My journey ends here...
1962
JANUARY
In the course of January, she heard about Arthur Miller's soon wedding and his coming fatherhood.
Monday, January 8, she heard about Frank Sinatra and Juliet Prowse's engagement (
).
Eunice Murray found a house, a Mexican hacienda style, located 12305
Fifth Helena Drive (
,
,
), near Carmelita
Avenue, in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles.
At the beginning, Marilyn wanted a small and quiet house, facing the ocean, which looked like the Greensons one.
Wednesday, January 10, Marilyn called Joe DiMaggio and asked him to come and visit the house she had loved at first sight.
He arrived on Thursday, January 11, made a visit and gave her his agreement.
Behind a high white wall, sheltered from sights (
,
,
),
the property, with Spanish hacienda style of 700 m² (the
house itself 213 m²) single-story house, had a garage and a small
guest house.
It needed to be renovated but also had a lot of charm : red tiles roof, thick stucco walls, double windows, a cathedral vault ceiling
in the
sitting-room, and archways in the whole house.There were also luxuriant
plants (
,
,
) and a kidney-shape pool (
,
,
), this place located in a dead-end (
), 10
minutes by car from the Fox, one kilometer from the Greensons, very close to the Brentwood Country Club golf..
On the paving of the property entrance was written, on Mexican tiles, Cursum Perficio ("My Journey Ends Here")
(
).
The interior design was also in Mexican style (
,
).
The entry was direct in a small sitting-room (
,
); on the left, a dining-room
(
,
,
,
,
); from there, on the left, there was the kitchen
(
,
,
,
,
,
) and on the right
side, a small solarium (
).
From the main entrance, on the right, a corridor led to 3 bedrooms, one with a private bathroom (
,
,
), overlooking the garden, 2 smallest shared a second bathroom (
).
Friday, January 12 , Milton Rudin made a 52 500$ offer to the realtor. It was refused, but the second one of 57 500$ was accepted. Rudin wrote to Alfred Hart from the Beverly Hills City National Bank, for a loan request.
The house had been put on sale by Mr and Mrs Pagen, for the sum of 69 000$.
A 5 750$ deposit
The sale would be finalized on Thursday, February 8, the day she started to move in.
She had to repay the loan on a period of 15 years and a half, at a 6.5% rate, which was to start on Monday, April 2. (Monthly schedule 320$).
Because of financial issues , the bank would establish a new payments schedule in late June 1962. Just before purchasing the house, Marilyn has spent 25 000$ for redecorating and refurnishing the Dohney Drive apartment.Milton
Rudin, her new lawyer and Greenson's brother-in-law dealt with the
purchase of the house. Marilyn came into possession of the villa and
the title deeds in March.
Rudin also settled Marilyn's transfert from the MCA to his own firm. He worked at Gang,Tyre and Brown practice which guaranteed the defense of show-business personalities, and also the defense of people in front of the Un-American Activities Investigation Committee.
He also ran Frank Sinatra's business.
She quickly wished to turn the garage into an apartment for friends; but she considered her New York flat as her main residence, and would only live in Brentwood when she'd work in Los Angeles. The rest of the time, the house would be closed.
She ordered new installations for the bathroom, as well as closets in the kitchen. She bought some materials for 545$ at Kafon Sales Company (1518 North Highland Avenue, Holllywood) and a made-to-measure new kitchen for 1393.46$.During the week of January, 14 to 20 , she had an appointment at the Bevery Hills Hotel Polo Lounge with Arthur Jacobs : annoyed with the Fox propositions, she asked him to find her a new project they could share 50/50 the production.
She would be back there for another appointment this time with a Redbook magazine reporter, Alan Levy.
She would also meet her friend Esther "Eppie" Pauline Friedman Lederer, a reporter known as Ann Landers.
She also met Nunnally Johnson, the 6th screenwriter hired in "Something's Got to Give" (his job started on January 24 and was paid 125 000$). (Marilyn had announced to the Fox she wouldn't make the movie because she still didn't like the script). Johnson gave her the last version of the screenplay, asking her to note what she wanted to change; she would send it back to his home in London : he would make the requested changes, and send it back modified to get her approval. Then the script would be given to the Fox.
Tuesday, January 16 , the Fox announced that the shooting was postponed to Thursday, March 15.
Saturday, January 20,
she met poet Carl Sandburg who co-wrote a screenplay in Los Angeles.
Beverly Hills (
, 
,
,
,
,
,
,
).Wednesday, January 24, Frank Ferguson, lawyer at the Fox, agreed for the establishment of a contract. Screenwriter Nunnally Johnson went in England to work again on the screenplay of "Something's Got to Give". Marilyn agreed to shoot the screenplay if it corresponded to her expectations.
Greenson advised her to have a few days off before the shooting of "Something’s Got to Give", for instance in Mexico where she could rest and find some furniture for her new house. During her absence, Norman Jefferies, Eunice Murray's son-in-law
(
), and his brother Keith, would start the refurbishment work.
President Kennedy (
) planned a political trip in California, in March.
Peter Lawford, the President's brother-in-law (
), asked Frank Sinatra if, on this occasion, John Kennedy could come to his home in Palm Springs.
Sinatra agreed and started some work (for the sum of 500 000$), to
change Palm Springs into a "West White House". He made an heliport
built, bungalows, fittings for the secret services and a telephone
exchange with many phone lines.
But Robert Kennedy (
) dissuaded his brother to stay at Sinatra's place because Sam
Giancana
(
),
head of the Chicago mafia, was often invited in Palm Springs (according
to a report from the Department of Justice which reported that Sinatra
had personal contacts with the Mafia main personalities). Although he
didn't want to disappoint Sinatra, John Kennedy accepted and gave Peter
Lawford the responsability of announcing the news to Sinatra.
Since then, Sinatra, very angry at Lawford, who, according to him, hadn't been able to give him this opportunity to welcome the President at his home, hadn't any more contact with Lawford; he refused to talk with him on phone, and eliminated him from the casting of 2 movies they had to shoot together.
In January, Marilyn made a picture session with photographer Willy Rizzo (
)(
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
).
He was a Paris-Match magazine correspondent in Hollywood. He knew Pat Newcomb and for this picture session, he rented a luxurious house of one of his friends in Los Angeles. The pictures would be published in Paris-Match on June 23, 1962.
Friday, January 26, after one year of thought, it was officially announced that Marilyn refused the 100 000$ offer from NBC, for the televised adaptation of "Rain".
FEBRUARY
Thursday, February 1st, Marilyn
met Robert Kennedy, at a dinner given at Lawford's place. With his staff, he arrived from Washinton DC and had to go in the Far East , for
a one month trip.
The other guests were Judy Garland, Angie
Dickinson, Gene Kelly, Dean Martin, Tony Curtis and his wife
Janet, Gloria Romanoff, Kim Novak, and also few reporters. It was her chauffeur, Rudy Kautzky, of the Carey Cadillac Renting, who drove her;
he picked her up at her home of Doheny Drive at 8 PM and brought her back at 3 AM (
).
Between Friday, February 2 and Tuesday 6, Marilyn was in New York City.
She met John Kennedy at a dinner given on his honor at Fifi Fell's place, the rich widow of John Fell, director of an important investment company, who lived on Park Avenue.
), Sinatra's friend and vice president of Peter Lawford's
production company, accompanied her and drive her back home after the
dinner.
Tuesday, February 6, with great pleasure, she met again the Strasbergs (
). Together they saw the
play "Macbeth" at the Old Vic Theater in New York (
,
).
Then, she spent 3 days talking with Paula about the first sketch of the screenplay of "Something’s Got to Give" (
). She also followed lessons at the Actors Studio.
Every day, Marilyn received many messages from California :
about her new house, about the date of the shooting; she also received
some phone calls from Joe DiMaggio,
surprised to learn she was in New York while he had decided to
spend few days with her in Los Angeles; Dr Greenson called her every
day, at least, once a day.
She also had meetings with the representatives of Life magazine, for a future interview, a conversation with Alan Levy which would be the basis of a long article published in Redbook magazine, end of 1962.
Monday, February 12,
Eunice Murray left Los
Angeles ; she had asked Marilyn a several
hundred of dollars advance on her salary. She went to Mexico City, to visit her
brother-in-law, Churchill Murray (brother of her ex-husband John
Murray) and producer of English radio programs. She was waiting for
Marilyn's visit for the shopping they had to do together.
It was Dr Greenson who had decided that Eunice Murray would accompany Marilyn.
Marilyn received the last version of the "Something's Got to Give" screenplay, written by Nunnally Johnson, and read it very carefully along with Paula Strasberg.
Tuesday, February 13 , she attended the premiere of "Romeo and Juliet", directed by Franco Zeffirelli at the Manhattan City Center; then, she attended the following party, organized by Lee Strasberg.
Wednesday, February 14, she attended the Theater de Lys in Greenwich Village, where the play "Brecht on Brecht" was
performed (
).
She stayed at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami; she took a 125$-a-day suite, and registered as "Gloria Lovell" (Sinatra's secretary).
It was Isadore Miller who welcomed her at the airport. She came with Patricia Newcomb and George Masters.
Sunday, February 18, they had dinner at the Club Gigi of the Fontainebleau Hotel (
) and they attended a cabaret show at the Minaret.
She dropped him off at his hotel, the Sea Isle Hotel.
), in New Milford, Connecticut, met on the set of "The Misfits", while she belonged to the Magnum agency. Marilyn had been told about this wedding, unlike Arthur's father, Isadore Miller.
In September
1962, they had a daughter, Rebecca (
), and lived together the rest of their life.
Monday, February 19, she went to Fort Lauderdale to visit Joe DiMaggio who dealt with the New York Yankees training
session. She spent the night in Joe's suite at the Yankee Clipper Hotel (
).
Tuesday, February 20 , Joe DiMaggio accompanied her at the Miami International Airport, from where she left to Mexico
(
,
,
,
,
).
At the Mexico City airport, she was welcomed by the Mexican film Industry.
She stayed at the Continental Hilton Hotel in Mexico City, suite n° 1110. Two guards were in position in front of her room.
Marilyn was accompanied with George
Masters (), one of her hairstylists and her press agent Pat
Newcomb
(
), who had taken the plane with her in Miami.
She met Eunice Murray who was there since a week, living at her ex brother-in-law's home, Churchill Murray.
From Los Angeles, she learned she'd be awarded in March at the Golden
Globe Awards Ceremony.
Thursday, February 22, at 3.00 PM, she held a press conference at the Grand Ball Room of the Mexico Continental Hilton
Hotel (
,
,
,
).
It had been scheduled by Patricia Newcomb; 200 reporters and photographers were there.
For this occasion she wore a Pucci green dress and a green muslin scarf (
,
,
,
), the clothes she'd wear for her funeral.
The press conference was followed by a cocktail party (
,
).
) and his wife Nieves, an American Communist who had fled the USA to live in peace in Mexico.
He spent few days with Marilyn, Eunice and Churchill Murray : he led them to the Toluca market where she bought some
potteries
(
,
). Marilyn took advantage of the situation to purchase and order
Mexican styled furniture for her new house of Brentwood, local items,
and ordered Mexican tiles for her kitchen and bathrooms.
She also went to Cuernavaca where she visited the actress Merle Oberon and the New York jet-setter Barbara Hutton. She went to the Byrna Art Gallery where she bought paintings.
