival. But this day, she didn't come. The day was lost, which considerably upset Jack Cole, known for being arrogant in his speech and the hot-tempered.

The rest of the week wasn't much better : there were days where Marilyn didn't appear, some others when she came

(,,) and others when she came but did nothing.
 

Monday, October 19, with all those delays, Jack Cole wasn't sure to be able to present  a single act enough ready to be shot on November 3.  He wasn't even sure to want to take part in the movie. He asked the Fox to send someone right away, to settle the problems with Marilyn.

Wednesday, October 21, an official press release announced that Elia Kazan had accepted  the position which "made him a partner in the development and the direction of the Lincoln Center theater". Nevertheless, his reconciliation with Arthur Miller wasn't mentioned, nor Miller'sprojects.

Saturday, October 24, George Cukor arrived in New York, with the intention to speak to Marilyn and to make some spottings for 3 days of outdoor shootings. He stayed at the Plaza Hotel.

Marilyn bitterly complained about the screenplay, and it was obvious that the shooting should be postponed until the plot was modified as she wanted to.

Miller agreed to work again on the screenplay for a couple of weeks.
John Huston had told him that he intended to start the shooting of "T
he Misfits" in April 1960 and that nothing should force him to postponed this date.  So it was in Miller's interest  and so the Fox one to shoot "Let's Make Love"  as fast as possible.
Miller met Cukor and Jerry Wald, and an agreement letter was prepared. With 15 000$, Arthur promised to fill  Marilyn's role out, but he didn't want it to be mentionned : his work had to remain secret. If his name would be credited in Cukor's movie, "The Misfits" couldn't be considered as his early stages as a screenwriter, nor as his first work especially written for Marilyn.

His contract specified that he had to give his work back on "Let's Make Love" on  November 14 at the latest.

 

Saturday, October 31, Huston sent a telegram to Miller to inform him that Clark Gable agreed to shoot "The Misfits", but that he wouldn't get involved before talking about it with his agent in Los Angeles, George Chasin of the MCA (the same than Marilyn's one).

 

NOVEMBER

Monday, November 2, Arthur Miller and Marilyn left New York to Los Angeles (,,

;,;).

 

Monday, November 9, beginning of the shooting of  "Let's Make Love" in Los Angeles.

The shooting started with Marilyn's musical acts (,,,,

,,).

Gregory Peck wasn't present on the set.

Arthur had well got ahead with the screenplay's modifications.

 
Friday, November 13, Arthur Miller gave the modified screenplay of  "Let's Make Love" to Jerry Wald who gave it to Gregory Peck. But this one, noticing that Marilyn's part had been considerably filled out to the detriment of his one, asked that his contract was broken.

He suggested to return the 100 000$ advance which had been paid if the production would release him. Buddy Adler (producer at the Fox) reluctantly agreed, while the casting managers got involved in the frenetic search of a stand-in. The names of 

Charlton Heston, James Stewart, Kirk Douglas, Cary Grant, Peter Lawford (), Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson were suggested but nothing succeeded. For a while, the shooting of "The Misfits" might have been postponed in April.

Miller suggested Yves Montand to stand in for Gregory Peck beside Marilyn in "Let's Make Love"; the Fox, not really enthusiastic, nevertheless agreed.

Montand had made a triumph with his one-man-show, and at that time, was in San Francisco.

The couple Montand-Signoret intended to go back to France for Christmas, before Montand's tour in Japan. The Fox sent them, as a matter of urgency, a copy of the screenplay in San Francisco.

Marilyn did many round-trips between New York City and Hollywood for the fitting of the costumes, the color-tests, the meetings

with George Cukor and the work sessions with Paula Strasberg (), who was hired in the crew, as usual.

There were also the rehearsals and the pre-recordings of several songs.

It was at that time that she called the "masseur of the stars", actor Ralph Roberts ().
He was very respected by his colleagues for his huge knowledge about physiotherapy and the specific muscular problems of the actors and the dancers. Marilyn had met him in 1955 at Lee Strasberg's place, while Roberts was both their friend and disciple.

Marilyn had learned he had helped a lot Judy Garland during a shooting. So she called him and from this moment, he became one of her closest friend.

The Fox had just laid its hands on Montand for "Let's Make Love" that Clark Gable let them down for "The Misfits".
Back in Los Angeles, Gable had changed his mind. He considered that the screenplay didn't hold water.

Director John Huston, urged Miller to talk to him; Gable and Miller had met at producer and agent Charles Feldman's place in

1951 ().

Miller convinced Gable, who read the screenplay again, and finally agreed to play the suggested part. Maybe that the base salary offered (750 000$) had something to do with it.

Miller also thought about engaging Montgomery Clift. He called Elia Kazan who was shooting with the actor, to know when this one would have finish the shooting of "Wild River". Kazan thought that  Montgomery Clift would be released at the beginning of January.

 
Sunday, November 15, costumes tests  for "Let’s Make Love" ().


Friday, November 20, costumes tests  for "Let’s Make Love" (,,).

DECEMBER 

Marilyn made a picture session with Philip Halsman (,,).

 

Since the beginning of the shooting of "Let's Make Love" on November 9 and until December 4, Marilyn's lateness, registered at the entry of the studio, cost Cukor more than 27 hours of rehearsals, about 3 days and a half.

Friday, December 4, Miller suggested the part to Montgomery Clift  for "The Misfits", who agreed : the distribution of the movie was complete.

The date of the beginning of the shooting was scheduled on March 24, 1960.

 
John Huston arrived in Los Angeles. He agreed on the casting but wanted to cut the screenplay. United Artists wouldn't distribute the movie which exceeded 2 hours and a half. On the other hand, for Miller, the length was a good asset. But obviously, Huston had a much more realistic view of Miller's work.

When Huston left the USA to spend Christmas in St Cleran, his manor in Galway, Ireland, nothing was decided. He invited Marilyn and Miller to join him.

During the week of December 7, Marilyn made Cukor wait on the set of "Let's Make Love" for more than 12 hours and almost 10 hours at the beginning of the following week.

 

Tuesday, December 15,  new costumes tests (,,).

 

Thursday, December 17,  she saw the tests with Buddy Adler (producer at the Fox), George Cukor (the director), Jerry Wald (the producer of the movie) and several managers of the studio.

But the color tests were disastrous : Marilyn had visibly lost her magic in front of the camera. She had a not much becoming make-up and hairstyle, and her blue dress didn't please her. She didn't look llike the image she had, the image of a woman out of the ordinary.

Buddy Adler advised Jerry Wald and Cukor to view a scene of "Bus Stop" and "The Seven Year Itch", which were for him the best example of what he wanted. And above all, every reel of "Some Like it Hot" would show them Marilyn "like she had to be".


Friday, December 18
, Marilyn called in sick. Ditto on Monday 21, Tuesday 22 and Thursday 24, the day before Christmas. What she thought about her tests was obvious.

 
Meanwhile, at the Fox, Arthur had been once again asked to modify the screenplay of  "Let's Make Love".


Wednesday, December 23, Miller officially began the sceond serie of revision, paid 5 000$ more, he had to hand in for January 4, 1960.

 

This year, she received the prize "Ducal, Actiz de Cine"  awarded by Chile ().

    

 

                                                                                                                                              BACK TO ALPHABETICAL INDEX                                                                                                                                                                  NEXT FILE

K&K- 04/2006 - Contact