Hollywood's Unhappiest Endings: Legends Never Die Updated Read online

  Hollywood’s Unhappiest Endings: Legends Never Die

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  Copyright ©2009 and ©2013 by Les MacDonald

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to thank a few people who have helped me along the way. Thanks to Terri MacDonald (forever and always), Tristan MacDonald, Bob Brown, Harry Callahan, North Las Vegas Police Department, Carol Ebbe, James Johnson, Las Vegas Review Journal, Winnipeg Millenium Library, Ruby and Ken MacDonald, Herb Mowat, and Tim Solleveld.

  Table of Contents

  Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)

  -Joe DiMaggio

  -John F. Kennedy

  -Norma Jean

  -Marilyn and Joe

  -Marilyn and Arthur

  -Marilyn and the Kennedys

  -June – August 1962

  Sharon Tate (1943-1969)

  Jean Harlow (1911-1937)

  Dorothy Stratten (1960-1980)

  The Poltergeist Curse

  -Dominique Dunne (1959-1982)

  -Heather O’Rourke (1975-1988)

  Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle (1887-1933)

  Gig Young (1913-1978)

  Tupac Shakur (1971-1996)

  Bobby Driscoll (1937-1968)

  Freddie Prinze (1954-1977)

  Rebecca Schaeffer (1967-1989)

  Bob Crane (1928-1978)

  Jayne Mansfield (1933-1967)

  New Chapters

  Ronni Chasen (1946-2010)

  Two Supermen Down

  -George Reeves (1914-1959)

  -Christopher Reeve (1952-2004)

  The Rebel Without A Cause Curse

  -James Dean (1931-1955)

  -Natalie Wood (1938-1981)

  -Sal Mineo (1939-1976)

  -Nick Adams (1931-1968)

  -William Hopper (1915-1970)

  -Rochelle Hudson (1916-1972)

  Anissa Jones (1958-1976)

  River Phoenix (1970-1993)

  Heath Ledger (1979-2008)

  Cory Monteith (1982-2013)

  Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)

  The Legend Lives On

  More has been written about Marilyn Monroe than any other actor or actress living or dead. Memorabilia shops continue to do a brisk business in anything that has her image on it. Could it be the movies that have enjoyed a new life through the magic of video? Maybe it's her natural beauty or sensuality. Possibly it's the enduring mystery surrounding her untimely death. Whatever the reason there can be no doubt that almost half a century after her death the legend that is Marilyn Monroe refuses to die. Like the rest of her life Marilyn's childhood would be anything but normal. Her grandparents, Otis and Della Monroe, would have a daughter named Gladys before Otis died in a mental institution in 1909. Della would quickly remarry but the new hubby would soon take flight due in no small part to Della's wild mood swings. In 1924 Gladys met and married Edward Mortenson. This marriage also ended quickly after only four months. Good old Gladys was not one to let too much grass grow under her feet. She soon resumed a relationship with Stan Gifford who she had been dating before the short lived marriage to Mortenson. Gladys became pregnant in 1925 and had high hopes that Gifford would do the right thing. It didn't happen. A girl that Gladys would name Norma Jean was born with Edward Mortenson being named the father. Neither Gifford or Mortenson would play any kind of role in Norma Jean's life. Gladys turned to her mother for help. Being single and pregnant with no marriage prospects was still a bit tricky in California in the 1920's. Della was not a lot of help as she was busy attempting a reconciliation with hubby #2. A deal was struck with the Bolender's (Della's neighbors) who would let Gladys live with them until the baby was born. When Norma Jean was born Gladys returned to her job in Hollywood while Norma Jean would continue to live with the Bolender's who were paid to board children. Gladys would visit with her daughter once a week. Meanwhile Della's mood swings were becoming wilder and more frequent. Before Norma Jean was a year old Della was dead with the cause of death being stated as manic depressive psychosis. Both of Norma Jean's grandparents had now died of mental illness. With Della gone and Gladys only visiting once a week it is easy to see how young Norma Jean could become more than slightly confused. She began calling Mr. Bolender, Daddy. To be fair to Gladys she tried. She worked double shifts at the Columbia Film Lab as a film cutter. She promised Norma Jean that one day she would buy a house for them to live in together and, in October 1934, Gladys was able to make good on that promise. However, her timing was terrible as this was the time in history that would come to be known as the dirty thirties. The Great Depression was sweeping across America and three months later Gladys lost her job at Columbia. The house and job seemed to be the last things holding Gladys together and when they were taken from her she fell apart. Soon after these events she was committed to the State Hospital for the Insane. A friend of Gladys, Grace McKee, would become Norma Jean's guardian. This worked well for a time until Grace also lost her job and they all had to move in with Grace's mother. When Grace herself got married Norma Jean was sent to the Los Angeles Orphans Home. For the next seven years she would be shuttled back and forth between numerous foster homes and "Aunt Grace."

