Sigh

Marilyn Monroe by Richard Avedon (1957)

Oh, Marilyn. I know just how you feel. July has been one exhausting month. I started a new job while finishing up another one (I've now worked 16 days in a row and have three more to go before a break), changed my routine (earlier hours) and commute (I now join the hoard doing the great dance across Grand Central Station five days a week), while trying to work on my writing. The blog, naturally, suffered a lack of attention from me but I promise to have things back up and running with more regular posting. I just need to get some rest and all will be right with the world. In the meantime, please be sure to follow me on twitter and instagram.

Bloomsday

"Marilyn Monroe" Eve Arnold (1955)

It's Bloomsday, the annual celebration of Leopold Bloom's journey around Dublin on June 16, 1904, in James Joyce's Ulysses. Since its publication in 1922 in Paris by Sylvia Beach, the proprietor of Shakespeare and Company and one of Joyce's biggest supporters, the book has baffled and delighted generations of readers. Once labelled obscene and banned from the US and Britain, Ulysses is now considered one of the greatest novels of the 20th century and is a part of the literary canon.

If you've never read Ulysses, you should give it a go, even if you read just one chapter. As T.S. Eliot said, "I hold this book to be the most important expression which the present age has found; it is a book to which we are all indebted, and from which none of us can escape."

Marathon readings and Bloomsday parties are going on all over the globe today. To find out about Bloomsday events near you, visit here.

Fall Roundup

Images (clockwise, from left): "The Misfits" Elliott Erwitt (1961); Juliette Binoche in Camille Claudel 1915; George Sanders and Ingrid Bergman in Journey to Italy; Mariza; Under the Table: A Dorothy Parker Cocktail Guide.

The fall so far has been filled with events of all sorts and as a result I haven’t had time to post about everything. So I thought I’d share some brief recaps of a few of them here.

A modern actress who I love is Juliette Binoche. She always imbues a rawness in her performances that results in more realistic characters. Her latest film is Bruno Dumont's Camille Claudel 1915, which tells the story of the first year of the great artist’s incarceration by her family in a mental institution where she stayed, even though doctors encouraged the family to bring her home, for the last 30 years of her life. Filmed on site at a real institution with actual patients, it was emotionally draining to watch. Yet Binoche was mesmerizing as usual and her portrayal stayed with me long after I left the cinema.

To celebrate the release of the Criterion Collection’s new Rossellini/Bergman box set, Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò at NYU hosted a special screening of the one of the films—Journey to Italy (1954)—along with a panel discussion with some scholars, and Isabella and Ingrid Rossellini. Isabella had to cancel at the last moment (she broke her hand that morning) but Ingrid was there, telling stories about when they were children including the time their father, a big animal lover, brought home a kangaroo. The film about a troubled marriage was strong and gave an up close look at life in post-war Italy.

One of the best concerts I’ve seen in a long time was a performance by Mariza, the Portuguese Fado singer, at Carnegie Hall last weekend. She was, in a word, amazing. For two hours she poured her heart out, singing traditional Fado songs as well as some new ones. Dressed in a long gown, the striking 6-foot tall singer spoke with the audience between songs, explaining the origin of the music and thanking her talented band. The audience was enthralled and was up on their feet by the end, cheering her on. She announced that she’s coming back to New York next year, and I for one can’t wait.

Under the Table: A Dorothy Parker Cocktail Guide is a new book by Kevin C. Fitzpatrick, the president of the Dorothy Parker Society, which tells the story of Mrs. Parker and her circle and the cocktails that they enjoyed. The book is great fun, and I'm looking forward to trying out some of the recipes. At the launch party for the release at the Algonquin Hotel, my friend and I sampled one of the drinks from the book, an Algonquin Cocktail (rye, vermouth, and pineapple juice), before turning to my classic go-to, the Manhattan. I think Mrs. Parker would approve.

And speaking of books, Elliott Erwitt’s Kolor is the latest from the incomparable photographer, gathering together his colour work for the first time. The International Center for Photography (ICP) held a book signing for the new publication, and I was thrilled to get to meet a man whose work I so admire. I wanted to tell him how much I loved his work and how one of the most popular posts on this blog was the one about his ICP exhibit from a few years ago but I thought that would be silly and just thanked him instead while I grinned like an idiot.

Marilyn in New York

Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe in New York City, 1957. Photo: Sam Shaw

Of the thousands of photos of Marilyn Monroe some of my favourites are from when she lived in New York, many of which were taken by photographer Sam Shaw. Now some of these images are on display in a small exhibit, "Marilyn in New York," at the 42nd Street-Bryant Park subway station.

Shaw and Monroe met on the set of Via Zapata! in 1951. The film’s director, Elia Kazan, was dating Monroe at the time and asked her to drive Shaw, the film’s still photographer, to the set every day. The two hit it off and remained good friends for the rest of Monroe's life. 

