My journey ends here...
STRASBERG Paula
Born Paula Miller.
Date of birth: 1909, New York City.
Date of death : April 26th 1966, New York City.
Portrait
Practise: former actress, coach and drama advisor of Marilyn.
She owned a huge collection of exotic fans from all over the world.
Story
She was married once before married Lee Strasberg.
Former actress of the Group Theater.
She was introduced, with her daughter Susan, to Marilyn through their mutual friend Sidney Skolsky, on the set of "There's No Business Like Show Business", during Summer 1954.
Marilyn already knew the reputation of Paula's husband, Lee Strasberg. She confessed to Paula that she had always wanted to work with him, in particular after having heard Marlon Brando's impressive testimonies.
After her moving in New York City in 1955, Marilyn became the most famous movie star associated to the Actors Studio and a new member of the Strasberg family which was, according to Susan, the place of unceasing tensions.
Lee used to order, but Paula had a strong character and had to relegate her own career and aspirations back to the second level; younger, she had been one of the main actresses of the Group Theater.
Susan wrote
that Lee behaved as a father for Marilyn, and Paula mothered
her and gave her the drugs she needed to sleep.
On December 12th 1955, she attended the premiere of "The Rose Tattoo" :
Beginning of 1956 Paula took on the role held until then by Natasha Lytess, of coach and advisor of Marilyn on sets, from "Bus Stop" (1956) until her last movie.
Shooting of "Bus Stop"
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Usually, for her parts, Marilyn prepared by breaking down the screenplay scene by scene, then by working each gesture and pronunciation of each line. More than her previous teachers, Paula made her work the spontaneity, at least during the rehearsals. For "Bus Stop", they particularly worked hard on her generous South accent.
On the set, Paula was ever-present, with her big horn-rimmed glasses and her hair pulled back in chignon. Suffering from her feet, too delicate for her stoutness, she always wore velvet slippers. She always carried a huge bag with things to nibble, tablets and smelling salts, in case she would faint.
Paula went to London in order to assist Marilyn on the set of "The Prince and the Showgirl" (1957), but was soon dismissed to New York, the director Laurence Olivier had got enough that she undermined his authority.
After Lee had spoken in favor of Paula, Marilyn made an act of authority and made sure of a new visa was granted to Paula and that she was allowed to come back.
Shooting of "Some Like it Hot" (1958):
Black negligee
Bathrobe
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Spangled dress
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Marilyn pregnant
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Black dress
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Dotted Swiss dress
Unpopular beside almost every people on the set,
and particularly next to the directors, she inherited of many
nicknames. Because of her insistence on always wearing black clothes,
including under the heat on the set of "The Misfits" (1961), she was known as the "black baronet".
However, Billy Wilder and John Huston admitted that she helped them by taking care of the unstable Marilyn.
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Her payment continued to grow to reach 5 000$ a week on the set of "Something's Got to Give", which half-part was payed by Marilyn.
When Marilyn left the hotel room she shared with Arthur Miller on the set of "The Misfits" (1961), she moved in Paula's one.
black dress and hat veil
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white blouse
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cherry dress
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July 24th 1960, dinner for the beginning of the shooting
They became less close after Marilyn's return to Los Angeles in 1961. The tensions accumulated left undoubtedly their traces on Paula who, it's said, suffered from a nervous breakdown this year.
On March 13th 1961, she attended a party given for the benefit of the Actors Studio, at the Roseland Dance City, New York :
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On February 6th 1962, she attended the representation of "Macbeth", in New York :
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Paula returned to Los Angeles to advise Marilyn in "Something's Got to Give", but when Marilyn was dismissed, she came back in New York.
Flowery dress
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Mink suit
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Fox dressing-room
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Another dressing-room
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Bathrobe
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On August 8th 1962, Lee and Paula attended Marilyn's funeral.
In 1963, with Lee, Susan and Richard Burton :
Paula died 4 years later from bone marrow cancer, in 1966.
Attention!
Some of the pictures taken by a professional photographer on the set of
"Something's Got to Give " belong from now on to the Estate of Robert Slatzer.
Even if my website is a non lucrative one, the Estate of Robert Slatzer
doesn't allow me to use those pictures even if citing their
copyright.
Unfortunately, we don't share the same interest for Miss Monroe.
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