TGIF Marilyn fans! It’s time once again for the weekly roundup of all the news in the Marilyn world!
The 30th Anniversary Marilyn Merlot.
Whether you collect them unopened or prefer to drink them, collectors of Marilyn wines will want to grab the recently announced 30th anniversary release. Marking the 30 year anniversary of the winemaker’s most famous offering, Marilyn Merlot. The wines are known as much for what’s outside as in the bottle, and this special new release features Marilyn on the set of There’s No Business Like Show Business. You can get your own bottle directly from the winery here, or look for it at your local liquor store!
John Gilmore, author of Inside Marilyn Monroe, has passed away. The book tells of his encounters with Marilyn; with whom she shared some commonalities. You can read Marijane Gray’s obituary for Gilmore here as well as a previous interview with Gilmore for IM here.
A new Marilyn exhibition will open in France on October 22nd. Showcased at the Hotel de Caumont Centre d’art in Aix-en-Provence, the photography-focused exhibit will include approximately 60 photographs as well as multimedia pieces. Marilyn – I Wanna Be Loved By You runs October 22, 2016 – May 1, 2017.
Marilyn photographed by Inge Morath
The Daily Mail posted a piece on the new Inge Morath photo book released on September 20th. For those of you – like me! – who missed the news on this one, the book, called Inge Morath: On Style is available at Amazon. The photography book features Morath’s photos of Marilyn on the set of The Misfits, along with other celebrities such as Jayne Mansfield and Audrey Hepburn. Also included is a selection of her non-celebrity photos. Marilyn fans will know Inge Morath as more than a photographer; Arthur Miller married her after his divorce from Marilyn.
Another new book on the subject of Natalie Wood had Marilyn in the headlines this week. Natalie’s reflections on Marilyn and her death were the focus of Vanity Fair’s report on the book, along with several other news sources. It’s always nice to hear one of Marilyn’s contemporaries speak on her, but we do think Natalie’s life is quite interesting enough without the media needing Marilyn’s name to grab attention. Natalie Wood: Reflections on a Legendary Life is available at Amazon.
Ariana Grande became the latest celebrity to try her hand at Marilyn’s iconic song Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend. The singer put a bit of jazzy flair on her version of the song at a Tiffany & Co. (and how fitting) event in Beverly Hills on October 13th. Grande has previously said she’s a fan of Marilyn, and was photographed in a very Marilyn-esque pink dress at the MTV Movie Awards this past April. Check out her performance below and have a great weekend!
Author and friend of the Marilyn community John Gilmore died Thursday, October 13, in California. Most known among Marilyn fans as the author of Inside Marilyn Monroe, detailing his friendship with her, he is also well recognized as a author of true crime, noir, and Hollywood memoirs.
John Gilmore
John’s life was steeped with all things Hollywood….his mother was a contract player for MGM and his father was both an LAPD officer and writer and actor for radio shows. John started out as a child actor, appearing in Gene Autry’s film The Last Roundup and went on to perform in numerous late 1950s-early 1960s television shows including Naked City, Lawman, and Bonanza. Although he wrote screenplays and acted in a few commercial films, John’s biggest talent emerged as a writer. Starting with pulp novels in the 1960s, John went on to become a master of true crime and noir, covering such subjects as The Black Dahlia, Charles Manson, and Bonnie and Clyde. Suspense Magazine said of his writing: “John Gilmore prefers working on his own terms—in the trenches, down and dirty, sleeves rolled up, often moving to locales where the story takes place….He knows where the bodies are buried; has seen the skeletons in the closet; understands everyone’s strange peccadilloes. Gilmore is a literary surgeon whose pen is like a scalpel. He peers into souls, reads minds and isn’t afraid to crack open the cadaver to find out what’s inside. He divulges the secrets of the rich and famous and cold-blooded killers alike.”
