The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe

SOURCES AND OTHER NOTES

In all of my books I provide documentation of firsthand sources, which I think is very important to most readers. I also usually set forth the hundreds of other books, periodicals, magazine, and newspaper articles consulted by myself and my researchers. After careful deliberation, I’ve finally come to the conclusion that the listing of such material is nothing more than typing practice for all concerned. In truth, in my twenty-five years of authoring books about public figures, I have encountered very few people who have ever actually paid attention to such material. Therefore, with this, my fifteenth book, I am going to dispense with the customary page-after-page accounting of secondary source material, if only for the sake of space and time considerations. In a few cases, I will mention secondary source material in the notes that follow if I think it’s important to understanding my research. Generally, though, I can assure my readers that many books about Marilyn Monroe, the Kennedys, Frank Sinatra, and others were reviewed as part of my research, as were countless newspaper and magazine articles.

Also, in writing about a person as popular and also as beloved as Marilyn Monroe, a biographer is bound to find that many sources with valuable information prefer to not be named in the text. This is reasonable. Throughout my career, I have understood that for a person to jeopardize a long-standing, important relationship with a celebrity or a famous person’s family just for the sake of one of my books is a purely personal choice. Nevertheless, I appreciate the assistance of many people close to Marilyn who, over the years, gave of their time for this project. I will respect the wish for anonymity of those who require it, and, as always, those who could be identified are named in these notes.

The following notes and source acknowledgments are by no means comprehensive. Rather, they are intended to give you, the reader, a general overview of my research.

PART ONE: THE BEGINNING

I relied heavily on the interview with Nancy Jeffrey, only surviving foster daughter of Ida and Wayne Bolender, conducted on May 21, 2008. I thank her so much for her trust and confidence.

I’d also like to thank Louise Adams for her insight into the lives of Gladys Baker and Ida Bolender. Also, Rose Anne Cooper—who worked at the Rock Haven Sanitarium in La Crescenta, California—was extremely helpful and spent more hours with me in 2007 and 2008 than I’m sure she cares to remember. She even had photographs of Rock Haven, key to my understanding of the environment there. I owe a real debt of gratitude to both Ms. Adams and Ms. Cooper, both of whom I interviewed on February 1, 2007, April 10, 2007, June 15, 2007, and January 3, 2008.

I must give special acknowledgment to Mary Thomas-Strong, whose mother was a close friend of Ida Bolender’s. I interviewed Ms. Thomas-Strong on April 1, 2008, April 3, 2008, and April 10, 2008. She also provided me with boxes of material invaluable to my research and to my understanding the complex relationship between Ida, Gladys Baker, and Norma Jeane. This material included correspondence files between her mother and Ida Bolender. It also included The Legend of Marilyn Monroe, a rare film source of information from 1964, from David L. Wolper Productions, Inc. This documentary features what I believe to be the only televised interview with Ida and Wayne Bolender. Ms. Thomas-Strong also provided for me the medical files of Della M. Monroe from the Norwalk State Hospital, including her death certificate (#4081). Moreover, she provided me with a copy of the documentary Marilyn: Beyond the Legend.

Special acknowledgment must be extended to the family of Bea Thomas, who knew Grace Goddard. Ms. Thomas was interviewed in January 1990 by Elvin Summer for a family history. I obtained that history from a private source.

Thanks also to Esther Thompson, whose mother, Ruth, worked with Grace McKee at Consolidated Studios. Ms. Thompson spent many hours with me reconstructing certain events for this book and I thank her for the interviews I conducted with her on July 2, 2007, and February 1, 2008.

Mary Robin Alexander’s father, Albert, was a close, personal friend of George and Maud Atkinson’s. I thank her for sharing her dad’s memories of the Atkinsons and Norma Jeane Mortensen with me on July 2, 2007, and August 11, 2007.

Dia Nanouris’s mother was an assistant film editor at Columbia who worked with Grace Goddard at that company. She provided absolutely invaluable insight in my interview with her on December 15, 2007.

Also, Eleanor Ray’s mother knew Grace Goddard and Ms. Ray spent many hours with my researchers in preparation for this book. I interviewed her as well on February 1, 2008. Also, she provided me with details of Grace Goddard’s suicide found in California State File #53–087308.

Thanks to Elliot Ross for providing us with the files of the Los Angeles Orphans’ Home having to do with “Norma Jeane Baker,” including correspondence from 1937 relating to Grace Goddard, Ida Bolender, and the orphanage’s headmistress, Sula Dewey. Also, Magda Bernard’s stepbrother, Tony, was at the orphanage at the same time as Norma Jeane, and Ms. Bernard provided me with a terrific amount of background and color when I interviewed her on March 2, 2008, and April 13, 2008.

For many sections of this book, I also relied on voluminous correspondence between Norma Jeane and her half sister, Berniece, which has fallen into the public domain as a result of its placement in public auctions over the years.

Marybeth Miller-Donovan’s aunt, Ethel, was Ana Lower’s best friend. She provided me with great detail and insight into Norma Jeane’s time with her beloved aunt when I interviewed her on March 11, 2008.

I also referenced personal correspondence that had been exchanged between the Bolender family members, obtained from a private source.

I referred to the many notes and transcripts of Ben Hecht, the original ghostwriter for Marilyn’s autobiography, Marilyn: My Story. All of Hecht’s notes and other paperwork regarding this book are found in his personal collection at the Newberry Library in Chicago.

I interviewed James Dougherty, Norma Jeane’s first husband, in May 1999 and utilized parts of that interview in this work. I also referred to Jane Wilkie’s interview with Mr. Dougherty for “Marilyn Monroe Was My Wife,” Photoplay, March 1953. Moreover, I referenced Mr. Dougherty’s 1976 memoir, The Secret Happiness of Marilyn Monroe.

