The Private Marilyn was first published in the US by Parade magazine as part of their American Icons series in 2015. It was reissued in 2017, and a third reprint is now available, with some online stores offering delivery to the UK.
As shown above, the cover art has repositioned and digitally puffed up a 1953 photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt. Inside, this ‘bookazine’ offers a visually enticing survey of Monroe’s life and career.
However, The Private Marilyn also draws upon unreliable sources, including tapes allegedly made for her last psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Greenson. These have not been found and may never have existed, as Marilyn was very guarded about her personal life.
The rumour can be retraced not to Greenson but John Miner, an attorney briefly involved in the 1962 investigation of Marilyn’s death. Nearly 40 years later, he sold an alleged Monroe transcript to Playboy – featuring dubious claims of sexual encounters with Joan Crawford and Marlene Dietrich, and gossip about the Kennedys.
All of this is rehashed in The Private Marilyn, alongside a number of erroneous – and possibly fake – quotes. Parade has a long history with Marilyn Monroe (see here), so it’s disappointing that they haven’t given her a better tribute.
Thanks to Fraser
The Marilyn Report 