  Joe DiMaggio

  Almost 3,000 miles away from the orphanage in LA, in the summer of 1941, the big story in sports was taking place in New York City where Yankees slugger Joltin' Joe DiMaggio was launching an assault on the record books. The record in question was baseball's all-time hitting streak which at the time belonged to George Sisler who had hit safely in 44 consecutive games. DiMaggio would shatter that record by hitting safely in 56 straight games. It's a record that still stands almost 70 years later. Of course all of this was lost on little Norma Jean who was still being moved from home to home. It would be another 11 years before a blind date would bring Norma Jean face to face with the Yankee Clipper.

  John F. Kennedy

  On December 7, 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor sending the United States reluctantly into World War II. There are obviously many stories of tragedy, bravery and heroism to come out of that war. One such occurrence was the sinking of PT-109 by the Japanese. The patrol boat was under the command of Lieutenant John Fitzgerald Kennedy when it was rammed by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri. The PT boat was split in two and exploded with two crewmen being killed instantly. With most of the nearby islands being inhabited by the Japanese the survivors chose to attempt to swim to the deserted Plum Pudding Island. Kennedy clenched the strap of a badly injured crewman's life jacket between his teeth and towed him to shore some three miles away. The crew would eventually be rescued and the legend of one John F. Kennedy was certainly off to an illustrious beginning. As with Joe DiMaggio, Norma Jean was also oblivious to these events and it would be another fifteen years before her path would cross with that of the Kennedy's.

  Norma Jean

  In 1942 Grace was moving to West Virginia and wanted to take care of Norma Jean before she left. A friend and coworker of hers had a young son about the same age as Norma Jean. Jim Dougherty worked the midnight shift at Lockheed. When Grace and Jim's Mom put their heads together the result was a planned marriage...and you thought these things didn't happen in North America? Norma Jean and Jim were married on June 19, 1942. The young couple were very happy in the beginning but then, like so many other young men would do during the war, Jim joined the navy. Norma Jean felt like she was being
left alone all over again. She applied for modeling jobs and soon began earning her own money. Jim would come home on leave several times but things were just never the same. Norma Jean felt independent for the first time in her life. More modeling assignments came her way and with that came more ambition. She dreamed of being a movie star. Men began to take notice. Jim Dougherty was in Shanghai when the Dear John letter reached him. The marriage was over. Early in 1946 Norma Jean was offered a modeling assignment for Lustre Creme Shampoo. The deal hinged on whether or not Norma Jean would bleach her hair blonde. It was with great reluctance but the pretty brunette finally agreed and Norma Jean had become a blonde forever. The transformation had begun. Norma Jean still longed to be in the movies. For years Aunt Grace had told her that she was going to be a movie star and now, between modeling jobs, she would hit the studios handing out resumes and just being seen. Finally she was given a silent screen test at Twentieth Century Fox which at that time was being run by legendary movie mogul Darryl F. Zanuck. On the strength of the screen test Zanuck signed Norma Jean to a contract worth $75 a week. She couldn't wait to show Grace. The studio felt that Norma Jean needed a catchier name. Someone at the studio suggested Marilyn and Grace thought that would go well with her mother's maiden name of Monroe. Marilyn Monroe was born and would go on to fulfill Aunt Grace's prophecy. The late 1940's saw Marilyn appear in several low budget and very forgettable films. The roles were mostly uncredited but the young actress was getting her feet wet and she was being seen. The new decade opened with Marilyn appearing in five movies. Two of these did quite well. The Asphalt Jungle directed by John Huston and All About Eve were commercial hits and Marilyn's parts, though small, were well received. She would appear in eight more films in 1951 and 1952 including Monkey Business with the Marx Brothers. Marilyn would also pose for Playboy and become that magazine's first Sweetheart of the Month.

  Marilyn and Joe

  It was in the spring of 1952 that Marilyn would meet Joe DiMaggio. On paper it seemed like a match made in heaven. Marilyn was beginning to find her way and was rapidly becoming the reigning sex goddess of Hollywood. Joe had just retired as one of baseball's all-time greats and as one of the most beloved of the New York Yankees. However, things are very rarely as easy as they seem. Throughout 1952 Marilyn and Joe would date and breakup more than once. By now Marilyn was in demand in Hollywood and 1953 saw the release of Niagara, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire. The latter two movies played to Marilyn's strengths. The ditzy blonde roles of these movies suited her far better at this stage of her career than the dramatic role in Niagara. In 1954 Marilyn and Joe got married. The union was in trouble right from the beginning. Joe was fiercely jealous at the best of times and Marilyn was one of the most beautiful and desired woman in Hollywood. A bit like oil and water just waiting for someone to come along and strike a match. That match was ignited on September 14, 1954 exactly eight months after the couple had said "I Do." That was the day that Marilyn shot the now famous scene in New York City where she is standing on a subway grate and a blast of air blows her skirt up. The media lapped it up but Joe was furious. The couple had a war of words in the lobby of the Trans-Lux where the scene was shot. It was not long after this that Marilyn filed for divorce from whom some friends had said was the only man she had ever loved.