I also referred to “Body and Soul: A Portrait of Marilyn Monroe Showing Why Gentlemen Prefer That Blonde,” by Barbara Berch Jamison in the New York Times, July 12, 1953.

Moreover, I referenced: The Divorce petition of Della Monroe Graves vs. Lyle Arthur Graves, Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Petition #D-10379; Gifford vs. Gifford, Superior Court of the State of California, Divorce Petition #D-24788. Divorce Petition of Baker vs. Baker, Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Petition #D-10379; Mortensen vs. Baker, County of Los Angeles, File #053720; Gladys Baker/Edward Mortensen, California State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, register no. 13794; Death Certificate of Tilford Marion Hogan, Missouri State Board of Health, File #17075; Norma Jean Dougherty, Plaintiff vs. James Edward Dougherty, Defendant, #31146, Eighth Judicial District Court of the State of Nevada, Clark County, July 5, 1946.

PART TWO: TRANSITIONING

Charles Stanley Gifford Jr.—son of Charles Stanley Gifford (who Gladys Baker said was Norma Jeane’s father)—was very helpful in filling in details of these early years. He was interviewed on May 9, 2008.

Alexander Howell, the great-nephew of Chester Howell, was helpful in helping us reconstruct Norma Jeane’s wedding to James Dougherty. I interviewed him on June 10, 2007.

Martin Evans was a close friend of James Dougherty’s. His memory was vital to understanding Dougherty’s marriage to Norma Jeane, and I appreciate the interviews I conducted with him on May 20, 2007, July 30, 2007, and April 11, 2008.

Anna DeCarlo’s mother, Florence, worked at Radioplane during the time that Norma Jeane was employed by that company. I interviewed her on May 22, 2007, and her stories were vital to my research.

I also relied on Mona Rae and Berniece Miracle’s wonderful book, My Sister, Marilyn, for certain details in this section and in others in this book.

I had a number of sources with connections to the Agnews State Hospital in San Jose, California, who asked for anonymity, and I will of course respect their wishes. I also obtained from a private source all of Gladys Baker’s medical records from that hospital.

John Leonard’s father, Mack, was a friend of Gladys Baker’s, and he was vital in reconstructing Gladys’s search for her children. I interviewed John Leonard and his wife, Marcia, on November 11, 2007, and November 20, 2007.

I must acknowledge sources in the Cohen family who asked for anonymity and who provided information having to do with Gladys Baker’s work for Margaret and John Cohen. Also, these sources provided the correspondence between Gladys Baker and the Cohens, which is referenced in Part Three of this book.

Marilyn’s friend Michael Shaw was also very helpful in reconstructing certain events in this section of the book, and I thank him for his enthusiastic cooperation. He was interviewed by Cathy Griffin on April 17, 2008.

I also referred to “The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe” by Maurice Zolotow in American Weekly, October 23, 1955.

PART THREE: MARILYN

Norman Brokaw, the esteemed entertainment agent, provided details for this and other sections of the book. He rarely grants interviews, and never about Marilyn Monroe and his uncle, Johnny Hyde. Therefore, I thank him for his trust. His cooperation was invaluable. Cathy Griffin interviewed him on May 14, 2008, and May 16, 2008.

Beverly Kramer’s father, Marvin, managed the Pacific Seas dining room in Los Angeles, which was frequented by Grace and Doc Goddard. I thank her for her memories and also the family photographs she shared when I interviewed her on May 11, 2007.

Diana Herbert, whose father, F. Hugh Herbert, wrote the screenplay to Scudda-Hoo! Scudda-Hay!, was very helpful in providing details for this and other sections of the book when Cathy Griffin interviewed her on April 10, 2008, and April 15, 2008.

Helena Albert, a student of Natasha Lytess’s, provided many of the details of the relationship between Natasha and Marilyn for this and other sections of the book. Susan Martinson was also a student and friend of Lytess’s and was key in the writing of many parts of this book. I interviewed Ms. Albert on June 15, 2007, and Ms. Martinson on January 4, 2008. Ms. Martinson was also interviewed by Marybeth Evans on May 15, 2008. Also, I referred to Jane Wilkie’s interview with Ms. Lytess. Moreover—and maybe most importantly—I relied heavily on a manuscript of Natasha Lytess’s unpublished memoir, which can only be found at the University of Texas but a copy of which was purchased by a private party who then allowed me to carefully review it for this book.

Bill Davis worked at the William Morris Agency with Johnny Hyde and was key to understanding Hyde and his romance with Marilyn Monroe. Mr. Davis was interviewed by Marybeth Evans on December 1, 2007, and by me on March 11, 2008.

Marybeth Hughes once dated Johnny Hyde and was instrumental in this and other sections of the book. I thank her for her trust and for her interview of February 28, 2008.

Susan Reimer is the niece of Charles Stanley Gifford. She was very helpful in compiling information for this and other sections of the book. I interviewed her on January 12, 2008.

I also referred to Screenwriter: The Life and Times of Nunnally Johnson by Tom Stempel.

PART FOUR: STARDOM

Jerry Eidelman was a friend of Marilyn Monroe’s and was very kind to share his memories of her with us for this and other sections of the book when I interviewed him on August 1, 2007, September 13, 2007, and January 10, 2008.

Rupert Allan was one of Marilyn’s closest confidants. I had the opportunity to meet with him several times, first on March 13, 1985, then again in 1988 and 1989. I used my interviews with him in my book on Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier, Once Upon a Time, since he was Monaco’s counsel general in Los Angeles as well as a very close friend of Ms. Kelly’s. I also utilized his comments in The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe. Primarily, I also used transcripts of Bruce Ebner’s interviews with Mr. Allan as the foundation of much of my research for this book. I also conducted a telephone interview with the ailing but always cooperative Allan in the summer of 1992.

