Product Description
A must for the Marilyn collector. This treasured volume has been officially licensed by the Marilyn Monroe Estate. Among the collection's fabulous photographs are those that have never- before-now-been-published. The reproductions of memorabilia include some rare pieces. Interspersed with quotes from those who knew her best including DiMaggio, Grant, and Sinatra this is a true picture of the icon's lifestyle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wonderful Find!
This is such a great book for any Marilyn Monroe Fan! the recreation of the documents pertaining to her life are just wonderful that you might want to frame them! LOL! Anyway its a must have and you will enjoy!

My new treasure and soon to be yours too!!
I wanted this shiny--had to buy this shiny as soon as I heard about it.And as a big Marilyn fan, I'm glad I did!!

This new book is a gorgeous collection of photographs, great quotes with a smart and compelling narrative by author, Jenna Glatzer. The Marilyn Monroe Treasures is an awesome glimpse of the legendary beauty; one which fans will treasure for a long time.
... Read more

Product Description
The Unabridged Marilyn: Her Life From A to Z ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

everything you ever wanted to know about miss monroe.
it's a shame this book is out of print, because it should be an essential for any marilyn monroe fan. the unabridged marilyn has almost everything you could possibly think of- from people in her life, to the movies, to the icon herself. i personally loved all the tidbits about her, such as that her first credit card was taken out at a book store (proof to those naysayers that claim she was just a dumb blonde), and the fact that she hated underwear. the book also had tons of quotes that really showed her personality, and made me fall in love with her all over again.

this book is a must for marilyn fans!

The most complete reference on Marilyn Monroe
As a Marilyn fan I found this to be one of the most extensively researched books on her life and the circumstances surrounding her death. Published in 1987, long before "The Marilyn Encyclopedia" by Adam Victor. The Unabridged Marilyn by Randall Riese and Neal Hitchens is a must have for any fan of monroe. This book lists everything her complete autopsy report to the actresses that have portrayed monroe, or monroe based characters on the stage and screen. This book also contains comprehensive lists and reviews of practically all the books on monroe that had been written up to point when this book was published. It is obvious that the authors of this book have a great respect for monroe and have definitely done her justice in the careful and comprehensive research of this excellent reference book on one of the most intriguing, intelligent and beautiful women who ever lived. ... Read more

Product Description
A Rare And Highly Collectible Out Of Print Christie's Auction BookTitled The Personal Property Of Marilyn MonroeDated Wednesday October 27, 1999Thursday October 28, 1999Lot Size 576415 PagesExtensive Collection Of The Personal Effects Of This Legendary Women Whose Memory Still Lives On.Includes Several Photos,TrophiesEvening WearFursLingerieJewelsBooksDecorative CollectiblesAnd Many MoreA Beautiful Dedication To Such A Beautiful WomenMakes A Great Gift To Give The Marilyn Monroe Fan In Your Life ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The Real Marilyn Monroe!
For so many years people have wanted to know the "Real" Marilyn Monroe, well folks this is as close as any one can get to her these days. If you do not own this book theres no way that you can truly be a Marilyn Monroe Fan, I always felt that way like something was missing in my collection and that i was never really part of it all. With this Book you are looking into her day to day life, its so much like Marilyn is giving you a guided tour.........You cannot or ever will regret owning this out of Print collector's item!

Diehard Fans Must Own This
I can't believe any big fan of MM would NOT own this book. Reading it feels odd, like you're going through her things in her house. Here we see, in color, all of her clothing, even brassieres, shoes, accessories, and more. Not only clothing, you have photos of her dinnerware, knick-knacks, records, and books. Looking through her book collection was very interesting. Her makeup kit is here, and the book has as its centerfold the Happy Birthday dress. One of my best investments. Almost feels like you're digging through someone's drawers without their permission.

A MUST have for any die hard fan!
One of my most prized possessions in my book collection.I suppose you could say that this is the next best thing to being able to physically touch and see any of Marilyn's personal belongings up close.The amount of detail listed in the items is incredible, and love all the close up photos.Amazing to see several items with that "lived in" quality, such as makeup stains still on clothes, hand written notes in her scripts, ect.Fabulous "centerfold" of every angle of the happy birthday gown. My only complaint is that they didn't have an informed person assemble the item next to a photo of her wearing or using it.Some photos were paired with completely wrong items. Cover choice of photo is a little odd...is it just me or does that not really look like Marilyn?Other than that, amazing book!

A must for Monroe fans
If I had to choose one book to own on Marilyn Monroe, this would be it! It's the auction catalogue from the Christie's 1999 auction of Marilyn's personal property. Although catalogue is a gross understatement; this book is a HUGE 500+ page book with tons of information and pictures. If you want to really get to know the day to day Marilyn, this is the perfect book. From the clothes she wore to the books she read, everything is here. Purchased at this auction was the dress she wore when singing Happy Birthday Mr. President in that notoriously sexy voice that led Kennedy to thank her for singing in "such a sweet and wholesome way." The dress was the most expensive ever sold at $1.2 Million. Around the time of the Birthday Gala she was busy furnishing the first house she ever owned, 12305 5th Helena Dr. in Brentwood, CA. A few months later she would be found dead in her bedroom under suspicious circumstances. Part of the beauty of this book is that we get to see the few things she cared enough to have around her. Aside from a museum this is the closest we can get to Marilyn. This out-of-print book is well worth the price. ... Read more

Product Description
There is no more recognized actress of the twentieth century than Marilyn Monroe. She starred in some of the greatest films ever made and had relationships with some of the most famous men in the world. Even after death she has continued to be surrounded by interest and controversy. Through over 170 beautiful photographs and approximately 20 rare and removable facsimile documents, "Marilyn Monroe: The Personal Archive" will uncover the private life of the star, revealing her crippling stage fright, insecurity, difficult childhood and her ambition to be the greatest actress the world had ever known. ... Read more

Product Description
A Special Memoir for a Special Moment in Hollywood History . . .

Some Like It Hot occupies a unique place in American culture. This beloved classic showcases five comic geniuses: Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, I. A. L. Diamond, Billy Wilder, and Marilyn Monroe. It has been honored by the American Film Institute as the "Funniest Film of All Time". It has contributed quotes, styles, and stories to film lore. Yet the full story of its making has never been told—until now.Amazon.com Review
Product Description

Some Like It Hot occupies a unique place in American culture. This beloved classic showcases five comic geniuses: Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, I. A. L. Diamond, Billy Wilder, and Marilyn Monroe. It has been honored by the American Film Institute as the "Funniest Film of All Time". It has contributed quotes, styles, and stories to film lore. Yet the full story of its making has never been told—until now.

Amazon Exclusive: Interview with Tony Curtis

Acting legend and author of The Making of Some Like It Hot, Tony Curtis, sits down for an exclusive interview with co-author Mark A. Vieira to talk about his book, his legacy, and of course, Marilyn.

Mark: Tony, both your fans and the potential readers of our book would like to know what prompted you to write The Making of Some Like It Hot?

Tony: Well, Mark, while my last book, American Prince, was going great guns a year ago, I was invited to The Bonnie Hunt Show. My agent, that handsome Alan Nevins, was with me in the green room. And Alan says to me, “Tony, you know the anniversary is coming up of your movie Some Like It Hot. Why not do your own book about it?”

Mark: Did you like his idea?

Tony: Frankly, no. There was a lot of stuff, a lot of memories I hadn’t dealt with. The business of my romance with Marilyn. I thought I should let it alone. And for years I did.

Mark: Well, what persuaded you to deal with it now?

Tony: I realized something. People love the picture Some Like It Hot. They cherish it. Being an artist myself, a painter, I can see why they call the picture a work of art. It is. So I thought to myself, people want to know how we made it. Why not tell them the whole story? It’s not just that I’m the only actor left to tell it. I’m the one that can tell it best.

Mark: When I was working with you, I sensed that some stories were easier for you to tell than others.

