Dear "Millie" Monroe

The wonderful Filmoteca in my city of residence Barcelona currently holds a Marilyn Monroe photo exhibition entitled Marilyn Monroe by Milton H. Greene. The 50 sessions, which my sister and I visited last Saturday. While Marilyn has been photographed by a number of renowned photographers including Cecil Beaton, Richard Avedon and Eve Arnold, she had a special bond with Milton Greene. The two were not just close friends but for a while also business partners. (In 1956, they formed Marilyn Monroe Productions which produced Bus Stop (1956) and The Prince and the Showgirl (1957).) Of the nearly 4,000 photos taken between 1953 and 1957 during 50 sittings Marilyn and Greene did together, the Filmoteca displays a selection of 84 photos, showing an intimate Marilyn away from the spotlight. It's an exhibit I really enjoyed, especially since many of Greene's wonderful photos were unknown to me. (For those few readers who live in Barcelona, the exhibit still runs until 21 February and admission is free.)

Apart from the photo exhibit, the Filmoteca dedicated a retrospective to Marilyn last month with the screening of ten of her films. I was most looking forward to watching The Misfits (1961) as I had never seen it before. The film is terribly bleak and sad but I loved it and seeing it on the big screen made the experience all the more special. While all the players were excellent, it was Marilyn in particular who moved me, her raw and fragile performance at times showing us glimpses of the real her.

Concluding this post, I will leave you with some of the photos displayed at the Filmoteca exhibit, followed by a note written during the filming of The Misfits by the inimitable Thelma Ritter, one of Marilyn's co-stars. The note, dated 29 August 1960, was addressed to Marilyn and seemingly the women had gotten along during production, even sharing some inside jokes.

May 1954 — Milton Greene and Marilyn at a horse ranch in Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles.

March 1956 —One of my favourite photos from the exhibit. Marilyn photographed during a break while filming Bus Stop in Phoenix, Arizona.

Marilyn cooling off in the swimming pool of composer Richard Rodgers on a hot summer's day in June 1955.

May 1954 — One of the photos from the Peasant Sitting series. Marilyn photographed in the costume that Jennifer Jones wore in The Song of Bernadette (1943).

Marilyn photographed at the home of 20th Century-Fox executive Joseph Schenck in 1953.

Marilyn pictured with Greene's son Joshua during a break from Bus Stop in the spring of 1956.

August 29, 1960

Dear "Millie" Monroe:

I no sooner opened the box than that damned lizard escaped.

I spent all day looking for him, and finally found him under the refrigerator with the quarter in his mouth making like a slot machine.

Incidentally, the bag is beautiful. And I thank you very much. But it doesn't take you off the hook with regard to the "honor system".

Big Brother is watching you.

Keep your eye on Paula, May, Hazel, Agnes, and Shirley.

[on the other side, not shown in the image] 

Love to you, and all the very best for the rest of the picture.

T. Ritter

Source: Bonhams