Saturday, May 14, 2016

Marilyn home movies

Oy, I'm up to my eyeballs in Marilyn Monroe thanks to trying to get my script ready for tomorrow's reading. I originally had Ella Fitzgerald in the play but now it's down to a two-hander and Fitzgerald only gets a mention. I feel bad losing her, but I think the play is better without her. One of the big things for me about this play is that Monroe gets to speak for herself, instead of people commenting on her, or being portrayed in the movies as "the girl" and I just need all the stage time for her monologues and interaction with the psychiatrist, who represents all the problems of the psychiatric profession of that time.

There are many more candid videos of Monroe available than I had realized. Including 1942 and  1944, which is pretty amazing. Other interesting movie are when she visited an orphanage:



And from 1955 when she was hanging out in Manhattan and a 14-year-old took these movies shots. An Ella Fitzgerald recording plays for the audio which is a nice and appropriate touch.



And when she attended the christening of Clark Gable's son. This was in spring 1961 just months after she was released. This is color footage and she really does look amazing. She appears at minute 2:11 and later at minute 3:17.