Tony: Oh, yeah. Yeah. You see, Mark, when you go back and look at yourself fifty years ago, how you were then, it’s tough. I don’t mean that I would change a lot of things that I did, but I—well, let me put it this way—it’s like trying to ride a roller coaster backwards. It’s tough going back and sorting all that stuff out. You know I’ve had my health problems in the past few years. Luckily, my memory wasn’t affected. But thinking about Marilyn and Billy Wilder and all that, well, it got to me. You saw that.

Mark: I did. But you managed to tell a tale that no one else can.

Tony: What can I say? I was there. I was me. Billy called me “the best-looking kid in town.” Being that kid gave me a particular kind of access. Certain people question why Marilyn chose to get involved with me. Look at the pictures of us together. That should answer their questions. We were two beautiful young animals. Why shouldn’t we get involved?

Mark: Do you think that helped the film?

Tony: Once again, I say: look at the picture. You can see the heat between Marilyn and me. Without that, what would you have? A funny picture with a hole in the center of it. Billy needed that, he needed that chemistry to make the thing work. He got it.

Mark: Any parting words about the book?

Tony: Yeah. Like the rest of the world, I’ve grown to love Some Like It Hot. I mean, it did a lot for me. And I’ve always loved telling stories. So this story—the story of how we made it—is my bouquet to the picture. This is for you, Billy and Jack and Marilyn.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (44)

Nobody's Perfect.
Devoured this book over two days. Great reminiscences of this classic comedy with an abundance of behind-the-scenes photos. Very interesting to learn more about Billy Wilder's working style, particularly regarding scriptwriting! And of course the Tony-Marilyn chemistry stories can't be beat! Thanks for your final gift to us, Tony, and thanks Mark for working with him to do it.

Marilyn Monroe and the Making of Some Like It Hot
Of all the movies to come out of Hollywood in the twentieth century, Billy Wilder's "Some Like it Hot" Some Like It Hot) holds a special place among my personal favorites, and I'm not alone. In 2000, the American Film Institute listed this special film as the greatest American comedy film of all time, and I for one agree.

So when this book, The Making of Some Like It Hot, was offered as an Amazon Vine selection, I grabbed it, and am glad that I did. But right after I ordered it, had some misgivings, as it's all too often that "tell-all" books are released as exposes containing sordid behind the scenes looks by so-called insiders. Must note that there are a couple of these here in the book, but they aren't much different from what followers of this film already knew.

Tony Curtis tells us the whole story of what went on behind the scenes, from his own personal perspective. The main characters are director, Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond (his co-writer), and of course actors Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Curtis himself. Curtis is a decent writer, and it helps that the subject he is writing about is one that is interesting to some of us as fans of this classic comedy some 50 years later.

The book is an easy read, yet interesting. Curtis and his co-author Mark A. Vieira aren't particularly reflective, and Curtis' memories are only sporadically illuminating. This book spotlights Marilyn Monroe more than anything. She had a brief relationship with Curtis in 1950, before they both had achieved fame, and years later on the on the set of "Some Like It Hot," they resumed it, but only for a brief time. Curtis had strong feelings for her, and he observed real resentment toward her by other members of the cast, probably because Monroe was actually a perfectionist.

According to Curtis, some of her erratic behavior almost caused the film not to be made. Perhaps the most revealing aspect of this book was the affair that took place between Curtis and Monroe, and the effect that it had on him and on Monroe's husband, playwright Arthur Miller. The biggest eye-opener is Curtis' claiming to having been the father to the child that Monroe miscarried in December 1958, during the time when her marriage to Arthur Miller was falling apart. When the author of "Death of a Salesman" learned of his wife's sexual encounter with Curtis, he confronted Curtis in his dressing room.

Fans of the film will be happy with the many photos found between the covers, though Curtis' descriptions of Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond and his co-stars Jack Lemmon, George Raft, and Joe E. Brown seem strangely flat and perhaps even one-dimensional. He seemed to offer token words about how he admired them and was honored to have worked with them, but that's about all he had to say.

The focus on Marilyn in the end takes away from the story of the film. Still, the book has a humorous air about it, which seems appropriate for a memoir about the making of the comedy. If Curtis had any axes to grind, he really didn't do so in this book, and kept them to himself. For fans of the film, it's generally a positive, upbeat account of the film, its stars, and Hollywood moviemaking in general.

Interesting, but PUH-LEEZE!
All I can say is, well, it was an interesting read.If you love "Some Like It Hot", it's got lots of interesting info about the making of the movie...IF you can believe everything that Tony Curtis says.

After reading his 1993 autobiography (the one where he sings the praises of his then-current wife, who was about 173 years younger than him; he then divorced her the following year), what struck me the most about him was his unbelievable ego.He talks about his magnetism, how women STILL find him irresistible (um, yeah, if they are into geezers), how people stop and stare at him everywhere he goes because he is SO good-looking (um, no, they are probably just thinking 'too bad Tony Curtis aged so badly').Seriously, it was disappointing.And now in this book, more of the same comes out.All I can do is quote from page 181: "I got an erection, an erection that would have killed an ordinary man".Um, yeah, Tony.Give it UP already!

And some of the stories he tells are, quite simply, unbelievable.Like, did EVERYONE sleep with Marilyn Monroe?First Marlon Brando said he had an affair with her.And now Tony Curtis is saying that he and her had a "special connection" before they were stars, as well as during the making of the movie.Right, I believe that.And even if it WAS true...I dislike how he justifies his womanizing: that he had "needs" (I guess he means his extraordinary boners), and Janet Leigh wasn't fulfilling them.Oh, well, that makes it all okay!

Furthermore, he actually tries to convince the reader that he was the father of MM's miscarried baby.That's just TOO tabloidish for me.

Take my advice: borrow it from the library if you like "Some Like It Hot"; don't spend your hard-earned cash on this ego-feeding book.

Pretty Lightweight Fare
This is a light and breezy confection. Tony Curtis is elderly and frail now, and perhaps will make a buck or two on this tell-all. He is open and honest about the Hollywood system and how movies are written, packaged, and sold, from his earliest meetings with Billy Wilder through the movie's premiere and legacy. It's obvious that Curtis is proud of being part of one of the funniest movies of all time, and he has nothing but praise for Wilder and his co-star Jack Lemmon. He alternately praises Marilyn Monroe's star magnetism and frowns with sympathy on her erratic behavior.

According to Curtis, he and Marilyn slept together when they were first starting out in the movie business, and they slept together while making Some Like it Hot too, but only once, on location in Florida when his wife (Janet Leigh) and her husband (Arthur Miller) weren't there. He explains, once again, about how his kissing scene with Marilyn was an arousing one, and how his "like kissing Hitler" tossed off remark was misinterpreted. He points out Marilyn's ups and downs in weight, and her hand-shaking ritual performed before her takes - these comments are not kind, but he was clearly frustrated by her nervousness and her 'coaches' on set, as her idiosyncrasies resulted in setbacks and nearly cost Wilder his mind. Curtis also claims he may have been the father of the baby Marilyn miscarried two months after filming ended, and portrays his showdown with Arthur Miller over it. All good gossipy stuff.

When Curtis is in the room with the people he writes about, I can take his stories at face value. No need to prove anything to me - these are his memories, after all. But he inserts a few scenes at which he was NOT a participant, and puts words in others' mouths, most notably in arguments between Marilyn and Miller. So....take this and all movie star memoirs with a grain or two of salt. Harmless, and practically weightless.

