Dear Bobbybones

Marilyn Monroe would have turned 100 on 1 June. While somewhat belated, this post is to celebrate and remember her on the occasion of her birthday.

****

Marilyn loved children but never had any of her own. While she became pregnant three times —all of her pregnancies occurred during her marriage to playwright Arthur Miller (1956-1961)— Marilyn had two miscarriages and one ectopic pregnancy. The first time she became pregnant was in the summer of 1956 during the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl; she got pregnant again a year later, but this pregnancy was ectopic and had to be terminated to save her life; and the third time occurred in 1958 while filming Some Like it Hot, with her miscarrying in December of that year. Marilyn had a severe form of endometriosis with often debilitating pain, and her fertility issues were most likely linked to the disease.

Although she had no children of her own, Marilyn had three stepchildren. She was married three times, and her second and third husband, respectively Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller, were previously married, with children by their former wives. Her stepchildren —Joe DiMaggio Jr, Jane Miller and Robert "Bobby" Miller— meant the world to Marilyn, and she once said they were her best friends. In a 1962 interview with Alan Levy for Redbook magazine, she candidly spoke about them: "I take a lot of pride in them. Because they're from broken homes … I can't explain it, but I think I understand about them. I think I love them more than I love anyone. I've always said to my stepchildren that I didn't want to be their mother – or stepmother – as such. I wanted to be their friend. Only time could prove that to them and they had to give me time. But I love them and I adore them. Their lives that are forming are very precious to me and I know that I had a part in forming them." 

1957, Marilyn with her stepchildren, Jane and Bobby Miller

After Marilyn married Arthur Miller in 1956, she became stepmother to Jane and Bobby, who were Miller's children from his marriage to Mary Grace Slattery. Miller divorced his wife on 12 June 1956 and married Marilyn that same month, on 29 June. Especially Jane, who was eleven at the time —Bobby was three years younger— had a hard time accepting her parents' divorce and her father's new wife. However, it wouldn't be long before Marilyn befriended both children, remaining close to them until her death. 

On 2 February 1962, Marilyn wrote to Bobby Miller in response to a letter he had written, showing great interest in Bobby's life while also sharing stories of her own life. She excitingly talks about her new house and the dinner party she attended the night before, where she discussed civil rights with Robert Kennedy. Marilyn was a staunch advocate of civil rights and had become more politically and socially aware since her marriage to Arthur Miller (read more in this post). At the time of the letter, Marilyn had been divorced from Miller for about a year but was nevertheless eager to keep in touch with his children and for them to visit her in Los Angeles. Sadly, however, she passed away six months later, on 5 August 1962, so perhaps they never saw each other again. (Incidentally, on the last day of her life, Marilyn reportedly spoke on the phone with her other stepkid, Joey DiMaggio Jr.) 

Source: Cursum Perficio

Transcript:

Noon

February 2 [1962]

Dear Bobbybones,

The first thing I want to say is that I am very disappointed that you don't get to have your telephone. I don't quite understand why it didn't work out, and I am very sorry, but remember that in a few years you will be able to do more things that you want. For instance, like having your own telephone. What I am trying to say is that you will be growing up and having your own responsibilities (even thought [sic] I still think, and agree with you, that it would be fun to have a phone and I can't see any harm in it, especially since I want to give it to you as your Christmas present, and you feel you have a need for it.) Anyway, Bob, cheer up. I would like to get something that would replace it, but I don't know how. I am glad you liked the sweater, but I would still like to do something else with your check because it really belongs to you. If you can think of anything else, let me know. Or, maybe you would like to start a savings account, or something like that? Or, who knows -- but you let me know.

That pool table that you told me about in that Danish hotel sounds great. Did I ever tell you that I can really play pool? I learned when I was about sixteen and it is something that you never forget. I don't understand why they don't let you in to play pool. Do they they [sic] think you are a delinquent of some kind just because you like the game? Maybe you could go over and take a friend when all those Danish sailors aren't there, like at some odd hour early in the morning, or maybe you could find out which odd hours those Danish sailors don't play. Anyway, don't give up the ship, if you know what I mean, because they might just say yes, as you put it, just to shut you up.