John seemed to have an ability to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right people. Many of his books trace a direct line from him to an encounter with his subjects. Most renowned for his book about Elizabeth Short, Severed:The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder, he claims he met Miss Short when he was eleven years old. His acclaimed book about the Charles Manson cult, The Garbage People, reveals that he had briefly met Sharon Tate on the Fox studio lot. He wrote about his friendship with James Dean in The Real James Dean and caused considerable controversy with his claims about Dean’s sexuality in his memoir Laid Bare: A Memoir of Wrecked Lives and the Hollywood Death Trip. Laid Bare also recounts John’s experiences with a virtual who’s who of Hollywood: Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, Jayne Mansfield, Janis Joplin, Brigitte Bardot, Jane Fonda, Steve McQueen and many more.
John’s book Inside Marilyn Monroe tells of his casual meetings with her. Unlike many other authors that have written about being in the same circles as Marilyn, John does not embellish or exaggerate his role in her life. His friend Jill Kaiser Adams said of him “He didn’t want to write it as he thought he had no story tell. He said “Listen Jill, I knew her as an actress, I wasn’t there when she died. I didn’t have a romantic relationship with her, so who will care?” I told him that he had an honest story to tell and we love honest stories about her. ” He first met her through a friend at her Doheny Drive apartment, saw her a few times on the Hollywood circuit, and had a memorable encounter walking through the park in the rain with her in New York City when they were both at The Actor’s Studio. There was an unsuccessful attempt for them to work together on the film The Stripper. John wrote of Marilyn: “I confess my timidity or selfishness for the half dozen or so times I was in Marilyn’s company and never reached past her fame to engage our spirits….I failed because I was intimidated by Marilyn’s success.” He roundly denounces those who have attempted to seek fame for themselves through brief or nonexistent relationships with her, and laments that she has continued to be a victim of commercialization and conspiracy.
John was a member of the Marilyn Remembered fan club and often was a guest speaker at the club’s memorial services for her. He enjoyed telling stories about his heyday in the Hollywood scene from his perspective of the grit under the glamour. His good friend Holly Beavon says of him “John was one of the original leather jacket wearing, motorcycle riding bad boys of Hollywood. He would get that charming, sweet, mischievous giggle as he’d describe those days at Googies and being considered dangerous by the studio. ”
In an email to his friend Ian Ayres, John wrote “All I need is a table or booth with a wall at my back, a paper cup or two of coffee and about a three-hour flight of speaking the language of what I do, one sentence racing into the next and then the next, a nonstop express. Then another day is done and it is time for lunch.”
John is survived by his son Carson and his daughter Ursula.
His tribute to Marilyn written for Immortal Marilyn can be read here.
Welcome to another installment of Collector’s Corner! This month, meet IM contributor Sirkku Aaltonen
How long have you been collecting?
I started collecting when I was eleven, in 1995. I had known of Marilyn ever since I was three, as I was allowed to watch some of her movies. But up until then, I didn’t really know anything about her, until I talked about her with my mom, we watched a documentary together and she bought me Spoto’s MM biography. Coincidentally, we had to give a presentation at school, so I chose Marilyn as my subject. I ran out and bought some Marilyn postcards to use in my presentation. That was really the beginning of my collection.
What is in your collection? Do you focus on one particular area or collect all kinds of Marilyn items?
Marilyn is still relatively hard to come by in Finland, and even more so twenty years ago. I started by collecting anything with her name or face on it. Postcards were my main thing, and I have hundreds of them. Later on, I’ve focused on good books, documentaries, special items, vintage magazines etc. I sometimes receive Marilyn items as gifts, which really warms my heart
Part of Sirkku’s Marilyn collection
What is your most prized item?
It’s hard to say what the most prized item in my collection is, because so many things have memories and stories attached to them. The items may or may not be anything special or valuable, but they’re dear to me. I do have a vintage Finnish magazine with a photo of her on the cover that I, or other Marilyn experts, had not seen anywhere else before. I was going through piles of old magazines on sale, when peekaboo! It was clearly her, but it was so hard for me to believe it, because of the rare photo. It was as if she had a special surprise for me. And it happened on August 5th.
What item would you most like to add to your collection?
I’m always looking to add great books and other interesting items to my collection. My dream is to have something that belonged to her.
Is there any advice you’d like to offer a new collector?