Tony Curtis "Hot" Memoirs: All About Me & oh yes.. Marilyn
That Tony Curtis is in love with his screen persona is amply evident in this threadbare memoir of the making of the beloved comedy classic. Nevertheless, his flip comments are quite candid and entertaining and, as far as Hollywood egos go, he seems grounded enough to throw pebbles, not stones, at his Hollywood pals' preening and pampering. The only person he seems to have it in for in this celluloid tell-all is Paula Strasberg, Marilyn's drama coach sychophant who it seems was universally despised by all. A couple of potshots at ex-wife Janet Leigh were unnecessary, perhaps to justify his serial womanizing. More importantly, he does illustrate the frustrations and difficulties of working with the legend Monroe and clears up some myths attached to the comedy. I still cannot decide if she was a brilliant or limited actress with an incandescent screen presence. For film fans only, an enjoyable, lightweight, easily forgettable tome as seen through the vainglorious lens of the celebrated actor. Wait for the paperback. Read and toss! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Interesting book about an icon
First, let me say that I am not a die-hard Marilyn Monroe fan.I have scanned over the other reviews (all rated 5-stars), and I have to disclose that I have not read a lot about her.So coming from that perspective, I do not have the breadth of comparisons that other reviewers seem to have about Monroe related volumes.

In and of itself, I found "Conversations With Marilyn" to be a curious, sometimes odd, and slightly meandering volume.Weatherby met Monroe while covering the filming of "The Misfits" and they had several extensive conversations following the film's shooting, with the understanding that Weatherby would not use the material at the present time. Before the in-depth interactions with Monroe actually begin in the second half of the book, Weatherby discusses conversations he had with Clark Gable (Monroe's co-star in "The Misfits"), Arthur Miller (Monroe's husband and "Misfits" screenwriter), Lee Strasberg, Paula Strasberg, and Clifford Odets.

Monroe's conversations with Weatherby range from literature to the civil rights movement. The main underpinnings of the conversations are Monroe's efforts to find herself, to reconcile her dramatic ambitions with that of her movie star/sex symbol realities.Monroe emerges as a likable, intelligent, and multi-faceted individual.The book sheds no new light on her reported connections with the Kennedys, but only underscores the mysteries that comprised the last year of her life, and the unanswered questions about her death.

A different Side to Marilyn!
I just finished this book and have always wanted to get my hands on it and read about the conversations of Marilyn with someone that she to a very large extent trusted with casual encounters and conversations of the things going on in her life and in the countr at the time. It was heart warming and reassuring to know that beneth the movie star was a sensitive, sweet, angry, moody woman, in other words a real human being. As her make up artist Whitey once said of her, "She was the only one of them that was human." And after reading this she really was, it makes me wonder just what she could have done had she lived on.
This is a great addition to anyone that is as big a fan as i am to your Monroe Library.

Marilyn Monroe
I agree with Kyle Wagner. I just finished this book last night and I was glad to have read it. I've been a huge fan of hers for the past 8 or so years, and I've never come across it. I like the fact that this was closer to the end of her life when she wasn't trying so hard with journalists. It seems like in her earlier days she tried to hard to fit the "Marilyn" type she had created. This book shows more of her, Norma Jean.
I also found it cute and interesting how he played hard to get with her, not trying to talk to her.
After so many years of being a fan, it's nice to read something about her. I now feel like I know her and all her insecurities, emotions, and even the joking side of her.
I have long known that she was never the "dumb blonde" that was portrayed on screen and often found myself having to defend her to friends and family. At least this book gives me proof.
I highly recommend this book and feel it is a most to any Marilyn Monore fan.

Marilyn the person...
This book caught my eye in a used book store, and after eenie-meenie-mynie-moeing it and two other books... I walked out with Mr. Weatherby's book, and I'm so glad I did. I read it very quickly over two mornings, and was astonished at how factual and real it seemed to be.

After being hired by The London Observer to cover the making of "The Misfits", W. J. Weatherby strikes up an unlikely acquaintance with Marilyn. I suggest you read the book to discover how this came about - it was a fun & delicious little "courtship" that took place between the two. (Marilyn initially refusing interviews and Weatherby, upon hearing this, spoke with all cast members - very visibly - but Marilyn.) In time the two shared occasional telephone calls, andconversations that took place mostly in an anonymous bar on 8th avenue in NYC.

In the pages of this book are glimpses of the real person who inhabited the character of Marilyn Monroe. ("Marilyn" was a creation of the studios, and Norma Jean.) In one fascinating account after another we find out little every day things about MM (or Norma Jean): how she was almost supernaturally able to turn "Marilyn" on and off as though by flicking a switch. Sometimes it's fun for her to evoke "Her", and sometimes she prefers to be skillfully anonymous.

What makes this book even more fascinating to me is that the author was also following Integration in the South at the time, and was dating a black woman with whom he discussed his conversations with Marilyn. Likewise with Marilyn he discussed the subject of Integration. I'd never thought about Marilyn as being, one of the very few "Stars" that black people could identify with (at the time) but all parties speak candidly on this subject.

This is a well written and fascinating book that resonates as true to me. It makes me not want to read other sensational books about dear Marilyn, and also makes me think in my heart that her death was indeed the (possibly) accidental cause of a drug over-dose. And that behind this sensationalized creature there lived a woman-girl who read books, drank, and suffered from every day dilemmas like anyone else.

Very Highly Recommended.

A must-have for MM collectors!
The author knew Marilyn and liked her very much. He first met her during the filming of "The Misfits." Later, he would meet her in a NYC bar and discuss all types of subjects, from MM's lovers, her views on civil rights, her compassion and kindness towards her fans, her future, her secret affair with a famous politician (she didn't reveal the name). This is one of the best books ever written about MM because the English author is careful to remain objective. This is NOT a kiss and tell biography and that makes it more valuable to the MM fan. Don't miss this one! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Marilyn Memorabilia at its Best!
This book is one of the best books on Marilyn that I have ever seen!There are so many great photos of her from the beginning of her career until the untimely end of her life.Harvey not only includes many lovely photos of Monroe, but includes little tidbits of information about Marilyn and the photos.It is written in a very eay to read manner and since the writing is mainly centered around the photos you can easily read a little bit here and there without getting completely lost.I really enjoyed this book's content and would strongly recommend it to any Marilyn fan!

very nice
These are extremely high quality photos on very nice paper. It is like having a marilyn scrap book of photographs. I was very pleased.
The paperback I have seen recently. It seems just as nice, but I bought the Hard backso nothing would get creased or bent. Favorite one so far. I am very picky.

Marilyn:A Life In Pictures
Excellent!Loved it! Marilyn was and truly is beautiful.Every Marilyn fan should purchase this book.You won't be disappointed!

I love this book
I love Marilyn Manroe and one of my friends knew how much I loved her so she got me this book. And I loved this book it had tons of grate pictures that a marilyn lover will love or just anyone that wants to remember her in some way or another. Or just someone that collects Marilyn stuff this would me amazing to add to your collection.

a must-have for every Marilyn Monroe fan's collection!
I have this book and it is by far one of the best. It has beautiful images of Marilyn. It also has a lot of information on events in Marilyn's life and things that happened during the filming of her movies. If you are a fanof Marilyn Monroe, this is a must-have! ... Read more

Product Description
What made Norma Jean special was the quality she discovered when, bored with being a teenage bride with a husband in the Merchant Marine during World War II, she took her first and most enduring lover, the camera. At the age of 36, Marilyn Monroe died a Hollywood movie star and an American legend. Her rise to fame, however, had very little to do with her limited talents. Monroe infiltrated Hollywood, swarming with fake names and idealized careers, and pressed herself into its mold. Monroe's personal confessions, along with interviews with friends and contemporaries, reveal the truth behind this Hollywood icon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

skip it
If you want to read a good Marilyn Monroe biography, I suggest Marilyn Monroe Private and Undisclosed by Michelle Morgan, or Marilyn Monroe by Donald Spoto.This book is just a vilification of a very complex, intriguing, and in many ways admirable human being.He ignores her generosity, compassion, determination to better herself, and sensitivity to those less fortunate than herself as well as her bravery in challenging the established studio system.He dismisses her claims of being abused without any justification for doing so.He is so misogynistic that he even openly calls her a "sl-t".I wonder if he would have used similar adjectives were he writing about a man who was a notorious womanizer.

In short, this is not a balanced biography, and it's chauvinistic and in my opinion offensive.Save your money.

Don't Bother
Marilyn Revealed was a big disappointment. It's not well written, it isn't a good biography, and the author almost seems to bear a grudge against his subject.