I am glad your arm is feeling better. Where are you going skiing -- but do be careful.

By the way, I don't think you're so bad about sending letters when you consider how bad I am. I'm very happy to have heard from you and don't worry about sending me a present because I realize your allowance is limited and you need it for school things and what not.

I am going to get that book you recommended; is it "Lord of the Flies" or "The Flees [sic]" ? I would love to read something really terrifying.

Bobby, I have the best news: I have just completely bought my new house. As I told you, it is an authentic little Mexican house, but it's got a gigantic swimming pool, and it looks just like Mexico. You would just love it. I have two guest rooms plus a large playroom, plus lots of patios, and a big Mexican wall goes all around the place with big high Mexican gates (that's to keep intruders out, in case anybody gets intrusive.) It's got a nice garden - not too large to take care of - and, as I told you, the swimming pool is so large it doesn't leave too much lawn to take care of. Anyway, I would love - for whichever vacation it can be arranged - if you and Janie wanted to - at least for a part of the vacation, even if it is for a few days, or a week - you are welcome to stay as long as you wanted to. I will take care of your plane tickets and meet you at the airport. You remember how much you liked California -- well, it's still here, and, what I want you and Janie to know is that you are always welcome. Now, I don't know how you are going to work this vacation thing out, but if I know you, you will probably figure something out - right? And, talk to Janie about it; maybe she has an idea. Or, if one of you is busy, you could take turns in coming. I don't know -- I just thought I would make these suggestions. First of all, I miss you very much and I think you would love my new home.

Oh, Bobby, guess what: I had dinner last night with the Attorney-General of the United States, Robert Kennedy, and I asked him what his department was going to do about Civil Rights and some other issues. He is very intelligent, and besides all that, he's got a terrific sense of humor. I think you would like him. Anyway, I had to go to this dinner last night as he was the guest of honor and when they asked him who he wanted to meet, he wanted to meet me. So, I went to the dinner and I sat next to him, and he isn't a bad dancer either. But I was mostly impressed with how serious he is about Civil Rights. He answered all of my questions and then he said he would write me a letter and put it on paper. So, I'll send you a copy of the letter when I get it because there will be some very interesting things in it because I really asked many questions. First of all he asked if I had been attending some kind of meetings. (Haha!) I laughed and said "no, but these are the kind of questions that the youth of America want answers to and want things done about." Not that I'm so youthful, but I feel youthful. But he's an old 36 himself which astounded me because I'm 35. It was a pleasant evening, all in all.

I am leaving today for New York so I'll call you when I get in. Maybe you could stop over for a visit or lunch or dinner, or, maybe you want to go to a movie. I'll be in New York for, I expect, about a week. Tell Janie all this and tell her I would love to see her. I haven't heard from her since Christmas. I guess we are all a little sloppy about writing. However, I think we all know what we mean to each other, don't we. At least I know I love you kids and I want to be your friend and stay in touch.

Say Bobsky, what happened about your math test? I don't know why I took it for granted, but I always thought you were sort of brilliant in math. Anyway, I hope that all your mid-term tests came out very well.

Well, I'll close now, since this letter is getting a little longer than I intended. Golly I'm sorry about the phone, but you will grow up before you know it and things like telephones will be possible and not out of your reach.

I love you and miss you, and, give my love to Janie.

P.S. 

My new address is 12305 Fifth Helena Drive, Los Angeles 49, California

Bobby Miller with his parents and sister Jane

Marilyn's last home at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive, located in the Brentwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles. It was at her home that she was found dead on 5 August 1962, making her letter to Bobby all the more poignant.

1962, Marilyn with Robert Kennedy (left) and John F. Kennedy (his back to the camera) on the occasion of JFK's 45th birthday party. While being the only known photo of Marilyn with JFK, it's possibly also the only known picture of her with Robert Kennedy.

