Marvin Scott Remembers Marilyn at the Circus

On PIX11 News, Marvin Scott, a veteran TV news journalist, recalls photographing Marilyn as a teenager at the Ringling Brothers circus benefit for rheumatoid arthritis at Madison Square Garden on March 30, 1955. Collector Scott Fortner adds that it was Marilyn’s first public appearance since her separation from Joe DiMaggio (who was in the audience), and that she said the night was very special to her because she’d never been to the circus as a child.

“I used my Bronx High School press pass to finagle my way in and joined a batch of professional photographers eager to capture her image. I pushed my way with the camera to get up close as she prepared to ride a pink elephant big as life. There was a magical quality about this woman in front of my camera. The smile was real, the pose seemed studied. She appeared to be toying with the lens the way a kitten would with a spool of wool. At one point she turned from the rest of the pack and looked directly at me, threw back her head and asked in a whispery voice, ‘Is this alright?’ Nervously I responded, ‘Yes, Miss Monroe.’ Wow, what a moment! She generated an electric charge with each click of the shutter. My finger remained frozen on it, grabbing several frames as Marilyn rode triumphantly into the centre ring to a thundering applause and cheers of adoring fans. I have to confess that I never ran a story or photos in my high school newspaper – but I did sell them to a small pocket magazine for fifty dollars to pay for my gear, and in subsequent years I’ve donated several images to charities, and sold some to collectors.”