His main point seems to have been to debunk many of the stories Monroe told about her childhood. Even that would be fine if he had done a good job of it, but he really doesn't. He frequently relates stories that she told, then simply says they aren't true without explaining how he knows that. He may have done his homework, but you can't tell it from what he writes in many cases. Where he does give the conflicting accounts, he often characterizes her story as a lie even when it's not conclusive -- again, at least based on what he chooses to tell. Eventually, he comes across as someone who just wants to prove Monroe a liar, not to actually write a biography.

If that weren't bad enough, the book is badly written, or at least badly edited. It's chock full of passive voice, unclear statements, and awkward constructions, not to mention passages that explain the same information twice on the same page.

Do We Really Have To Know Quite This Much?
Having read about Ms. Monroe from Norman Mailer through to Anthony Summers, it was clear that the eternal icon for the fifties world of movie star glamour was a very troubled person.

Any book that has been published about Marilyn Monroe is certain to focus upon: her time spent in an LA orphanage; the troubled state of her marriages to Jim Dougherty, Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller; her affair with Yves Montand; her problems when it came to filming her movies; her being blamed for the death of Clark Gable due to her extended illnesses while making THE MISFITS.

Mr. Schwarz details these as well.But whereas Anthony Summers (in GODDESS) was quite reverent about the woman (despite an unflattering post-mortem picture) and Norman Mailer was in love with the woman whose life he was chronicling so that he whitewashed (or fabricated depending upon who you listen to) much of his book MARILYN, in MARILYN REVEALED, the author shoots down every fantasy about Marilyn Monroe until she becomes nothing but a publicity-obsessed woman who will do anything to advance her career. In the same breath however, the author makes a valid case that Marilyn Monroe really did not want to be a star - in fact he details how she almost deliberately sabotaged it. Yet he never bothers to explain, or even question, the odd paradox.

Although well written, and quite knowledgeable about the public life of Marilyn Monroe, the author discredits almost every biography that has been written about her. In his version, Marilyn Monroe was a product of the short-minded star-making machine operators who pushed pills upon their stars not knowing the potential harm that would eventually ensue.We read about it with Judy Garland and MGM ad nauseum but Judy always managed to reclaim a sympathetic portion.Here, the author does not spare his subject anything. In fact, three quarters of the way through MARILYN REVEALED, Mr. Schwarz stops blaming the studio heads and states flat out that she was an alcoholic and addicted to drugs.

What he is saying might be so and perhaps it is a reluctance to stop believing in fairy tales, but there are still many who wish to remember Marilyn Monroe as the troubled soul who for a brief moment shone brightly. After reading this, one will never look at her in the same way again.

A Nice Idea, but...
Mr. Schwarz had an interesting approach to Marilyn Monroe.He emphasized her ambition and drive. So often she is portrayed as a clueless young woman with unbelievable luck, or an innocent victim of the Hollywood system, or both.Building the case that she set out to be a movie star (and a good actress)is a nice corrective.
Over and beyond that, Schwarz was at his best when he discussed the technical side of making a motion picture.For the non-expert in this area, he is enlightening about subjects ranging from the general problems, such as filming in color as opposed to black and white, to specific problems with filming Marilyn Monroe to the best advantage and what she did about them. Had the book played to its strengths, it would have had 250 pages rather than 650, and it would have been a very nice addition to the Monroe bibliography.Unfortunately, it didn't do so.
To begin with the most obvious and annoying excess, back in the days when publishing houses had copy editors, repetitions were rare.Here they are endless.If I had a dollar for every time Schwarz used the phrase "dirty little secret", I could buy myself an expensive meal at a fine restaurant.Throughout the book Schwarz repeats the same statements (often word for word) every time certain topics are discussed: contracts with movie studios, Joe DiMaggio's personality, Marilyn Monroe's drug problems are but three of many. How many? Let's just say using that same dollar standard, I could treat a dozen of my best friends to a feast at that fine restaurant as well.
Unfortunately the negatives don't end there. More serious than the repetitions are the unsupported assertions.In the early part of the book, Schwarz makes statements about the physical and mental health of various members of Marilyn Monroe's family. Although he makes them with great authority, the source(s) of these statements remain a mystery.Later in the book, JFK's heroics on PT109 are seriously questioned in a couple of lines. The brief comment that "documents are in the naval archives" [p. 568] is the only evidence offered. That statement may or may not be true, but Schwarz needs to do more than make an assertion to make his charge creditable.If he has any hope of being believed, he also needs to list "the naval archives" as one of the places where he looked for primary sources along with the Beverly Hills Public Library and YouTube.

Detailed Account of Unknown Facts
Saw this in Barnes and Noble and wondereddo we really need another Marilyn book.It was so thick it peaked my curiosity and so I bought it for entertainment value. Lots of previously unrevealed facts. Goes into detail. Puts Marilyn into historical connotation.Playwright Miller comes off as a jerk. Rightly so. Can't believe Mariln's hairline was given electrolysis, that was Rita Hayworth who had a beetle brow. Marilyn never had a beetle brow!She had a widow's peak.Reveals a lot of facts that were incorrect about her death and the people who supposedly knew her but didn't and made careers out of her death.The only troubling thing is how closely the Kennedy's were involved in her tragic end and how she was threatening to expose the brothers.The book kind of makes you wonder if they really didn't have a motive after all. Or if for them her death was a fortuitous accident. Entertaining.Many new facts. ... Read more

Product Description
Bert Stern’s Favorite Photos of an American Icon

Bert Stern, the famous commercial and fashion photographer of the
60s, was the last to be granted a sitting by Marilyn Monroe six weeks before her tragic death. The three-day session yielded amazing pictures—fashion, portrait, and nude studies—of indescribable sensual and human vibrancy, of which Mr. Stern’s favorites are published in this book.

The monumental body of work by the master photographer and the
Hollywood actress marks a climax in the history of star photography. It is a unique affirmation of the erotic dimension of photography and the eroticism of taking photos, and it is the world’s finest tribute to Marilyn Monroe.

In 1954 Bert Stern opened his first studio in New York. Besides
working for IBM, Vogue, Glamour, Life, Revlon, and Smirnoff, he is famous for his portraits of celebrities such as Anna Nicole Smith, Elizabeth Taylor, Gary Cooper, Louis Armstrong, Catherine Deneuve, as well as Marilyn Monroe.

Accompanying the incredible photos are Marilyn’s conversations with the photographer:
“I’m not going to take off my pants,” she declared.
“Just roll them down, then.”
She rolled them way down low on her hips so I could see the label, which read JAX.
I saw the scar now. It was on the right side of her stomach. A blemish, an imperfection that only made her seem more vulnerable and accentuated the incredible smoothness of her skin.
She was the color of champagne, the color of alabaster.
We were ready to begin. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Monroe's Best!
WOW!!! Even if you already own the HUGE coffee-table book of the complete last sitting, in my opinion this book is still highly recommended! The Bert Stern photos have always been my personal fav of Marilyn & I own books by all her photographers who have had books published. This one is perfect, it shows all the best photos from that magical last sitting with the # 1 Sex Goddess!

Wonderful book !!!!
If you love Marilyn this is a must buy. Greak pics but there is nudity so it should be a purchase for people over 18 years old.

Great pics
I love the variety and quality of the photos.The perfect gift for my daughter, a big MM fan.

Creepy but worth a perusal in the book store
Its certainly Marilyn as you've never seen her... unretouched photos showing thick makeup caked in her crows feet, a huge surgery scar on her stomach... boozed up and talked into taking her clothes off, as recounted by the photographer.


Mostly what I felt as I was looking at the photos was sad for Marilyn... and that she had yet again been taken advantage of by this photographer who kept writing about "how was I going to get her to take her clothes off?!" like a highschool senior before prom.

It particularly disgusted me when he wrote about how the moment he met her his "dream life in new york"... marriage...kids... everything disappeared... and eventually during one of the sessions he leaned in to kiss Marilyn but she said "no".

