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britannica - americana
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MONROE MARILYN
(1926-1962).
L.A.S. « Marilyn M. »,
New York
[vers 1955 ?], à Norman
ROSTEN ; 1 page et demie in-4 à en-tête
The Waldorf-
Astoria
avec ratures et corrections (légères mouillures) ;
en anglais.
5 000 / 7 000 €
Confidences intimes sur sa dépression et son ancien désir d’enfant.
[Norman ROSTEN (1913-1995), poète, dramaturge et scénariste, ami
proche d’Arthur Miller, écrira deux livres sur Marilyn Monroe :
Marilyn : a very personal story
(1974), et, avec le photographe Sam
Shaw,
Marilyn among friends
(1987).]
Ça lui paraît étrange d’écrire le prénom Norman, puisque le sien
est Norma, et c’est presque comme si elle écrivait le sien… Elle le
remercie, ainsi que Hedda, de l’avoir reçue avec Sam, samedi dernier.
Elle a aimé faire la connaissance de sa femme, elle lui a paru si
chaleureuse… Et surtout elle remercie du recueil de poèmes : elle a
passé tout dimanche matin au lit avec. Cela l’a touchée : elle pensait
autrefois que si jamais elle avait un enfant, elle voudrait seulement un
fils, mais après lecture de
Chants pour Patricia
[
Songs for Patricia
,
1951], elle sait qu’elle aurait aimé une petite fille tout autant, mais peut-
être que l’ancien sentiment était seulement freudien pour quelque
chose… De toute façon, Frued [
sic
]… Elle écrivait parfois de la poésie,
mais d’habitude elle était très déprimée à ces moments-là, et les
quelques personnes (environ deux) disaient que ça les déprimait, du
reste on a pleuré mais c’était un vieil ami qu’elle connaissait depuis
des années… En tout cas, elle le remercie, et envoie son meilleur
souvenir à Hedda, à Patricia et à Norman lui-même…
MONROE MARILYN
(1926-1962).
Signed autograph letter, signed « Marilyn M. », New York,
no date [circa 1955 ?], to Norman ROSTEN ; 1 page and a
half, in-4 format, on letterhead stationery
The Waldorf-
Astoria
, with strikethroughs and corrections (slight
dampstains causing slight bleeding of ink); in English.
5 000 / 7 000 €
Marilyn Monroe writes to her friend Norman Rosten, discussing her
depression and describing her desire of only wanting a son (over
a daughter) as being “Freudian.” An intriguing and insightful letter
peeking into the troubled soul of the most enduring and legendary
actress.
“Dear Norman, It feels a little funny to be writing the name Norman
since my own name is Norma and it feels litre I’m writing my own
name almost. However, first, thanks for letting Sam and me visit you
and Hedda last Saturday. It was nice. I enjoyed meeting your wife
– she seemed so warm to me. Thanks the most for your book of
poetry – with which I spent all Sunday morning in bed with. It touched
me – I use to think if I had ever had a child I would have wanted only
a son, but alter reading –
Songs for Patricia
– I know I would have
loved a little girl just as much but maybe the former feeling was only
Freudian for something...anyway Frued [sic].
I use to write poetry sometimes but usually I was very depressed at
those times and the few (about two) people said that it depressed
them, in fact one cried but it was an old friend I’d known for years. So
anyway thanks. And my best to Hedda & Patricia and you – Marilyn M.”
In 1954, Monroe had already become a famous Hollywood star, but
left California to sublease an apartment at The Waldorf-Astoria in New
York. She enrolled in the Actor’s Studio where she was reintroduced
to Arthur Miller, famous American playwright and poet notorious for
“The Cruciable” and “Death of a Salesman” (they had met previously
in California in 1950). They began dating and eventually married.
Norman Rosten, a neighbour and friend of Miller’s, was introduced
to Marilyn after she became involved with Miller.
During the 1950s, Monroe’s drug and alcohol abuse worsened and
so did her depression. Monroe mentions in the letter of having a
child, an unfulfilled dream of Monroe’s. She suffered a miscarriage
with Miller’s child and an ectopic pregnancy followed shortly after,
while living in a farmhouse in Amagansett, New York. It was at this
time, in 1957, that she began to abuse drugs and alcohol. Rosten even
received a call that year from Monroe’s maid in the middle of the
night. When Rosten rushed over, Monroe had overdosed and her
stomach was being pumped. Judging by the hesitant handwriting
in this letter, it is not out of the realm of possibility that she was
intoxicated. While married to Miller, Monroe’s life took a turn for the
worst. Miller encouraged her to continue acting and she completed
work on
Some Like It Hot
, but she was growing more difficult to
work with. By 1960, Monroe’s behaviour became more erratic and a
divorce ensued. Marilyn Monroe died 5 August 1962. Her will named
Norman and Hedda Rosten’s daughter, Patricia, as a beneficiary of
$5,000 for her education.