My thanks to John Gilmore for his interview, conducted by Cathy Griffin on April 10, 2008. He was another good friend of Marilyn’s and contributed greatly to this book.

Thanks again to Norman Brokaw for his anecdotes about his friend Joe DiMaggio, utilized in this section of the book.

Also, I interviewed two women who worked at Homestead Lodge during the time that Gladys Baker was an employee at that Eagle Rock, California, facility. Both sources asked for anonymity, and I will grant it. However, they know who they are and how much I appreciate their cooperation with this book.

PART FIVE: DIFFICULT TIMES

My thanks to Wesley Miller, who as a young man worked as a paralegal for the firm of Wright, Wright, Green & Wright, the law firm that represented Marilyn in the 1950s. He was very helpful to me when I interviewed him on March 2, 2008, and March 20, 2008. I value his friendship as well.

The police officers who cooperated with me in this section of the book asked for anonymity. I appreciate their kindnesses and memories very much.

As a teenager, Marvina Williams worked as an aide at Rock Haven Sanitarium in La Crescenta. She spent many hours with me on December 11, 2007, December 12, 2007, December 20, 2007, and January 12, 2008, reviewing her memories of Gladys Baker’s time at that facility. I thank her for her time and also her many photographs.

Thanks to Stanley Rubin, producer of River of No Return, for his interview, conducted by Cathy Griffin on April 24, 2008, a very rare treat.

Special thanks to the lovely Jane Russell for her interview, conducted by Cathy Griffin on April 20, 2008. We also referred to Ms. Russell’s appearance on The Sally Jessy Raphael Show, April 15, 1992, as well as her memoir, Jane Russell: My Paths and My Detours.

I interviewed the inimitable Joey Bishop on May 5, 1997.

I interviewed Esther Williams on May 16, 1997, a lovely lady.

Stacy Edwards was a close friend of Joe DiMaggio and I don’t think this section of the book could have been written without his cooperation. I thank him very much for the interviews I conducted with him on April 11, 2007, June 1, 2007, July 13, 2007, and March 1, 2008. Regarding DiMaggio, I also referenced Joe & Marilyn by Roger Kahn; Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio? by Maury Allen; and Joe & Marilyn: The Ultimate L.A Love Story by Maurice Zolotow.

Sydney Guilaroff’s comments are extracted from Cathy Griffin’s many interviews with him in 1995. I also referred to his autobiography, written with Ms. Griffin, Crowning Glory: Reflections of Hollywood’s Favorite Confidant, published in 1996. Guilaroff’s five decades in the motion picture business and intimate friendships with the biggest stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age made his memoirs the most eagerly awaited autobiography of its kind. Cathy first met him in 1993 when she interviewed him for an A&E documentary on Elizabeth Taylor. She allowed me to review copious notes and transcripts from her work with Mr. Guilaroff, which I utilized in this and many other sections of The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe.

Marybeth Cooke worked for Marilyn’s attorney, Jerry Geisler, and was very helpful with all aspects of this book. I thank her for spending so much time with me on November 1, 2007, December 12, 2007, and April 11, 2008.

Research material regarding The Wrong Door Raid—including my interview with Hal Schaeffer (conducted on November 1, 1996)—was conducted for my book Sinatra: A Complete Life, and now also utilized in The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe. My interviews with Frank’s friend Jimmy Whiting were conducted on April 2, 1995, and May 4, 1996. I interviewed Joe Dougherty, who worked for City Detective and Guard Services, on January 11, 2008. I also had access to Cathy Griffin’s taped interviews with the late private investigator Fred Otash for background material regarding The Wrong Door Raid, as well as the Confidential magazine report in February 1957 and many court documents relating to that particular case. I also reviewed notes and other unpublished material from the Los Angeles Examiner’s file on the “raid” and on subsequent hearings about it.

I also referred to “The Strange Case of Marilyn Monroe vs. the U.S. Army,” by Robert C. Jennings, Los Angeles Magazine, August 1966.

Finally, I also referred to many interoffice memos to the staff at Famous Artists Agency, found in the Charles K. Feldman Papers at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, as well as the rest of Feldman’s papers, including his many appointment books.

PART SIX: VOICES

Importantly, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Arthur Miller in 1987 when he was on his book tour for his memoir, Timebends. I found him maddeningly difficult and not at all open, despite the fact that his book is incredibly candid. I even wondered at the time if he had written his own memoir! Of course, I was sure he had—though one would never know it if judging from his evasive demeanor, especially when it came to discussing his marriage to Miss Monroe. However, I did draw upon that interview for this book. In retrospect, of course, it was an honor to interview such a literary icon.

I also turned to the Arthur Miller Collection at the University of Texas, which I found very enlightening—mostly, though, in regard to his plays, including The Crucible and After the Fall. Also, the Joseph Raugh Collection at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., proved invaluable in confirming certain details about the Monroe-Miller alliance. I also referred to the John Huston Collection at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills.

I also referred to “The Un-American Activities in California—The (California) Senate Fact-Finding Committee on Un-American Activities, Third, Fourth and Fifth Reports” (Sacramento, California, 1947), which is on file at the Margaret Herrick Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

I reviewed the personal papers and files of columnist Sidney Skolsky and the files of the Production Code Administration, also on file at the Margaret Herrick Library.

Thanks to Mable Whittington, who worked at Parkside House in London, for her memories of Marilyn and Arthur Miller, which she shared with me on March 12, 2008.

I interviewed Susan Strasberg in June 1997. I also referred to her memoirs, Bittersweet and Marilyn and Me: Sisters, Rivals, Friends. What a delightful woman. She is missed by many.

I also referenced Lee Strasberg’s 20th Century-Fox legal files.

Edward Lovitz was a personal friend of Arthur Miller’s who spent many long hours with me discussing Miller’s marriage to Marilyn on September 1, 2007, and September 15, 2007. I so appreciate his assistance.