Hah! Good girl Marilyn.

... Read more

Product Description
Once described as ‘the only blonde in the world’, Marilyn Monroe’s impact in the course of her brief film career was so great that her image remains one of the most potent and poignant of our time, combining waiflike innocence with glittering eroticism, worldliness with profound vulnerability. Much photographed during her lifetime, Marilyn has since been a constant source of inspiration to artists, from Andy Warhol and noted fine artists to the graphic studios who mass produced greetings cards bearing her likeness. Some see her as the public saw her - sensual, half-open mouth, dreaming eyes, heavy, always just-covered breasts. To others, she is the subject of fantasy - bizarre, erotic, expressionistic - an emblem of pure sex, or the embodiment of the wholesome American Dream.

It is the work of these artists that are presented here from around the world, a true testament to her global impact. These portraits exercise artistic licence to the full, but in which there is little that does not connect at some point with the original model in all her fascination, a unique and universal fascination which, forty three years after her death, shows no sign of diminishing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

The Art of Marilyn
If you are a Marilyn fan, this book is a must. And don't forget to buy the second one also. Both are wonderful, with some very stunning works of art featuring the most beautiful woman in the world. Buy a copy or two today. You won't be disappointed.

marilyn in art
This is an awesome book for any Marilyn Monroe fan - hundreds of amazing art images, most rarely seen.There was a time in the 20s and 30s when movie stars were not photographed for magazine covers but drawn by artists. MM missed that period during her life but she is now probably the subject of the work of more artists than any movie star before or since - many of these art works are to be found in this lavishly illustrated volume. Highly recommended!

Marylin in Art
Anyone who loves the image of Marylin Monroe will enjoy its rendition by various artists in this book.

A Tribute in Art
Marilyn Monroe was an icon of our time. It is hard to believe that if she had lived she would have just had her eightieth birthday. And it's hard to believe that she has been dead for forty four years. She was only 36 when she died.

This book, MARILYN IN ART is a beautiful collection of drawings made of her by a wide variety of artists. In some cases she is cartoon like, others more like classical photographs. Each seems to manage to capture some essense of the woman. The art is combined with short quotes from a wide range of people who knew her, worked with her, photographed her or had some kind of relationship with her.

The book doesn't attempt to answer any of the questions about her death, it doesn't go into a psychological analysis of the likelihood of suicide. Instead it is a tribute to her, to her work, to the times she helped to create. And in this it is a great book. Perhaps the art shows more of the inside of Marilyn than photographs could. It's a book hard to put down, even after you've been through it once.

Beautiful tribute to an outstanding Star!
The book has finally reached me and waiting for it was well worth it. What a great feeling to see some of my art work in it! A lot of the art works published in it is truly beautiful and there is everything to fit all tastes! What a pleasure it is to see some friends' paintings: William Davies, Albert Leonard, Mary Belzunce, Frederic Cabanas... Thank you to Roger Taylor for compiling such a superb book.A must for all fans!
Marc Gélis ... Read more

Product Description

Remembering Marilyn

More than thirty-five years after her tragic death, Marilyn Monroe is one of the hottest stars of the collectibles business. Although Marilyn Monroe's career spanned just sixteen years, it generated a huge number and variety of collectibles, which are now commanding record at auction houses around the world.

The quintessential guide to this sensational star, Marilyn Monroe Collectibles offers up-to-the-minute prices on everything Monroe, from paper collectibles, books, dolls, plaques and plates to stamps, calendars, advertising, movie and record collectibles, and more.

Customer Reviews (2)

very unique and informative book.
this book was very informative and well done with pictures too. i have been collecting for almost 20 years and i never heard of half the items in there. it is amazing. never saw a book on marilyn like it! very wellresearched

Outstanding!
Finally at last, a complete price guide on Marilyn Monroe! A truly comprehensive guide indeed and a must have for all who collect on Marilyn! Excellent job throughout! You won't regret it! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Good pics, but average text
Amazon price for the book is $[...], and it's a nicely put together book; however, info in the introductory essay is repeated throughout the book. And, more of the space could have been dedicated to the photos.

The book ends with the photographer's letters home to his wife, but nothing new really was revealed from the full letters that wasn't already written in the intro.

Nice book if you can pick it up for [...] bucks, but $[...] is a bit steep.

Marilyn cannot take a bad photo, Do your research before buying!
I'm a huge collector of Marilyn Monroe - So when I became interested in this book, as the cover photo caught my attention, I thought there would be LOAD'S of photo's covering almost every page!

There were not.Most photo's of Marilyn are of a smaller size print... there are some full page...but more in the smaller size.

All the tedious information and lack of the amount of photo's I expected made it just another book on Marilyn you could see anywhere.SURE, Sure, there were a few photo's that may have never been seen....but like I said, Marilyn can't take a bad photo so they were all 'nice' pic.s of her.

It just wasn't what I was expecting - that's all - If I had thumbed thru it in a bookstore before purchasing, I wouldn't have bought it.

A candid look at Marilyn at the height of here career.
This book is a treasure for any Marilyn fan but I think would also be of interest to the general public.The photos are the long lost results of a 1953 Look magazine shoot. The Black and white photos were taken while Marilyn was in Canada on location for the "River of No Return."

While some of the photos are posed, most are candid shots of Marilyn giving the reader a glimpse behind the scenes of this iconic star at the height of her career.I found myself taking my time as I paged through the book.There is a quality about Marilyn that is arresting, she makes you look, even more so in the candid shots.For more insight into Marilyn I am looking forward to "Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters" to be released next week (Lost diaries of Marilyn's).And for a look into the making of Marilyn's last film I highly recommend "Misfits Country."

Just When You Thought You've Seen It All!
Just when you thought you've seen it all... here comes "Marilyn August 1953: The Lost Look Photos" by John Vachon. This is a fabulous book! It is perfect for the Marilyn fan or for any lover of photography.

In August of 1953 documentary photographer John Vachon was given an assignment by Look magazine. The assignment would take him away from his family vacation and to Canada for two weeks. John was asked to take photos of Marilyn Monroe (what a hard job) for Look magazine. Marilyn at the time was at the top of her success. She had just completed Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and was engaged to baseball legend Joe DiMaggio. She was in the Canadian Rockies to film, The River Of No Return.

Despite this John was not so sure he would find Marilyn an easy subject to photograph. Many movie stars of the time would be surrounded by their handlers making the photographer's job harder to do. Would he be able to capture a different side to Marilyn? The side that showed the "real Marilyn"?

I think you will find that the answer is yes! John took over 100 photos of Marilyn capturing her at her very best. The photos in this book are spectacular. They capture Marilyn in candid moments: snuggling with Joe Dimaggio and staged moments: Marilyn pouting in a two-piece bathing suit on crutches. These photos prove that Marilyn and the camera were best friends. She understood photography and how to take a great photo.

I have been a Marilyn fan/collector for over 20 years. I have only seen a few of the photos shown in this book. If you are looking for rare Marilyn "Marilyn August 1953: The Lost Look Photos" is it.

The book consists of only black & white photos- but, they are just lovely. The book is well made and a perfect coffee table size. The story behind the photographs is also very interesting and will give you a glimpse into Marilyn's life at the time.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

AN UNFINISHED LIFE....
Written at the height of her fame but not published until over a decade after her death, this autobiography of actress and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) poignantly recounts her childhood as an unwanted orphan, her early adolescence, her rise in the film industry from bit player to celebrity, and her marriage to Joe DiMaggio.

The Marilyn on these pages is a revelation: a gifted, intelligent, vulnerable woman who was far more complex than the unwitting sex siren she portrayed on screen.Lavishly illustrated with photos of Marilyn taken by renowned photographer Milton H. Greene, this special book celebrates the life and career of an American icon--from the unique perspective of the icon herself.

There is apparently some doubt as to whether or not Marilyn actually wrote the words in this book, or if someone else did it for her.In either case, there is a poignancy about the book that is haunting.