She was invited to a party given in her honor at actor, writer and director Emilio Fernandez Romo's house
(
) : he taught her how to drink tequila with salt and lemon. The music was played by mariachi
(
).
This night, she met Mexican screenwriter Jose Bolanos (
); he'd become Marilyn's escort at the few parties given in her honor during her tour in Mexico.
), 4 wooden benches (),
a chair hand-made in wood and leather, a hinged chest in copper and silver, mirrors, chairs, maracas, bedspreads
(
), potteries, baskets, straw hat (
), a copper oval salad bowl, decorative doves
made in clay and hand-painted, a blue transparent glass platters, soda glasses (
), 4 wall hangings
with Mexican musicians (
).
She also bought hand-painted decorative tiles : blue, green and gold for her kitchen; with gold and orange flowers for the main
bathroom (
).
Also a painting of a naked woman "Olga", a rosewood, silver and gold
chessboard, a wooden carpet, a wall hanging "Chac-Mool", salon
armchairs hand-shaped, a big bright red sofa (it would only be
delivered at the end of August), copper candlesticks bought at the
famous goldsmith shop of William Spratling in Taxco
,
, a large Mexican
wardrobe.
On a different note, she easily obtained Nembutal pills.
Monday, February 26 , she cancelled a trip to Acapulco and stayed in Mexico city for shopping.
Tuesday, February 27, party at the Plaza Garibaldi night-club in Mexico, with Jose Bolanos 
.
MARCH
Thursday, March 1st , she visited a food factory (
,
); then, along with Eva Samano,
wife of Mexican President (
,
), the Catholic National Institue for the Protection of Children, to
which she offered the sum of 100 000$ (
,
,,-
,
). Patricia Newcomb was also there (). In the book of distinguished visitors, Marilyn wrote " I am very grateful for your fine work. MM".
She came also on the set of " El Angel Exterminador » directed by Luis Bunuel (
,
,
,
).
At night, she attended a party given at the Garibaldi Plaza night-club with Jose Bolanos. She planned to come back to Mexico on Saturday, September 15, the day before the country independence day.
Saturday, March 3, with Eunice Murray, Pat
Newcomb and Jose Bolanos, Marilyn went back to Los Angeles (
). Eunice Murray had packed all Marilyn's stuff who, not having any shoes, borrowed Eunice's slippers to travel
(
,
).
Marilyn saw Dr Greenson again for the first time in a month; happy
when she arrived at the session, she got out in tears and depressed.
She learned that the movie she had to shoot, "Something's Got to Give" was in a precarious situation. No screenwriter had been able to find a satisfying end to the story, nor solve the complexity of the characters feelings.
The Fox was close to going bankrupt with the shooting of "Cleopatra", and whatever "Something's Got to Give" would be finished or not, didn't change anything to the disaster. That an incident, an illness or death would stop the shooting and the insurances would compensate the Fox.
So Marilyn had good reasons to be anxious : "Something's Got to Give" was supposed to be better than "Let's Make Love" and "The Misfits", and Marilyn believed quite rightly that the new direction of the Fox considered her as an object which could be handled at will.
By chance, Greenson didn't like the relationship between Marilyn and Jose Bolanos; so she was once again dependent on her therapist, with the forbidding to choose her friends and to rule her life the way she intended to.
During the week-end, the actress Edith Evanson visited her at home; she was a friend of George Cukor, and was her coach. She taught her how to speak with a Swedish accent, to play Ingrid Tic, the Swedish maid she played in a part of the movie.
Monday, March 5, she attended the 19th Golden Globes Awards Ceremony which took place at the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
), a prize awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for the "Best Actress in the World in 1961".She wore a long green sheath dress with a low neckline plunging in her back.
Pat Newcomb was present (
) and Jose Bolanos accompanied her as it was planned, to this ceremony
She had difficulties to reach the podium and pronounced a thank-you speech with a thick voice.
Judy Garland (
,
,
) and Charlton Heston (
) among others, also attended this party.
With this pathetic exhibition during a major event in the movie industry, some thought she was over.
Tuesday, March 6, Marilyn had an appointment at the Fox studio. After what had happened at the Golden Globes, Peter
Levathes (
),
the production director, had many reasons to worry. To Frank
Ferguson (Fox's lawyer), the essential was that Marilyn was ready and
fit for work. Therefore she agreed to shoot "Something's Got to Give".
Just to be sure, the Fox sent costume designers at her home who took her measures to design her costumes. Marilyn was very cooperative.
Given the circumstances, Dr Greenson had to change his own schedule. Before Marilyn's trip to New York, he had planned to travel to Switzerland with his wife, whose mother just had had an attack. The couple planned to take advantage of it and travel a litlle bit through Europe.
On their way back, he'd stop in New York to meet hos publisher (he was writing a book "The Technique and Practice of Psychoanalysis").
Greenson wasn't sure anymore to be able to absent himself, even if his wife, Hildi, had to imperatively leave. He wasn't even sure to join her later.
Since his diagnosis on Marilyn's borderline personality, he was perfectly aware of her fear to be abandonned.
Coming after Arthur Miller's wedding, Greenson's leaving could turn out disastrous.
She
had learned that a newspaper had published her address at Doheny Drive (
),
and she decided to move in her Helena Drive's house before the end of
the renovation work. Joe DiMaggio arrived in Los Angeles to help
her.
Thursday, March 8 and Friday 9, with
DiMaggio's help, she moved in, in her house of Fifth Helena Drive.
Joe spent the week-end with her before leaving for his
business.
Ralph Roberts (
), called from New York by Marilyn, helped her in the many tasks caused by the moving house.
Her poodle, Maf (
), slept in the guest house on an old beaver coat, Arthur Miller had offered to Marilyn.
She did her shopping at the Brentwood Mart Market, on San Vicente Boulevard where she had an account and took her prescriptions to the near pharmacy, Vicente Pharmacy.
). This one settled in Brentwood, and when the shooting of "Something's
Got to Give" started, was on duty every day at the Fox. She had been
Milton Rudin's own secretary. She had been hired in 1961 and
earned 689$ a month. Marilyn right away disliked her despite her big
involvement in her job. She notably noticed an overbilling when
Marilyn had rented a limo during her stay in New York City in February 1962, which, after some researches, had been assigned to the Strasbergs, who had used the limo just before Marilyn's arrival.
When the shooting of "Something's Got to Give" would start, Cherie Redmond would be on duty every day at the studio.
She wanted to shelter some of Marilyn's personal papers, checkbooks, invoices, but realized that not any cabinet or cupboard of the house of Fifth Helena Drive could lock.
Marilyn took care of her garden, read some horticulture magazines, planted some lemon trees and hired a gardener, Sam
Tateishi to help her, for the sum of 939.55$ a month (
).
She signed a contract with the Bel Air Patrol Company to guard the property, for the sum of 1982.75$ a year (
).
She also hired the Landon Pool Services for the maintenance of the pool, for the sum of 496.52$ a year (
).
Sunday, March 11, Nunnally Johnson's screenplay she had learned by heart, was rewritten by George Cukor
(
) and Walter Bernstein (
)(
) (the writer on the black list Henry Weinstein, the movie producer, had made returned from London).
This one had been hired to improve the endless synopsis of "Something's Got to Give", notably to spice up the scenes with no comical thing and the dialogues dullness.
At that time, there had already been 6 other screenwriters hired for the movie, and Marilyn had agreed to shoot "Something's Got to Give" purely on the basis of Nunnally Johnson's screenplay, asking just to add some funny lines and comic situations.
At that time, the only cost of the story and the script exceeded 300 000$, 6 times the sum intended at the beginning.
Cukor and Bernstein nevertheless persisted and reached a forty pages of modifications Marilyn considered as unacceptable. So she refused to play the part such revised.
Although she didn't have a say in on the screenplay, she informed Peter Levathes (head of production at the Fox), through her lawyer Milton Rudin, she would only shoot the part of the screenplay she liked. The shooting hadn't yet started that she was already in conflict with the studio.
Thursday, March 15, Marilyn contracted a virus which confined her to bed with a high temperature.
In addition to her press agent work, Pat Newcomb was a nurse for her, prepared her hot beverages between 2 files to write up, without being concerned by Eunice Murray's openely declared jealousy to whoever encroached on what she considered as her territory.
Eunice Murray had enough work, as she informed Greenson, who commanded Marilyn to double the housekeeper salary up to 200$ a week (calculated on the salary of her secretary Cherie Redmond who earned 250$ a week).
This day, she made the locks of the property that didn't work changed; it was Edward P.Halavaty from the A-1 Lock &
SafeCompany in Santa Monica who came (
).
Saturday, March 24, at
Fifth Helena Drive, the water inlet was turned off by the plumber Roy Naval who
had to install the heater in the garage.
Marilyn announced to Eunice Murray that she was going to Greenson's place to wash her hair, then she'd leave for the week-end.
At noon, Peter Lawford came and took her and drove her in Palm Springs, at
Bing Crosby's place.
Palm Springs was a tourist resort located in the desert, the favourite place of escapade of the Hollywood big bosses
(
,
),
During this week-end, Marilyn met the Kennedy's brothers (
), and would have agreed to attend the Democrats gala scheduled on May 1962 at the Madison Square Garden,
and promised to take part in John Kennedy's birthday celebration.
Sunday, March 25, Marilyn offered to John Kennedy a chrome-plated lighter Ronson Adonis, with JFK engraved on it, because she knew he liked smoking cigars. He invited her to sing at his birthday party which would take place on May 19, at the Madison Square Garden : Marilyn agreed.
When she came back home, DiMaggio was waiting for her. They spent together the following week. He stayed at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Norman Rosten
(
) was in Hollywood to work on a screenplay and visited Marilyn who was
back;
together, they visited an art gallery where she bought a
statuette of Rodin for 1 000$ (
,
,
).
Monday, March 26, Rosten went back to New York. It was the last time he saw Marilyn alive.
Delighted with her week-end, Marilyn was in a very good mood and brimming with energy.
This day at the Fox, she met the producer, the director and the screenwriter of "Something's Got to Give".
The shooting which should start on Monday, April 9 was postponed on Monday, April 23, mainly partly because of the screenplay's issue. The movie was due to be released in October 1962.
"Something's Got to Give" was thought as a remake of "My Favourite Wife", a very popular comedy of 1940 with Cary Grant, telling the story of a shipwrecked woman everyone thought she was dead, and who reappeared years later to discover that her husband had remarried.
On a dramatic point of view, the part was different from her 2 former characters; she played a mother and a wife. In terms of career, the project was important; her 2 former movies, "Let's Make Love" and "The Misfits" hadn't been very successful as she was used to, and she wanted to shush the rumors telling she was over.
What's more, according to the contract she had signed with the Fox in 1956, she still owed 2 movies to the studio.
Dr
Greenson convinced her to agree the project, thinking that working
could only be beneficial to her after the severe tests of 1961.
The director, George Cukor, was too under contract with the Fox and also owed a movie.
Not less than 7 screenwiters contributed to what everyone considered as a dull screenplay. But throughout the shooting, the original screenplay didn't stop to be rewritten : some of Marilyn's suggestions were included and every page was modified in a
way or in another (
,).
Tuesday, March 27, DiMaggio and Marilyn went together to the Brentwood Country Mart.
APRIL
For her movings, as she didn't own any car, she rented a limo at the Carey Cadillac Company and her chauffeur, Rudy
Kautzky, drove her.