 

She was like all Charlie Chaplin’s heroines in one

Elia Kazan met Marilyn Monroe, by his own account, on the set of Harmon Jones' As Young as You Feel (1951), a comedy in which Marilyn played a small role. The two would later embark on a brief love affair. At the time, Kazan —seventeen years Marilyn's senior— was married to his first wife, dramatist Molly Day Thacher (their marriage lasted from 1932 until Thacher's death in 1963). Kazan was a very close friend of playwright Arthur Miller and was the one who introduced Marilyn to Miller. Marilyn and Miller (the latter also married then) fell for each other immediately but wouldn't become romantically involved until 1955 and eventually married a year later. Marilyn and Kazan reportedly remained friends after their affair.

Top photo: Arthur Miller (left) and Elia Kazan were close friends until Kazan named names before HUAC (House of Un-American Activities Committee) in early 1952, thereby destroying their friendship. Marilyn Monroe was reportedly instrumental in reuniting them years later. After her death, the two men worked together on Miller's 1964 play After the Fall, which Kazan directed. Bottom photo: Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller who were married from 1956 until 1961. When they met, Miller was still married to Mary Slattery whom he divorced in 1956; Marilyn would marry Joe DiMaggio in 1954, only to divorce him nine months later.  

_____

Seen below are two telegrams and a letter written by Elia Kazan. First shown are the telegrams, sent by Kazan to Marilyn during their affair. Noteworthy is that the first telegram was signed "B", which stands for "Bauer". Kazan and Miller had adopted Marilyn as their "mascot" and nicknamed her "Miss Bauer" following a prank they had played on Columbia boss Harry Cohn. In a meeting with Kazan and Cohn —during which Kazan tried to sell Cohn Miller's script The Hook— Marilyn had posed as Kazan's private secretary Miss Bauer, without Cohn ever recognising her. 

Source: Bonhams

The following letter —not shown in full but the part that deals with Marilyn— was written by Kazan to his wife Molly Day Thacher on 29 November 1955. In it, the director confesses to his affair with Marilyn four years earlier. The "boy friend, or keeper" to whom Kazan refers was Marilyn's agent Johnny Hyde. Thirty-one years Marilyn's senior, Hyde was in love with Marilyn and even left his wife for her. Marilyn didn't return Hyde's feelings but did love him dearly and was heartbroken when he died on 18 December 1950 (a few days after production on As Young as You Feel had started). When Kazan met Marilyn, she was grieving over Hyde's death. 

In one sense it’s true to say that it meant nothing. On the other hand it was a human experience, and it started, if that is of any significance, in a most human way. Her boy friend, or “keeper” (if you want to be mean about it) had just died. His family had not allowed her to see the body, or allowed her into the house, where she had been living after the death. She had sneaked in one night and been thrown out. I met her on Harmon Jones set when I went over to visit Harmon. Harmon thought her a ridiculous person and was fashionably scornful of her. I found her, when I was introduced, in tears. I took her to dinner because she seemed like such a touching pathetic waif. She sobbed all thru dinner. I wasn’t “interested in her”; that came later. But I did feel terribly touched by her and did think she had a lot of talent. .... I got to know her in time and introduced her to Arthur Miller, who also was very taken by her. You couldn’t help being touched. She was talented, funny, vulnerable, helpless in awful pain, with no hope, and some worth and not a liar, not vicious, not catty, and with a history of orphanism that was killing to hear. She was like all Charlie Chaplin’s heroines in one. 

I’m not ashamed at all, not a damn bit, of having been attracted to her. She is nothing like what she appears to be now, or even appears to have turned into now. I don't know what she is like now, except I notice Lee Strasberg [Marilyn's acting mentor and friend] has the same reaction to her that I did. She was a little stray cat when I knew her, total possession a few clothes, and one piano. I got a lot out of her just as you do from any human experience where anyone is revealed to you and you affect anyone in any way. I guess I gave her a lot of hope, and Arthur gave her a lot of hope. She had a crush on Art, not me. I was more interested in her, especially humanly than he was. She is not a big sex pot as advertised. At least not in my experience. I don’t know if there are such as “advertised” big sex pots. I didn't have anything to do with her when I went out during the testifying. She was sleeping with [Joe] DiMaggio. She told me a lot about him and her, his Catholicism, and his viciousness (he struck her often, and beat her up several times). I was touched and fascinated. It was the type of experience that I do not understand and I enjoyed (not the right word) hearing about it. I certainly recommended her to [playwright] Tennessee’s [Williams] attention. And he was very taken by her. 

