Happy Birthday David Wayne! (January 30th 1914 – 9th February 1995.)
David Wayne was an American stage and screen actor with a career spanning over 50 years. Marilyn fans will recognise him as being her most frequent co-star, sharing the billing with Marilyn in no less than 4 of her movies: “As Young As You Feel” “We’re Not Married!” “O Henry’s Full House” “How To Marry A Millionaire”
With little or no screen time shared in “As Young As You Feel” and “O Henry’s Full House,” they were on screen lovers in “We’re Not Married!” and “How To Marry A Millionaire.”
Wayne was quoted as saying (on her performance in “How To Marry A Millionaire”) “Negulesco (the Director) was very good with her and handled her beautifully. Of course she was always late, but I don’t think either Betty Grable or Lauren Bacall minded her. They were tough old pros and knew their business. There again, I also recall Marilyn being quite capable in her scenes with the other two girls. I wasn’t necessarily in the scene with them, but I’d sit next to Negulesco and watch the three of them work and by that time I thought that Marilyn had got a little technique under her belt.”
Happy birthday David!
Monroe and Wayne on the set of “How To Marry A Millionaire.”
Monroe and Wayne on the set of “We’re Not Married.”
Today we have learned of the passing of Fleet Street photographer Horace Ward.
Ward was one of the many photograhers to capture Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller during their final press conference in London, England in 1956 whilst they were there shooting and promoting “The Prince And The Showgirl.” The stunning shots show the newely married couple departing on a plane back to New York.
Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time.
A lock of Marilyn Monroe’s hair obtained by one of her former Hairdressers is going up for auction.
The 35 individual blonde strands were obtained by Kenneth Battelle, who not only styled Monroe’s hair, but also Judy Garland and Jackie Kennedy. It has a starting block of £12,800.
This week marks 66 years since the release of the 1953 film noir thriller ‘Niagara’ starring Marilyn Monroe, Joseph Cotton, Jean Peters and Directed by Henry Hathaway.
“Marilyn Monroe and Niagara, a raging torrent of emotion that even nature can’t control!” read the tag line on billboards and advertisements. Twentieth Century FOX pulled out all the stops on what was to be Marilyn’s first starring role in a major motion picture.
The official synopsis of the movie reads as follows: “The splendour of both Niagara falls and Marilyn Monroe enhance this taut tale about a faithless wife plotting against her husband. Joseph Cotten stars as George Loomis, a disturbed Korean war veteran staying at Niagara Falls with his wife, Rose (Monroe). Thoroughly sensuous and constantly scheming, Rose intends to kill her husband and run off with her lover. But first she is going to drive George mad by flaunting herself before anyone who will notice.”
Marilyn Monroe enjoyed a good working relationship with her co-stars, in particular with her leading man, Joseph Cotten: “I enjoyed her company. I enjoyed working with her,” Cotten said about working with Marilyn Monroe in her first starring role. He said she had an appetite for laughter and was aware of her sense of humor describing her as a “pretty clown. Cotten recalls hearing about her death and receiving a phone call from the Associated Press for a comment. “At first I was sure it had to be an accident. Such buoyancy of spirit, such sparkling anticipation, such a happy and comic attitude would deny support to any theory,” he wrote. “But she had such moments of fear and insecurity….As to all the other furtive theories-cover-up, murder, etc. – I have no knowledge or interest in such sordidness. I knew and acted with Marilyn Monroe. I am proud of having that privilege.”
With co-star Joseph Cotton
Director Henry Hathaway also had kind words to say about working with Marilyn, on two seperate occassions, he was quoted as saying “She’s the best natural actress I’ve directed. And I go back. I worked with Barbara LaMarr, Jean Harlow, Renee Adoree–right up to today. And she’s the greatest natural talent. Wait ’til you see her in this picture!” “Marilyn was marvellous to work with, very easy to direct and terifically ambitious to do better. And bright, really bright. She may not have had an education, but she was naturally bright.
With Director Henry Hathaway
‘Niagara’ was first released in theatres on January 21st 1953 and grossed a healthy $2.35 million return on an outlay of $1,670,000 during its initial run. Today it is still among Marilyn’s most popular films.