Her days, until the beginning of the shooting, didn't vary from Monday to Saturday : she started with face cares at Madame Renna, on Sunset Boulevard, around noon; then she went to a session with Dr Greenson, at his office in Beverly Hills; she read her lines with Paula Strasberg, arrived from New York and who stayed at the Bel Air Hotel.
Then, she went to Dr Engelberg
(
) or Dr Seigel
((
) doctor at the Fox) who gave her some "vitamins" injections (a
combination of amphetamine), gave her some prescriptions
(contradictory) and in a groove, gave her anyway everything she wanted.
Then she did some shopping at the Brentwood Mart, at Don J.Briggs (
,
)
on San Vicente Boulevard or at Jurgensen in Beverly Hills, and in
the end of the afternoon, the chauffeur took her back, this time, at
Greenson's home.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
).
George Cukor wasn't there which irritated Marilyn.
Wednesday, April 11,
Marilyn received a letter from the White House (
), thanking her for her future participation at
John Kennedy's birthday gala, scheduled on May 19, 1962 (
).
This day she bought a top of the rage stainless steel Hotpoint fridge, for the sum of 624$ (
,
).
Thursday, April 12, Marilyn announced she was going to New York because she had to work with Strasberg before starting the shooting.
Friday, April 13, 
.
Saturday, April 14, she met the reporter Alan Levy with who she finished the interview for the Redbook magazine article.
She had dinner with Rupert Allan.
She came back home ill, having caught Lee's respiratory infection.
Mid-april, Eunice Murray moved in at Marilyn's place, and settled in the guest room.
Monday, April 16, a compromise about the screenplay's corrections was agreed by everyone and Bernstein started the re-writing. For avoiding any confusion, he used a color coding, so each readjustment would be printed on a different color paper.
Wednesday, April 18, she received the first version of the rewritten screenplay, on a blue paper; Marilyn remained unsatisfied.
Bernstein made changes on a yellow paper, then on a pink one; the complete version was delivered to Marilyn at the end of the evening (10.00PM).
She had dinner with the Strasbergs. She obtained that Paula would come back on the set of "Something's Got to Give"; for
3000$ a week, Paula would be her coach for the 5th time (
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
).
Thursday, April 19, the last modified version of the screenplay had 149 sheets of pink paper. Unfortunately, the copy Marilyn received was in white paper. So she wasn't able to identify where the changes had been done.
Saturday, April 21, Marilyn was ill; she called Henry Weinstein who sent her home Dr Lee Siegel, the Fox studio's doctor.
He diagnosed a laryngitis and headaches. The studio doubted about it.
Sunday, April 22, Marilyn went to her session at Greensons, then went to Hermosa Beach, south of Los Angeles, where hairstylist Pearl Porterfield prepared her for her first day of shooting, which had to take place the following day.
Monday, April 23, beginning of the shooting of "Something's Got to Give".
Marilyn was absent; she had temperature, shivers, sore throat.
So Henry Weinstein called Cyd Charisse and asked her to come to the studio to start the shooting.
He had also been invited in Jerusalem to hold a conference about transference. He needed some rest and relaxation and wanted to spend peacefully some time with his wife's family.
From Tuesday, April 24 to Friday 27, Marilyn was absent the whole week because she was still ill. She missed the visit of
the Shah of Iran and his wife Farah at the Fox studio; they came on the set n° 4 (
).During the week, the scenes with Dean Martin and Cyd Charisse were shot.
Wednesday, April 25, Marilyn bought a stainless steel sink for the sum of 282$.
Monday, April 30, despite Dr Siegel's opinion (doctor at the Fox), and her GP, Dr Hyman Engelberg, Marilyn went to the
studio where she had another fitting (
) then shot until 4.00 PM (
,
).
She went back home, exhausted, because she still had temperature.
The limo rented by Henry Weinstein was driven by Rudy Kautzky; he picked her up this morning (at 6.30 AM) and brought her back home at the end of the day.
MAY
Tuesday, May 1st, Hildi Greenson flew to Europe. Upset with the idea that Dr Greenson would be absent, Marilyn hardly managed to work.
At 7.30 AM, half an hour after her arrival at the Fox, she collapsed and had to be driven back home (
).
Dr
Engelberg signed her a sick note for an infectious sinusitis, a
diagnosis confirmed by Dr Seigel, who called the direction of the Fox,
to tell that Marilyn wasn't in condition to work.
Dr Engelberg prescribed her further examinations at the Cedars
of Lebanon Hospital.
Lee Siegel, doctor at the Fox, handed in his report : "She had a 38°5C temperature, a very congested breathing and a serious source of secondary infection in her throat".
She had to stay in bed for a week.
She stayed in bed from Tuesday, May 1st to Friday 4, despite the doctors's authorization, Cherie Redmond, her secretary who then worked at the Fox on Marilyn's behalf, was ordered to call Eunice Murray every day to hear from Marilyn.
Greenson still insisted on seeing her twice a day, but the barbiturates and sedatives she took to weaken her anxiety and depression made her confused, dazed and dozy. During her chauffeur's day off, Joan Greenson, Greenson's daughter
(
), drove her back home.
On the set, Cukor shot the scenes where Marilyn didn't appear.
At the same time, the super production "Cleopatra" was being shot in Europe, squandering millions of dollars and threatening the Fox with bankruptcy.
The studio was in such a perilous financial situation (long and slow decline of the studio, huge cost overrun of "Cleopatra") and
the heads
of the Fox put pressure on Spyros
Skouras (
), who gave his president position up for the one, less influent, of president of the directors board.
On the order of the Fox financiers committee based in New York City, Robert Goldstein (one of the new head of the Fox)
(
) took briefly over as director of production, but was soon replaced by Peter Levathes.
This
same week, Marilyn reminded Peter Levathes and Henry Weinstein
(producer of the movie) she had been allowed to attend the gala in John
Kennedy's honor, which would take place in New York, on Saturday, May 19.
She bought the long tight-fitting dress in sparkling silk designed by Jean-Louis (
)(
,
) for the amount of 6 000$.
Cukor and his assistant then decided to shoot the scenes of the movie which took place in Balboa Island.
Thursday, May 10, the movie ended its 14th day of shooting (with only one with Marilyn) and had technically a 4 and a half days delay. Thanks to Hollywood's cleverness to face the unexpected (accidents, illness, rough weather, changing of screenplay), there were always solutions; that's why in this May 10, the Fox schedule suggested only one extra day to compensate for the lateness.
Dr Greenson left Los Angeles for a 4 weeks trip.
He left to Marilyn a prescription of Dexamyl (an amphetamine combined to a short effect barbiturate, one stimulant and one sedative), in case she would need it.
Furthermore, he recommended her not to have Paula Strasberg play a role on the production of "Something’s Got to Give", thinking that Paula took advantage of her and her money.
Although Paula left for a short trip in New York, Marilyn didn't inform neither Paula, nor the studio of her notice.
During his absence, Greenson confided Marilyn to Dr Milton Wexler, his psychoanalyst colleague who shared the same office in Beverly Hills.
In this end of 3rd week of shooting, Marilyn hadn't worked more than one day.
Friday, May 11, Peter Levathes (director of production) called Marilyn's lawyer, Milton Rudin, because he had heard Marilyn's intention to go to New York the next Thursday and Friday, before performing on Saturday, May 19 at the Madison Square Garden, during a gala organized by the Democratic Party.
The event, bound to collect funds to reimburse the presidential campaign debts, was also the opportunity to celebrate President Kennedy's 46th birthday.
For Peter Levathes, Marilyn couldn't possibly attend it. Her absences had already too much delayed the shooting
(
,
,
) and the Fox wanted her to be present on the set each day of the week from May 14 to 18.
Week-end of May 12 and 13, Paula arrived at Marilyn's place with her sister Bea Glass. Joe DiMaggio was there too for the week-end. So there was a faithfull friends circle surrounding Marilyn, breezy despite her illness.
Ralph Roberts also visited her before leaving to New York.
This day, she bought some Dom Perignon champagne (
).
Monday, May 14, Marilyn felt better and went back to work at the studio. She arrived 20 minutes in advance for the make-up
session scheduled at 6.30 AM. She
was eager, cooperative, enthusiastic (,
,
).
This day, and for 10 hours, she was remarkably patient and good-humored during the 50 takes of a scene with Tippy, the cocker
spaniel of the
family (
,
).
During the shooting, it was her friend Whitey
Snyder who took care of her make-up (
,
,
,
,
) and Agnes Flanagan of her
hairstyle (
,
,
,
,
,
).
The limo dropped her at the Brentwood Market where she did some shopping, before bringing her back home at about 9.15 PM. The renting day was charged 102.43$.
Tuesday, May 15 and Wednesday 16, the shooting kept on with Marilyn, still in a very good mood.
She talked with excitement about her trip in New York, which leaving was planned on Thursday, May 17.
But director George Cukor told Henry Weinstein, the producer, that if Marilyn was absent on Thursday afternoon and Friday, the shooting would have a 6 days delay and it would need to give some explanations to the heads.
The Fox office in New York informed Marilyn she wasn't allowed to attend this gala; a letter threatening her of a dismissal for breach of contract was sent to Milton Rudin.
This gave a good reason to the studio and allow it to save up more than 3 millions dollars, going to waste a movie whit only half a dozen of sets and 20 actors, an insipid comedy, decried since the first work sessions on the screenplay, a project neither the director nor the star believed in. With a convincing reason (for instance, the illness of a star), maybe the Fox insurances could be convinced to repay the spending money. At least, the movie could be temporarily put aside, the screenplay modified, maybe the distribution too, and it could start again later.
Henry Weinstein had given his agreement to Marilyn's leaving to New York, before the many delays of the shooting.
Nevertheless, on the shooting log, it was well written that the shooting should be stopped on May 17 at 11.30 AM. It must have been unthinkable the Fox would be opposed to the greatest Hollywood star presence to a gala where the President himself had invited her.
,
,
). She still had few temperature.
Thursday, May 17, at 11.30 AM, as agreed, Marilyn ended the shooting scenes.
Peter
Lawford and Milton Ebbins (friend of Sinatra and vice president of
Lawford production company), arrived with an helicopter borrowed by
Lawford to Howard Hughes.
Pat
Newcomb and Paula Strasberg accompanied her.
The helicopter dropped them at the Los Angeles International Airport where they flew to New York. Marilyn settled in her
apartment, 444 East 57th Street : 
,
,
,
).
The lawyers of the Fox drafted a breach of contract-letter, sent it to the MCA and Milton Rudin, accusing Marilyn of absenteeism and severly warned her of the following terrible consequences.
Friday, May 18, she received in person a copy of the breach of contract-letter which was issued from the New York Fox office; she knew that from then on, she might be dismissed.
She made the rehearsals of the gala at the Madison Square Garden, accompanied with Pat Newcomb, with composer and producer Richard Adler, who directed the show :
,
,
, 
,
;
,
;
,
,
,
,
.
She visited Marie Irvine, the makeup woman who took care of her for the Madison Square Garden party
(
); she also met Kenneth who hairdressed her, at her home, on Friday and Saturday (
).
Saturday, May 19, before the gala, John Kennedy held a dinner at the Four Seasons restaurant, where he testified his gratitude to the 375 attendees who had paid their place 1 000$. Kennedy arrived at the Madison Square Garden at about 9.15PM.
Marilyn was home, getting ready.
