Dear Marilyn

DEAR MARILYN

SAM SHAW

CONTENTS

Preface 5 Shaw Family Foreword 6

ACT ONE: THE UNKNOWN BLONDE Myths & Memories Photojournalist First Chained to Freedom Hunger for Knowledge Letter to Marilyn, December 3, 1954 Bit Parts

ACT TWO: LUCKY SEVEN Star Makers Letter to Marilyn, December 9, 1954 Star on the Rise A Star Arrives Letter to Marilyn, December 7, 1954 I Shot Marilyn Monroe Hollywood Double Cross Iron Whim Skullduggery

ACT THREE: ACTOR’S TRUTH

10 12 18 28 30 38 40 46 48 50 52 58 82 84 101 104 117

Seven Splits Letter to Marilyn, December 3, 1954 Offbeat in New York Family of Friends Stage Off Stage Letter to Marilyn, December 7, 1954 Fame and Flame Marilyn Monroe, Producer On the Rocks Letter to Marilyn, December 10, 1954 Mismatched Letter to Marilyn, February 10, 1961 The Last Word Marilyn, a poem

118 120 122 124 138 140 142 145 194 214 220 221 222 224 230

Biography of Sam Shaw Acknowledgments

233 238

CONTENTS

Preface 5 Shaw Family Foreword 6

ACT ONE: THE UNKNOWN BLONDE Myths & Memories Photojournalist First Chained to Freedom Hunger for Knowledge Letter to Marilyn, December 3, 1954 Bit Parts

ACT TWO: LUCKY SEVEN Star Makers Letter to Marilyn, December 9, 1954 Star on the Rise A Star Arrives Letter to Marilyn, December 7, 1954 I Shot Marilyn Monroe Hollywood Double Cross Iron Whim Skullduggery

ACT THREE: ACTOR’S TRUTH

10 12 18 28 30 38 40 46 48 50 52 58 82 84 101 104 117

Seven Splits Letter to Marilyn, December 3, 1954 Offbeat in New York Family of Friends Stage Off Stage Letter to Marilyn, December 7, 1954 Fame and Flame Marilyn Monroe, Producer On the Rocks Letter to Marilyn, December 10, 1954 Mismatched Letter to Marilyn, February 10, 1961 The Last Word Marilyn, a poem

118 120 122 124 138 140 142 145 194 214 220 221 222 224 230

Biography of Sam Shaw Acknowledgments

233 238

The Seven Year Itch, Los Angeles, California, 1954

until the jeans dried, clinging tightly and form-fitting to her body. Marilyn foretold the young women of today.

She didn’t wear panties. “The line would interrupt the flow of sensual purity,” she told me. “They would break the line of vision.” She was right.

beautiful unknown girl with her navel exposed and the fly of her jeans frayed. They refused to let the magazine go through the mail. Too sexy! Another cover needed to be shot quickly. Brando hated publicity but posed for a cover shot in character as Zapata.

When I returned to New York, Argosy’s design team and I laid out a thirty-six page story of my photos of Viva Zapata!—a Novelette in Words and Pictures— with text by Merle Miller based on the screenplay by John Steinbeck. In the files of my Zapata negatives, the Marilyn photos were discovered by editor Jerry Mason.

He selected the color shot of Marilyn for the cover. But the United States Post Office censored the cover of the

Mason showed the Marilyn photos to his friend and neighbor Edward Steichen, curator of photography at the Museum of Modern Art. Steichen insisted on keeping the photos for an exhibition, or maybe for his personal possession. He fell in love with the unknown blonde.

I never got my first Marilyn photos back. From the beginning, there was an obsession for Marilyn.

16

The Seven Year Itch, Los Angeles, California, 1954

until the jeans dried, clinging tightly and form-fitting to her body. Marilyn foretold the young women of today.

She didn’t wear panties. “The line would interrupt the flow of sensual purity,” she told me. “They would break the line of vision.” She was right.

beautiful unknown girl with her navel exposed and the fly of her jeans frayed. They refused to let the magazine go through the mail. Too sexy! Another cover needed to be shot quickly. Brando hated publicity but posed for a cover shot in character as Zapata.

When I returned to New York, Argosy’s design team and I laid out a thirty-six page story of my photos of Viva Zapata!—a Novelette in Words and Pictures— with text by Merle Miller based on the screenplay by John Steinbeck. In the files of my Zapata negatives, the Marilyn photos were discovered by editor Jerry Mason.