I’m not sorry about it. I don't think a man can go thru a life without lesions, faults, slips and all that. I have no will towards same, and I have no desire to harm you. .... I am human though. It might happen again. I hope not, and I have resisted quite some other opportunities. No loss. I got a lot out of this one, can’t say I didn’t. I think I helped her. I don't know the answer to all this. If you don’t like what I say and feel it necessary for your own sense of honor and cleanliness to divorce me, divorce me. ... I don’t think I should not be married or anything like that. If you divorce me, I’ll tell you plainly I will in time get married again and have more children. I feel I’m a family man and I want a family, and am a damned good one. I don’t care what your judgment is on that. .... Let me repeat: I had nothing to do with her getting into the Actors' Studio, or Lee Strasberg's classes. Nor am I coaching her, advising her, seeing her or cuddling her. I'm really weary of the whole subject just as you are. ....

Source: The Selected Letters of Elia Kazan (2014), edited by Albert J. Devlin.  

Above: Marilyn Monroe and Johnny Hyde pictured dancing at the Palm Springs Racquet Club on New Year’s Eve 1949. Below: Elia Kazan with his first wife Molly Day Thacher. After Thacher's death in 1963, Kazan remarried twice —to actress/director Barbara Loden (m. 1967 until Loden's death in 1980) and author Frances Wright (m.1982 until Kazan's own death in 2003).

Was John Steinbeck's letter to Marilyn Monroe real or fake?

A John Steinbeck letter to Marilyn Monroe (sold for $3,520 at Julien’s Auctions in 2016) has been widely circulating the internet since 2019. In this great letter Steinbeck asked Marilyn for a signed photograph, not for himself but for his then 17-year-old nephew-in-law Jon Atkinson. For those who haven't read it yet, here is the famous letter:

Source: Julien's Auctions

It wasn't until this year that someone actually tracked down Jon Atkinson to see whether he had received Marilyn's photograph, as requested for him by Steinbeck. Michael Alberty was the investigative journalist and wrote about his findings in The Oregonian on 21 June: 

I’m happy to report that Atkinson is alive and well, living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with Joan, his wife of 57 years. He’s a retired minister, and this commotion about his teenage preoccupation with Marilyn Monroe comes as a bit of a surprise.

Atkinson vaguely remembers hearing about his famous in-law’s letter, but he’s not sure when. Amazingly, my phone call was the first time a newspaper or magazine has reached out to ask him if he received the Monroe photograph.

Joan Atkinson says she first found out about the Steinbeck letter a few weeks ago. That’s when a former student from her days teaching in the library school at the University of Alabama called to ask, “Have you seen this letter?”

As you may have guessed by now, Atkinson never received a photograph or anything else from Marilyn Monroe.

After the call from the former student, Jon Atkinson asked his wife if she thought the letter was a fake.

“It was a good question because it’s definitely not his signature. It even has the typist’s little initials, ‘mf’ underneath the signature,” Joan Atkinson said. This is where the mystery deepens.

Joan Atkinson points out that Steinbeck almost exclusively wrote his letters in longhand with a pencil. “I could not imagine that John Steinbeck would have had a typist or secretary from the office sign a letter like that for him. As personal as this subject was, it seems strange,” she said.

Did Steinbeck write the letter for an assistant to type? All we can say with any degree of confidence is the letter was in Marilyn Monroe’s possession. Unless the typist “mf” can be located, this piece of the mystery may never be solved.

We do know young Jon Atkinson never received a photograph inscribed with a personal message from Marilyn Monroe. “That sure would have been nice, right?” Atkinson said.