Monroe was photographed by Shaw numerous times, both on set and off. She said he always made her "look good" while he claimed "I just want to show this fascinating woman with her guard down, at work, at ease, off-stage, during joyous moments in her life as often she was—alone.” 

One of their New York shoots occurred during the filming of The Seven Year Itch. On the night of September 15, 1954, a crowd gathered at Lexington and 52nd Street to watch Monroe as she stood on a subway grate, her skirt billowing up from the blasts of air from the trains below. Spotting Shaw, the film's official photographer, Monroe shouted “Hi Sam Spade,” her nickname for him. Shaw took the photo above along with many others, capturing one of the most iconic images in film history.

Three years later on June 12, 1957, Shaw spent the day taking photographs of Monroe in the city. She played around in Central Park, window shopped on Fifth Avenue, and posed with husband Arthur Miller with the Queensboro Bridge as the backdrop. 

In addition to rowing a boat and having a snack, Monroe showed off her improve skills that she was working on at the Actor's Studio. She grabbed Shaw's newspaper and sat on a bench, pretending to read while she eavesdropped on the conversation of the couple next to her.

There must have been loads of people excited about seeing Marilyn in the flesh but I like how Shaw captured some people looking completely uninterested in the fact that a screen goddess was in their midst.

The exhibit is up through December 31, 2013. For more information visit here.

Dennis Stock at the Milk

"James Dean in Times Square" Dennis Stock (1955)

Tonight I went to an opening of an exhibit of Dennis Stock photographs at Milk Gallery. A photojournalist, Magnum member, and author of more than 24 books, Stock captured a variety of people from screen stars Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe to jazz greats Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday to non-celebrity bikers and hippies. He also took some hilarious images on the set of Planet of the Apes. 

Yet he is perhaps best known for a series of photos of James Dean including the iconic shot of Dean walking through Times Square in the rain. Stock first met Dean at a Hollywood party in January, 1955. The two hit it off and after seeing a screening of his first film, East of Eden, Stock realized there was something special about Dean and convinced Life Magazine to finance a story on the journey of a young actor. Over the course of three months the two visited Dean's hometown in Indiana and spent time in New York before returning to Los Angeles. Later that year Dean would be dead at the age of 24. Many of these photographs are included in the exhibit and are both stunning and poignant.

"The 20th Century Fox studios during filming of Planet of the Apes, Hollywood" Dennis Stock (1967)

The opening was quite the scene (I'm not used to having to queue outside to see art), with a mix of photography fans and people who were obviously there for the free booze and to be seen. But the photos were worth braving the crowds.

The exhibit is at the Milk Gallery through April 17. For more information, visit here.

Marilyn's Resolutions

"Marilyn Monroe, New York City" Elliott Erwitt (1956) 

My list of new year’s resolutions is quite long but I hope to stick to them (well, at least half). Wonder what other people choose for their resolutions? Here is a list that Marilyn Monroe wrote out in her address book in 1955. She was studying with the Actor’s Studio at the time and her resolutions show that she wanted to make the most of it. The last one, “enjoy myself when I can—I'll be miserable enough as it is,” seems so sad in retrospect.

Must make effort to do

Must have the dicipline to do the following—

z – go to class—my own always—without fail

x – go as often as possible to observe Strassberg's other private classes

g – never miss actor's studio sessions

v – work whenever possible – on class assignments—and always keep working on the acting exercises

u – start attending Clurman lectures—also Lee Strassberg's directors lectures at theater wing – enquire about both

l – keep looking around me—only much more so—observing—but not only myself but others and everything – take things (it) for what they (it's) are worth

y – must make strong effort to work on current problems and phobias that out of my past has arisen—making much much much more more more more more effort in my analisis. And be there always on time – no excuses for being ever late.

w – if possible—take at least one class at university—in literature—

o – follow RCA thing through

p – try to find someone to take dancing from—body work (creative)

t – take care of my instrument—personally & bodily (exercise)

try to enjoy myself when I can—I'll be miserable enough as it is.

From Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters by Marilyn Monroe.

Marilyn

Marilyn Monroe passed away 50 years ago today on August 5, 1962. As a rule I don't like to dwell on a person's passing, preferring to celebrate their life and work instead, but 50 years is a long time. Few actresses have lit up the screen in the same way that she did (it can be argued that perhaps none have since). She was beautiful and talented and had a vulnerability about her that touched all those who saw her. One of her finest performances was in Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot (1959). I am planning on watching it this evening and being enchanted once again by her Sugar Kane who always gets "the fuzzy end of the lolly pop." RIP Marilyn.

Happy June

It's the first of June, which means the start of the summer season and hot weather (at least here in New York). It's also Marilyn Monroe's birthday today. If you feel like celebrating, I'd recommend having some bubbly, Marilyn's drink of choice. You could even try to get a hold of Champagne Marilyn Monroe Premier Cru Brut, created by a Norwegian company in honour of the 50th anniversary of Marilyn's death this year (if it's available yet). By the way, let's all try to celebrate birthdays in the future, not deaths. So much nicer, don't you think?

