"Marilyn" (Part Two)
(I'll be adding more pictures later on)
~Personal Quotes~
I love a natural look,
in pictures.
I like people with a,
feeling one, way or another -
it shows an inner life.
I like to see that there's,
something, going on inside,
them.
My problem is that I drive,
myself.
I'm trying to become an artist,
and to be true, and sometimes,
I feel, I'm on the verge of,
craziness, I'm just trying to,
get the truest part of myself,
out, and it's very hard.
There are times when I think,
'All I have to be is true'.
But sometimes it doesn't come,
out so easily.
I always have this secret,
feeling, that I'm,really,
a fake or, something, a phony.
[on living with the Bolenders,
when she was a little girl]
They were terribly strict.
They didn't mean any harm . . .
it was their religion.
They brought me up harshly.
[on meeting Joe DiMaggio for,
the first time,
I was surprised to be so crazy,
about Joe.
I expected a flashy New York,
sports type and instead I met,
this reserved guy who didn't,
make a pass at me right away!
He treated me like something,
special.
Joe is a very decent man,
and he makes other people,
feel decent, too.
[on why Joe DiMaggio didn't,
accompany her, on one of her,
USO tours] Joe hates crowds,
and glamor.
[on why she divorced,
James Dougherty]
My marriage didn't make me,
sad, but it didn't make me,
happy either.
This wasn't because we were,
angry, we had nothing to say.
I was dying, of boredom.
[on why her marriage to,
Joe DiMaggio, didn't work]
I didn't want to give,
up my career, and that's,
what Joe wanted me to do,
most of all.
I want to be a big star,
more than anything.
It's something precious.
[on her favorite actress]
Jean Harlow was my idol.
[on drifting in and out,
of orphanages when she was,
little]?
The world around me then,
was kind of grim.
I had to learn to pretend,
in order to - I don't know-
block the grimness.
The whole world seemed,
sort of closed to me . . .
[I felt] on the outside,
of everything and all I could,
do was to dream up any kind,
of pretend game.
[on her early marriage to,
James Dougherty]
Grace McKee arranged the marriage,
for me, I never had a choice.
There's not much to say about it.
They couldn't support me,
and they had to work out,
something.
And so I got married.
I'm not interested in money,
I just want to be wonderful.
A career is wonderful,
but you can't curl up,
with it on a cold night.
Sometimes I think it would,
be easier to avoid old age,
to die young but then you'd,
never complete your life,
would you?
You'd never wholly know,
yourself.
A dollar for your thoughts.
I've been on a calendar,
but never on time.
No one ever told me I was,
pretty when I was a little,
girl.
All little girls should,
be told they're pretty,
even if they aren't.
Hollywood's a place where,
they'll pay you a thousand,
dollars for kiss and fifty,
cents,for your soul.
I know, because I turned down,
the first offer, often enough,
and held out for the fifty.
Dogs never bite me.
Just humans.
Sex is a part of nature.
I go along with nature.
Fame will go by and so long,
I've had you, Fame.
If it goes by, I've always,
known, it was fickle.
I knew I belonged to the public,
and to the world, not because,
I was talented or even beautiful,
but because I never had belonged,
to anything, or anyone else.
People had a habit of looking,
at me as if I were, some kind,
of mirror instead of a person.
They didn't see me they saw,
their own lewd thoughts,
then they white-masked,
themselves by calling me,
the lewd one.
A sex-symbol becomes a thing,
I just hate being a thing.
But if I'm going to be a symbol,
of something, I'd rather have,
it sex than some other things,
we've, got symbols of.
The truth is I've never fooled,
anyone.
I've let people fool themselves.
They didn't bother to find out,
who, and what I was.
Instead they would invent,
a character for me.
I wouldn't argue with them.
They were obviously loving,
somebody, I wasn't.
When they found this out,
they would, blame me for,
disillusioning them and,
fooling them.
To put it bluntly I seem,
to have a whole super-
structure with no foundation.
But I'm working on the,
foundation.
If I had observed all,
the rules I'd never have,
gotten anywhere.
I want to grow old without,
face-lifts.
I want to have the courage,
to be loyal, to the face,
that I have made.
It's often just enough to be,
with someone, I don't need to,
touch them.
Not even talk.
A feeling passes between,
you both.
You're not alone.
I'm a failure as a woman.
My men expect so much of me,
because of the image they've,
made of me and that I've made,
of myself, as a sex symbol.
Men expect so much,
and I can't live up to it.
It stirs up envy, fame does.
People you run into feel that,
well, who does she think she is,
Marilyn Monroe?