[source]

Whether the letter was indeed written by Steinbeck or if it came from someone else we may never know for sure. As Alberty mentioned, the only thing we can be certain of is that the letter was owned by Marilyn, having been auctioned as part of The Estate of Lee Strasberg in 2016 (Strasberg being Marilyn's acting coach and mentor to whom she left most of her possessions). While I'd like to believe the letter was Steinbeck's, it seems odd indeed why the author had a secretary sign it for him, considering its contents and Marilyn being the addressee. (To compare signatures, check out Steinbeck's signature here.) But then again, Steinbeck had written thousands of letters in his lifetime and perhaps his letter to Marilyn just wasn't a priority, seeing that he didn't know her well. At any rate, I tried to find answers online —looking for the mysterious secretary "mf"— but, not surprisingly, I found nothing. 

Incidentally, I don't know if Marilyn was a Steinbeck fan but three of his books could be found in her personal library, i.e. The Short Reign of Pippin IV, Once There Was a War, and Tortilla Flat (source).

I have such a strong, tender, wonderful memory

During four months in 1960, Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller lived in a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel while the bungalow next door was occupied by their French friends, famed film couple Yves Montand and Simone Signoret. Miller had met Montand and Signoret in Paris in 1956, when the two starred in the play Les Sorcières de Salem, a French adaptation of Miller's own 1953 play The Crucible. (They would later also star in the 1957 French film version.) Miller became friends with the couple, sharing the same leftist political views. Several years later, in the fall of 1959, Montand and Signoret came to New York where Montand would enjoy great successes on Broadway with his one-man show An Evening with Yves Montand. It was then that the Montands also met Marilyn and eventually befriended her too.

While the two couples were living side by side at the Beverly Hills Hotel in bungalows No. 20 and 21, Marilyn and Montand were filming Let's Make Love (1961) and Miller was one of the writers working on the film's screenplay. Production of the film was plagued with difficulties, including the usual problems with Marilyn (her lateness and inability to remember her lines) and the fact that Montand didn't speak English, having to learn his lines phonetically. It is said that the issues Montand and Marilyn were each having during filming eventually caused them to bond. When their respective spouses left for other commitments, the two grew closer and started a much-publicised affair.  

The affair between Montand and Marilyn reportedly ended after shooting of Let's Make Love had wrapped. Marilyn's marriage to Miller was already in trouble when filming began and the two would divorce in early 1961. The Montands returned to France and remained married until Signoret's death of cancer in 1985. While Simone was very hurt and embittered by the affair and the scandal that followed, she never blamed Marilyn. In her autobiography Nostalgia Isn't What It Used To Be (1975) Signoret wrote:  

She never knew how thoroughly I had understood the story that was no one's business but ours, the four of us. Too many people were concerned with it during troubled times when many more important things were happening.

She's gone without ever knowing that I never stopped wearing the champagne‐colored silk scarf she'd lent me one day when I was being photographed. It went well with what I was wearing; so well that she made me a present of it. It's a bit frayed now, but if I fold it carefully, that doesn't show.

Marilyn was wracked with guilt after betraying the trust of her friend. After Marilyn died, Simone famously said: "She will never know how much I didn't hate her." Photos above and below by Bruce Davidson, Beverly Hills Hotel, 1960.

Below are a few pieces of correspondence, the first one a letter from Marilyn to Yves Montand written on 24 September 1959. Three days earlier Marilyn had attended the premiere of Montand's one-man show at the Henry Miller Theater on Broadway. Her escort mentioned in the letter was Montgomery Clift. 

Source: Cursum Perficio

Transcript:

September 24, 1959

Dear Mr. Montand:

First, I want to ask you to forgive me for not coming back stage the other night, but my escort was rather upset by the crowds and insisted we leave the theatre as soon as possible. 

I especially wanted to come back stage in order to give you my husband's deep regrets that he was not able to be with me on opening night (he had a deadline to meet). For myself, I want to tell you how marvelous you were and how wonderful it is that Americans will have an opportunity to see you.

When my husband does come to your performance I shall be there again. We are both looking forward to meeting you and Mrs. Montand at that time.

Warmest good wishes to you both.

Mr. Yves Montand

Algonquin Hotel

59 West 44th Street

New York City

__________

A Christmas card and drawing from the Montands to Marilyn. I don't know who was the artist here, Yves or Simone.

Source: Julien's Auctions

Simone and Yves sent Marilyn some flowers or perhaps left them at her bungalow when Marilyn was out. At any rate, the flowers were accompanied by the following card. 