These days it’s pretty easy to order anything Marilyn related on the internet. If you’re just starting out, beware that it might not be possible to collect literally everything with her on it. Pick and choose what it is that you really want. Is it books? Photos? Or in case you want a little bit of everything, what items do you simply like most? After all, a collection should be something you enjoy.
Stacks of books in Sirkku’s home
What do your friends and family think of your collection?
I’ve been lucky because my family and friends have always been incredibly supporting. My aunt always gives me a Marilyn calendar for Christmas. My mother travelled with me to London for the Marilyn exhibition. When we moved into our current apartment, I told my boyfriend I want some Marilyn here and there, but that he could choose what and where. As a result, you can tell someone here likes Marilyn, but she’s not overwhelming. Although there might be piles of books here and there that are also quite telling…
Anita Ekberg was a popular fellow blonde in the 1950’s who originally hailed from Sweden. Born on September 29, 1931, Anita was the sixth of eight children. Her father was a foreman for a coal company while her mother stayed home to raise her children. Anita graduated high school at sixteen and quickly found work as a department store fashion model. She soon found a side job introducing acts at a hotel show (akin to a Vegas variety show) wearing a skimpy costume before finding more stable work as a fashion model in hotel fashion shows. At 19, Anita was discovered by photographer George Oddner. Oddner and her mother quickly convinced her to enter a local beauty pageant and Anita was elected Miss Sweden in August of 1951. This victory allowed Anita to go to the United States, including visiting the 1951 Miss America pageant, to compete as Miss Universe. While Anita didn’t win, she was spotted by a Universal-International talent scout and soon received a nonspeaking role in Abbott and Costello Go to Mars. Unfortunately, with her heavy accent, Anita was dropped after a few of these nonspeaking roles and returned to Sweden where she threw herself into learning English while again resorting to modeling. In February of 1952 she entered another beauty pageant, this one in Holland, and lost by a single vote. Luck was again on Anita’s side being she was spotted by an RKO talent scout and returned to the US within three months.
Anita Ekberg in 1956
Anita was not going to risk returning to Sweden again and according to her, “I figured my bust line would carry me far. Up to that point, I hadn’t paid much attention to my measurements. So you can really say that I owe it all to a tape measure.” Anita knew how to promote herself and was soon spotted on the arm of the likes of Tyrone Power and Gary Cooper and got herself signed with John Wayne’s Batjac Productions in late 1953 or early 1954. On December 31st Anita started a USO trip with Bob Hope to Labrador and Greenland. Meanwhile, Wayne apparently did not know what to do with the gorgeous Swede and she appeared in nothing particularly noteworthy until she was loaned out for War and Peace in 1956. This led to her being cast in Zarak with Victor Mature. Anita now earned $75,000/picture and her contract with Wayne was publicly declared to be worth $1,000,000. While advertised as “Paramount’s Marilyn Monroe” it doesn’t appear that Paramount ever officially took over, just that they borrowed her from Wayne for a number of films. The late 1950’s led to Anita having a bit of a decline in unmemorable films. Anita soon bounced back into 1961’s La Dolce Vita.
Anita in Trevi Fountain in a scene from La Dolce Vita (1961)
La Dolce Vita has Anita playing an American actress named “Sylvia.” Sylvia has a definite Marilyn influence and features one of the most famous movie scenes of all time that involved Sylvia playing in Rome’s Trevi Fountain. Anita would go on to make three other films with the director, Federico Fellini. Anita’s career slowly traveled downhill but she made over 25 movies and television appearances after La Dolce Vita, not retiring until 2002. Anita sadly passed away in 2015 but her beauty will live on the screen forever.
Marilyn Connections
“I think she (Marilyn) was a good actress. You can’t play stupid unless you’re very intelligent.”
Marilyn and Anita crossed paths once, at the October 29, 1956 London screening of The Battle of the River Plate where Marilyn, Anita, Joan Crawford, and a host of other celebrities were introduced to Queen Elizabeth II.
