The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe Read online

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2009 by Rose Books, Inc.

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Grand Central Publishing

  Hachette Book Group

  237 Park Avenue

  New York, NY 10017

  Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com.

  www.twitter.com/grandcentralpub

  First eBook Edition: August 2009

  Grand Central Publishing is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  The Grand Central Publishing name and logo is a trademark of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  ISBN: 978-0-446-55095-6

  CONTENTS

  COPYRIGHT

  ALSO BY J. RANDY TARABORRELLI

  PREFACE

  PROLOGUE

  PART ONE: The Beginning

  Norma Jeane’s Foster Mother, Ida

  Norma Jeane’s Grandmother, Della

  Marilyn’s Mother, Gladys

  Norma Jeane Is Born

  Della’s Terrible Fate

  Living with the Bolenders

  A Frightening Encounter with Gladys

  Ida Wants to Adopt Norma Jeane

  “Now It’s Time to Know Your Mother”

  A New—and Temporary—Life

  The Voices Return

  Grace Is Norma Jeane’s Legal Guardian

  Norma Jeane’s Troubling Visit with Gladys

  Norma Jeane in an Orphanage

  Grace v. Ida

  Norma Jeane Learns She Has a Half Sister

  Norma Jeane Marries

  PART TWO: Transitioning

  Crazy?

  Gladys’s Clever Plan

  Trouble in Paradise

  Overnight Success

  Gladys Is Released

  Gladys’s Plea to Norma Jeane

  Jim Gets a Surprise: Gladys

  How Gladys Lost Her Children

  The First Norma Jeane

  Jim’s Ultimatum

  Final Confrontation

  Norma Jeane Signs with 20th Century-Fox

  PART THREE: Marilyn

  Marilyn Trying to Understand Gladys

  Getting Through to Gladys?

  Wayne Bolender’s Fatherly Advice

  Giving Up Her Soul

  Natasha

  Disappointment

  Johnny Hyde

  Gladys Marries

  Fifty Bucks for Nudity?

  PART FOUR: Stardom

  Unwelcome Visitors

  The Asphalt Jungle

  All About Eve

  Dumb as a Blonde Fox

  Suicide over Johnny?

  Marilyn Tries to Meet Her “Father”

  Early Films

  Jasper Dies

  Don’t Bother to Knock

  Joe DiMaggio

  The Nude Calendar Scandal

  Gladys: “I’d Like to Have My Child’s Love”

  Marilyn and Joe: Tumultuous Already?

  Gladys’s Surprise Visit

  Niagara

  Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

  Gladys Threatens Grace

  Gladys’s New Home

  How to Marry a Millionaire

  River of No Return

  PART FIVE: Difficult Times

  Grace’s Upsetting Secret

  Grace Learns About Marilyn’s Troubles

  A Graceful Exit

  A Shocking Discovery About Grace

  Marilyn’s Rebellion

  Natasha Continues Her Dual Purpose

  Mrs. DiMaggio

  There’s No Business Like Show Business

  The Seven Year Itch

  Marilyn Divorces Joe

  Sinatra

  The Wrong Door Raid

  Marilyn in New York

  Arthur Miller

  Why Marilyn Was Investigated by the FBI

  Bus Stop

  Natasha Non Grata

  PART SIX: Voices

  The Misery of Arthur Miller

  Marilyn and Arthur Marry

  The Prince and the Showgirl

  Arthur Miller’s Damning Journal

  Quiet Before the Storm

  Marilyn’s Depression

  Some Like It Hot

  A Sign from God?

  PART SEVEN: Slow Death

  Giving Voice to the Voices

  Marilyn and Pat

  The Misfits

  No Relief

  Marilyn Is Committed

  “You Are a Very, Very Sick Girl”

  “I’m Locked Up with These Poor Nutty People”

  “How Dare You Betray Me!”

  Gladys’s Sheets, Soaked with Blood

  Returning to the Safety of Sinatra

  A Reunion with Berniece

  Greenson’s Diagnosis

  A Second Opinion

  Marilyn’s Drugs of Choice

  Dr. Greenson in Control

  Eunice Murray

  PART EIGHT: The Kennedys

  Kennedy Style

  Marilyn and Bobby

  JFK: “Finally! You’re Here!”

  Notorious Players

  Marilyn’s Weekend with the President

  Something’s Got to Give

  Marilyn’s Fascination with the President

  Marilyn’s Surprise Visit to Pat

  An Overdose Because of JFK?

  Were Marilyn and Bobby “The New Item”?

  Bobby: “The President Wants It and I Want It”

  “Happy Birthday, Mr. President”

  PART NINE: Sad Endings

  Marilyn Fired

  Gladys: “I Don’t Say Goodbye”

  Pat: “My Friend Is Dying”

  The Lost Weekend

  “Maybe”

  Final Curtain

  APPENDICES: AFTER MARILYN

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  SOURCES AND OTHER NOTES

  MARILYN MONROE FILMOGRAPHY

  ALSO BY J. RANDY TARABORRELLI

  ELIZABETH

  JACKIE, ETHEL, JOAN:

  Women of Camelot

  ONCE UPON A TIME:

  Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Ranier

  For My Family

  PREFACE

  Marilyn Monroe.