The
Madison Square Garden was crammed full of more than 15 000 people(
) who
had paid from 10 to
1 000$ the ticket for a giant birthday party (
)(actually, John Kennedy's birthday was on May 29), destined to make good the deficit of the National Democratic Committee, after the presidential campaign of 1960.
Marilyn arrived at the Madison Square Garden, along with her faithful press agent, Patricia Newcomb
(
,
,
,
,
,
).
President Kennedy was alone (
),
Jackie had stayed in Virginia for a horse ramble; she attended the Loundoun Hunt
Horse Show in Leesburg, Virginia; she rode Minbreno (
). She stayed at the Kennedy's property Geln Ora, in Virginia.
.Many VIP were to parade on stage (
,
).
Jack Benny started the evening organization (
); he introduced Ella Fitzgerald
(
), the Jerome Robbins ballet (
), Harry Belafonte who replaced Danny Kaye, initially planned (
).
Then, Henry Fonda (
) kept up the evening presentation and intoduced Maria Callas (
), actor
Elliott Reid (
), Peggy Lee (
), Shirley McLaine (
), Jimmy Durante (
), then Bobby Darin, Elaine May et Mike Nichols, Diahann
Carroll. Afterwards, he gave way to Peter Lawford who introduced Marilyn
(
),
teasing her for her endless lateness ("The late Marilyn Monroe") but
according to the schedule, she actually had to be at the end of the
program.
She appeared, radiant in her sparkling dress, and sang a languorous "Happy Birthday Mr President"
(
, 
,
,
,
,
); she ended her act with few lines sung on the tune of "Thanks for the memories". John Kennedy went on stage to make a speech
and end the gala (
).
Everyone then attended the party following the gala, given at Arthur Krim (President of United Artists) and his wife Mathilde, in
their appartment located 33 East 69th Street, in the East Side (
,
;
,
,
,
;
,
,
,
,
).
75 people were invited this evening.
Marilyn's escort was her ex-father-in-law, Isadore Miller (
,
,
,
) (at first, she had asked photographer Eve Arnold
to accompany her, but this last being unavailable, Marilyn asked Arthur Miller's father she liked a lot).
Her main worry this evening was that Isadore Miller, lost in the middle of the guests, had a chair and something to eat. She didn't leave him among strangers to go for a chat or requesting compliments from one group to another.
She dropped him home, asking him to visit her in Los Angeles, then she want back to her own appartment. Ralph Roberts was waiting for her; he gave her a massage and left à 4 AM.
Sunday, May 20, Marilyn went back in Los Angeles. She arrived at 10 AM; a limo, rented at the Carey Cadillac Renting Co. was waiting to drop her home.Monday, May 21, the rented limo came to pick her up and drive her to the studio; Marilyn was on the set of "Something’s Got
to Give"at 6.15 AM, sustained with amphetamines. She worked for 8 hours in a row, but had a quite a half-hearted welcome from
the
producer, the director and the crew (
,
,
).
She was lucid and founded in her suspicion toward her crew and the whole direction of the Fox : the studio incredible incompetence during the last weeks of shooting, its pretentious ineffiiciency on the set and outside led to think that the intention was really to dismiss her and to give the movie up.
This day, she shot other scenes with the children 
,
,
,
,
,,
),
because Dean Martin had caught a cold (he didn't shot on Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thrusday, and stayed in bed through Thursday).
Monday, May 22, she shot the whole morning with the children, finished the shots and the close-ups of their conversation next to the pool.
She also shot with Cyd Charisse (
,
).
Pat Newcomb, her press agent, called photographer Lawrence Schiller (
)and advised him to come to the studio the following day, when Marilyn had to shoot the pool scene.
Marilyn had agreed the picture session, on condition that she gave her approbation on the published pictures.
Another photographer, Don Ornitz,
of
Globe Photos, also had to come and take Marilyn in picture, but being
ill, the Fox replaced him with one of the studio photographers, Jimmy Mitchell.
champagne (173.22$), which would be delivered the
next day (
).
Wednesday, May 23, from 9.00 AM to 4.00 PM (with 20 minutes lunch break), Marilyn remained in the pool, swimming, splashing, waving her arms while she was taken in different shots. She had to bath naked, an illusion perfectly obtained thanks to the flesh-colored bikini she wore. But on the screen, the bikini strap was clearly visible for the Technicolor movie camera.
Willingly, she took her flesh-colored bathsuit off and posed naked for the photographers for almost an hour.
She asked Whitey Snyder and Agnes Flanagan to supervise her entry and exit from the water.
Photographer Lawrence Schiller (
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
)
was perfectly aware what he got in his hands and convinced the
other photographer, Jimmy Mitchell, to get rid of his negatives for the
sum of 10 000$. Thus, with his colleague Billy Woodfield, they had Marilyn's last nudes exclusive rights.
It was the first time a movie star posed naked for pictures.
Paula Strasberg didn't agree with this idea. But Marilyn knew that a few weeks earlier, Elizabeth Taylor had shot a massage scene for "Cleopatra", where her skin was showed. So Marilyn created her own publicity ahead of her rival. One condition to the pictures publication : none of any cover with Elizabeth Taylor would be published all around the world the week her own pictures would be published.
Thursday, May 24, Dean Martin was still absent for illness, and Cukor shot the scenes with Cyd Charisse
(
). The shooting had only a 9 days delay.
Friday, May 25, Marilyn, despite a slight temperature and her right ear which suppurated (due to the pool scene), worked without complaining.
This
same day, she chose the pictures to be published with Lawrence
Schiller. The pictures were on the cover of 72 magazines in 32
countries, and were sold for 150 000$ (much more than the sum Marilyn
was paid for the movie).
Saturday, May 26 and Sunday 27, the shooting went on during the week-end, in order to catch up. But Marilyn suffered from an otitis and didn't show at the studio,neither during the week-end, nor on the following Monday.
Sunday, er ear infection had worsened with a 38.8° C temperature.
Dr Milton Wexler gave her a penicillin injection.
Monday, May 28, George Cukor had planned a scene with Marilyn, Dean Martin, Cyd Charisse, Tom Tyron and Wally Cox, but this morning, Marilyn didn't feel better and didn't come on the set.
Cukor had no more scenes to shoot without her and the production lost a day of work.
Night of 28 to 29, new visit of Dr Milton Wexler.
Tuesday, May 29, Marilyn came to the studio with iron will.
She worked with Dean Martin for 6 hours; then she went at his home located 601 Mountain Drive where she spent the evening.
Wednesday, May 30, no shooting this day, because of Memorial Day.
Thursday, May 31, Marilyn shot for the first time with actor Wally Cox (
) ,who
played the shoe salesman. She made 38 takes of 4 shots, i.e 2 pages and
a half of the screenplay. She played the scene where she tried some
shoes on
(
,
,
),
The shooting took place at the studio n° 8, which was smaller; at this time, the movie was 11 days late.
JUNE
She began early this morning, and shot the scene with Wally Cox and Dean Martin (
,
,
).
Pat
Newcomb arrived at the studio in the afternoon with some Dom Perignon, Marilyn's favourite champagne (
). Dean
Martin had brought some champagne too.
Evelyn Moriarty, Marilyn'ss tand-in (
,
),
had collected 50$ for the cake, bought at Humphrey’s Bakery
at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market ; finally, one of the
executive of the studio suggested to pay it and Evelyn Moriarty paid
off the money she had collected.
The whole crew was there to celebrate her birthday (
),including Henry Weinstein and Eunice Murray
(
). Photographer George Barris was also there (
) (
,
,
,
,
,
).
,
). Marilyn was delighted of this impromptu party, which ended at around 6.30 PM.
She left the Fox with actor Wally Cox (
,
,
,
This evening, she attended, wearing the costume she had worn during the day (a beige silk suit with an harmonized fur toque), an event at the Chavez Ravin Dodger Stadium of Los Angeles, for a base-ball game between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels, given in aid of the muscular dystrophy
(
,
,
,
,
).
51 000 people attended the game.
She made the kick-off.
But she got a cold and, back home, around 10.00 PM, had headaches; she once again suffered from a sinusitis.
), was called. Seeing the many drugs bottles on the night-stand, he removed all of them.Week-end of June 2 and 3, Eunice Murray called producer Henry Weinstein to inform him about Marilyn's new bout of sinusitis she suffered from, and so, that she wasn't in condition to work.
The studio's doctor, Dr Lee Siegel, went to Brentwood and informed the studio she had a
temperature upper than 38°C.
He recommended her to stay home.
This day was "Something’s Got to Give" last day of shooting, although the official end took place a week later.
The Fox announced that if Marilyn wouldn't come on Tuesday, June 5, the studio would face an alternative : either find her a substitute, or stop the movie. Kim Novak, Shirley MacLaine, Doris Day and Lee Remick were good candidates.This Monday, in the end of the afternoon, Philippe Feldman (executive vice president) met Milton Rudin.
This one explained that Marilyn was exhausted and that he hadn't been able to decide her to go back to work.
Tuesday, June 5, the Fox warned Milton Rudin they were ready to sue Marilyn for breach of contract . Rudin informed them he understood the company position, and that on Marilyn's request, he had called Dr Greenson in Switzerland so that he would come back as soon as possible.
Wednesday, June 6, the studio announced that the production was stopped, for lack of scene to be shot without the leading actress. Pat Newcomb replied saying that the problem came from the unfinished screenplay, but that there were indeed some scenes to shoot without Marilyn. The studio argued that the screenplay was definitely completed but that Marilyn was requesting every night its rewriting.
An emergency meeting was planned : the Fox executives were waiting for Peter Levathes, the vice-president, to return from Rome where he had gone to settle the issues of the "Cleopatra" shooting. George Cukor requested Marilyn's dismissal;
he gave the information to the
gossip reporters Hedda Hopper (
) and Sheilah Graham (
).
Marilyn gave confirmation to Vernon Scott, an UPI reporter, she wished to come back to work, but that she was pretty much unwell.
In
the evening, Greenson went back to Los Angeles alone (his wife
had stayed in Switzerland) and went directly to Marilyn's place; he
spent 2 hours with her and, after having consulted Dr Engelberg,
decided that she was physically and psychologically in condition to
keep on the the shooting.
He took her to Dr Michael
Gurdin, an eminent cosmetic surgeon in Beverly Hills.
She arrived with bruises on her face. Greenson explained she had slipped in her shower and had fallen, clearly under sedatives influence. Dr Gurdin sent her to have a nasal bones X-Ray, which didn't reveal any fracture
(
,
).
Then
Greenson called Milton Rudin (who was in Lake Tahoe) ; this one asked
his partner, Martin Gang, to inform Phil Feldman (head of the Fox)
that Greenson, back from holidays, from then on was taking care
of Marilyn's relations with the studio.
Because Marilyn had accused
Rudin to be with the Fox and that Greenson was the medical member of
the crew who took the decisions, so it would up to him to determine if
Marilyn was in condition to start the shooting again, which, according
to him, would be feasible on Monday, June 11.
Then Greenson called Eunice Murray, asking her not to say a word to the press, nor to anyone of the Arthur Jacobs
(
) public
relations agency from New York or from the studios. He added that
Marilyn's face injury wasn't serious. No information was given to Henry
Weinstein, producer of the movie.