Like many women growing up when I did, Marilyn was definitely a screen star in every sense of the word.Larger than life, glamorous, enviable...But then the image began to slip a bit, with stories of her various mishaps--her unreliability, her marital discords, her futile attempts to have a baby.Then one tragic night in August 1962, the whirlwind life of Marilyn was over.But the stories continued as the media ruthlessly circled the life and times of Marilyn, speculating about whether or not she died accidentally, or in a suicide attempt.Then later, there were conspiracy theories, hints of murder.But none of those questions were answered.

When I bought this illustrated tome a couple of years ago, I was hoping to find information not previously known to the public.Perhaps a peek into her world through her own eyes.Hearing the story in her words (if they are her words) satisfied some of that curiosity; she came across as a wounded, but spirited woman who always dreamed big, despite the odds.She conveyed that famously described depth often belied by the surface exterior.

The most chilling words in this "memoir" are the prescient vision she had of herself as "the kind of girl they found dead in the hall bedroom with an empty bottle of sleeping pills in her hand."

None of us growing up in the fifties will ever forget Marilyn, and her story lives on in the various books out there.But her own story in her own words adds significantly to the collection.

I give My Story four stars, primarily because so much is left unanswered....but then again, at the end of this book, the collaborator's note says: "This is where Marilyn's manuscript ended when she gave it to me."A book unfinished, perhaps--just like her life.

beautiful work
when reading this book, it was as if i was listening to marilyn's voice telleing me the story....don't freak out....no, i'm not a psycho....i say this because she comes across very honest.

Pleasantly Surprised
I never thought of Marilyn Monroe as being a deep, self reflective type of woman.However, this book reveals a side of her that is much more complicated than her public persona and is hidden by her glamour.I thought this book was great, I wish though there were less pictures of her Hollywood persona and more of her past.

marilyn monrroe's story by M.A. Channon
"I was full of a strange feeling, as if I were two people, one of them was Norma Jean from the orphanage who belonged to nobody. The other was someone whose name I didn't know, I knew where she belonged, she belonged to the ocean and the sky and the whole world."
-Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jean Mortenson in 1926. She was raised by an assortment of families. Each family she ever lived with was paid five dollars a week by her biological mother, the money was to pay for little Norma Jean's food and clothing. She proved to be an assset to the home she lived with because she could do housework. Her mother visited her occasionally. Every time Norma spilled the salt or forgot to wash the dishes, she was sent back to the orphanage until a new family adopted her. When her mother was taken to the insane asylum, she lived with her Aunt Grace between families. One day, when Norma Jean is sixteen, she and her aunt decide that she should get married to avoid having to go to new families all of the time. When she was nineteen, she and her husband divorced and she moved to an apartment in Hollywood t look for work. She made enough money modeling for advertisements and layouts to get by. She got on the payroll t 20th Century Fox, they gave her the name Marilyn Monroe and they told she was going to be a star, but they never hired her for any movies. Then, one day a magazine wrote an article about a calendar she had modeled for years before. Letters began to pour into the studio until, as Ms. Monroe puts it "They had to stop ignoring me." so they put her in a movie and she became a hit. When attending a party that the studio sent her to for publicity, she meets Joe DiMaggio, whom she later marries. Marilyn goes on to star in many movies, she dies in 1962. I really liked this book and I would recommend it to any Marilyn Monroe fan.
One thing that I liked about this book was that she wrote itthe way a friend would talk about their life.Marilyn wrote more about her rough childhood rather than each of her individual movies. She talked about life in Hollywood living in poverty, being surrounded by phony agents and young talent unable to find a some work. People judged her for being beautiful, women were always suspicious of her and she couldn't get a real job interview with a man because they were crazy about her looks. She wrote about the strangers' proposals that she turned down. She even wrote about the hopes, dreams and desires she once had that she has now fulfilled
I liked how Monroe cleared up all of the gossip that had always been present in magazines and spread by word of mouth. She did this without an angry or accusatory tone. Often when a celebrity attempts make it known that the gossip isn't true, they go into an angry rant about the press, Monroe did nopt do this. The words were written in a cool, casual manner, almost as if she were look back on it and laughing. Throughout the entire book she conveys a message saying that she is more grown up than people have made her out to be and is still more mature than she once was.
I also liked some of the metaphorsand descriptions she used. Some of the metaphors made me laughbut for the most part I got a really good idea of what she was describing. I would have never thought of some of the ways she described objects and situations. She described phony agents as wolves howling in the night for someone to come and work for them.
I did get a little bit confused when she kept referring to past future occurrences. She could be talking about her childhood and refer to marriage to Joe Dimaggio, or dhe could be talking bout a publicity party she went to but refer back to the orphanage she went as a young child
I belive that this is a very good book which speaks the truth and exposes a new side of Marilyn Monroe that is very different from the characters she plays on the screen. Inside are thoughts, hopes, dreams and ghosts of the past.

for the real story finally after over forty years
this was just okay the same old lies once you read here i am mother by nancy miracle the real story censored for so long yopu'll know it all the old hollywood story is over the real one lives see here i am mother by her daughter nancy miracle ... Read more

Product Description
In this sensitive, provocative portrait of Marilyn Monroe, Gloria Steinem reveals the woman behind the myth--the child Norma Jean--and the forces in America that shaped her into the fantasy and icon that has never died. 16 pages of full-color photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Wonderful
Luved this book!!~!!So Beautiful!!~!!I was excited to add to my collection!!~!! ;)

Ahead of its Time
It's fitting that Gloria Steinem, who helped the world see women as the people they really are, should tackle the subject of Marilyn Monroe.Monroe was, and in some ways still is, the ultimate target for projected feelings about women.This book was published at about the time as the more popular but now discredited biography by Norman Mailer. Mailer's work can serve as Exhibit A about the attitudes and beliefs that both made and broke Marilyn.

I came to this book after reading Randy Taraborelli's The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe where it is cited. Taraborelli builds on not just this book, but the feminist thinking Steinem pioneered which is now so mainstream that it would hardly be labeled "feminist". Steinem writes that Marilyn resents her role in her husband, Arthur Miller's "The Misfits" where she saves horses by having a female cliched hysterical fit. Both Steinem and Taraborelli discuss the role Miller tailored for her in "After the Fall", with Taraborelli clearly more strident in his depiction of stereotypes Miller was putting on her.

I had expected more from Steinem on Marilyn's female support system. Taraborelli shows how this began from a series of female care givers. As an adult, Marilyn bonded with her half sister, two female drama coaches, Pat Lawford, a female publicist and other female professionals. Steinem stresses Marily's father's absence and his denial of her. This has the effect of minimizing the impact of Marilyn's mother's emotional instability and how it resulted in her emotional insecurity as a child.

Steinem covers one area Taraborelli doesn't touch, and that is birth control, a subject taboo at the time, and somewhat so today. Very few biographies of women go near this fundamental issue in a young woman's life. Steinem poses that there were a number of abortions and describes Marilyn's longing for children.

In the 20+ years since this book, old myths have been replaced by new ones. Interesting things emerge, such as how Norma Jeane got her name and how short a time the Kennedy acquaintance was. We know more about Marilyn's half sister My Sister Marilyn: A Memoir of Marilyn Monroe, and with feminism, there is a more realistic understanding of Marilyn's first husband and marriage than can be envisioned from 1950's stereotypes.

The photos show a variety of faces such that you have to look at some twice to assure they are the same women. All are timelessly beautiful and her age of 36 is hard to determine. From Taraborelli you learn Marilyn's strategy in having them done, which shows her will, her drive and her incredible ability to rise to an occasion.

While I would have liked more analysis from Steinem, for a coffee table book, it doesn't get much better than this.

