In my third post about the online event at Julien’s Auctions, ‘Happy 99th Birthday, Marilyn!‘ – with bids closing on Thursday, June 12 – I’m looking at Marilyn’s private correspondence and financial statements. You can read all my posts here.
Above left, a 1960s print of a publicity shot by Frank Powolny for River of No Return (1954.)
SOLD for $650
And above right, a set of eight envelopes mailed to Marilyn in 1955 at addresses including Twentieth Century-Fox, the Screen Actors Guild, and even MGM – where she had briefly worked in 1949-50 – from fans in Argentina, Australia, Chile, Finland, Germany, Norway, Spain, and the former Yugoslavia (now Bosnia, Serbia, and Slovenia.)
Unfortunately, the letters are no longer extant.
SOLD for $1,170
Two items of family correspondence: firstly, a small slip from an unnamed PR firm or answering service, dated ‘November 8, 1954’, reading in part ‘Message For Mrs. DiMaggio: Her cousin Jack Monroe called’ with an added handwritten annotation in blue ballpoint ink reading ‘he is?’
Jack Monroe was Marilyn’s cousin, and she had lived with his family for a few months as a child. He was also listed in her final address book.
And secondly, a small card with a typed note of thanks for flowers sent for a ‘dear one (who) passed in his journey to immortality and peace’, signed ‘Lovingly, Aunt Allis.’
SOLD for $325
At left, an oversized 1970s print of Marilyn in ‘Renoir Girl’ pose for Jack Cardiff, cinematographer on The Prince and the Showgirl, shot in London in 1956.
SOLD for $1,625
And at right, a telegram dated June 26, 1957 from Richard Ney – best-known for his role in the wartime movie, Mrs. Miniver. “We saw your Prince and the Showgirl last night/When it was over the audience applauded,” he wrote, inviting her to star in But Not For Marriage, a musical play he was developing.
A pencilled note reads in part, ‘Monroe not.’ Retitled as Portofino, the show opened on Broadway in 1958 but folded after just three performances. Ney later became an investment counsellor and author.
SOLD for $455
At top: a framed poster for There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954), created for the Century Theatre in Hamilton, Ontario; and used to advertise a raffle to win tickets for the movie.
SOLD for $520
At bottom: two royalty statements from the Radio Corporation of America (RCA.) The first lists dates from May to November of 1957. The second, dated August 31, 1957, outlines royalties due to Marilyn from her Show Business songs and ‘I’m Gonna File My Claim,’ her hit record from River of No Return.
SOLD for $910
A letter from fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert dated February 4 1958, thanking Marilyn for participating in a fashion show that benefitted the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (later renamed as the March of Dimes.)
SOLD for $325
Four documents addressed to ‘Mrs. Arthur Miller’ or ‘Mrs. Miller’; three dated February 19, 1958, one dated April 1 1958; regarding gloves bought from the John E. Fuchs Corporation in New York City including ‘white-kid’, ‘button white’, and ‘satin’ gloves.
SOLD for $520
At top: a Marilyn Monroe Productions (MMP) cheque dated November 13, 1959, made to Hazel Washington, Marilyn’s maid at Twentieth Century-Fox, and signed by Marilyn herself.
SOLD for $3,250
At centre: another MMP cheque, signed by Marilyn to secretary May Reis on May 21, 1960.
SOLD for $3,575
And at bottom: A group of 14 handwritten notes and receipts from the Beverly Hills Hotel or Schwab’s Pharmacy, each outlining small expenditures, many of which were obtained for her by May Reis, Hazel Washington, chauffeur Rudy Kautzky, and secretary Dorothy Blass.
Some additional notes in a secretary’s hand and record petty cash given to Marilyn such as ‘$5- / cash to MM / 3/28/58.’
SOLD for $585
A letter dated June 30, 1960, from James Roosevelt, son of the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt, inquiring if Marilyn would participate in a television special related to his mother’s charity, the Eleanor Roosevelt Institute for Cancer Research.
According to Marilyn’s teenage fan, James Haspiel, the two women met when she first moved to New York. However, Marilyn did not appear at this event, perhaps because of her prior commitment to The Misfits.
SOLD for $650
At left: a United Press International (UPI) wire photo shows Marilyn leaving the funeral of her former mother-in-law, Augusta Miller, in March 1961.
SOLD for $520
At right: an original print of a rare Gene Daniels photo showing Marilyn arriving at John Clark Gable’s christening in Encino, California in June 1961.
SOLD for $2,925
At top: a letter dated November 27, 1961 from Marilyn’s attorney Milton Rudin, addressed to secretary Marge Stengel at Marilyn’s New York apartment, noting that Marilyn had recently taken out a loan for $55,000. Rudin included three deposit slips detailing her recent expenditure. (Both Marilyn and May Reis sometimes used Stengel’s name as a pseudonym.)
SOLD for $585
At bottom: A memo from Milton Rudin dated January 9, 1962, noting that Marilyn had recently been paid $100,000 by United Artists, as part of her 1958 contract for Some Like It Hot allowing her 10% of gross profits. After taxation, and repaying her loan plus other outstanding charges, she was left with $50,460.
SOLD for $1,040
At top: a group of three telephone messages from the Beverly Hills Hotel. The first is dated May 13, 1961 from ‘Mr. Siegel / Friend of Joe’s’; the second dated May 16 1961 from ‘Miss Wallace’; the third dated June 13, 1961 from Hollywood agent Norman Brokaw, nephew of Johnny Hyde; also included is a small ‘door hanging’ envelope from the hotel.
SOLD for $1,950
At bottom: an invoice totalling $7.82 from the Arthur P. Jacobs Company, who handled Marilyn’s publicity, dated June 18, 1962, for Western Union wires she either sent or received relating to her agency representative, Pat Newcomb.
The invoice also mentions a ‘Hopper quote’ – perhaps this meant gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, whose scathing article about Marilyn’s dismissal from Something’s Got to Give was published a day later, headlined ‘Marilyn Monroe Has Had It.’
And last for now, ‘Monroe’s picture with P. Sellers’ is also listed, most likely referring to the English actor and comedian, Peter Sellers. It is believed he was tipped for a part in I Love Louisa, which might have been Marilyn’s next film if she had reconciled with Twentieth Century-Fox.
After her tragic death in August 1962, the film was made with Shirley MacLaine (but minus Sellers) as What a Way to Go!
SOLD for $195
The Marilyn Report 