I interviewed the delightful Mitzi Gaynor in January 1997 for my Sinatra biography. I interviewed Billy Wilder in February 1997 as well, a charming fellow and quite helpful.

Cathy Griffin interviewed Jeanne Martin (Dean’s wife) on October 22, 1998, and then again in 1999 and in 2001, and parts of those interviews were used in this volume.

I interviewed Tony Curtis in January 2000 and appreciated his help very much.

My thanks to Melissa Steinberg for her assistance in this section as well, and for the interview she granted me on May 11, 2007.

I also referred to the 1988 documentary Remembering Marilyn, narrated by Lee Remick and directed by Andrew Solt.

Cathy Griffin interviewed Diahann Carroll on April 21, 2008. A side note: I also interviewed Ms. Carroll on July 24, 1975—one of my first interviews after moving to Los Angeles to become a reporter. I didn’t even have a driver’s license yet—but I did have a tape recorder! I never had the opportunity to thank her for granting a young writer such an important interview, so I’d like to do that right now: Thank you so much, Miss Carroll, for being so kind to me way back when.

PART SEVEN: SLOW DEATH

Regarding Dr. Ralph Greenson, Dr. Milton Wexler, and Dr. Marianne Kris:

Cathy Griffin conducted interviews with Dr. Greenson’s widow, Hildy, on June 4, 1991, and on June 24, 1991. I directly and indirectly utilized both lengthy interviews in The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe.

I also referred to The Technique and Practice of Psychoanalysis by Dr. Ralph Greenson and On Loving, Hating and Living Well: The Public and Psychoanalytic Lectures of Dr. Ralph Greenson by Dr. Ralph Greenson, as well as scores of the doctor’s papers and correspondence, all found in the Greenson Collection at the UCLA library. Among this collection is Greenson’s complete and unpublished memoir, “My Father the Doctor,” which proved absolutely invaluable to my research. I also referred to “Special Problems in Psychotherapy with the Rich and Famous,” dated August 18, 1978, and found in the UCLA Collection.

A number of highly respected California psychiatrists who either once worked with Dr. Greenson or who were otherwise associated with him were also interviewed for this book and requested that I preserve their anonymity. Moreover, I had two independent and invaluable sources in the Greenson family who asked for anonymity as well.

Additionally, I obtained through a private purchaser more than fifty letters written by Greenson not found in the UCLA collection.

Also extremely helpful to me where Greenson is concerned was the paper “Unfree Associations: Inside Psychoanalytical Institutes” by Douglas Kirsner. I also referred to “Interview with Leo Rangell, M.D.,” from the Los Angeles Psychoanalytic Bulletin, Special Issue honoring Leo Rangell, M.D., Winter 1988.

Dr. Greenson’s deposition to the Estate of Marilyn Monroe was vital to my research and can be found in the UCLA collection.

Also important to my research was the Anna Freud Collection at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. It is here that one can find many of the letters Freud wrote to her friend Greenson, in response to his correspondence. Those missives not found in Greenson’s UCLA collection are inevitably found in Freud’s Library of Congress collection.

I interviewed Dr. Milton Wexler in 1999. The reason I tracked him down was simply this: He is mentioned in passing on page 107 of Eunice Murray’s book Marilyn: The Last Months. Indeed, in that book, he is simply referred to as “a Doctor Wexler [who was] on call for Dr. Greenson’s patients.” According to Murray, Greenson was in Switzerland the week after Monroe’s birthday when she became unglued. Wexler was summoned. “When he came out to visit Marilyn,” wrote Murray (via her ghostwriter Rose Shade), “he took one look at the formidable array of sedatives on her bedside table and swept them all into his black bag. To him, they must have seemed a dangerous arsenal.” That’s the most that had ever been published about Dr. Wexler—not even his first name!—and thus I found it intriguing. When I began work on Sinatra: A Complete Life in 1994, I hired a private investigator to track down the mysterious Dr. Wexler. He was unsuccessful. Then, five years later, we tried again when I was researching Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot. This time, persistence paid off—but past the deadline for that book, unfortunately. Finally, in this work, The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, the full scope of Dr. Wexler’s participation in Dr. Greenson’s treatment of and diagnosis of Marilyn Monroe can be placed in its proper context.

I also interviewed Dr. Hyman Engelberg—Marilyn Monroe’s physician—for Sinatra: A Complete Life in 1996 and then again for Jackie, Ethel, Joan in 2000. Comments from those interviews were utilized in this book as well. Moreover, I obtained from a private source notes, correspondence, and other material relating to his work with Dr. Greenson. I also referred to his comments found in “Report to the District Attorney on the Death of Marilyn Monroe by Ronald H. Carroll, Assistant District Attorney; Alan B. Tomich, Investigator.”

I also consulted “Tribute to Marianne Kris” by Edward A. Gargen, New York Times; and “In Memoriam: Marianne Kriss” by Henry Nunberg, The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, Vol. 1. I referred to Dr. Kriss’s obituary in the New York Times, November 25, 1980. Additionally, I consulted a number of letters written to Dr. Kris by Dr. Greenson concerning his opinion of and treatment of Marilyn Monroe.

Barbara Miller relayed her memories of Dr. Marianne Kris’s relationship with Marilyn when I interviewed her on March 29, 2007, and August 11, 2007. I so value her help, and that of her wonderful family, too.