He selected the color shot of Marilyn for the cover. But the United States Post Office censored the cover of the

Mason showed the Marilyn photos to his friend and neighbor Edward Steichen, curator of photography at the Museum of Modern Art. Steichen insisted on keeping the photos for an exhibition, or maybe for his personal possession. He fell in love with the unknown blonde.

I never got my first Marilyn photos back. From the beginning, there was an obsession for Marilyn.

16

Black farmer, Mrs. Effie Husband, Mississippi, 1945

Black farmer, Mrs. Effie Husband, Mississippi, 1945

Sam Shaw Famous Artists Corporation of New York 610 Fifth Avenue New York 20, N.Y.

Altho I know the publisher of that stink sheet & he offered me a fabulous price to edit it for him (of course I turned it down). I wasn’t able to do anything about [the] story.

The best advice I can give you at this time—try to lay off publicity—unless you can control the story, or break. And now let it (pub) come in recognition of your work!

Marilyn Monroe 8338 DeLongpre St. Hollywood, California

Having a ball & freedom doesn’t mean hop, skipping & jumping from joint to joint. See people, discover them, places, look at art, theatre, get in your car and take off, study.

And come to think of it—altho you’re so damn cute in jeans & torn shirts—dress up—& that’s no snobbery—but please don’t compress those things!

Dear Marilyn, Remember you’re not now little Cinderella Princess & all that crap—you’re the Queen!

Here’s that man again. I guess it’s feast & famine either write too much or not at all.

Some quick advice & thoughts regarding M.M. These are some harsh realities I’m going to throw at you. I think some bad reaction is setting in as a result of publicity you’ve been getting. Now I know you have a personal life to live and all that—but you are a star—and an amazingly colorful character and anything you do or say makes copy.

And maybe I’m not completely blameless altho I do sound so goddamned sanctimonious. I did say in LIFE that you borrowed a dress for a party. Now that’s cute & all that & I had to tell the truth because I’m also a reporter & it makes an interesting item for a story… but frankly, I don’t like it. It’s not grown up enough for you. Go out and get your own gowns and knock them out.

It is also expected and it does happen that everybody wants to know about you—so you realize the spotlight is on you. Now that I am a number of miles away and see things in a more objective light (when I’m close by all I see is you—& fuck the outside world—etc.) for [the] 1st time I’ve heard adverse remarks about you—and so has my wife Anne who loves you.

There is a hell of a lot of symbolism in your remark that you always were able to get into Match, Eye, See, etc. but never Harper’s Bazaar & Vogue etc. Well, you’ve made it.

Not that I think H. Baz & Vog are godalmighty—but there’s some kind of parallel there.

She confirmed what Joe Di told me about those lewd pornographic juggling around with your pictures. The nude calendar art never received vulgar treatment. I nearly got into a brawl with some guy behind a cigar counter for a remark he made. May I advise you or rather insist that when you go to a nite club don’t get your foto taken for reproduction. That’s ok for the Ava Gardners. That sort of thing doesn’t do you good, only helps the other comics.

Love, —SAM

Now that’s a nasty thing to say, isn’t it. But let’s think about you & you only. You are not the kid coming up, who needs space. You’re not a girl Debbie Wagner.

You are now a young woman who some may think arrived just a little too soon. I don’t think so! You’ve just finished a picture and delivered a tremendous performance that will knock them all on their ass. So, you’re not just Miss Cheesecake. You’ve got to be proud of what you’ve accomplished—& how you feel about the theatre (& the screen is part of theatre) and you are now a representative of it—all over the world.

Well, I’m coming into station & hope you’re not sore at me.

We all love Marilyn, The Shaws— Edie Blackie [the dog] Meta Larry Anne Sam [postmarked December 9, 1954]

So now you must carry all this with dignity—& that is the world of Chekov and all artists. Now let me make myself clear—I don’t say become a dull stiff-backed recluse.

Have a ball—but don’t give them a chance to topple you—and don’t think that there aren’t certain forces at work that would do so if given the chance. I don’t know whether you see Joseph Di or not, but I do know that he was recently instrumental in switching a derogatory story that Confidential was preparing to blast against you into a favorable one.

50

51

Sam Shaw Famous Artists Corporation of New York 610 Fifth Avenue New York 20, N.Y.

Altho I know the publisher of that stink sheet & he offered me a fabulous price to edit it for him (of course I turned it down). I wasn’t able to do anything about [the] story.

The best advice I can give you at this time—try to lay off publicity—unless you can control the story, or break. And now let it (pub) come in recognition of your work!