For more info about the champagne, check out the company's website here.

Marilyn at Cannes

The official poster for the 65th Cannes Film Festival has been released, and it features a familiar photo to regular readers of this blog. Yes, this is now the third time that this image of Marilyn Monroe is making an appearance here but I love it, and I love the poster. The organizers who chose Marilyn as the icon for this year's festival said "Fifty years after her death, Marilyn is still a major figure in world cinema, an eternal icon, whose grace, mystery and power of seduction remain resolutely contemporary." Indeed.

The Cannes Film Festival runs May 16-27. Filmmaker Nanni Moretti, the 2001 Palme d'Or winner for La stanza del figlio, will head the jury.

Hot in the City

It's hot in the city, and it's only going to get hotter. This excerpt from The Seven Year Itch (1955) pretty much says it all.

A Big Thank You

It was a year ago today that I began this blog. Since then, I’ve written 99 posts and shared countless images. I still don’t know if there is any rhyme or reason to this blog but as long as people continue to read it, I’ll keep writing. So a big thank you to you dear readers for stopping by. I hope you’ll continue to do so.

Happy Birthday Marilyn

I used this image for my birthday post but how could I not reuse it?

Marilyn Monroe would have been 85 today. The story of how a little orphan named Norma Jeane Mortensen grew up to become known the world over as Marilyn Monroe, the most famous sex symbol of the 20th century, only to have her life cut tragically short at age 36, is one that I know you dear readers are familiar with. So instead of retelling her story, here are a couple of favourite images of Marilyn and a performance. Rather than dwell on tragedy this day, let's remember the vivacious blonde who was the true definition of a movie star.

Happy Birthday Marilyn.

As a rider of the subway, I like the idea of Marilyn waiting on the platform for a train.

I love photos of people reading. Marilyn obviously surrounded herself with things that were important to her—books, copies of art. As for the radio directly behind her head, I have the same one.

One of her happiest moments was performing for the troops in Korea. How lucky were these two guys?

An amazing beauty. And a pretty damn good actress too.

One of my all time favourite Marilyn performances. Doesn't get much better than this.

Birthday

Marilyn Monroe. Photo: Otto L. Bettmann.

Today is Mrs. Parker's birthday. I shall be celebrating by drinking copious amounts of champagne while fervently shaving off numbers from my driver's license (I'm kidding. No, not really). Anyway, the blog has been a bit silent of late due to the recent passing of my laptop. Birthday present to myself is the purchasing of a new computer this weekend so look for more tales coming soon from this madcap heiress. In the meantime, back to the bubbly.

Happy Thanksgiving

To all my dear readers here in the States, have a lovely and relaxing Thanksgiving (and if you live somewhere else, have a good week as well). At least one turkey can breathe a sigh of relief as turkey is not on the menu this year at Mrs. Parker's. I have loads planned for the next four days so will, hopefully, have some stories to share with you soon.

Two Little Girls From Little Rock

Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe

Everyone, sing along with me, “We’re just two little girls from Little Rock. And we lived on the wrong side of the tracks.” These memorable lines are from the opening number of Howard Hawk’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), and on a recent hot afternoon, I escaped into a cool cinema to watch a newly restored print of the film. And boy, what a film it is.

Showgirls and best friends Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) and Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell) travel to Paris via ocean liner, causing trouble and breaking hearts along the way. Onboard ship, Lorelei tangles with a diamond mine owner name Piggy while Dorothy falls for the private investigator tailing Lorelei. Throw in a frog-voiced young boy with a valet, a missing tiara, and the US men’s Olympic team, and you have nonstop fun.

The girls between scenes.

Monroe is at the top of her form in this film. Her Lorelei is a likeable mix of naïveté and shrewd smarts (“I don't want to marry your son for his money, I want to marry him for your money”). And her breathy rendition of the songs and perfect comic timing remind us just how good a performer Monroe was.

Russell, as the straight talking Dorothy, is the perfect partner for Monroe. Striding confidently across the screen, she serves as the voice of common sense while delivering zingers with the best of them.

Lady Beekman: You'll find I mean business!

Dorothy Shaw: Oh, really? Then why are you wearing that hat?

Yet Russell manages to show her character’s vulnerable side too so Dorothy doesn’t come off as too hardnosed. Seeing the two together makes one wish that Monroe and Russell could have been paired up in more films.

The French are glad to die for love.

As for the song and dance routines, where do I begin? Watching Monroe’s iconic rendition of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” it's hard not to think about Madonna and the countless others who have imitated Monroe yet none can hold a candle to her. As for Russell’s “Ain’t There Anyone Here For Love,” I defy you to find a campier and more enjoyable number. (Men in nude trunks wrestling. Need I say more?)

As for the print, the new restoration is beautiful. The images are sharper while the amazing costumes and sets practically pop off the screen in all their Technicolor glory. 

The film plays at Film Forum in New York through August 12. Even if you can’t make it, get a copy and watch it again. And just remember, “A kiss on the hand, may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl’s best friend.”