The Fox legal department filed a petition for damages to the Superior Court. The studio claimed the sum of 500 000$, declaring that Marilyn had signed a contract for 4 movies on December 31, 1955, for the sum of 100 000$ each movie, and that she had already been paid 142 000$ when the agreement was executed. She then only had shot 2 movies until January 1961, and since April 16, 1961, she had refused and neglected to execute her contract. Each time, the Fox studio had agreed to every terms of their agreement. The studio had been damaged up to 500 000$.
At this time, the Fox studio was in a delicate financial situation : "Cleopatra" having exceeded 30 millions $ of expenses, the studio got rid of its real estate companies, dismissed employees and closed its installations in order to save money.
Moreover, the movie industry suffered from the television competition, since many American families owned a TV set.
Peter Levathes, and this despite the pressure put by Spyros Skouras from New York, gave "Something's Got to Give" up and fired Marilyn, reproaching her the lack of attendance on the set (she had only attended 12 days over 33).
Greenson having learned Marilyn's dismissal, went to her home and stayed an hour at Helena Drive. She was in an extreme tense condition.
Whitey Snyder came by after Greenson's visit, and found her devastated; she had never been dimissed, ever.
Between Kim Novak, Doris Day, Shirley McLaine, the Fox studio had finally chosen Lee Remick as Marilyn's stand-in; she could
also wear the same costumes without any alteration (
); most of all, she, too, owed the Fox 2 movies.
refused to work with anyone but Marilyn (
). In the press, he complimented Lee Remick, saying he had nothing againts her personally.He and Marilyn also had mutual future plans : "I Love Louisa", a comedy, and a detective movie, without any definitive title, in
which would star the whole Rat Pack (
).George Cukor travelled for a few days to Hawaii.
Marilyn called Spyros Skouras, who was in a New York hospital; having only an honorary post at the Fox, he was about to resign and couldn't do anything for her. The new Fox executives were Milton Gould, John Loeb and Samuel Rosenman.
So Marilyn contacted Robert Kennedy for some help; his family was friend with Samuel Rosenman. But his answer was that he couldn't do a lot to avoid Marilyn's dismissal.
This day, she bought a sleep shade and an ice bag at the San Vicente Pharmacy (
).
The studio's loss came to 9 000$ a day of Marilyn's absence. Feldman wanted to make sure that she would regularly come to the studio since the following Monday.
Greenson pointed out that her patient had faced 2 problems : a virus she had caught in New York and the absence of her psychoanalyst.
He
declared himself ready to take the responsability of the movie every
artistic aspects : choose new directors and cameraman, decide the
scenes Marilyn would shoot or not, and which tales would be kept.
He pleaded for Marilyn, declaring she was ready and eager to work.
Some decisions were taken :
- Marilyn lost the few of creative initiative she had
- she had to arrive on time on the set
- she had to respect the time of lunch break
- Paula Strasberg wasn't anymore allowed to be present.
The meeting ended in the afternoon, Greenson hadn't been able to convince the Fox.
Actually, since Tuesday, June 5, the decision of her dismissal from the Fox had already been taken in New York, by Samuel Rosenman
(president of the Fox board of directors in New York).
Going
back to his office shortly before 4.00 PM, Milton Rudin found a message
from the Fox : the studios considered that Marilyn had broken her
contract and were ready to use every possible legal measures.
Saturday, June 9, reporter Sheila Graham
published in her column, the information about Marilyn's dismissal (an
information she had obtained from Henry Weinstein, in the evening of
June 7), in the Citizen News.
The Fox asked for 750 000$.
Monday, June 11, Marilyn called Darryl Zanuck,
former head of Fox production, and found with him an unexpected ally;
this one didn't find the new Fox direction to his liking because the
studio planned to sell his new movie "The Longest Day" off, which had
needed 2 years of work and included many movie stars (Robert
Redford, Richard Burton, Henry Fonda, John Wayne).
Zanuck signed a secret agreement with Skouras (this one held 100 000 shares and Zanuck 280 000) to overthrow the Fox direction.
So this day he promised Marilyn that, back at the head of the Fox, she would start her movie again and would still be its star.
The Fox, which had injected more than 2 millions dollars in "Something's Got to Give", officially suspended the production.
Wednesday, June 13, she sent a telegram through Western Union to Robert and Ethel Kennedy, who had invited her to a
reception given in their house in Virginia, in Pat and Peter Lawford's honor, which had to take place on June 17
(
).
Eunice Murray's son-in-law, Norman Jefferies, worked in the guest
house of Fifth Helena Drive, in preparation for the next visit of
poet Carl Sandburg.
Thursday, June 14, Marilyn saw Dr Gurdin again, who confirmed the improvement of the lesions.
Friday, June 15, Marilyn received a telegram from Natalia Danesi Murray, the publisher of Anita Loos, who offered her a musical in Las Vegas, which would bring her 5 500$ a week. But because she was afraid of appearing in front of people, Marilyn refused. Dr Engelberg came to her home and injected her some vitamins.
Mid-June, Darryl Zanuck had met Spyros Skouras in New York and had told him that both for the sharholders and the studio benefit, Marilyn had to be re-hired. Zanuck being a Fox major investor, Skouras gave away.
Tuesday, June 19, the Fox kept on its legal actions by asking for 3 339 000$ to Dean Martin (whose company, Claude Productions, co -produced the movie), ie the sum the shooting had cost.
Meanwhile, Peter Levathes had realized that by giving "Something's
Got to Give" up, losing Marilyn and Dean Martin, the Fox alos lost the
amazing publicity of the pool scene pictures. As for the financial
aspect, Lee Remick's commitment wasn't that cheap because her fee
came to 80 000$, and that a couple of weeks of shooting would be
written-off.
So
the discussions reopened for a possible shooting rerun even before the
end of June, and negotiations were opened to completely review the
screenplay. The meetings and phone calls were multiplied, to see how to
bring Marilyn and Dean Martin back on the set in October,
after this one would have ended a tour in cabarets.
Marilyn hadn't remain inactive, because she also had some discussions for other movies. In addition, after the wrangles with the Fox, the announcement of the resumption of negotiations, every American magazine asked for an interview and pictures.
The
evening of June 19, Marilyn invited Dan and Joan Greenson to celebrate
Joan's birthday, during a relaxed dinner at Fifth Helena Drive.
It was urgent that Marilyn would refute the rumors according to which she had suffered from a serious depression. If she wanted to save her career, she immediately had to show her image to the public and be on the cover of national magazines, in order to show that all those assertions were not well-founded.
Friday, June 22, Life magazine was released. The magazine made its cover (
) with one of the picture taken during the shooting, to attract the reader, from the pool scene.
Saturday, June 23, Peter Levathes arrived for an appointment at Marilyns. He offered a re-hiring with few conditions : she had to get rid of Paula Strasberg, Dr Greenson and Pat Newcomb. Another meeting was scheduled on Thursday, June 28.
At the end of the afternoon, she went to the suite n° 261 at the Bel Air Hotel, where she met the photographer Bert Stern, for a picture session which would be published in Vogue fashion magazine. Hairdresser George Masters took care of her hairstyle for this session, and Whitey Snyder made her make-up. There were bottles of chilled Dom Perignon champagne.
The sessions lasted until the next morning, with a succession of scarfs and accessories
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
Bert Stern went back to New York and showed the pictures to the Vogue
magazine artistic director, Alexander Lieberman.
This one wanted more
black and white pictures; so another session was suggested to Marilyn
who agreed. It was scheduled on the following July 10 to 12.
Later Bert Stern would send her the prints and Marilyn would cross those she didn't want to be published.
Mid-July, she sent the pictures she didn't want (
,
,
,
,
,
)
Sunday, June 24, works went on at Marilyn's home. The Patios-Block Walls company
placed new tiles on the roof, cleaned the white brick walls and fixed
the main drainage up.
Photographer George Barris came to visit her, to talk about the picture session scheduled the following week-end.
Le lundi 25 juin, Milton Rudin, her lawyer, sent her a letter warning her about the important expenses she made. Cherie Redmond, the secretary, had listed the expenses : between January 1st and June 11, 1962, Marilyn had spent : 6401.71$ for her wardrobe, 6741.03$ for hairdressing, make-up, beauty care and supply, 10 131.23$ for drugs and 15 411.18$ for services provided from Paula Strasberg.
Rudin informed Marilyn that only 13 000$ remained on her checking account.
Tuesday, June 26, Agnes Flanagan took care of her hair (
) and Whitey Snyder of her make-up (
), in preparation for a dinner with the Lawfords.
Wednesday, June 27, at the Fox New York head office, Spyros Skouras faced the 11 members of the board of directors. Peter Levathes and Charlie Einfeld (vice president in charge of marketing and publicity) were present. Skouras had to answer for the financial crisis the studio was going through, the loss of exploitation which was close to 35 millions dollars the last 2 years, and the excess of the stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn. He also had to answer for "Cleopatra", the most expensive movie of the history of the movie industry, for the 2 millions dollars the cancellation of "Something's Got to GIve" cost and for his own tendency for expensive trips abroad and other bonus.
The turbulent meeting didn't end until after 7.00 PM.
During
the break of the meeting, Charlie Einfeld announced that Spyros Skouras
wasn't anymore the president of the board of directors.
Just to save face, Skouras claimed having left for health reasons (he had had a prostate surgery on May 19, 1962).
His resignation would took effect on September 30, or earlier if a successor could be found.
It was the end of the studio great era. The Fox had let it outstripped.
While the other majors ahd focused on the distribution of movies
produced elsewhere, the Fox had persisted to want to produce mostly ot
its.
Marilyn was invited at Lawford's place for a dinner in Robert Kennedy's honor.
This one arrived from Boulder, Colorado, where he had spoken to the prison directors, before coming in Los Angeles.
The
Lawfords and Robert Kennedy came at her home early in the evening; she
had invited them to visit her house. From there, they went to have
dinner at Lawford's home and in the evening, it was Robert Kennedy's
chauffeur who drove Marilyn back home.
Marilyn had an appointment at the Fox with Peter Levathes, to talk about the conditions of her return on the shooting. For this meeting, Agnes Flanagan and Whitey Snyder came to take care of her appearance.
The issue of Life magazine of June 22
had aroused a big movement of public interest, and it was then in the studio's interest, as in Marilyn's one, to bring "Something's Got to GIve" to fruition.
But the Fox also needed to check that Marilyn would agree its "conditions".
Among
its many demands, the Fox notably demanded that Marilyn wasn't entitled
to her say about the choice of a director, cameraman and co-stars. In
addition, she had to abandon the idea of consulting the screenplay,
demanding extra shots, viewing the rushes, being accompanied on
the set by her coach or every other assistant without the management's
agreement.
The Fox hoped to go back on the whole major concessions for which Marilyn had fought when she had signed her contract on December 31, 1955. The studio asked the star to give every control up. The worst, Marilyn should publicly apologize.
Zanuck for his part, held 110 000 of them.
She made Pat Newcomb come and dictated her some telegrams sent to the actors and the technicians of "Something's Got to Give", deploring the Fox decisions to put an end to the shooting.
Friday, 29 and Saturday, June 30 , beginning of the picture session with George Barris, for Cosmopolitan magazine.
The session took place in a house belonging to the real estate mogul Walter "Tim" Leimert (
),
located 1506 Blue Jay Way, in the Birds Streets area, in North
Hollywood Hills. The house had been purchased several weeks earlier and
was still uninhabited.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
Her hairdresser Agnes Flanagan (
,
,
,
,
,
), her make-up man Allan
Snyder (
,
) and her press agent Pat
Newcomb (
,) were there for the sessions.