Marilyn Monroe 8338 DeLongpre St. Hollywood, California

Having a ball & freedom doesn’t mean hop, skipping & jumping from joint to joint. See people, discover them, places, look at art, theatre, get in your car and take off, study.

And come to think of it—altho you’re so damn cute in jeans & torn shirts—dress up—& that’s no snobbery—but please don’t compress those things!

Dear Marilyn, Remember you’re not now little Cinderella Princess & all that crap—you’re the Queen!

Here’s that man again. I guess it’s feast & famine either write too much or not at all.

Some quick advice & thoughts regarding M.M. These are some harsh realities I’m going to throw at you. I think some bad reaction is setting in as a result of publicity you’ve been getting. Now I know you have a personal life to live and all that—but you are a star—and an amazingly colorful character and anything you do or say makes copy.

And maybe I’m not completely blameless altho I do sound so goddamned sanctimonious. I did say in LIFE that you borrowed a dress for a party. Now that’s cute & all that & I had to tell the truth because I’m also a reporter & it makes an interesting item for a story… but frankly, I don’t like it. It’s not grown up enough for you. Go out and get your own gowns and knock them out.

It is also expected and it does happen that everybody wants to know about you—so you realize the spotlight is on you. Now that I am a number of miles away and see things in a more objective light (when I’m close by all I see is you—& fuck the outside world—etc.) for [the] 1st time I’ve heard adverse remarks about you—and so has my wife Anne who loves you.

There is a hell of a lot of symbolism in your remark that you always were able to get into Match, Eye, See, etc. but never Harper’s Bazaar & Vogue etc. Well, you’ve made it.

Not that I think H. Baz & Vog are godalmighty—but there’s some kind of parallel there.

She confirmed what Joe Di told me about those lewd pornographic juggling around with your pictures. The nude calendar art never received vulgar treatment. I nearly got into a brawl with some guy behind a cigar counter for a remark he made. May I advise you or rather insist that when you go to a nite club don’t get your foto taken for reproduction. That’s ok for the Ava Gardners. That sort of thing doesn’t do you good, only helps the other comics.

Love, —SAM

Now that’s a nasty thing to say, isn’t it. But let’s think about you & you only. You are not the kid coming up, who needs space. You’re not a girl Debbie Wagner.

You are now a young woman who some may think arrived just a little too soon. I don’t think so! You’ve just finished a picture and delivered a tremendous performance that will knock them all on their ass. So, you’re not just Miss Cheesecake. You’ve got to be proud of what you’ve accomplished—& how you feel about the theatre (& the screen is part of theatre) and you are now a representative of it—all over the world.

Well, I’m coming into station & hope you’re not sore at me.

We all love Marilyn, The Shaws— Edie Blackie [the dog] Meta Larry Anne Sam [postmarked December 9, 1954]

So now you must carry all this with dignity—& that is the world of Chekov and all artists. Now let me make myself clear—I don’t say become a dull stiff-backed recluse.

Have a ball—but don’t give them a chance to topple you—and don’t think that there aren’t certain forces at work that would do so if given the chance. I don’t know whether you see Joseph Di or not, but I do know that he was recently instrumental in switching a derogatory story that Confidential was preparing to blast against you into a favorable one.

50

51

Idlewild (JFK) Airport, New York City, 1954

A STAR ARRIVES Gentlemen Prefer Blondes led to a string of starring roles, magazine covers, column items, and press junkets to New York, Atlantic City, wherever. She was staying at the classy hotels, the Sherry-Netherland and the Ritz.

Studio expenses. The hotel rent was more than her salary. She was becoming famous before her starring role in The Seven Year Itch, but Marilyn was still paid as a studio starlet.

Top press agents were masters at spreading word through their grapevine and were able to create a crowd even for an unknown. When Marilyn came to New York to film The Seven Year Itch, 20th Century Fox was able to assemble a crowd at Idlewild Airport. At first, the crowd was a handful of maintenance personnel. Somehow the crowd became a mob, with Marilyn at the center of attraction.

She not only sent kisses to them, she sent vibrations.

When George Axelrod, was writing The Seven Year Itch stage play, he couldn’t come up with a name that fit the female character so he called her “The Girl.” When Axelrod saw Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, he realized Marilyn was “The Girl” and “The Girl” was Marilyn.

While filming The Seven Year Itch, Marilyn told me that she played for truth. When she had difficulties remembering lines, she told me that in most cases “the lines were forced and not true to the character.”

