Brick By Brick

 "Naturally, there are times when a girl likes to be flattered...to feel she is the most important thing in someone's world"                                                                                 MARILYN MONROE

I recently watched  Love, Marilyn.  A documentary style movie which featured the writings & poetry of Marilyn Monroe.  An interesting perspective from the small black school notebooks from which she shared her deepest & most intimate thoughts along with a few artistic doodles and introspective rhymes.

Riddled with insecurity and self doubt, her fragility was palpable.  Hard to believe the most powerful, successful woman in Hollywood, with the most commandeering earning potential, was also the unhappiest. Happiness was the one thing that constantly eluded Marilyn Monroe.

In my opinion, the greatest part of these writings was the tenderness in which she portrayed Joe DiMaggio.  He was her constant rock & protector even through three marriages & an oft bumpy professional roller coaster.  A love & a friendship without boundary.

The most beautiful of Joe DiMaggio recollections was the year of 1961.  Marilyn (who was still married to Arthur Miller at the time) went to visit her psychiatrist for a scheduled appointment. To her horrific dismay she was not to have a normal appointment that day, but would instead be carried away to the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Hospital against her will.  A traumatic experience per her writings which left her feeling completely exposed, imprisoned and helpless.

She tried contacting Miller as the laws of that time demanded a spouse or family member for the release of a patient from a mental facility. Miller was apparently too caught up in an affair with a female photographer whom he had met on set to be bothered.  It was Joe who inevitably came to her aid. It was Joe who rescued her, swooping in against the objections of doctors and nurses. He removed her from that ward when no one else would hear her cries.

"Immediately, DiMaggio dropped everything to go to New York. Some unfortunate person at Payne Whitney had to endure the irate Joe DiMaggio as he thunderously demanded that the hospital release Marilyn into his custody or he would take apart the building "BRICK BY BRICK" if he had to in order to retrieve her. Not surprisingly, they released her."

They had reconciled shortly before her untimely death & were to be married again, but Marilyn & Joe never got that 2nd chance at happiness.

Even in her death he was her rock. He took on every detail of her memorial service & kept it a small private affair in the exact fashion in which she had wanted.   

Marilyn had asked him for roses. She wanted him to leave roses just as William Powell had for Jean Harlow after her untimely death in 1927 at age 26. It’s funny the things you say, and the things people remember…

Joe continued to send roses to her grave every day until the day he died.

Joe went on to spend the next 47 years living without his girl. He never recovered from her death, never remarried or shared his life with another woman, he put all his energy into making money and keeping his baseball legacy alive. He focused solely on building his wealth, which at the end of the day was no substitute for living without the love of his life.

Joe never debased Marilyn's memory or sold his story.
He kept a dignified silence about the most famous & mystical Icon of modern times.


"Brick by Brick"
Legendary.
A Love.
Like That.

May you hold tightly to the someone who will be your calm in the storm today...

Hepburn hugs & Ric Ocasek Dreams
xo
Birdee Bow