Unlikely... but very good
One would not think that a book on Marilyn Monroe by Gloria Steinem could be any good. However, this book is that and more. A picture book published in 1986, with photogrphS by George Baris, both the text and the pictures are quite good. That is a rare combination. The pictures were taken in summer, 1962 by George Barris and continue all through the book. These pictures were never shown in close to their entirety before, so that was the main reason for the existence of this book. The photographs, especially the beach ones, are some of the best ever taken of Marilyn, looking relaxed and very girlish in the last summer of her life. She does not look like she had any problems at all, much less the ones she had. The photographs did need a showcase, and this book is a more than adequate one.

The text is surpisingly good for something that was written expressly for a photo book. Usually, in those cases, the text is neither good nore relevant. Mariyln Monroe and Gloria Steinem are an unlikely combination, but that does not mean that it diod not work. It did-fabulously. Gloria Steinem does a insightful job oif writing about Marilyn's life, and who she was. Gloria Steinem, although the queen of feminists, is not overbearing here. Marilyn Monroe was no feminist, but Gloria Steinem recognizes that, and interprets Marilyn Monroe from a feminist viewpoint without going overboard. She could so easily have overdone things as Mailer did in his book. This is Marilyn in a different light, but one that suits her. The comments are enjoyable to someone who is not remotely intetested in anything feminist. This is a good book, not just a curiosity that raises eyebrows.

THIS is the Marilyn I love
Having recently read the axe-grinding Marilyn Monroe "biography" by Ted Jordan, finding this gem by Gloria Steinem (with beautiful photograhps by George Barris) was such a relief.Whether kind or unkind, most Marilyn biographers are men;it makes sense that a woman (and a feminist) would have a much different understanding of her.Steinem pays much attention to the remaining Norma Jeane personality in the grown Marilyn, a little girl who was abandoned, abused, shuffled between the orphanage and foster homes, and married off at 16.This, Steinem writes, explains much of Marilyn's troublesome behavior:she still had the insecurities of Norma Jeane, but tried to get the love she needed by being the sex symbol Marilyn.

This larger sized paperback is split into chapters, for example:"Norma Jeane," about her childhood and background, and "Work and Money, Sex and Politics" about Marilyn's battles with the Studio, her marriages, and her affairs with powerful men.Each chapter is a complete essay unto itself.And the accompanying photographs, most taken by George Barris the month before her death, show a natural, cavorting, and thoughtful Marilyn at 36 years old.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone curious about the REAL Marilyn Monroe.In truth, she had many realities, but I think that Gloria Steinem captures the most important one.

i loved the pictures of marilyn
i loved this book "marilyn " because of the most beautiful pictures of marilyn, these pictures were the last pictures ever taken of marilyn and they show the real true beautiful person and that is norma jeane and the glamor beautiful star marilyn monroe. these pictures show two people one the shy , beautiful, loveable, true, norma jeane and the funny , glamor, beautiful, free, loving marilyn monroe, but it really shows the true norma jeane in these pictures. this book is for the marilyn fans like me, but i am more than a fan of marilyn's , marilyn is my idol my icon and she is real .i reccomened this book to whoever loves marilyn. this is a collectible. what i did not like about this book is the author gloria she says marilyn had killed herself, which i DO NOT BELIEVE , which i beleive is not true, but i ignored that , but the pictures are amazing. ... Read more

Product Description
Voted Number One Sex Star of the 20th Century by Playboy and Sexiest Woman of the Century by People, Marilyn Monroe has certainly kept her sex appeal and popularity long after her death in 1962. Our calendar celebrates this sultry goddess. ... Read more

Product Description


From a hard childhood lived largely in foster homes, she ascended to the highest of Hollywood heights-
a screen icon beyond compare. And then she died young under mysterious circumstances, tragically
cementing her legend. The life story of Norma Jeane Baker, the girl who would become Marilyn Monroe, is as thrilling, glamorous and dramatic as anything seen on the big screen, and the camera was there to capture every chapter. With intimate, rarely seen photographs of a pretty little child growing up in California during the 1930s right through to the classic imagery of the movie star in the 1950s and '60s made by LIFE's legendary team of photographers, this book is a warm portrait of a woman who was majestic and vulnerable in equal measure. These pages prove beyond any doubt: There has never been another like Marilyn, and there never will be. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Remembering MARILYN by LIFE
Ibought this publication because I thought it would have some good photo's of Marilyn's life and it accomplishes that well. Being interested in Miss Monroe's life and not knowing to much about her I finished the magazine-book being even more interested. It begins with her childhood and pictures of those times up to her stardom. A fairly good narative that is necesary to compress with the many photo's in the 125 page publication. Somehow I missed this copy in the store and found it on the net. There is both a book (which is smaller) and a magazine with stiff cover. I bought both because it seems I am turning into a MM collector and fan nearly fifty years after her passing. I would recommend this book to Marilyn fans or anyone interested in the subject of Marilyn or actresses.

The Revival of a Hollywood Starlet
I've always been a fan of the LIFE writers and photographers, but this edition of the LIFE magazine exceptionally brilliant. Not only did the photographs and text let the reader into the intimate details of Ms. Monroe's life, but they captured her beauty and personality so flawlessly. I couldn't put the magazine down; it was simply addicting. I would recommend this edition to anyone; especially Monroe fans.

STUNNING photographs!Captures the true beauty of Marilyn!
I saw this in a store when it was first published.It's absolutely BEAUTIFUL!I wish I could frame the photos in this magazine.I bought this one on Amazon as a gift to my sister who is a huge Marilyn fan.It shipped a month early!I can't wait until she receives it, she's going to love it. ... Read more

Product Description

The most beautiful photo book on Marilyn ever published! All iconic images from Avedon to Weegee. Marilyn Monroe posed for nearly every major photographer of her day. This pictorial chronicle features pictures by Richard Avendon, Cecil Beaton, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Elliott Erwitt, Philippe Halsman, Weegee, and thirty other artists: her early days as a model for ads and pinup calendars, film stills that follow her career from a minor actress to a major star, famous master portraits and shots by paparazzi who trailed her every move.

Marilyn emerges in all her moods - young and carefree, sexy and serious, glamorous and girl-next-door. In a fascinating and revealing interview with French writer Georges Belmont Marilyn sets the record straight about her early life, her ambitions, fears, and dreams. Jane Russell, a friend of Marilyn's and her co-star in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, wrote an affectionate foreword.

Customer Reviews (7)

Marilyn Monroe and the Camera...A wonderful Marriage!
For any fan Of Marilyn as i am, this is a book that must be added to your library as it is to mine. You won't regreat this wonderful find!

Essential
This book is amazing, I own a ton of Marilyn books and this is among my favorite, picture-wise especially! It is a huge book and well worth the price. All of the pictures are printed on thick glossy paper just the way I like it. As many other reviewers have stated this book does have alot of the poses that made Marilyn famous and that are associated with the legend she has become today, but there are also some not so common ones as well. I LOVE this book and no Marilyn fans library is complete without it. It is the ultimate picture book, so for those of you that dont want to purchase the books by her individual photographers then this is perfect as theres a little bit of everything here!

This one is worth the money & I am serious about photos
Hardcover: 245 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 13.00 x 1.10 x 9.40
ISBN: 08212176581989 first edition Soft cover are the same dimensions.

Contents:
Forward by Jane Russell2 pages
About the photographers 5 pages
Marilyn interview with Georges Belmont 10 pages
Plates (huge photos) 214 pages of just photos
Biography pages 237-242
2 pages of filmography
bibiliography
photo credits
This is a great book, a few pictures are grainy, but 95% are sharp rich and gorgeously clear.
I was shocked that I had not seen some of the images. I collect her images, and have a lot of them on my computer that most people haven't seen. So this is a stellar collection indeed and a must for Marilyn fans. I have the "Marilyn A life in Pictures" and still this book had even more. I do recommend both books highly.