In one scene in The Seven Year Itch, she read off three

58

Idlewild (JFK) Airport, New York City, 1954

A STAR ARRIVES Gentlemen Prefer Blondes led to a string of starring roles, magazine covers, column items, and press junkets to New York, Atlantic City, wherever. She was staying at the classy hotels, the Sherry-Netherland and the Ritz.

Studio expenses. The hotel rent was more than her salary. She was becoming famous before her starring role in The Seven Year Itch, but Marilyn was still paid as a studio starlet.

Top press agents were masters at spreading word through their grapevine and were able to create a crowd even for an unknown. When Marilyn came to New York to film The Seven Year Itch, 20th Century Fox was able to assemble a crowd at Idlewild Airport. At first, the crowd was a handful of maintenance personnel. Somehow the crowd became a mob, with Marilyn at the center of attraction.

She not only sent kisses to them, she sent vibrations.

When George Axelrod, was writing The Seven Year Itch stage play, he couldn’t come up with a name that fit the female character so he called her “The Girl.” When Axelrod saw Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, he realized Marilyn was “The Girl” and “The Girl” was Marilyn.

While filming The Seven Year Itch, Marilyn told me that she played for truth. When she had difficulties remembering lines, she told me that in most cases “the lines were forced and not true to the character.”

In one scene in The Seven Year Itch, she read off three

58

Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn at the premiere of The Seven Year Itch, New York City, 1955

“Sam Spade,” she said, “When I go to the theatre, I don’t care for the guests coming with Cadillacs. I only care for my public, the people across the street who can’t get in or up close. When I wave to them, I want them to see me from across the street. If I were in subtle makeup or without makeup, they wouldn’t see me.”

When we got to the theatre, more than an hour late, mobs lined the sidewalk and across the street.

Everybody forgave her. The crowds, the VIPs, the critics, who loved her!

The 20th Century brass loved the reviews the next day.

115

Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn at the premiere of The Seven Year Itch, New York City, 1955

“Sam Spade,” she said, “When I go to the theatre, I don’t care for the guests coming with Cadillacs. I only care for my public, the people across the street who can’t get in or up close. When I wave to them, I want them to see me from across the street. If I were in subtle makeup or without makeup, they wouldn’t see me.”

When we got to the theatre, more than an hour late, mobs lined the sidewalk and across the street.

Everybody forgave her. The crowds, the VIPs, the critics, who loved her!

The 20th Century brass loved the reviews the next day.

115

Sam and Marilyn photographed by Bruno Bernard, 20th Century Fox studios, Los Angeles, California, 1954

Sam Shaw Famous Artists Corporation of New York 610 Fifth Avenue New York 20, N.Y. Miss Marilyn Monroe 8338 DeLongpre Street Hollywood, Calif.

Dear Marilyn, If there is difficulty reading these lines, you must understand that I am writing this on a train coming into N.Y. I feel better today talking to you yesterday! Anne & kids send best to you. They LOVE you too.

About that business of G. Solotaire and discussing you & Joe—I thought I should let you know what went on.

I didn’t say much except what I felt about you & what a lovely grand person you are as a human being— discounting the great glamorous xotic star—but as a good straight forward young woman who meets all the world & people on a straight from the heart level—& that anyone whether it’s Joe or any other Joe must accept you on your terms and not bring this crap and attitude of Toots Shor Cub Room B’way hoodlum morality with him.

George S. told me that Joe is broken hearted & a strange guy etc. and that he feels he’s killed something that he loves deeply etc.

I don’t like to get involved in intensely personal affairs between a man & a woman (because in the past when I did it never worked out) and that kind of a relationship where 2 people’s personal lives are at stake where you live with somebody that is strictly for them to decide what they are going to do about it—and no matter how interested friends are—no one ever does know the deep underlying hopes, desires and feelings except you you you inside the inside corners—right?!

So all I can say to you is do as you please. You are young & beautiful (& even if you weren’t beautiful) and a most fascinatingly interesting young woman with an individual inner eye and outlook and just discovering the world and all its wonders and as one of the great Greeks—Euripides, Aeschylus or Aristotle said—“and the most wonderful is MAN!” Stretch out and gobble it all in—and don’t moon about yourself. You’re a new champ.

Disregard all the petty little maneuverings that go on around & about you. Chuck the little annoying details aside and only consider the big values.

122

What my plans are at the moment—I don’t know. I’ve been asked to continue on the Alexander the Great picture— but it means 6 months—and I won’t take it unless I could cart my tribe along. So that means a fabulous expense and if they meet it OK, otherwise they can scratch off.