I interviewed Peter Lawford twice in October 1981 when I was working for a magazine in Los Angeles called SOUL. It was a black entertainment publication and Lawford was at the time taping a voice-over spot for the sitcom The Jeffersons. Truly, it’s impossible to imagine the strange ways a reporter and a celebrity’s paths can cross in this town! Though I only spent two full afternoons with him—maybe ten hours at most—and exchanged a number of telephone calls, I still found Lawford to be extremely charming and erudite. I also have never believed any of the quotes attributed to him after his death concerning Marilyn Monroe and the Kennedys. While interviewing Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin for my biography of Frank Sinatra, I learned that both found it very difficult to imagine Peter ever implicating the Kennedys in Marilyn’s death—especially if it was true (and it’s not, as I have explained in this book’s text). He was just no such teller of tales, despite the way he has been portrayed since his passing. In fact, in a deathbed interview he gave to the Los Angeles Times on September 29, 1985, he was very clear that even if all of the rumors were true—and he maintained that they were not—he would certainly not be the one to confirm them. Some very skilled and respected reporters over the years decided that he was just covering for the Kennedys with that interview. Every reporter is entitled to his opinion, of course. I choose to take Mr. Lawford at his word—his words while he was alive, that is, rather than what he was purported to have said after he was no longer around to confirm or deny. I hope I am able to do justice to his true relationship to Marilyn and the Kennedys in this book, as well as that of his wife, Pat, to Marilyn. A bit more opinion here, if I may: Peter Lawford was a great guy. I liked him very much. I’m happy that I knew him, even for just a sliver of time.

Peter’s comment regarding Marilyn Monroe having said, just before she died, “Say goodbye to… the president,” etc., is from his official statement to the Los Angeles Police Department in its continuing investigation into Monroe’s death, October 16, 1975.

Pat Brennan met Pat Kennedy Lawford in 1954 and remained friends with her through the 1960s and 1970s. I am eternally grateful for the many hours she spent with me discussing Pat and Marilyn on April 12, 2007, April 15, 2007, April 28, 2007, and June 1, 2007. The subject of their friendship has fascinated me for many years since it has never been fully explored in any biography of Miss Monroe. It’s only because of Ms. Brennan that I was able to write about that relationship as I have. This wonderful woman passed away very suddenly in the spring of 2008. Truly, I had never been more saddened about the death of anyone connected to one of my books. I only hope she is somewhere “out there” right now, happy with the way that she, Pat, and Marilyn are portrayed in these pages.

Diane Stevens, assistant to John Springer, was first interviewed by me for my Elizabeth Taylor book on October 2, 2006, because Springer handled Taylor’s publicity concerns. Because her boss also handled Marilyn Monroe, I interviewed her again on April 15, 2007, August 1, 2007, and September 11, 2007, for The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe. Special thanks also to John Springer’s son, Gary, for his time—on both books. He was interviewed by Cathy Griffin on April 11, 2006, and also on May 1, 2008. Also, my thanks to Rose Marie Armocida, who was the personal secretary to John Springer. She was interviewed by Cathy Griffin on June 1, 2006.

I had the opportunity to interview Yves Montand in the spring of 1989 while in Paris. He was very open about his affair with Marilyn Monroe, and at the time was working with a writer on his memoir (which was eventually published and called You See, I Haven’t Forgotten). He was charming and accessible and I’m happy to be able to draw from that interview in this book.

I thank my friend Bruce Ebner for transcripts of interviews he did with Allan “Whitey” Snyder, Marilyn’s very good friend and makeup artist, and Ralph Roberts, Marilyn’s friend and masseur. These transcripts were very invaluable to the research for this section of the book, as well as many others. (Incidentally, Roberts was interviewed on March 2, 1992.)

I referred to the New York World-Telegram’s report of Marilyn’s stay at Payne Whitney, February 10, 1961.

The letter from Marilyn to Dr. Ralph Greenson regarding her stay at Payne Whitney is found in the Ralph Greenson Collection at the UCLA library.

The letter Marilyn wrote to the Strasbergs from Payne Whitney was printed in an abbreviated version in the Daily Mirror, August 5, 1981. The version used in this text is the letter in its entirety.

Marilyn’s “stand-in” Evelyn Moriarty was interviewed by Cathy Griffin on May 2, 1997, and again on June 1, 2007.

Memos from Jack Entratter to his staff at the Sands Hotel are from the Sands Hotel Papers found in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. These papers include many interoffice memos (some of which were utilized in this work) as well as newspaper clippings, photographs, negatives, brochures, press releases, audiotapes, news clips, interview transcriptions, and correspondence, all of it stored in forty-nine boxes. The papers were donated to the James R. Dickinson Library of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in December 1980 by the Sands Hotel through the office of Al Guzman, director of publicity and advertising. The collection comprises essentially the files of Al Freeman, director of advertising and promotion for the Sands Hotel from 1952 until his death at the age of forty-eight in 1972. My thanks to Peter Michel, head of special collections of the Dickinson Library, for his assistance with this material.

My special thanks to Joseph D’Orazio, a friend who was close not only to Frank Sinatra but to Hank Sanicola and Emmanuel “Manie” Sachs. He and I became pals during the course of my five years of research on my Sinatra biography and became reacquainted when I had to again turn to him for this book. I thank him for so many hours of interviews on May 22, 2007, June 1, 2007, July 15, 2007, and January 10, 2008. “Joey Boy” is one of a kind.

Michael Selsman, one of Marilyn’s publicists, was interviewed twice by Cathy Griffin, first on October 2, 1998, and then again on May 22, 2008. I interviewed his wife, the actress Carol Lynley, on June 9, 1997.

I interviewed Douglas Kirkland by telephone on May 23, 2008, to counterpoint Michael Selsman’s comments.

I interviewed Maureen Stapleton in November 1995.

As earlier stated, I interviewed Sammy Davis Jr. several times for SOUL magazine. As the former editor in chief of that magazine, I had the opportunity to interview him in 1976, 1980, 1984, and 1989. Mr. Davis was a kind and generous man who is deeply missed. I also referred to his autobiographies Yes I Can!, Hollywood in a Suitcase, and Why Me?