JULY
Sunday, July 1st, last day of the session with Barris; this time Marilyn posed on the Sant Monica beach, not far from the Lawfords house :
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
Marilyn
and Robert Kennedy attended it. This one had to go in Nevada where he
had to meet Maxwell Taylor (president of the heads of general
staff) and attend the first test of the hydrogen bomb on the US
continent.
This day, she granted what should be her last interview to Life magazine, in a serie of conversations led by Richard Meryman which took place at Helena Drive. The meeting lasted 6 hours.
At
the beginning, Marilyn didn't want that some pictures would be taken :
she didn't want the people to see the place where she
lived.
Nevertheless, she agreed and the pictures were taken by photographer Allan Grant (
)(
,
,
,
,
).
On this occasion, Agnes Flanagan and Whitey Snyder took care of her appearance.
Sunday, July 8, DiMaggio visited her.
During his visits, they shared simple dinners, seated on the sitting-room floor (the mexican furniture delivery had been
postponed;
they rented bikes at Hans Ohrt de
Brentwood (
) and rode on San Vicente Boulevard, in the direction of the ocean; they also did some shopping together.
He accompanied her when she bought a complete new wardrobe in Beverly Hills, at Saks Fifth Avenue and Jax; cashemere
sweaters, blouses, 2 evening dresses and stilettos (
).
Monday, July 9 , last picture session with photographer Allan Grant, to go with her her last interview made by Richard Meryman for Life magazine, published on August 3rd.
Meryman brought her the transcription of their discussions.
This interview was a carefully prepared denial to those who described her career as compromised.
Tuesday, July 10, new sessions for Vogue magazine, with Bert Stern. This time, he rented the bungalow n° 96 at the Bel Air Hotel. He bought once again bootles of Dom Perignon champagne and Château Laffitte-Rothschild 1955. This time,
hairdresser Kenneth Battelle came from New York; faithful Whitey Snyder took care of her make-up (
,
,
).The picture session was intense and Marilyn linked together clothes and accessories :
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.Wednesday, July 11, Marilyn didn't show for a new picture session with Stern; exhausted, she got some rest.
Thursday, July 12, last session with Bert Stern :
,
,
.Vogue magazine would publish some selected pictures on 8 pages in September 1962.
Friday, July 13, this morning, Marilyn called Elisabeth Courtney (
), the assistant of
dress designer Jean-Louis, who had to come to her home for the last
fitting of a new evening dress he had designed for her, for the party
of September 6 she had to attend in Washington DC.
Between July 1st and Saturday, August 4, she saw Dr Greenson 28 times.
Saturday, July 14, Marilyn received a copy of the article written by Richard Meryman. She agreed the publication. It was
published in Life magazine dated August 3, 1962 (
).
Mid-July, Marilyn met also Sidney Skolsky she hadn't seen for a year, for a project which was important for both of them for a long time, a movie on Jean Harlow's life, "The Jean Harlow Story", of which he would be the producer and Marilyn the star.
From the beginning of July until August 4, the bank accounts showed that Marilyn saw Dr Greenson 27 times in 35 days,
and 13 times Dr Engelberg (
)(
). The files showed she had had some injections during those visits.
Friday, July 20, she had another surgery at the Los Angeles Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, by Dr Leon Krohn
(
), to allay her of her chronic endometritis.Saturday, July 21, DiMaggio visited her at the hospital, and drove her back home.
Wednesday, July 25, Zanuck
shelled from his meeting with the Fox direction : he became president
of the studio and Spyros Skouras replaced Samuel Rosenman, resigning
from the president board of directors position.
Two
of his most important opponent resigned. Zanuck's election suspended
everything at the Fox, including the discussions between Marilyn
and the previous administrators.
Many
people credited Zanuck with the Fox past glory, and some senior members
of the studio wrongly predicted that, with him, the studio would once
again live an "new golden era".
Peter Levathes personally went to Marilyn's home and announced her that the shooting of "Something's Got to Give" was to start again and her return effective; the Fox agreed to lift the brought proceedings against the Marilyn Monroe Productions, to renegotiate her contract for 1 million dollars with a bonus (500 000$) if the movie was finished at the scheduled date, a new musical "What a Way to Go", produced by Arthur Jacobs, plus 500 000$ for Marilyn. The Fox even agreed to take up the initial
screenplay of
Nunnally Johnson again, and to replace Cukor with Jean Negulesco (
), with who she had shot "How
to Marry a Millionnaire?" in 1953.
Her lawyer, Milton Rudin, undertook to work on the contractual details of her return.
Marilyn invited Agnes Flanagan and Allan Snyder to celebrate the good news at her home.
Saturday, July 28 and Sunday 29, Peter Lawford invited her to spend the week-end at the Cal-Neva Lodge (
),
next to Lake Tahoe, which was owned by Frank Sinatra (
,
,
,
;
,
,
).
She planned to see Dean Martin who was performing at the Celebrity Room
of the Cal Neva Lodge
(
), not only to thank him for his support during the
June crisis
with the Fox, but also to talk about a movie project Arthur
Jacobs wanted to produce, a comedy "I Love Louisa" ("What A Way to
Go"), in which Marilyn, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra were co-stars.
The following week, on Arthur Jacobs's suggestion, she intended to see
the movies of director J.Lee Thompson.
On Saturday evening, she appeared at Frank Sinatra's show.
This one officially invited her to celebrate her new contract with the
Fox .
Marilyn's name doesn't appear on the hotel's records, but it was the bungalow n° 52, which belonged to a group of bungalows for Sinatra's guests only, which was attributed to her.
Sunday, July 29, she went back to Los Angeles
with the Lawfords.
Monday, July 30, Marilyn
viewed some Thompson's movies exctracts in Arthur Jacob's screening
room, and immediately decided to agree him as director of "I Love
Louisa", which shooting should start at the beginning of 1963.
Jacobs also informed that Jule Styne, who had written "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" for "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", agreed to write new songs for her in this movie.
She called Milton Rudin, telling him her wish to do her will again.
She also received a mail from her Fox secretary, Cherie Redmond, who
informed her that, from then on, Eunice Murray would deal with her mail
both at the Fox and at her private mail box.
), to talk with him about a 3 days trip in New York City she had to make at the beginning of September. On September, Thursday 6, she
had to attend a theatrical party in Washington DC, and wanted
Rosenfeld to accompany her at the premiere of "Mr President", directed
byJoshua Logan (
) at the National Theater, which John and Jackie Kennedy would attend.This evening, she invited Whitey Snyder and his girlfriend, Marjorie Plecher () : they celebrated their future wedding and the retun of the shooting of "Something’s Got to Give", scheduled on October. They found Marilyn enthusiastic and optimistic.
Against
all the evidence, Dr Greenson asserted that Marilyn was better, maybe
urged by the necessity to ease his conscience, because he knew that his
absence had led to Marilyn's dismissal. He planned to go back to Europe
the following month.
When he had interrupted his holidays, at the same
time, he had cancelled the visit he had planned to his publisher, by
stopping in New York on his way back. Then, he intended to go there in August, September or in October.
He slowly got ahead with the writing of "The Technique and Practice of Psychoanalysis" because he devoted the main part of his time and energy to Marilyn. He would make sure he coordinates his trip and the next coming of Anna Freud
(
)to the USA and hoped to be invited to join her at the Menninger Clinic of Topeka, Kansas.
AUGUST
The first week of August, many magazines with Marilyn on cover were published, notably Life magazine, with the interview made by Richard Meryman.
Wednesday, August 1st , with the director's, Jean Negulesco, agreement, everything was in good position to start the shooting in October.The Fox officially signed with Marilyn her new contract with a 250 000$ salary (2 and a half time the sum allowed in her first contract).
Learning the news, her friend and stand-in Evelyn Moriarty called her and found her in good health, very happy to go back to work. They talked about the screenplay and the new director. Marilyn informed her about her other projects, the movie Arthur Jacobs would produce, "I Love Louisa" for the Fox and "The Jean Harlow Story".
The Fox studio had agreed to replace Cukor with Jean Negulesco, but demanded that Marilyn get rid of Paula Strasberg; she wanted to think about it. The shooting had to start in October.
Eunice Murray announced to Marilyn she was going on a trip in Europe from Monday, August 6 with her sister and her brother-in-law. To compensate for Eunice's absence, Marilyn called several times Florence Thomas, a former housekeeper she had had in Hew York.
New wooden doors were installed at Marilyn's home.
Thursday, August 2, in the morning, Marilyn went to Dr Greensons for a new psychoanalysis session. He saw her once again in the afternoon at her home (according to his fees). Marilyn asked Eunice Murray to drive her in Beverly Hills and West Hollywood to do some shopping.
She first bought a wall tapestry depicting Adam and Eve (
),
and a small table at "The Mart", shop of designer William
Alexander Levy, on Santa Monica Boulevard, which had to be delivered on
Saturday, August 4.
Then at Pilgrim's Furniture (12217 Wilshire Boulevard), she bought a
white roman-style chest of drawers, which would be delivered on
Satruday, too.Then she spent few hours at "Franks Nurseries & Flowers" (12424 Wilshire Boulevard
,
) where she ordrered lemon trees, and several articles for her garden (begonias, petunias, tomatoes,hummingbird feeder and food, terra cotta pots) (
), plants for her garden.In the evening, she was invited to have dinner at the Lawfords.
Her checking account at the Beverly Hills City National Bank showed a 4 208.34$ overdraft (
).
Her savings account at the Excelsior Bank showed + 1171.06$; the Bowery Bank's one +614.29$.
Her checking account at the Irving Trust Co showed + 2334.65$ and the First City National's one + 84.67$.
Friday, August 3, Robert and Ethel Kennedy and their 4 children arrived in San Francisco (
). Robert Kennedy had to make a speech at the Bar Association Conference on Monday, August 6, and intended to spend the week-end with his friend, John Bates, at the Bates
Ranch, in Gilroy (about 130 kilometers south of San Francisco, 560 Km north Los Angeles, in the Santa Cruz heights)
(
,
,
,
).
The Bates answered to a Kennedy's invitation, who had invited them in Hickory Hill, the property of Robert Kennedy in Virginia.
Marilyn
woke up early, rested, because she hadn't taken any sedatives the night
before. Then she spent an hour and a half at Dr Greenson's home.
Back to her home, Dr Engelberg was waiting for her. He gave her an injection (of "vitamins") and wrote
her a prescription for 25 capsules of Nembutal (tablets
dosed 97.5 mg), 32 pink tablets (the bottle would be found whitout its
label, maybe barbiturates) and 25 tablets of Phenergan.
This was added to a
stock of chloral hydrate, prescribed by Dr Greenson, to wean Marilyn
off barbiturates.
She also had 2 prescriptions of unknown quantity of Nembutal written by Dr Seigel, doctor at the Fox, dated July 25 and August 3.
Eunice Murray having her car in reparation, she called a cab to go to the San Vicente pharmacy to get the drugs prescribed by
Dr Engelberg (
).
She called the Rostens in Brooklyn to ask them for an advice about the article published in Life magazine under the title "Marilyn tells what she thinks about celebrity"; she invited them for the evening of September 6, for the first production of "Mr President" she had to attend.
Marilyn had ordrered a dress (for the sum of 1600$) in order to attend the premiere of the "Mr President" musical, written by Irving Berlin, which had to take place in Washington DC on Tuesday, September 25.