I have a script. I asked Sidney to read but he couldn’t get to it. Well, it’s generated some action. I think it’s better than Waterfront and Silvana Mangano wants to do it.

I’ll know within a week or so.

I’ve been drawing a lot lately (heads in subways). Just gave a dear friend of mine 4 large scale drawings from my Alexander set. I don’t read the columns. He tells me that Winchell is always writing about you & Joe. This chap Arnold Forster was one of WW’s lawyers but now has broken off friendship & all relationship with W. on account of his McCarthyistic attitude.

Say would you ask Bernard the photog to send me a foto he took of us—I want to make an impression on my kids.

Love you —SAM [postmarked December 3, 1954]

123

Sam and Marilyn photographed by Bruno Bernard, 20th Century Fox studios, Los Angeles, California, 1954

Sam Shaw Famous Artists Corporation of New York 610 Fifth Avenue New York 20, N.Y. Miss Marilyn Monroe 8338 DeLongpre Street Hollywood, Calif.

Dear Marilyn, If there is difficulty reading these lines, you must understand that I am writing this on a train coming into N.Y. I feel better today talking to you yesterday! Anne & kids send best to you. They LOVE you too.

About that business of G. Solotaire and discussing you & Joe—I thought I should let you know what went on.

I didn’t say much except what I felt about you & what a lovely grand person you are as a human being— discounting the great glamorous xotic star—but as a good straight forward young woman who meets all the world & people on a straight from the heart level—& that anyone whether it’s Joe or any other Joe must accept you on your terms and not bring this crap and attitude of Toots Shor Cub Room B’way hoodlum morality with him.

George S. told me that Joe is broken hearted & a strange guy etc. and that he feels he’s killed something that he loves deeply etc.

I don’t like to get involved in intensely personal affairs between a man & a woman (because in the past when I did it never worked out) and that kind of a relationship where 2 people’s personal lives are at stake where you live with somebody that is strictly for them to decide what they are going to do about it—and no matter how interested friends are—no one ever does know the deep underlying hopes, desires and feelings except you you you inside the inside corners—right?!

So all I can say to you is do as you please. You are young & beautiful (& even if you weren’t beautiful) and a most fascinatingly interesting young woman with an individual inner eye and outlook and just discovering the world and all its wonders and as one of the great Greeks—Euripides, Aeschylus or Aristotle said—“and the most wonderful is MAN!” Stretch out and gobble it all in—and don’t moon about yourself. You’re a new champ.

Disregard all the petty little maneuverings that go on around & about you. Chuck the little annoying details aside and only consider the big values.

122

What my plans are at the moment—I don’t know. I’ve been asked to continue on the Alexander the Great picture— but it means 6 months—and I won’t take it unless I could cart my tribe along. So that means a fabulous expense and if they meet it OK, otherwise they can scratch off.

I have a script. I asked Sidney to read but he couldn’t get to it. Well, it’s generated some action. I think it’s better than Waterfront and Silvana Mangano wants to do it.

I’ll know within a week or so.

I’ve been drawing a lot lately (heads in subways). Just gave a dear friend of mine 4 large scale drawings from my Alexander set. I don’t read the columns. He tells me that Winchell is always writing about you & Joe. This chap Arnold Forster was one of WW’s lawyers but now has broken off friendship & all relationship with W. on account of his McCarthyistic attitude.

Say would you ask Bernard the photog to send me a foto he took of us—I want to make an impression on my kids.

Love you —SAM [postmarked December 3, 1954]

123

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A MEMOIR OF MARILYN MONROE

BY HER FRIEND SAM SHAW

“This is a Marilyn story. The Marilyn I knew. The many faces of Marilyn… Her independence. Her search for herself.

She enjoyed life to the hilt.”–Sam Shaw

Dear Marilyn is at once a memoir and a tribute by photographer and filmmaker Sam Shaw—a long-time confidant who knew Marilyn Monroe not as an icon, but as a cherished friend and artist in her own right.

Featuring previously unpublished photos, letters and memorabilia, Dear Marilyn illuminates, with respect and affection, the funny and complicated soul behind the Hollywood persona. Told through Sam Shaw’s journals and his letters to Marilyn, this intimate portrait offers an insider’s view of a young actress’s rise to stardom and her quest for authenticity and artistic freedom.

Here, in word and image, we rediscover Marilyn Monroe—above and beyond the legend—at her most personal, spontaneous and radiant.

ISBN: 978-1-78884-333-1

9 781788 843331 www.accartbooks.com

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