I interviewed Mickey Rudin on October 31, 1992, and then again on July 1, 1995, for my book about Frank Sinatra, and his comments about Marilyn are included here. Rudin was a powerhouse in his day. To say he was intimidating is an understatement. However, underneath his brash exterior, I found a very sensitive and kind man.

Dorothy Kilgallen’s husband, Richard Kollmar, donated seventy of his wife’s scrapbooks to the Lincoln Center Library of the Performing Arts. They are filled with her articles, columns, unpublished notes, and other material that she personally accumulated over her lifetime, including her rough drafts of articles about Marilyn Monroe. I reviewed them all thoroughly as part of my research.

Hedda Hopper’s personal notes and unpublished material are housed in the Margaret Herrick Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. I utilized many of her papers throughout this book, especially those concerning Marilyn’s romances. Most helpful were her unpublished notes. Any biographer would be grateful for such a find, and I must thank my friends at the Margaret Herrick Library for making all of this material available to me, and the estate of Hedda Hopper for having the vision to donate it.

I also had access to the complete library of Photoplay and Look magazines from the 1950s of a generous person who wishes to remain anonymous, which was incredibly beneficial to my research. Thanks also to that same benefactor, for giving me access to hundreds of notes and transcripts from Louella Parsons concerning Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio.

Over the years, I met many lawyers who worked alongside of Marilyn’s trusted attorney, Aaron Frosch, and I conducted informal interviews with most of them for background purposes only. Because of the sensitive nature of Mr. Frosch’s work with Marilyn, these sources do not wish to be acknowledged in these pages, or even quoted in this book. For those who worked with Mr. Frosch, I respect their wishes and remain appreciative to them for the time they spent with me. They know who they are, and know that this acknowledgment is directed at them.

PART EIGHT: THE KENNEDYS

I referred to a number of FBI documents for this section of the book, which were recently released under the Freedom of Information Act. My thanks to Tommy diBella for helping to make them available to me. With the most recent release of FBI documents utilized as research for this book, there are now ninety-seven pages that have been declassified concerning Marilyn Monroe—thirty-one documents in her main file and sixty-six in a cross-referenced file—beginning with the FBI’s account of Marilyn applying for a visa and the history of her previous two years.

Much of the FBI’s files on Marilyn—as I stated in the book—are remarkable only for titillation value. However, occasionally something slips through that is quite interesting. For instance, a file dated February 21, 1962, describes Marilyn’s trip to Toluca, Mexico, and notes that her entry into the country was “reportedly arranged by Frank Sinatra through former President Miguel Aleman.” It goes on to state that she was accompanied by “an agent, a hairdresser and an interior decorator. The latter was identified as Eunice Churchill, a part time interior decorator [who] also claims to be an assistant of Dr. Wexley, Monroe’s analyst.” This mention is obviously of Eunice Murray and Dr. Wexler—but, typical of the FBI where Monroe is concerned, the names are not accurate. (It should be noted that Churchill isn’t even Eunice’s maiden name—that would be Joerndt.) Also, this is the only mention of Wexler in the FBI’s records, he being the psychiatrist Dr. Greenson turned to for a second opinion about Marilyn’s condition of borderline paranoid schizophrenia. This document suggests that Eunice Murray was in contact with someone who was an informant for the FBI—or maybe even Murray was the informant, who’s to say?—in that it continues, “According to Churchill, Monroe was much disturbed by Arthur Miller’s marriage on 2/20/62 and feels like a ‘negated sex symbol.’ Churchill said that the subject ‘has a lot of leftist rubbed off from Miller.’ Monroe reportedly spent some time with Robert Kennedy at the home of the Peter Lawfords in Hollywood. Monroe reportedly challenged Mr. Kennedy on some points proposed to her by Miller.” Note that the FBI has Arthur Miller giving Marilyn ideas on how to converse with Kennedy. If this is true, it’s likely she told him the same thing she told many others—as explained in the text—that she had “a date” with RFK.

The February 21, 1962, file also notes that Eunice says Dr. Wexley—again, no doubt, Wexler—“did not like what was happening in the relationship between Monroe and [deleted] and said that Monroe must get out with other people at once.” One has to wonder if the deleted name was not Dr. Greenson’s. Is it possible that Wexler did not really approve of how much Greenson stifled his patient, even though it had been at least partially his idea that Marilyn spend so much time at Greenson’s home? It’s an interesting thought, but we’ll never know for certain since the name is redacted. Eunice also supposedly told the FBI informant that “Monroe is very vulnerable now because of her rejection by Arthur Miller and also Joe DiMaggio and Frank Sinatra.” The file goes on to say that Marilyn asked Sinatra to “come and comfort her” while she was in Mexico, but that he declined. Again, who knows if this is true or not?

One more admittedly cynical note about the FBI documents: On October 23, 1964, two years after Marilyn’s death, the bureau was still gathering information about her. One file with that date includes this classic anecdote: “During the period of time that Robert F. Kennedy was having his sex affair with Marilyn Monroe, on one occasion, a sex party was concocted at which several other persons were present. Tap [sic] recording was secretly made and is in the possession of a Los Angeles private detective. The detective wants $60,000.00 for a certifiable copy of the recording, in which all the voices are identifiable.”

Suffice it to say, this tape has yet to surface.

I also consulted Sam Giancana’s Justice Department file, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, as well as transcripts of federal wiretaps and Justice Department files on President John F. Kennedy and his brother Bobby Kennedy.

I want to thank Bernie Abramson—the aforemention photographer who took countless pictures of Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, and President Kennedy during his career—for the time he spent with me and Stephen Gregory on May 9, 2008, and for his many memories and also photographs.

Special thanks to Matthew Fox for his memories of the Kennedys and Lawfords. I interviewed Mr. Fox on January 8, 2008.