They feel fame gives them,
some kind of privilege to,
walk up to you and say,
anything to you, you know,
of any kind of nature and,
it won't hurt your, feelings.
Fame is fickle, and I know it.
It has it's compensations but,
it also has, it's drawbacks,
and I've experienced them both.
My illusions didn't have,
anything to do with being,
a fine, actress.
I knew how third rate I was.
I could actually feel my lack,
of talent, as if it were cheap,
clothes I was wearing inside.
But dear' God how I wanted,
to learn to change, to improve!
If I play a stupid girl,
and ask a stupid question,
I've got to follow it through.
What am I supposed to do,
look intelligent?
[on her famous nude calendar,
pose in 1949].....
My sin has been no more than,
I have written posing for the,
nude because I desperately,
needed 50 dollars to get my,
car out of hock.
An actor is supposed to be,
a sensitive instrument.
Isaac Stern takes good care,
of his violin.
What if everyone jumped on,
his, violin?
There was my name,
up in lights.
I said, Gosh! somebody's made,
a mistake!" But there it was,
in lights.
And I sat there and said,
"Remember, you're not a star".
Yet there it was up in lights.
some people have been unkind.
If I say I want to grow as an,
actress, they look at my figure.
If I say I want to develop,
to learn my craft, they laugh.
Somehow they don't expect me,
to be serious, about my work.
I was never used to being,
happy so that wasn't something,
I ever took for granted.
I did sort of think, you know,
marriage did that.
You see, I was brought up,
differently, from the average,
American child because the,
average child is brought up,
expecting, to be happy that's,
it successful, happy, and on time.
You know' when you grow up,
you can get kind of sour,
I mean that's the way it can go.
Wouldn't it be nice to be like,
men and get notches in your belt,
and sleep with most attractive,
men and not get emotionally,
involved?
I used to think as I looked at,
the Hollywood night, "There must,
be thousands of girls sitting alone,
like me dreaming of becoming,
a movie star.
But I'm not going to worry about,
them.
I'm dreaming the hardest."
The trouble with censors is they,
worry if a girl, has cleavage.
They ought to worry if she,
hasn't any.
I used to say to myself,
"What the devil have you got,
to be proud about,
Marilyn Monroe?"
And I'd answer, "Everything,
everything".
[on stardom] It scares me.
All those people I don't know,
sometimes they're so emotional.
I mean, if they love you that,
much without knowing you they,
can also hate you the same way.
[Johann Wolfgang Goethe] said,
"Talent is developed in privacy"
you know? And it's really true.
There is a need for aloneness,
which I don't think most people,
realize for an actor.
It's almost having certain kinds,
of secrets, for yourself that,
you'll let the whole world in on,
only for a moment, when you're,
acting.
Please don't make me a joke.
End the interview with what I,
believe..I want to be an artist,
an actress with integrity.
I've never dropped anyone,
I believed in.
[on John F. Kennedy]
It would be so nice to have,
a president, who looks so young,
and good-looking.
I restore myself when I'm alone.
A career is born in public --
talent in private.
Talent is developed in privacy...
but everybody is always tugging,
at you.
They'd all like to chew at you,
to naw at you.
They'd kind of like to take,
pieces, out of you.
I want to be an artist...
not an erotic freak.
I don't want to be sold to the,
public as a celluloid,
aphrodisiacal.
[about Montgomery Clift]
He's the only person I know,
that is in worse shape than,
I am.
As for my name?
I've never liked the name,
Marilyn.
I've often wished that I had,
held out that day for Jean Monroe.
But I guess it's too late,
to do anything, about it now.
If you can make a girl laugh,
you can make her do anything.
A smart girl leaves before,
she is left.
[on James Joyce and the character,
of, Molly Bloom in Ulysses]
Here is Joyce writing what a woman,
thinks to herself.
Can he, does he really know her,
innermost thoughts?
But after I read the whole book,
I could better understand that,
Joyce is an artist who could,
penetrate, the souls of people,
male or female.
It really doesn't matter that,
Joyce, doesn't have...or never,
felt, a menstrual cramp.
To me Leopold Bloom is a central,
character.
He is the despised Irish Jew,
married to an, Irish Catholic woman.
It is through them Joyce develops,
much of what, he wants to say.
Do you agree that the scene where,
Bloom is looking, at the little,
girl, on the swing is the most,
erotic, in the book?
[on John F. Kennedy]
When he has finished his,
achievements, he will take his,
place with Washington, Jefferson,
Lincoln and [Franklin D.
Roosevelt] as one of our greatest,
Presidents.
I'm glad he has [Robert F. Kennedy].
It's like the Navy.
The President is the Captain,
and Bobby,
is his Executive Officer.
