My journey ends here...
ROBERTS Ralph
Date of birth : August 16, 1916, Salisbury, North Carolina.
Date of death : April 30, 1999, Salisbury, North Carolina.
Portrait
,
;
,
,
;
;
Practise:
Actor.
He had studied physiotherapy and knew very well the muscular probleme linked to the actors.
Private masseur of Marilyn.
Place of living :
North Palm Avenue, Los Angeles.
Story
Family picture in North Carolina
Pictures during his national service
,
He studied the Strasberg Method, at the Actors Studio, like Marilyn, and had become a friend of the Strasberg family.
He met Marilyn in 1955
at the Strasbergs home
Picture New York City 1955
He arrived in Hollywood in 1958 as masseur of Judy Holliday during the shooting of "The Bells Are Ringing" of Vincente Minelli.
He had started massage to make ends meet between 2 parts, and quickly built up a grateful clientele (including Milton Berle,
Ellen Burstyn (
), Judy Holliday (
) and Walter
Matthau).
He also inspired the masseur character (and provided the training backstage) in the Broadway success "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?".
Donald
Spoto claimed that after Marilyn had recourse to his services for the shooting of "Let's Make Love"
(1960), he quickly became his closest friend, his most intimate confidant for the rest of her life.
He played a small part in "The Misfits" (1961) (an ambulance driver 
) but he also massaged the tiredness and painful limbs of the actors.
cherry dress
,
,
,
white blouse
,
,
;
bathsuit
bathrobe
He was at the heart of the turmoil between Marilyn and Arthur Miller during the last months of their married life, and he helped Marilyn to overcome her loneliness after the break-up.
He drove her back home after her horrible experience at the Payne Whitney Hospital, in 1961, in New York City.
This same year, he drove her, with her half-sister Berniece Miracle, to Roxbury, where she took her stuff : books, sculptures, delicate china, cocktail glasses and a big televison, a gift from the RCA.
When she came back to Los Angeles, in August 1961, he left with her. She rented him a room at the Château Marmont Hotel, 10 minutes from her apartment on Doheny Drive.
In March 1962 he came back to Los Angeles to help Marilyn in her many tasks caused by her moving in Brentwood.
He remained with her and kept company with her and relieved her of her tensions with his massages.On August 4th 1962 he called her at home around 6.00 PM to make a list of shopping, to organize the barbecue planned for the next evening. Dr Greenson picked up the phone and answered that Marilyn wasn't home.
It's said that later, in the evening, Marilyn, groggy, left him an incomprehensible message on his answering machine.
He attended Marilyn's funeral on August 8th 1962 :
,
Obituary :
.
Website
Official site
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