My appreciation to the late Don Dandero, an AP photographer working at the Cal-Neva Lodge during the Monroe-Sinatra years. Mr. Dondero was most helpful in giving me leads and ideas. My thanks also to his daughter, Debbie.

I interviewed Walter Bernstein in March 2000.

I interviewed Joan Braden in April 1999.

In March 2007, I had the pleasure of meeting the venerable investigative journalist and USC professor Ed Guthman during an evening honoring him for his many achievements and his imminent retirement, at the Annenberg School for Communication. Guthman, of course, was Robert Kennedy’s press secretary. In the midst of the hoopla surrounding him that night I was able to ask him just a few questions about Marilyn and RFK. “I know there was no affair,” he told me. “It’s not even a question in my mind. I was there. I saw what was going on. And I’m telling you that there was no affair.” With that, he was cut off by Tom Brokaw, who quipped to me, “Only one question about Marilyn Monroe and RFK is allowed per journalist lucky enough to get in here tonight.” Guthman’s other comments are found in this text.

My thanks to Edward Barnes for his memories of Marilyn at the Lawford home, which he shared with me on January 4, 2008, and January 28, 2008.

I interviewed Henry Weinstein in May 2000, and I thank him for his time.

I interviewed Milt Ebbins on August 6, 1992, and again on July 1, 2000. Milt was a wonderful man with an amazing memory for detail. I think his story (told in this book) of getting Marilyn ready for her appearance at a party honoring JFK is classic Ebbins. Milton, who was one of a kind, is much missed. Milt was partner in Peter Lawford’s production company and also a very close friend of Peter’s. He too agreed that much of what has been attributed to his friend over the years makes no sense, considering Lawford’s temperament and personality. Also, I referred to Donald Spoto’s interview with Ebbins, found in his papers at the Margaret Herrick Library. Moreover, I also referred to Spoto’s interview with Joseph Naar.

Senator George Smathers was interviewed by Cathy Griffin on September 14, 1998, and again by me on October 1, 1998.

The great entertainer Andy Williams was interviewed by Cathy Griffin on May 4, 2007. It’s certainly an honor to include his comments about his best friend, Bobby Kennedy, on these pages for the first time.

I interviewed Peter Levathes by telephone on February 3, 2000.

I interviewed Nunziata Lisi on June 12, 1999, and I thank her for her time. Her stories have been key in this volume just as they were in Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot.

PART NINE: SAD ENDINGS

Regarding Dean Martin: I must admit that I practically stalked Mr. Martin in the summer of 1994 when I learned that he ate regularly at La Famiglia, an Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills. I simply had to interview him, not only because I was writing a book about his pal Sinatra, but also because I had such admiration for him. After a week of visits to the restaurant without seeing him, he finally showed up on the night of June 23. I watched as he ate alone in a corner, seeming very sad and alone. When he finished, I approached and asked if I might one day interview him. After some banter back and forth about both of us being Italian-Americans, he agreed to be interviewed the next night. I returned and, true to his word, he gave me the interview. To be candid, it was a somewhat odd and disjointed affair. He wasn’t himself—a little drunk, a little ill, and very much on the decline. That said, it was quite a thrill for me to have even a few hours with Mr. Martin, and he certainly did have his very amusing moments. I have used some of his comments about Marilyn Monroe and Something’s Got to Give in this book. “At the time, I was a little pissed off at her,” he told me when discussing her many absences during the filming of that movie. “The only other person who ever kept me waiting that much was Sinatra. I hated waiting. Still do. But now, looking back on it, I get it about Marilyn. She was a sweet kid who probably would have been better off marrying a nobody from the suburbs and then living happily ever after with a bunch of kids. Maybe she was just too real, too honest to be in this business.” He was a class act. I think we all miss Dino.

Again, Michael Shaw’s comments are culled from Cathy Griffin’s interview with him on April 17, 2008.

I interviewed Mort Viner on March 11, 1996, and again on July 2, 2002.

Cathy Griffin and I interviewed John Miner on May 22, 1991. I interviewed him again on May 12, 1998, and then again on June 2, 1999.

Cathy Griffin interviewed Roberta Linn on May 5, 2008.

I interviewed Stacy Baron on June 5, 2007.

Cathy interviewed Janet Leigh on July 1, 1991, and we utilized much of it here for background purposes.

I interviewed Frank Mankiewicz on August 27, 1998, and on October 5, 1998. Cathy interviewed Frank’s son, Chris, in May 1999. Of interest to the reader may be that Frank Mankiewicz completed nine interviews for the Robert F. Kennedy Oral History Project: RFK#1: 6/26/1969; RFK#2: 7/10/1969; RFK#3: 8/12/1969; RFK#4: 9/30/1969; RFK#5: 10/2/1969; RFK#6: 11/6/1969; RFK#7: 11/25/1969; RFK#8: 12/4/1969; and RFK#9: 12/16/1969. Each is stunning in scope and can be found at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Washington.

The following Secret Service agents assigned to President John F. Kennedy were also interviewed: Anthony Sherman on September 29, 1998; Larry Newman on October 1, 1998, and October 13, 1998; and Joseph Paolella on September 12, 1998.

I interviewed Arlene Dahl on October 5, 2002.

I’d like to mention that once it became known that I was writing this book, many people contacted me and my researchers to tell me of their experiences with Marilyn Monroe. It was impossible to work all of their stories into this volume because of space considerations. I feel badly that they so graciously gave of their time, only to then not appear in the text. Therefore, I would like to generally thank anyone who participated in this project, named in the text or otherwise… and—who knows—maybe their stories will find their way into the paperback edition.