Source: Julien's Auctions 

And a few lines from Marilyn regarding Montand. The lines were part of a P.S. in a letter she had written to her psychiatrist Dr. Ralph Greenson in 1961. Marilyn was reportedly in love with Montand, hoping against hope he would marry her. 

Source: Cursum Perficio

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

Merry Christmas!

With Christmas just a few days away, here is an assortment of Christmas related correspondence to put you in the holiday spirit. 

First up is a vintage Hallmark Christmas card entitled "Merry Christmas To Someone Nice", sent to Marilyn Monroe by Ella Fitzgerald. Marilyn had kept this (undated) card, which was found among her possessions after her death. 

Source: Julien's Auctions

On 6 December 1936, eight-year-old Shirley Temple wrote this note to Santa Claus, asking him to give all the boys and girls the best Christmas ever.

Source: The Daily Edge

Cary Grant wrote the following letter to his friend Beebe, thanking her for the gift she had given his then four-year-old daughter Jennifer for Christmas. Jennifer was Grant's only child (from his marriage to Dyan Cannon which lasted from 1965 until 1968). Grant retired from acting when Jennifer was born and devoted the next twenty years of his life to being a father.

Source: icollector.com

George Cukor gave his friend Joan Crawford a present for Christmas each year. In 1953, he also gave Joan's children baskets filled with candy. In the following letter Joan thanks Cukor for his generosity and also talks about the hectic Christmas she had.

Source: icollector.com

Above: Joan Crawford and George Cukor at the 1965 Oscars where Cukor was awarded the Best Director Oscar for My Fair Lady. Below: Joan with her adopted children Christopher, Christina (who would later write the controversial Mommie Dearest) and the twins Cathy and Cindy. 

And finally, here's a letter from Chuck Jones to Evelyn Karloff, written a few days after the death of her husband Boris Karloff in February 1969. Jones was the producer/ director of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, an animated television special, featuring Karloff as both the voice of the Grinch and the narrator. Broadcast for the first time on CBS television on 18 December 1966, the show went on to become a Christmas favourite, largely thanks to Karloff's delightful contribution. (Listen to Karloff here in the recorded version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!) 

Source: cartoon brew

Transcript:

Dear Mrs. Karloff,

It now seems apparent that "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" will be a Christmas feature on television for as long as anyone can envisage. In my opinion the major reason for this is that Mr Karloff gave such a thoughtful and understanding reading of the script. I think it is entirely appropriate that children for many generations will find joy and a deeper understanding of Christmas through the skill of your husband.

Thank you

-and him.

Chuck Jones

producer/ director

"The Grinch"

Boris Karloff and Chuck Jones during a recording session of How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

While it will be a different Christmas this year, I hope you can still spend and enjoy it with your loved ones. Have a safe and merry Christmas, everyone!

Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis & the Hitler Quote

In 1959, Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis shared a kissing scene in Billy Wilder's comedy Some Like It Hot and afterwards Curtis made his infamous remark about Marilyn, that kissing her was "like kissing Hitler". Throughout the years, when interviewed about the subject, Curtis kept denying he had made the remark. His constant denial seems strange, given the fact that there were multiple witnesses who heard him say it. 

The now notorious line was uttered by Curtis when he and others were watching the rushes of the kissing scene in the screening room. Co-star Jack Lemmon and still photographer Richard Miller were among those present and describe the incident in the 2001 documentary Nobody's perfect: The Making of Some Like It Hot (watch in full here). After the rushes had ended, Curtis stood up and made the Hitler comment, causing everybody in the room to fall silent. While shocked when he heard it, in the docu Lemmon 'defends' Curtis, saying "he didn't really mean it, of course", and that if he (Lemmon) had said it he'd probably deny it too. At that point Marilyn was impossible to work with, unable to remember even the simplest of lines, requiring numerous retakes, and always showing up late or not showing up at all. Curtis was clearly fed up with her (as was the rest of the cast and crew) and, according to Richard Miller, he was also mad at Marilyn for having refused to kiss him during rehearsal. (Billy Wilder wanted to rehearse the kiss so the cameraman could check the lighting etc., but Marilyn wouldn't kiss Curtis until they were shooting the actual scene.)