  The mere name alone represents different images for different people. For some, it suggests the absolute standard of female sensuality. Beauty. Grace. Sophistication. For others, insecurity comes to mind. Misery. Tragedy. However, in order to appreciate the complex and fascinating life of this enigmatic star, one must attempt to put aside any preconceived notions about her—certainly no easy feat, considering her iconic status.

  Perhaps the first step toward truly understanding Marilyn is to accept that all of the vivid images conjured by her name are true—from the good to the bad, the glorious to the tragic. Indeed, she was a woman who enjoyed and suffered a wide spectrum of experiences, many that are well known and quite a few—as you will read on these pages—that have remained private and undisclosed until now. Still, her devoted fans have always felt that they’ve known her well. Some who admire her without reservation can be moved to tears by the memory of a certain, maybe haunting, performance she gave on film. They fall into a group of devotees who would sacrifice almost anything to have their idol back among the living—only this time healthy and happy. To them, she is someone to be adored and placed high on a pedestal—preferably in a pose befitting her cinematic royalty. Others who are more circumspect view her as a spoiled Hollywood celebrity. They see her life as a cautionary tale of the dang
ers of excessive superstardom. To them, she is someone to be pitied as much as loved. Again, though all judgments and musings about her have an element of truth, there is a group I’d like to invite you to join with the reading of this biography—the select group of people who simply want one thing: the truth.

  To say that much has been written about Marilyn Monroe is an understatement if ever there was one. Yet during the time I spent researching this book, I was surprised by just how muddled and conflicting the previous accounts of her life have been over the years. I also learned that there are some intriguing reasons why many of the stories about Marilyn have felt at arm’s length from her, as if her time on this earth had been viewed through a diffusion filter. For one thing, many fantastic legends about her have been accepted as fact. Therefore, separating truth from fiction is not an easy task—especially since a good deal of the fanciful tales about her were created by the lady herself! Then there’s the residue of old Hollywood’s public relations tactics. Some of those who were personally involved in Marilyn’s life were products of a vastly different era. Once upon a time, there was a hands-off policy when it came to the images of celebrities, and there is to this day, among surviving members of that community, a feeling of reverence—a respect for the way the studios wanted us to view movie stars… from a distance.

  However, Marilyn’s presence, both onscreen and off, promised something quite different. She often appeared open and available, as if the answer to anything you wanted to know about her was just a question away. That, though, was an illusion. You see, Marilyn Monroe had a love-hate relationship with the truth, and at times with reality itself. It’s no great mystery why she so desperately tried to avoid the truth. Often it was agonizing, unbearable, and, she hoped, escapable. Why? Because, Marilyn—the picture of glamour and confidence to the outside world—was a woman far more troubled than most people knew. Though she would try to hide it from the world with her seamless portrayal of style and wit, those closest to her were privy to her deepest, darkest secret: She feared for her own sanity. Because her grandmother and mother were committed to insane asylums, Marilyn lived with the constant threat of impending madness. The often heartwrenching war she fought with her own mind has never, until now, been properly examined and presented. Thankfully for this biography, many of Marilyn’s contemporaries were convinced to come forward and discuss the specifics of her secret battle. These interviewees, many in the twilight of their lives, were vital to the completion of this book. In part, I believe their cooperation came with the realization that certain details of Marilyn’s life had not yet been accurately revealed, and that the truth of her struggles would die with them.

  Much of what can be taken from Marilyn Monroe’s story is inspirational. After all, she is a woman who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to become not only adored and respected but also, arguably, the biggest movie star in all the world. While a large part of her life was spent building and maintaining her career, in private Marilyn was passionate in her quest for family. She sought the permanency that the notion of a family promised. Sadly, it rarely delivered. Undaunted, she maintained close relationships with a mother who was constantly being institutionalized and a half sister the world didn’t know existed. On these pages, you will read about those fascinating relationships for the first time, and numerous others that have been previously misunderstood. Marilyn also went to great lengths to identify and then meet her father. Indeed, her quest for genuine and meaningful bonding would continue throughout her life.

  Perhaps the real story of this woman revolves around something she—at her best—possessed in great abundance: hope. She believed throughout her entire time on this earth that anything was possible, and she often proved just that. Those who find it difficult to read the unsettling details of her life outlined in this book should remember that, even toward the very end, Marilyn had moments when she believed ultimate happiness to be just within her grasp. In fact, if there is one thing that set her apart from most people, it was her ability to maintain an urgency to the present moment. She believed that her “now” was more important than her past and future. Sadly, while she attempted to remain in the present, her past haunted her almost as much as her future frightened her.

  Marilyn Monroe was so much more than just a famous movie star. She was a vulnerable soul, a generous spirit, and a brave soldier in a devastating battle with her own mind. Attempting to explain her difficult journey is the challenge I set for myself with this book. At the heart of the story, I discovered a very different kind of Marilyn, a woman far more complex and serious—and maybe even tragic—than the one I thought I knew.