Specifically, I interviewed James Wright, Sinatra’s chauffeur on April 16, 1997; Kennedy hairstylist Mickey Song twice—with Cathy Griffin on April 24, 1997, and with Charles Casillo on July 16, 1998. Cathy also conducted her own interview with him on August 17, 1991. Also, Cathy interviewed entertainment manager Jess Morgan on May 2, 1997; the talented Tony Martin and the beautiful Cyd Charisse on April 15, 1997; private investigator Fred Otash on August 29, 2001; Danny Cahn on April 28, 2008; and the wonderful Miss Ruta Lee on May 19, 2008. I also interviewed Cyd Charisse on June 1, 2007, regarding her role in Something’s Got to Give. Jackie Bouvier Kennedy’s cousin John Davis was interviewed in March 2008. No quotes from those sources were utilized in this book, but I referred to their stories for background purposes and certainly do thank them all for their time.

Cathy Griffin would like to thank the following people for helping to make her work on this project so much easier and worthwhile: Greg Shriner (of the “Marilyn Remembered” fan club), Harrison Held, Kathleen Hughes, Harlan Boll, Jayne Meadows, Larry Billman, Scott Fortner, Tanya Somova, Senator William J. Raggio, Dave Spencer, John Morris, Joshua Greene, and the Nevada Federal Bureau of Investigation.

And, in conclusion, James Pinkston wishes to acknowledge the following people for their help with his work on The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe: Linda Harris Mehr, director of the Margaret Herrick Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and her dedicated staff, including Susan Oka; Jan and Ray Boyle (a.k.a. Jan Shepard and Dirk London); Armando Munoz, VideoWest; Robert T. Crane; Lisa and Chris Bonbright; Ron Parish; Meg Woodell Gregory; Hart Henson; David Streets, gallery director, Celebrity Vault; Marian Silverman; Gabriel Rotello; Cherry Vanilla; Hotch and Nita Rippere; Robert Schear; Joe Harvey; Hamilton Powell; Maude Schuyler Clay; Elizabeth Bowman Woolverton; Sandra Shafton; and Richard and Robert DuPont.

PERSONAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I want to thank Stephen Gregory for his priceless contribution to this book. He has been one of the most important people on my team for many years, and his understanding of the human mind continues to astound me. His own talent as a storyteller and writer has made his counsel during the production of this, and many of my books, invaluable. I thank him sincerely for always reminding me that my goal is to treat everyone represented in all of my books with compassion first and foremost. I am honored to have him as a coworker, and proud to call him my friend.

My sincere thanks to Jonathan Hahn. Not only is he a brilliant writer and my personal publicist, he also happens to be my best friend. I thank him for so many years of support in all of my endeavors, both personal and professional. We have had an amazing run, and I think the best is yet to come. I would also like to acknowledge his wife, Alysia Garrison, also a trusted and loyal friend to me.

As I have often stated, without a loyal team of representatives, an author usually finds himself sitting at home writing books no one reads. Therefore, I thank all of those from “USA Team JRT” who mastermind the chaos in my office: attorneys Joel Loquvam and James M. Leonard; C.P.A. Michael Horowitz of Horowitz, McMahon and Zarem in Southern California, Inc.; Felinda deYoung, also of Horowitz et. al.

I must thank Jeff Hare, a vice president of Dreamworks, for being such a good and trusted friend. I can always count on Jeff to read my books, and I truly appreciate that.

Brian Evan Newman, George Solomon, Frank Bruno, and Jeff Cook have been such good pals to me, and I would like to acknowledge as much here. Also, I would like to especially thank Andy Hirsch for his invaluable contributions to my life. In fact, it means the world to me to be blessed with so many good friends, including: Al Kramer, Richard Tyler Jordan, Steve Ivory, Hazel and Rob Kragulac, Bruce Rheins and Dawn Westlake, Manuel Gallegos, Lisa Reiner, Matthew Barasch, Steve Ridgeway, Andy Skurow, Billy Barnes, Scherrie Payne, Lynda Laurence, Barbara Ormsby, John Passantino, Linda DeStefano, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Tumolo, Daniel Tumolo, Charles Casillo, John Carlino, David Spiro, Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Steinlen, David and Frances Snyder, Abby and Maddy Snyder, Maribeth and Don Rothell, Mary Alvarez, Andy Steinlen, Jared Murphy, Mark Bringelson, Hope Levy, Tom Lavagnino and little Sam, Michelle Caruso, Leslie Miller, Roman D’Angelo, Yvette Jarecki, Scott Allen, Phil Filomowicz, Jonathan Fousek, Master Aaron Lawrence of Quest Martial Arts, as well as Nolan Blackford, Erik Rodriguez, Brandon Visco, Magda Vamos, and Daniel and Erika Feser.

There are two other fellows who have meant more to me than I can say over the last few years—G.C. and B.P. They know who they are and the impact they’ve had on my life. Both have my undying loyalty. Also, I want to thank D.B. and V.B. for their many kindnesses along the way.

I have always been so blessed to have a family as supportive as mine. My thanks and love go out to: Roslyn and Bill Barnett and Jessica and Zachary, Rocco and Rosemaria Taraborrelli and Rocco and Vincent, and Arnold Taraborrelli. Special thanks to my father, Rocco, who has always been my inspiration. He has encouraged me in ways too numerous to mention.

My mom, Rose Marie, would have loved this book as she did pretty much everything I ever wrote. She was my biggest fan, and I was most certainly hers. We miss her very much.

Finally, I must also acknowledge those readers of mine who have loyally followed my career over these many years. As I have often said in the past, the reason that I write about people such as Marilyn Monroe is to bring about an exchange of ideas concerning how others have lived in the hope that we may learn by their choices. Never did I dream that I would have a global audience for such communication. I am indebted to each and every reader who has stuck by me over the course of my career. I receive so many letters from people who have enjoyed my books—as well as from those who have taken issue with certain aspects of my work. Whatever the response, I am eternally grateful to anyone who takes the time to pick up one of my books and read it.

Thank you so much,

J. Randy Taraborrelli

Winter 2008