So she called Elizabeth Courtney (the assistant of dress designer Jean-Louis), and asked her if the new dress could be delivered for a final fitting the next day; but, remembering it was the week-end, she called her back and set an appointment on the following Monday.
For this trip in New York, Marilyn had other projects : she had agreed to grant a long interview to Esquire magazine which she would be on cover, and there were several parties scheduled, including one with the Strasbergs, who had already bought the theater tickets.
Arthur Jacobs called her too, to inform her they had an appointment the following Monday, August 6, at 5.00 PM, with J.Lee Thompson, to talk about their project "I Love Louisa"'.
The order she had made at Franks Nurseries was delivered (
).
Milton Rudin came to talk about the restarting of the shooting of "Something's Got to Give" (in December 62 or January 63) and about the new contract with the Fox studio : they planned to meet together at Rudin's office, on Monday, August 6.
She called Pat Newcomb to invite her to have dinner in a restaurant, but this one suffered from a bronchitis. So Marilyn suggested her to come and have rest in the solarium of Helena Drive. Pat Newcomb agreed and arrived at Marilyn's home after
her day's work. She ordered some food at Briggs ().
Eunice Murray had gone back home for the night. Marilyn and Pat Newcomb, who slept there, went to bed early.
When she arrived, she didn't see neither Marilyn, nor Pat Newcomb.
At around 9.00 AM, Marilyn appeared; she didn't have a breakfast , just a glass of grapefruit juice.
Isadore Miller called but Marilyn was dressing. Eunice Murray answered that Marilyn would call him back. But she didn't.
At around 9.00-10.00 AM, photographer Lawrence Schiller came to talk with her about the pictures which would be published in Playboy magazine; those pictures had been taken on May 28 during
the shooting of the pool scene of "Something's Got to Give; when he
arrived, Marilyn was knelt down near a bed of flowers which bordered
the guest house.
She
crossed the lawn to talk with him in the parking area. With a soft
lead pencil she marked the pictures she held and the ones she didn't
want.
But wondering about the opportunity to be on cover, where once again,
she'd be reduced to an object, they decided to talk about it next
Monday. Schiller would be in town and they would talk again about
it at that time.
Then Ralph Roberts called to organize a barbecue for the following evening, but not being sure te be available, Marilyn asked him to call her back in the afternoon. Eunice Murray took care of the plants and her son-in-law, Norman Jefferies made some few works in the property.
Pat Newcomb woke up before noon, she ate an omelet and joined Eunice and Marilyn who were both in the garden.
Marilyn received the night table she had ordered at the Mart, and began to place the few furniture arrived from Mexico, with the help of Pat. Then, they rested at the poolside.
Dr Greenson came and visited Marilyn at around 5.15 PM; he found her a little bit groggy (she must had regularly taken some pills during the day) but he didn't imagine her spending the night in such a condition. Because he hadn't any drugs, he called his colleague, Dr Engelberg (between 5.45 and 6.30 PM), so that he came and gave Marilyn a sedative injection. But, this one, in the middle of a domestic fit (he was breaking up with his wife) refused to come.
At around 2.00 PM, Eunice Murray received a collect call from Joe
DiMaggio Jr (
), who served in the Marine, on the nearby Orange County. Eunice told him that Marilyn was absent. He called again at around 4.30 PM and once again, couldn't talk to her.
Between 5.45 and 6.30 PM,
Ralph Greenson called, just before he went to Jurgensen to buy the
necessary for the barbecue, scheduled the next day. This time, Greenson
picked up the receiver and answered him that Marilyn wasn't there.
At around 6.30 PM, Greenson came out of Marilyn's room. Pat Newcomb left Helena Drive, Dr Greenson having told her that she didn't need to stay.
Greenson asked Eunice Murray to exceptionally spend the night.
Dr Greenson left at around 7.00 PM.
Marilyn didn't want to have dinner and told Mrs Murray she only wanted to have rest.
She asked Eunice Murray to bring Maf her dog in, for the night..
Between 7.00-7.15 PM, Peter Lawford called her; this evening, he organized a dinner with friends and invited Marilyn to join
them. At this party were invited
his impresario, George Durgom (
), and Lawford's best friend, Joseph Naar
(TV
producer (
) and his wife Dolores (
).
At around 7.15 PM, Joe DiMaggio Jr called once again and this time, Mrs Murray gave the phone to Marilyn. For about 10 mn they had a pleasant conversation, during which he informed her that he had broken his engagement up with Pamela Ries
(
), the young lady he dated, whom Marilyn didn't like much.
Joe Jr was watching a base-ball game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Baltimore Orioles, a game who took place at the Baltimore Memorial Stadium , which was broadcasted.
At around 7.30 PM,
she called Dr Greenson who was about, with his wife, to spend the
evening with their friends, Mr and Mrs Arnold Albert. She also informed
him about the news coming from Joe DiMaggio Jr; she informed Mrs Murray
too. Then, she brought back the telephone in the guest room
but instead of covering it with some cushions, she put the receiver
next to the telephone.
She undressed and went to bed. It was around 8.00 PM. And Eunice Murray was in the sitting-room, watching an episode of the TV serie "Perry Mason".
Between 8.00 and 8.30 PM,
Peter Lawford called Marilyn back. He found she had a thick voice,
becoming less and less audible. Soon he didn't hear anything, as if she
had put the phone or let it fall. He tried to call her back but the
line was busy.
He asked the operator to stop the call but he was
answered that the phone was picked up.
Being
worried about her condition, he called his lawyer, Milton Ebbins () at
about 8.15 PM. This one called Marilyn's lawyer, Milton Rudin and fell
on his messaging service. He learned that Rudin attended a party at
Mildred Allenberg, the widow of Sinatra's agent; Ebbins managed to join
him there.
At 8.30 PM,
a visibly thick feminine voice called Ralph Roberts's messaging
service, who was out. It was likely Marilyn trying to join him.
At around 8.30 PM,
Milton Rudin called in Brentwood and talked with Eunice Murray. He
asked her to check if Marilyn was all right; this one went to Marilyn's
bedroom door, pricked up her ears and not hearing anything unsual, came
back to the phone and told Rudin that everything was all right.
8.45 - 9.00 PM, Milton Rudin called Milton Ebbins back, who called Peter Lawford back and reassured him about Marilyn's condition. While Rudin came back to his cocktail party and Lawford with his guests, Eunice Murray wondered why the hell Marilyn's lawyer had called to enquire about her condition.
Officially, Mrs Murray declared having gone to Marilyn's bedroom at around midnight, then she had moved her speech 3 hours back.
But Marilyn's time of death being set at 10.00 PM the latest, Mrs Murray must had checked if Marilyn was all right after Rudin's call.
It's more likely she had opened Marilyn's bedroom door while she was still online with Rudin.
So she returned once again at the bedroom's door, gently called Marilyn, and didn't obtain any answer. The bedroom's light
was still on and
seeing the phone cord under the door (
),
Eunice Murray opened the door : that's when she discovered the actress,
dead or unconscious; lying on her stomach, on the bed, holding the
phone receiver in her hand.
Panicked, she tried to reach Dr Greenson who was out, and left a
message to his messaging service (or asked Greenson's children to pass
on their father), asking him to come as soon as possible to 5th Helena
Drive for an emergency.
Then she called Dr Engelberg who soon arrived.
Marilyn's body was probably put on her back by Dr Engelberg, but it was
too late. Greenson must have arrived a little bit later, after he was
informed of Eunice's alert message.
Marilyn died at 10.00 PM the latest, probably between 9.00 and 9.30 PM.
Greenson calld Milton Rudin, still attending the cocktail party. First thing to do : to join Arthur Jacobs.
At around 10.00 or 10.30 PM,
Arthur Jacobs was at the Hollywood Bowl , where he attended, along with his fiancée, Natalie Trundy, a young actress, producer
Mervyn LeRoy and his wife, the concert of Henry Mancini and his orchestra.
Arthur Jacobs received a call from Milton Rudin, informing him about
Marilyn's death. Jacobs asked the LeRoy to drive Natalie Trundy back
home, and went to Helena Drive.
Pat Newcomb was only informed at 5.00 AM.
At around 10.30 PM, Lawford's party was over. After his friends leaving, he had much time to think about Marilyn's weird call, few hours earlier. Whatever Milton Rudin had told him, she didn't really feel good. He was soon informed about Marilyn's death from Milton Ebbins.
Not any connection had to be made with the Fox; the movie star couldn't have committed suicide because of her issues with the studio. All those things having taken much time, the time of the body's discovery had to be postponed later that night : midnight, then 2.00 AM, finally 3.30 AM (Mrs Murray's version to the police).
The body must had been put back on the stomach, in the position it was when it had been discovered.
In order to give an explanation about the delay, the story about Marilyn's bedroom locked door and the fact Dr Greenson had to break the window to get in the bedroom became the official scenario.
Officially, Mrs Murray, seeing the light and the phone cord under the door, tried to open Marilyn's bedroom door which was locked. She went outside, looked through the closed window and discovered Marilyn lying on her stomach, in an unsual position. She came back to the house, called Greenson who arrived, took the pocker of the fireplace, broke the window and got into the bedroom : that's where he discovered Marilyn dead, the phone handset in her hand. He removed and replaced it on the receiver. Dr Engelberg, arrived in the meantime, declared Marilyn officially dead at 3.35 AM.
Greenson then called the police of West Los Angeles; sergeant Jack Clemmons who was on duty that night, received the call at
4.15 AM. He arrived on the scene at 4.25 AM (
).
Clemmons called for support : officer Don Marshall arrived,
shakedowned the house, seeking for a message attesting the suicide, but
didn't find anything. He questionned Marilyn's neighbors, Mr and Mrs
Abe Landau, who declared not having heard anything suspect. Detective
Robert Byron also arrived and took the statements of Drs Greenson and
Engelberg, and Eunice
-she called Dr Greenson who broke the window, entered into the bedroom and found Marilyn dead.
Dr Greenson declared that :
-he had seen Marilyn at around 5.15 PM, on her request because she didn't manage to sleep
-he had been treated her for a year
-he found her lying on her stomach, and had just removed the receiver from her hand.
Byron found on the night table 15 bottles of drugs, including one containing 25 pills of Nembutal Engelberg said
having prescribed her on August 3rd
,
)Sunday, August 5,
,
).
,
,
).
)
,
,
)
,
).
Pat Newcomb, shocked, had an altercation with the policemen and reporters (
,
,
,
), and ended by leaving Helena Drive with Eunice Murray (
,
Joe DiMaggio was in San Francisco; Milton Rudin called him and asked him to deal with the funeral's formalities. Joe arrived in Los Angeles ans settled suite 1035 of the Miramar Hotel, refusing any contact with the press.
Marilyn's body was then driven from the Westwood Village (
,
,
) to the Los Angeles County morgue (
), for an autopsy.
Marilyn's body was placed in the crypt n° 33 (
,
).
At 10.20 AM, Dr Thomas Noguchi (
) started the autopsy of Marilyn's body.
A first report was returned (
), then the death certificate (
), and the final report of the autopsy would
be returned in August 18th (
,
,
,
,
,
).
) and August 13 (
).
The official conclusion of the head toxicologist R.J.Abernethy was "Acute barbiturate poisoning-ingestion of overdose".