One of the more interesting connections between Marilyn and Anita is Andre de Dienes. Andre is probably most famously remembered for being one of the first professional photographers to work with Marilyn. Dienes would work with Marilyn from 1946-1953 and worked with started working with Anita in 1954. In the July 1956 issue of Modern Man Magazine, Andre recalled: “Anita Ekberg could be the greatest of them all.”
Anita photographed by Andre de Dienes
The title of Andre’s article? How I Discovered Anita Ekberg. Marilyn would deal with the same claims from Andre through the years as well. While there is no denying that Andre gave these women an incredible boost with his photography, the idea that he “discovered” them is a bit of a stretch. Andre boosted, mentored, and helped but certainly didn’t discover either bountiful blonde. Anita did pose nude for Andre, something Marilyn refused to do.
Marilyn and Anita also shared a boyfriend (albeit at different times), Frank Sinatra. Marilyn dated Frank in 1961 while Anita saw him between 1954-1955 (off and on). Neither relationship seems to have been particularly serious but both women spent a considerable amount of time with him.
Besides Frank, Marilyn and Anita shared various co-stars. Lauren Bacall was with Anita in Blood Alley and Marilyn in How to Marry a Millionaire, Tony Randall starred with Anita in The Alphabet Murders and starred with Marilyn in Let’s Make Love, and finally Dean Martin was to co-star with Marilyn in her last, uncompleted picture Something’s Got To Give but starred with Anita in two pictures, Hollywood or Bust and Artists and Models. Marilyn was also to star with Frank Sinatra in 1955’s The Girl in Pink Tights but she bowed out of the picture. Anita actually did get to work with Frank in 1963’s 4 for Texas.
One of the things that both women did was fight the studio to be taken seriously. Anita was horrified when she learned that her voice had been dubbed in War and Peace by an English actress. Anita wanted dramatic parts like Marilyn but, unlike Marilyn, she was able to achieve her goal. Both women have gone down in film history with Some Like It Hot being rated the number one comedy of all time by AFI while La Dolce Vita is considered one of the greatest movies of all time. Anita, like Marilyn, was more than a voluptuous blonde and wanted to be more than “Paramount’s Marilyn” and luckily for her, she accomplished that.
George Barris with Marilyn on her 36th birthday, June 1, 1962.
Another week gone by and a sad one on the Marilyn community. The biggest news of the week was the announcement of the passing of Marilyn photographer George Barris. Known for his photos of Marilyn in the last weeks of her life, George Barris was a well-known figure among Marilyn fans and a frequent guest at Marilyn events in Los Angeles. Marilyn fans around the world mourned his passing and celebrated his life and work. Thanks for the memories, George.
A lock of Marilyn’s hair from the collection of Frieda Hull sold at auction for nearly $40,000. The winner of the auction was Remi Gangarossa, from Chicago, a big Marilyn fan. The sale comes ahead of Julien’s huge November auction featuring the biggest collection of Marilyn items to hit the block since the Christie’s auction in 1999.
Legendary actor Warren Beatty decided, for some unknown reason, to join the ranks of those claiming to have seen or spent time with Marilyn in the last day of her life. Beatty stated in an interview that he walked with Marilyn on the beach on the night before her death outside Peter Lawford’s estate in Santa Monica. Unfortunately, there’s not a shred of truth to Beatty’s tale, as Marilyn wasn’t at Lawford’s place that night, and Beatty’s claim that she was tipsy from champagne goes directly against the toxicology report that showed no alcohol in Marilyn’s system when she died. Why, Warren, Why?
Marilyn won’t be a part of NBC’s new time-travel series, Timeless. According to TVLine, while they do plan to use actors to represent famous figures of the past, they vetoed doing an episode featuring Marilyn. Producers decided it’s just too difficult to find a convincing Marilyn for the screen, something with which many Marilyn fans will agree. The show will feature actors playing Frank Sinatra and John F. Kennedy, however.
And rounding up the news for this week – the Marilyn exhibition in Amsterdam featuring the collection of Ted Stampfer opened in October 1st. The book associated with the exhibition was due for release on October 4th, but so far still appears to be unavailable…hopefully soon!