Bobby would do absolutely anything,
for, his brother, And so would I.
I'll never embarress him; and as
long as I have memory I'll have
John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
I remember when I got the part in,
"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" 1953,
Jane Russell, she was the brunette,
in it and I, was the blonde.
She got $200,000 for it, and I got,
my $500 a week, but that to me was,
you know, considerable.
She by the way, was quite wonderful,
to me.
Everyone's a star and deserves,
the right, to twinkle.
[on Sunday being the loneliest day,
of the week].
All the men I know are spending,
the day, with their wives and,
families and all, the stores in,
Los Angeles, are closed.
You can't wander through looking,
at all the pretty clothes and,
pretending, to buy something.
[on Marlon Brando]
He's very sweet and tender,
not at all the Stanley Kowalski,
rapist people think he is.
[Arthur Miller]
Arthur Miller wouldn't have
married me, if I had been nothing,
but a dumb blonde.
I have always been deeply,
terrified to really be someone's,
wife,,, since I know from life;
one cannot love, another, ever,
really!
I'm selfish, impatient and a,
little, insecure.
I make mistakes, I'm out of,
control, and at times hard to,
handle.
But if you can't handle me,
at my worst then you sure,
as hell don't deserve me at,
my best.
[on Peter Lawford]
I have a need to be frightened,
and nothing really in my personal,
relationships and dealings lately,
have been frightening me except,
for him.
I felt very uneasy at different,
times with him the real reason,
I was afraid, of him is because,
I believe him to be, homosexual...
Peter wants to be a woman and,
would like, to be me, I think.
Hollywood is a place where,
they'll pay you $50,000 for,
a kiss and 50c, for, your soul.
If I'm going to be alone,
I'd rather be, by myself.
It was the creative part,
that kept me going trying,
to be an actress.
I enjoy acting when I really hit,
it right.
I did what they said' and all it,
got me was, a lot of abuse.
Everyone's just laughing at me.
I hate it.
Big breasts, big ass, big deal.
[on Arthur Miller's script for,
'The Misfits']
Arthur did this to me.
He could have written anything,
and he, comes up with this?
If that's what he thinks of me,
well, then I'm not for him and,
he's not for me.
Arthur says it's his movie.
I don't think he even wants me,
in it.
I won't be satisfied until,
people want to hear me sing,
without looking at me.
Her mother was a filmcutter at,
RKO Studios who, widowed and,
mentally ill, abandoned her to,
sequence of foster homes.
She was almost smothered to,
death at two.
Nearly raped at six.
At nine, the LA Orphans'
Home paid her, a nickel a month,
for kitchen work while taking,
back a penny every Sunday,
for church.
At sixteen, she worked in an,
aircraft plant and married a man,
she called Daddy, he went into,
the military, she modeled,
they divorced in 1946.
She owned 200 books including,
Tolstoy, Whitman, Milton,
listened to Beethoven records,
studied acting at the Actors'
lab in Hollywood and took,
literature courses at UCLA,
downtown.
20th Century Fox gave her a,
contract but, let it lapse,
a year later.
In 1948, Columbia gave her,
a six month contract;
turned her over to coach,
Natasha Lytess and featured,
her in the B movie,
"Ladies of the Chorus" (1948),
in which she sang two numbers.
Joseph L. Mankiewicz saw her,
in a small part in,
"The Asphalt Jungle" (1950),
and put her in "All About Eve".
(1950) resulting in 20th,
Century re-signing her to a,
seven-year, contract.
"Niagara" (1953) and "Gentlemen
Prefer Blondes" (1953) launched,
her as a sex symbol superstar.
When she went to a supper honoring,
her, "The Seven Year Itch" (1955),
she arrived, in a red chiffon gown,
borrowed from the studio,, she had,
never owned a gown).
The same year, she married,
and divorced baseball great,
Joe DiMaggio their wedding,
night was spent in Paso Robles,
CA).
After "The Seven Year Itch"
(1955)she wanted serious acting,
to replace the sexpot image and,
went to New York's,
Actors Studio.
She worked with director,
Lee Strasberg and also underwent,
psychoanalysis to learn more,
about herself.
Critics praised her transformation,
in "Bus Stop" (1956) and the press,
was, stunned by her marriage to,
playwright, Arthur Miller.
True to form, she had no veil to,
match, her beige wedding dress so,
she dyed, one in coffee; he wore,
one of the two, suits he owned.
They went to England that fall,
where, she made "The Prince and
the Showgirl" (1957) with,
Laurence Olivier fighting,
with him and falling further prey,
to alcohol and pills.