Marilyn's body was taken back to the Westwood Village (
,
,
,
) and was available for the family in the Sunday afternoon.
It was Berniece Miracle, Marilyn's half sister who lived in Florida, who allowed Marilyn's body to be given to Joe DiMaggio.
This one, with Inez Melson's help, Marilyn's financial advisor, took the arrangements for Marilyn's funerals, which was scheduled on August 8, at 1.00 PM.
Monday,August 6 , police follow-up report (
); Drs
Engeleberg and Greenson had been questioned again by detective Byron.
They agreed on the fact that Dr Greenson had received a call from Mrs
Murray on August 5th at 3.30 AM, telling him that the light was still
on in Marilyn's bedroom and that she couldn't entered in the room.
Greenson asked her to have a look through the window and to call
him back. Eunice Murray did it and called him back at 3.35 AM : Marilyn
was laid on the bed, holding the phone in one hand, with a strange
look. Dr Greenson moved off and asked Mrs Murray to call Dr Engelberg.
Greenson arrived at 3.40 AM. He broke the window, entered into the room
and removed the phone from her hand. The Rigor Mortis
had settled. At 3.50 AM, Dr Engelberg arrived and pronounced Marilyn's
death. They talked together for a while and thought it was around 4.00
AM when Engelberg called the police. After a control, the call had been
given at 4.25 AM.
Dr Theodore Curphey, the Los Angeles coroner, held a press ocnference. He revealed that Marilyn hadn't died from a natural death, but must had taken too many sedatives. He added that his department and also the Suicide Prevention Center, an independent organism base at the UCLA, investigated. The crew chosen by the Center included Dr Robert Littman ( psychiatrist
and professor at UCLA), Dr Norman Farberow (an
eminent psychologist) (
)and Dr Norman Tabaschnik :
,
.
During the press conference, the Suicide Prevention Center, leading by Dr Farberow, declared that some exhaustive interviews would be done about Marilyn's probable suicide. By naming a private team as the investigation crew, Curphey made the investigation unofficial. None of the interviewed people took oath and nothing of what was said was revealed to the public. Curphey announced he would interview himself Marilyn's doctors. But, until today, nobody has had access to the complete report of the Suicide Prevention Center. No document indicate that this committee had took part to the establishing of another verdict for the Coroner office.
Dr Greenson was questionned again by the Suicide Prevention Center. Indeed, he was in the best position to know Marilyn's mental condition: she had been consulted him for more than 2 years.
Berniece Miracle arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport; Inez Melson came to pick her up (
,
), then they went together to the Westwod Village to complete the required formalities for the funerals
Tuesday, August 7 , in the afternoon, Eunice Murray met Inez Melson and Berniece Miracle at Helena Drive, to help them to
choose the clothes Marilyn would wear for her funeral (
,
,
,
,
,
).
They chose the Pucci green dress Marilyn had worn for the press conference in Mexico, in February 1962 (,
The seals were affixed on the front door, for the last time (
,
).
In the morning, Whitey Snyder, Marilyn's personal make-up man
came, as he had promised her several years earlier, to touch Marilyn's
make-up up. Because of the damages caused by the autopsy, Agnes
Flanagan had to put a wig on Marilyn's hair, like her
hairstyle in "Something's Got to Give".
), located in the Westwood Memorial Park Cemetery of Los Angeles.
Joe DiMaggio had given the strict order that none of Marilyn's Hollywood friends was present, because he thought they were responsible for her death, morally or at least concretely. As for the journalists and reporters, they were firmly kept at a distance.
Only Walter Winchell, Joe's friend, was present (
,
).
The police mobilized more than 50 policemen (
) to control the crowd and the traffic (
,
,
). Some platforms were built along of the north wall so that the press could
climb and see the inside of the cemetery (
,
).
The religious service took place in the strictest privacy and was celebrated by Reverend A.J.Soldan (
),
a Lutheran minister from the Westwood Village Church. The ceremony
started with Tchaïkovski Sixth Symphony, and on Marilyn's request,
Mrs Hockett played "Over the Rainbow".
Poet Carl Sandburg, for health reasons, having declined Joe DiMaggio's request, it was Lee Strasberg who pronounced the eulogy :
"Marilyn Monroe was a legend.
In her own life time she created a myth of what a poor girl from a
deprived background could attain. For the entire world, she became the
symbol of the eternal feminine.
But I have no words to describe the myth and the legend. I did not know this Marilyn Monroe.
We, gathered here today, knew only Marilyn - a warm human being,
impulsive and shy, sensitive and in fear of rejection, yet ever avid
for life and reaching out for fulfillment. I will not insult the
privacy of your memory of her - a privacy she sought and treasured - by
trying to describe her whom you knew to you who knew her. In our
memories of her, she remains alive, not only a shadow on the screen or
a glamorous personality.
For us Marilyn was a devoted and loyal friend, a colleague constantly
reaching for perfection. We shared her pain and difficulties and some
of her joys. She was a member of our family. It is difficult to accept
the fact that her zest for life has been ended by this dreadful
accident.
Despite the heights and brillance she attained on the screen, she was
planning for the fututre; she was looking forward to participating in
the many exciting things which she planned. In her eyes and in mine,
her career was just beginning. The dream of her talent, which she had
nurtured as a child, was not a mirage. When she first came to me I was
amazed at the startling sensitivity which she possessed and which
had remained fresh and undimmed, struggling to express itself despite
the life to which she had been subjected. Others were as physically
beautiful as she was, but there was obviously something more in her,
something that people saw and recognized in her performances and with
which they identified. She had a luminous quality - a combination of
wistfulness, radiance, yearning - to set her apart and yet make
everyone wish to be part of it, to share in the childish naivete which
was so shy and yet so vibrant.
This quality was even more evident when she was in the stage. I am
truly sorry that the public who loved her did not have the opportunity
to see her as we did, in many of the roles that foreshadowed what she
would have become. Without a doubt, she would have been one of the
really great actresses of the stage.
Now it is at an end. I hope her death will stir sympathy and
understanding for a sensitive artist and a woman who brought joy and
pleasure to the world. I cannot say goodbye. Marilyn never liked
goodbys, but in the peculiar way she had of turning things around so
that they faced reality - I will say au revoir. For the country to
which she has gone, we must all someday visit".
During the service, Marilyn's body laid in an open bronze casket, lined with champagne colored satin ; in her hands, she held a bouquet of tea roses, a gift from Joe who had kept watch over her the previous night.
Once the ceremony finished, the casket was taken to the vehicle which drove it to the vault.
The pallbearers were Allan "Whitey" Snyder, hairstylist Sidney Guilaroff, and members of the funeral services Allan Abbott,
Ronald Hast, Leonard Krisminsky and Clarence Pierce (
,
,
,
,
).
The guests, in procession, followed the hearse (
,
,
).
Then the casket was put next to the vault (
,
).
A short ceremony was held (
,
,
,
),
before the vault was definitely closed (
,
;
,
,
).
The people who attended the funeal were the photographer George Barris (
,
), Joe DiMaggio and his son, Joe DiMaggio Jr , her hairstylist Agnes Flanagan
(
,
), one of her lawyers, Aaron Frosch (
),Lotte Goslar, her singing
and mime teacher in the 50's (
,),her psychiatrist Dr Ralph Greenson and his
family (his wife Hildi and his children Joan and Don) (
,
), Sidney Guilaroff, Anna
and Mary Karger (
), Rudy Kautzky (her chauffeur during her last months in Los Angeles (
,
),Grace McKee's sister and her husband, Enid and Sam Knebelcamp (
,
), Inez and Pat Melson (
), Berniece Miracle her half-sister, Eunice Murray
(
;
), Pat Newcomb (,
),hairstylist Pearl Porterfield (
;), May Reis, her private
secretary (
,
), her friend Ralph Roberts (
,), her lawyer
Milton Rudin, a press agent at the Arthur Jacobs Agency, Michael Selsman (
),
her first agent Emmeline Snively (
,
), Allan Snyder with his wife
Beverly and their daughter Sherry (
), Joe DiMaggio's friend, George Solotaire (
), Lee and
Paula Strasberg (,
), and Florence Thomas, one of her employees in New York
(,).
It was the flower shop Parisian Florists which made the flower arrangements. For the next 20 years, and on Joe DiMaagio's
order, the shop delivered red roses on Marilyn's vault,
twice a week (
).
After a new press conference on Tuesday, August 14, the Suicide Prevention Center held its last press conference on Friday, August 17. We have never known who was interviewed, but it seems that Natasha Lytess, Norman Rosten, Frank Sinatra and Peter Lewford were never questionned.
Here's the conclusion of the Suicide Prevention Center, a statement of Dr Curphey, Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner, County of Los Angeles :
Now
that the final toxicological report and that of the psychiatric
consultants have been received and considered, it is my conclusion
that the death of Marilyn Monroe was caused by a self-administred
overdose of sedative drugs and that the mode of death is probable
suicide.
The final toxicological report reveals that the barbiturate, previously
reported as a lethal dose, has been positively identified as Nembutal
by the toxicologist.
In the course of completing his routine examination,n the toxicologist
Mr Raymond Abernethy, discovered in addition to the Nembutal present a
large dose of Chloral Hydrate.
Following is the summary report by the PsychiatricTeam which has
assisted me in collecting information in this case. This team was
headed by Robert Litman, M.D., Norman Farberow, PH.D., and Norman
Tabachnik, M.D. :
"Marilyn Monroe died on the night of August 4th, or the early morning
of August 5, 1962. Examination by the toxicology laboratory indicates
that death was due to a self-administrated overdose of sedative drugs.
We have been asked, as consultants, to examine the life situation or
the deceased and to give an opinion, regarding the latent or Miss
Monroe when she ingested the sedative drugs. which caused her death.
From the data obtained, the following points are the most important and
relevant :
Miss Monroe had suffered from psychiatric disturbance for a long time.
She experienced severe fears and frequent depression. Mood changes were
abrupt and unpredictable. Among symptoms or disorganization, sleep
disturbance was prominent, for which she had been taking sedative drugs
for many years. She was thus familiar with and experienced in the use
of sedative drugs and well aware of their dangers.
Recently, one of the main objectives of her psychiatric treatment
had been the reduction or her intake of drugs. This has been partially
successful during the last two months, she was reported to be
following doctor's orders in her use of the drugs; and the amount
of drugs found in her home at the time of her death was not
unsual.
In our investigation, we have learned that Miss Monroe had often
expressed wishes to give up, to withdraw and even to die.
On more than
one occasion in the past, when disappointed and depressed, she had made
suicide attempt using sedative drugs. On these occasions, she had
called for help and had been rescued.
From the information collected about the events of the evening of
August 4th, it is our opinion that the same pattern was repeated except
the rescue. It had been our practice with similar information collected
in other cases in the past to recommend a certification for such deaths
as probable suicide.
Additional clues for suicide provided by the physical evidence are
: (1) the high level of barbiturates and chloral hydrate in the
blood which with other evidence from the autopsy, indicates the
probable ingestion of a large amount of the drugs within a short period
of time; (2) the completely empty bottle of Nembutal, the prescription
for which was filled the day before the ingestion of the drugs; (3) the
locked door which was unusal.
On the basis of all information obtained, it is our opinion that the case id a probable suicide".
NB : about Marilyn's death, only one reference to read, David Marshall's book, "The DD Group - An online Investigation into the Death of Marilyn Monroe",
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