All the necessities
This book features pictures from Marilyn's life ranging from her modeling days as Norma Jeane up until her death.You get many of the "classic" Monroe photos here, including the gold dress, the white dress scene from the Seven Year Itch, and several movie stills.Several candid shots are also included as well as some lesser seen ones from photograph sessions.Jane Russell paints an endearing picture of Monroe in the forward.We also get an interview with Monroe.It is a widely known fact that Marilyn embellished parts of her childhood and she does so here, claiming her mother is dead, when Marilyn's mom actually outlived her for more than 30 years.Nevertheless, Monroe appears beautiful, vulnerable, ans sensuous all rolled into one in these images.You get a lot of pics for a reasonable price.

great collection of photos
I love this book because it is pure marilyn. The book shows her at her best. There are no conspiracies, scandals or judgements made about her in this book. It is just about the love that she had for the camera. She understood the camera better that anyone I can think of and it is her element, like a fish in water. Many authors write books on her to try to explain who she was,(99% of them never even knew her.) but all you have to do to really know her is study her pictures. They truly reveal every aspect of her, and that's why this book was made. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1952, a Canadian magazine asked photojournalist Jock Carroll to write a story with photographs of Marilyn Monroe, on the set of her movie NIAGARA, then shooting at Niagara Falls. Here are 60 stunning, never-before-seen photographs of the legendary star at the height of her beauty at age 26. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

The Most Interesting Thing Here is the Subject
It appears that Jock Carroll was so dazzled by Marilyn that he forgot to take pictures. He sort of admits this.As a native of the City of Niagara Falls, I can vouch for the many scenic backdrops of the area. It would have been more satisfying for me to see Marilyn on the Maid of the Mist (the photographer did accompany her on this boat), or in the floral gardens (about 100 feet from the "brink" photos), or buying those beautiful woolen goods (which he writes about) than seeing the lengthy shoot of Marilyn learning to smoke.

The text, written 30 years afterwards, like the photos, is a period piece from the 50's. A lot of it has been published before. There is an example of Joe DiMaggio's jealousy of Marilyn's career, examples of Marilyn trying to improve her mind and a sympathetic but detached statement of Marilyn's childhood tribulations.

Interestingly, for the weekend "off", Marilyn wasn't fully denied the "permission" to go to NYC to see Joe. Unlike her defiance of the studio in going to sing for JFK, she stayed. It seems that she didn't invite Joe to see the Falls and spent the time off with Carroll instead.

To me, this book is an example, fortunately a benign one, of the exploitation of Marilyn Monroe. Like many others Carroll said "I have some pictures. I can write 2000 words. I can publish a book."

I just finished The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe which inspired me to look up some of the older sources.Being from "The Falls" this one was of interest. I found it in my local library.

The book is for those collectors who need to have everything about this fascinating person or fans who need to see every photo or re-read all her words.The general public will enjoy a browse through the photos.

Cross-Check on Marilyn Monroe's My Story and Casual Glimpses
At 26, Marilyn Monroe was on the brink of stardom as she filmed her first leading role in Niagara.Canadian photojournalist Jock Carroll spent weeks with her at Niagara Falls during the on location shooting, and took almost 400 photographs.He also interviewed her throughout these weeks, and captured a lot of her activities on and off the set.He was preparing for an article called "Marilyn's Not So Menacing" that appeared in an August 1952 issue of Weekend Magazine, Canada's largest periodical at the time.You will see more candid photographs in this book than in any other source.Mr. Carroll died in 1995, and these photographs were located then.The photographs are well reproduced in this book, and bring her to life in both her glamorous and nonglamorous roles.

I was attracted to this book when I realized that it contained extensive interviews of Marilyn Monroe when she was 26, just before she reportedly drafted My Story.That autobiographical book has come in for many challenges concerning its authenticity and the strong stories contained in it.Reading the interviews in Falling for Marilyn provides a useful contrast in terms of what she says about herself and how she says it.

I was surprised to see that the stories she tells are almost identical in both books.That similarity argues for either for her being the author of My Story, or Mr. Carroll being the author.Interestingly, she tells a story here of having been recognized in school for her fiction as a child, and wanting to become an author.The most significant difference between the books was that here she claims to have needed the $50 she got for shooting the famous nude photographs to pay rent while in My Story, the money is used to retrieve her repossessed car.A minor discrepency comes in her asking Mr. Carroll a lot about Korea because she was thinking about doing a USO tour there.In My Story, she claims that this came up for the first time after she and Joe DiMaggio were in Japan on their honeymoon.There could be truth in both versions of these two stories.

There is a Zsa Zsa Gabor story here that is almost word-for-word the same as in My Story.This is true, as well, for one about being molested as a little girl by a boarder who paid her a nickel to keep quiet.

To me, the most telling comparison was in what Mr. Carroll observed about her.Even though she was making a fine salary at this point, she was always short of clothes while he was with her.This is something that she talks about a lot as being a function of her poverty in My Story.She also was always studying scripts or reading intellectual books, which is consistent with My Story also.She also made self-destructive comments about sleeping pills to Mr. Carroll as she does in My Story.

What was a pleasant surprise for me was Mr. Carroll's descriptions of his reactions to her.Those are missing from most books about Ms. Monroe.He had just come back from his own honeymoon a month before.He found himself strongly attracted to her, despite this."The effect on me was cataclysmic."" . . . [W]hen she looked directly at you, it made you feel as though . . . you were sharing some naughty secret."

The photographs themselves are certainly sexy, but not revealing in the sense that we think of revealing today.They were daring, however, for 1952 in showing a little cleavage, a loose blouse, and sometimes erect nipples through her clothes.

She consciously worked on achieving this effect for these photographs.During a tour of a silverware factory, "Marilyn brightened [these] . . . photos by loosening the straps of her blouse, leaning over . . . to give . . . a good view of her breasts . . . ."

On the other hand, she was very protective of her relationship with Joe DiMaggio who did not want any publicity.She refused an interview where the interviewer was trying to worm in questions about the Yankee slugger.

My favorite photographs in the book include:

Reading script in bed (two page spread), located in the book's very beginning

Posing in front of the falls, p. 19

Visiting the silverware factory, p. 33

Combing her hair, p. 48

Arranging her hair, pp. 52-53

Laughing, pp. 84-85

Looking at Jean Peters' suit, p. 87

Smiling, p. 102

Seeing the vibrancy of this woman makes the sadness of her life all the more poignant.Be sure to read My Story to pick up on that contrast.Regardless of who wrote it, that is how Ms. Monroe saw herself and her life.

Consider how you can lift someone's spirits every day.Look for the hurting heart behind the naughty or haughty eyes . . . or any other strongly affecting mannerisms you notice.They are just part of the cover up.

This book shows the real Marilyn
'Niagra' is known for the movie that made Marilyn Monroe a star, and this book shows every moment of her life during the filming. As a true Monroe fan, I'm more interested in the casual candid photos of her more so than the made-up studio photography. My favorite photos of her in the book are the pictures taken of her while she was learning how to smoke a cigarette for the film. She had never smoked before and had to look like a natural within a few hours. These are photos you wouldn't see on a billboard or in a magazine. They show her true nature. They show her being a real person, vulnerable and timid.

If u love MARILYN..get this BOOK!
Wonderful, oversized hardcover book with lots of black and white images of Marilyn while at Niagara Falls, shooting her first mayor movie "Niagara" in '52. I enjoy all the photographs, my favorites arewhere Marilyn practices smoking. There are also pictures of her with JoeDimaggio before they were married, pictures of Marilyn without her make-upon and her face covered with vaseline as she liked to do. Reading herscript while relaxing in bed. These are priceless photographs, showingMarilyn at the very brink of superstardom.

FALLING FOR MARILYN: THE LOST NIAGARA COLLECTION
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY COLLECTED PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN OF MISS MONROE AT HER VERYEARLY CAREER.A TIME WHERE IT WAS PRIOR TO HER "HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE" AND "GENTLEMEN PREFERBLONDES" SUCCESS, WHICH LAUNCHED HER TO ETERNAL STARDOM.THIS IS A"MUST" FOR ALL MARILYN MONROE AFFICIONADOS.IT IS TRULY ABEAUTIFUL BOOK THAT I ENJOY READING AND REVIEWING MANY TIMES OVER. ... Read more