Reality can be stranger than fiction
The last untold story in the life of Marilyn Monroe. Selected excerpts from André de Dienes's memoirs
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I had a stack of large enlargements of photos I took of movie stars the year before, and some nudes, and Norma Jeane looked through them with great approval. She was excited and wanted to pose for me. She asked, "Would you like to see my figure?" In a jiffy, she grabbed her hatbox, went to the adjoining room (the bedroom), put on a bathing suit, and, smiling, beaming with happiness, she swirled around the center of the living room, happy to be able to show me her beautiful figure.
A day later, I took her to the beach to take pictures of her. Again and again, I photographed her each day. My mind was made up for sure- I wanted to take her away from Hollywood right away on a long trip. Just go with her, everywhere! I felt completely enamored by her! I offered to pay her 100 dollars per week for posing plus all expenses, and that I would buy all sorts of things for her to wear for pictures (Jeanes, blouses, sweaters, bathing suits) and promised she could eat as much and as well as she pleased, because I noticed she loved food. She was young and she had a good appetite!
The journey begins
In the days that followed, I bought Norma Jeane various clothes to wear for my pictures and to keep her warm because it was December and my plans were to visit the desert, the mountains, everywhere in California, Nevada, Arizona, anywhere my fancy would dictate going. I removed the back seat of my big Buick Roadmaster automobile and laid down a sheet of thick foam rubber with blankets on top and pillows all around, so Norma Jeane could sleep whenever she wished to lie down to rest during the long drives I was planning to do. That was her little "cage" as I called it. She laughed like crazy when I told her she would become my little slave and prisoner, that I might even buy a long thin chain to attach to one end of her ankle and the other end to the car! Her hatbox full of her things and a small suitcase were also placed in her "cage," plus a basketful of food and thermos bottles for milk and coffee, etc. The trunk of the car was for my equipment and the front seat was also for her, with pillows against the door to give her as much comfort as possible. And thus the long journey began.
We were hardly in the outskirts of Los Angeles when the police patrol stopped me for faulty driving. Norma Jeane was sitting close to me and the policeman might have felt jealous! She felt very indignant. In her sweet voice she riposted to the policeman that he was a crook and that we had done nothing wrong.
Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]
Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]
I had a stack of large enlargements of photos I took of movie stars the year before, and some nudes, and Norma Jeane looked through them with great approval. She was excited and wanted to pose for me. She asked, "Would you like to see my figure?" In a jiffy, she grabbed her hatbox, went to the adjoining room (the bedroom), put on a bathing suit, and, smiling, beaming with happiness, she swirled around the center of the living room, happy to be able to show me her beautiful figure.
A day later, I took her to the beach to take pictures of her. Again and again, I photographed her each day. My mind was made up for sure- I wanted to take her away from Hollywood right away on a long trip. Just go with her, everywhere! I felt completely enamored by her! I offered to pay her 100 dollars per week for posing plus all expenses, and that I would buy all sorts of things for her to wear for pictures (Jeanes, blouses, sweaters, bathing suits) and promised she could eat as much and as well as she pleased, because I noticed she loved food. She was young and she had a good appetite!
The journey begins
In the days that followed, I bought Norma Jeane various clothes to wear for my pictures and to keep her warm because it was December and my plans were to visit the desert, the mountains, everywhere in California, Nevada, Arizona, anywhere my fancy would dictate going. I removed the back seat of my big Buick Roadmaster automobile and laid down a sheet of thick foam rubber with blankets on top and pillows all around, so Norma Jeane could sleep whenever she wished to lie down to rest during the long drives I was planning to do. That was her little "cage" as I called it. She laughed like crazy when I told her she would become my little slave and prisoner, that I might even buy a long thin chain to attach to one end of her ankle and the other end to the car! Her hatbox full of her things and a small suitcase were also placed in her "cage," plus a basketful of food and thermos bottles for milk and coffee, etc. The trunk of the car was for my equipment and the front seat was also for her, with pillows against the door to give her as much comfort as possible. And thus the long journey began.
We were hardly in the outskirts of Los Angeles when the police patrol stopped me for faulty driving. Norma Jeane was sitting close to me and the policeman might have felt jealous! She felt very indignant. In her sweet voice she riposted to the policeman that he was a crook and that we had done nothing wrong.
Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]
Photo: André de Dienes