Towards the end of his life, Curtis finally admitted to making the vicious remark. In his 2009 memoir The Making of Some Like It Hot: My Memories of Marilyn Monroe and the Classic American Movie, co-written by Mark Vieira and published a year before Curtis' death, the actor implied it wasn't serious but meant sarcastically: "The lights came up. I had to leave. On my way out, some guy whom I didn’t recognize called out to me. "Tony," he said. "That was terrific. Hey. Tell me. What was it like kissing Marilyn?" I didn’t stop to acknowledge him. I kept walking. "What do you think it was like, buddy?" I got to the door. "Like kissing Hitler?" I went through the door and slammed it after me". 

Film critic Mick LaSalle argued in this interesting article (and I think his argument makes a lot of sense) that if Curtis had really meant to be sarcastic, he wouldn't have chosen Hitler but someone else, like Milton Berle for example. LaSalle said that "Hitler may be a reference point, but not for ugliness or physical revulsion. He's a reference point for moral horror, for someone you really, really hate".

Below: Marilyn and Curtis talking on the set of Some Like It Hot, with Paula Strasberg behind Marilyn looking on.

Marilyn herself was not in the screening room to hear Curtis say it but her drama coach and confidante Paula Strasberg was. Whether Marilyn heard it from Strasberg or from someone else, the remark got back to her and she would later comment on it in a 1962 interview.

.... You’ve read there was some actor that once said about me that kissing me was like kissing Hitler. Well, I think that’s, you know, his problem. And if I really have to do intimate love scenes with an individual who really has these kind of feelings towards me, then my fantasy can come into play. In other words, out with him, in with somebody else. There was somebody else there, not him. He was never there. [To hear Marilyn say the words, go here.]

It is believed that the following note from Marilyn was also a reaction to Curtis' Hitler remark. Moreover, the note contradicts the claims that Curtis would make decades after Marilyn's death of having been romantically involved with her. In his 2008 memoir American Prince, Curtis said they had an affair before Marilyn became famous. And in his 2009 book he went even further, claiming they rekindled the affair during Some Like It Hot and that she got pregnant with hís child, not Arthur Miller's (i.e. the child she later miscarried). While Marilyn wasn't alive anymore to deny what sounds like a fantastical story, this one-line note, handwritten by Marilyn, seems to refute Curtis' claims. As said, the note was reportedly written in response to the "kissing Hitler" remark.

Source: Julien's Auctions

Transcript:

There is only one way he could comment on my sexuality and I'm afraid he has never had the opportunity.

Credit: gif made by my twin sister who runs this great classic Hollywood blog.

It is a completely enjoyable film, full of fun and YOU

While Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot (1959) is now regarded as one of the greatest comedies ever made, at the time its leading lady Marilyn Monroe was less enthusiastic about the film. Marilyn had shared her disappointment over the finished film with her close friend, poet/ playwright Norman Rosten, and in response Rosten wrote her a brief letter in an attempt to cheer her up (seen below). Despite Marilyn's own feelings regarding Some Like It Hot and her role in it, the film became a huge critical and commercial success, with Marilyn's comedic performance now considered one of the best of her career (for which she even won a Golden Globe).

Incidentally, Some Like It Hot is a recommended comfort film to watch or re-watch during these difficult times. Stay safe!

Source: Julien's Live

Transcript: 

Marilyn dear -

About the movie - don't jump!

Look at it this way: it is a completely enjoyable film, full of fun and YOU.

It is not a starring vehicle for you because the story is simply not set up that way - which is either a shame or a crime, depending on how you feel. I feel it's a shame you didn't get more to do, and better lines for what you did do.

BUT (that necessary word) nothing could really destroy your wonderful quality that gives the film the one touch of "seriousness" (humanity) it needs for any sort of balance.

It will not hurt you one little bit, and let everyone be more watchful the next time. That is all and when are you wearing that dress again?

Philosopher Claude

(signed "N")

handwritten (Did you get my red rose?)