Two miscarriages and gynecological,
surgery followed.
So did an affair with,
Yves Montand.
Work on her last picture,
"The Misfits" (1961) written,
for her by departing husband,
Miller was interrupted by,
exhaustion.
She was dropped from the unfinished,
"Something's Got to Give" (1962),
due to chronic lateness and drug,
dependency.
August 4, 1962 Marilyn Monroe's,
day began with threatening phone,
calls.
Dr. Ralph Greenson Marilyn
Monroe's physician came over,
the following day and quoted,
later in a document felt it,
was possible that Marilyn had,
felt rejected by some of the,
people she had been close to.
Apart from being upset that,
her publicist slept too long,
she seemed fine.
Pat Newcombe who had stayed,
the previous night at Marilyn's,
house left in the early evening,
as did Greenson who had a dinner,
date.
Marilyn was upset he couldn't,
stay and around 7:30pm she,
telephoned him while he was to,
tell him that her second,
husband's son had called him.
Peter Lawford also called Marilyn,
inviting her to dinner, but she,
declined.
Lawford later said her speech was,
slurred.
As the dark and depressing,
evening for Marilyn wore on,
there were other phone calls,
including one from Jose Belanos,
who said, he thought she,
sounded fine.
According to the funeral directors,
Marilyn died sometime between,
9:30pm and 11:30pm.
Her maid unable to raise her but,
seeing a light under her locked door,
called the police shortly after,
midnight.
She also phoned Ralph Greenson who,
on arrival, could not break down,
the bedroom door.
He eventually broke in through,
French windows and found Marilyn,
dead in bed the corner stated,
she had died.
Probably the most celebrated,
of all actresses Marilyn Monroe,
was born Norma Jeane Mortenson,
on Tuesday, June 1st, 1926, in,
Los Angeles, General Hospital.
Prior to her birth, Marilyn's,
father, bought a motorcycle and,
headed north, to San Francisco,
abandoning the family in,
Los Angeles.
Marilyn grew up not knowing for,
sure, who her father really was.
Her mother Gladys had entered,
into several relationships further,
confusing, her daughter as to who,
it was, who fathered her.
Afterward Gladys gave Norma Jeane,
(Marilyn) the name of Baker,
a boyfriend she had before,
Mortenson.
Poverty was a constant companion,
to Gladys and Norma.
Gladys, suffered from mental,
illness and was, in and out of,
mental institutions for the rest,
of her life and because of that,
Norma Jeane spent time in foster,
homes.
When she was nine, she was placed,
in an, orphanage where she was,
to stay for, the next two years.
Upon being released from the,
orphanage she went to yet another,
foster home.
In 1942, at age 16, Norma Jeane,
married, 21-year-old aircraft plant,
worker, James Dougherty.
The marriage only lasted four,
years and they divorced in 1946.
By this time, Marilyn began,
to model swimsuits and bleached,
her hair blonde.
Various shots made their way into,
the public eye, where some were,
eventually seen by RKO Pictures,
head Howard Hughes.
He offered Marilyn a screen test,
but an agent suggested that 20th,
Century-Fox would be the better,
choice for her since it was a much,
bigger and more prestigious studio.
She was signed to a contract at,
$125 per week for a six-month,
period and that was increased,
by $25 per week at the end of,
that time when her contract was,
lengthened.
Her first film was in 1947,
with a bit part in,
"The Shocking Miss Pilgrim",
(1947).
Her next production was not much,
better, a bit in the eminently,
forgettable, "Scudda Hoo! Scudda
Hay!" (1948).
Two of the three brief scenes she,
appeared, wound up on the cutting,
room floor.
Later that same year, she was given,
a somewhat, better role as Evie in,
in Dangerous Years (1947).
However Fox declined to renew her,
contract so she went back to,
modeling and acting school.
Marilyn made only 30 films in her,
lifetime but her legendary status,
and mysticism will remain with,
film history forever.
Salary
The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947) $75/week
Dangerous Years (1947) $75/week
Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948) $75/week
Ladies of the Chorus (1948) $125/week
The Asphalt Jungle (1950) $1,050
All About Eve (1950) $500/wk, 1-wk guarantee
Clash by Night (1952) $500/week
We're Not Married! (1952) $750/wk
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) $1,250/wk
There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) $1,000/wk
The Seven Year Itch (1955) $1,500/wk
Bus Stop (1956) $100,000+500/week expenses
Some Like It Hot (1959) $200,000 + 10% gross over $4 million.
The Misfits (1961) $250,000
Something's Got to Give (1962) $100,000
IMDb Mini Biography By: Denny Jackson
Sandra Winright
June 1, 2012
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