  PROLOGUE

  The cavernous arena is electric, its walls vibrating with applause one moment, laughter the next. Yet at the end of one of its long hallways and sitting behind a closed door is a woman having an experience all her own. Just minutes earlier, she had breezed through a crowd of onlookers and backstage technicians with a confident smile and a glamorous way. At this moment, however, while waiting for a drink she’d requested of a stagehand, she seems to shiver with apprehension. “They’re making fun of me,” she tells the young man as he offers her a glass of New York City tap water. “Listen.” But he can’t follow her direction, for he is too taken aback by how her eyes are locked on his… how she is talking to him… and how she is… Marilyn Monroe. Indeed, even though he shook hands with the president of the United States less than an hour ago, this is the moment he will always treasure.

  Moments earlier, the woman was an emotional wreck, confused and panicked when she popped her head out of her dressing room to ask him for the favor of a drink. But now she is looking to him for something altogether different. Perspective. Reassurance. Maybe even wisdom. After it’s clear that he is nearly immobilized by her presence, she drops her look of concern and smiles knowingly. After all, he’s just another one, and she knows it—another one of the millions of men who love her. One thing he doesn’t know, however, is something that might surprise him: She loves him back.

  By May 19, 1962, Marilyn Monroe had whittled down her circle of close friends to a precious few—or perhaps the circumstances of her life had done it for her. Along the way, there had been many who tried to talk her through her bouts of anxiety or paranoia. However, their efforts were almost always in vain. Marilyn was convinced that she knew better. In a heartbreaking catch-22, those dearest to her would throw up their hands and surrender to her need to be right—even if what she was correct about was her own misery. Without anyone left in her world able to lift her from her darkest periods, she would spend the majority of her time alone… thinking—which was, of course, exactly what kept her in such despair. Therefore, it would often be in small moments like this one—time spent with a starstruck stranger rendered speechless in her presence—that she would be reminded of who she was, and of what was expected of her.

  She pushes away from the wall she’s been leaning against and approaches the young man. Once standing before him, she bends forward, holds his ears between her palms, and kisses the top of his head. “Thank you,” she says in a soft voice. “Now I need to get ready.”

  As he slips out of the room, he notices her moving to a large mirror, sighing loudly. She begins laughing as he pulls the knob—and then, when the door clicks shut: silence, again. This strange behavior leaves him thinking what everyone else backstage that night has been: What is going on in there? Not just in that dressing room, but inside that beautiful head of hers.

  “Marilyn had practiced so hard for that performance,” explained her friend Susan Strasberg, “far too much if you ask me. It was too important to her. All she had to do was sing ‘Happy Birthday.’ Most performers could have done that with their eyes closed.”

  Marilyn, of course, was not “most performers.” In fact, she wasn’t even most “people.” Rather, she was a woman waging a specific battle fought by many in the world on a daily basis: mental illness. Her mood swings and unpredictable behavior were usually viewed
by her public as mere eccentricities incidental to who Marilyn Monroe was as a woman. Yet the difficult emotional tug-of-war she endured for much of her life, ignored by almost everyone, may have been her most defining characteristic.

  On this night, however, why would Marilyn, globally recognized as a major celebrity, think that she was being made fun of? While she had often wrongly believed in the past that the worst was being thought and said about her, on this evening she happened to be right. They were making fun of her.

  By this time in her history, gallons of newspaper ink had been used to describe to the world just who Marilyn Monroe was—that was nothing new. However, in the weeks leading up to this performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City, much of that ink was used to explain that she was, above all, irresponsible. She had been chronically late or completely absent for the making of her most recent film—a production from which she would ultimately be fired. The world knew about it and didn’t care. After all, she was Marilyn Monroe. In the public’s collective reasoning, she had carte blanche. Those who had been fans for at least the last decade viewed her mounting unpredictability as a necessary evil—just one of the things that made Marilyn… Marilyn. However, the truth was that her increasingly troubling behavior was much more than just a star’s idiosyncrasy, to be joked about over cocktails. It was a sign that something was terribly wrong with her.

  Onstage that night, many renowned performers were assembled to celebrate the birthday of President John F. Kennedy. Frank Sinatra was present, as were Diahann Carroll, Jack Benny, Henry Fonda, Leontyne Price, and many other luminaries. Each of them took to the stage to perform after being introduced in a dignified manner. Marilyn, however, received a very different introduction.

  “Mr. President, Marilyn Monroe,” the distinguished British actor Peter Lawford intoned numerous times throughout the evening. However, the “gag” of these many introductions was that when her arrival was announced, the spotlight would swing to the side of the stage and then—nothing. She wouldn’t appear. Everyone would laugh, of course. After all, it had become a not-so-inside joke that Marilyn Monroe was a woman upon whom nobody could depend. Funny? Not particularly, especially if one took the time to examine just why she had become so unreliable.