  Marilyn and Arthur

  In 1956 Marilyn received top billing in Bus Stop, a film directed by Joshua Logan. It was another hit for Marilyn and she was rewarded with a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Actress in a comedy/musical. This was also the year that Marilyn married again, this time to famous playwright Arthur Miller. During her work on Bus Stop Marilyn began having emotional problems. She would show up hours late when her scene was to be shot and some days she refused to come out of her trailer at all. She appeared to be drinking more heavily and became depressed. As for Arthur, he was having troubles of his own, having to appear before the infamous House Un-American Activities Committee. This was the committee in the 1950's that condemned anyone who had ever shown any interest at all in the Communist party. It was a legalized witch-hunt which ruined more than one Hollywood career. By now Marilyn was pregnant. She had always wanted a child and had indeed suffered several miscarriages. Unfortunately, while filming The Prince and the Pauper in 1957, she miscarried once again sending her into a deeper depression. The film was directed by and starred Sir Laurence Olivier. Marilyn's behavior was becoming more and more erratic and Olivier would later say that he believed that Marilyn was schizophrenic. Her behavior became even more erratic during the filming of Some Like it Hot in 1959. It took director Billy Wilder forty-seven takes before Marilyn could get the following line right. "It's me, Sugar." Wilder put up with take after take of "Sugar, it's me"...or "It's Sugar, me." Despite all of the problems during the shoot Marilyn won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a comedy/musical and the film was a big hit. To this day it is still considered by many to be one of her strongest films. However, now the troubles that Marilyn was having were not going unnoticed by the studios. In 1960 Marilyn made Let's Make Love with French actor Yves Montand and the pair soon started an affair. The affair would be the final straw that broke the back of the Miller-Monroe union. Arthur had already written The Misfits for her and it would be filmed in 1961 with Marilyn starring alongside Clark Gable. Sadly, it would be the final film for both of them.

  Marilyn and the Kennedys

  It's unclear exactly when Marilyn met the Kennedy's. Some say it was as far back as the early 1950's and that she had participated in an affair with John Kennedy who was then a senator. Whether that is true or not there can be no denying that by the time that JFK was launching his campaign for the presidency in 1960 they had met and that sparks had flown. Back in those days the media protected the president. While many new that the president had a healthy sexual appetite no one dared print it in the media.

  JFK would meet Marilyn in places arranged by either Peter Lawford or Frank Sinatra. At this time Sinatra was JFK's ticket into Hollywood and the crooner loved to be seen in the company of the powerful politician. When Kennedy edged out Richard Nixon and won the presidency in 1960 he named his brother Robert the Attorney General. The brothers were now the two most powerful men in the United States. They say that power is an aphrodisiac...throw money into the mix and the results can be explosive. The Kennedy's had more than enough of both with Marilyn being wildly attracted to JFK and all that he represented. For the very married president the affair was probably a lark - not much more than the sexual conquest of Hollywood's current glamour queen. However, for Marilyn who had naively thought that the president would divorce his wife and marry her, it was much more than that. This may sound crude but when JFK was done with Marilyn his brother Bobby quickly picked up the slack. Marilyn seemed ok with it all as she still had the ear of the Kennedy's. As 1962 dawned Marilyn was signed to star in Something's Got To Give, a movie to be directed by George Cukor and which would also star Dean Martin and Cyd Charisse. Also at this time Joe DiMaggio was re-emerging and hoping for a reconciliation. He believed that the only problems that the couple had could be blamed on Hollywood and wanted Marilyn to quit the movies. This was not likely to happen as being a star was all that Marilyn had ever wanted. Now that she had it...would it be enough?

  June-August 1962

  The making of the film Something's Got To Give could make a complete book all by itself. Marilyn's behavior during filming had become even worse than before if that was possible. She would be sick for days on end and not report for work. Much of her "illness" could be attributed to her reaction to the way she was being treated by the Kennedy's. By now though the studio had seen enough. Marilyn was fired from the film and rumors were abound that she would be replaced by either Kim Novak or Lee Remick. The problem with this was that someone forgot to tell Dean Martin. Dean came to Marilyn's defence and told the studio that he would not consider finishing the movie without Marilyn. The Twentieth Century Fox publicity machine had n
ot counted on this. For his part Dean was repaying a favor to Marilyn. Fox had originally wanted James Garner but Marilyn had wanted Dean and Marilyn had won that battle. Now, Marilyn would not go quietly and began marshaling her forces. She sought the help of Darryl Zanuck who was trying to engineer his own comeback and even had Bobby Kennedy intercede on her behalf. Rumors were swirling around Hollywood that she would be reinstated and that the troubled movie would go ahead. Then the bombshell in her personal life went off. Seeking to talk to Bobby Kennedy to discuss all of the gossip she once again called him at the Justice Department number that he had given her. She was told by an operator that the line had been disconnected. She got through to another receptionist who told her that RFK was in a conference and could not be disturbed. Subsequent attempts were never put through and just like that the Kennedy's had frozen Marilyn out. Senatorial elections were coming up and the Kennedy's could not afford any hint of scandal. Just as their friendship with Sinatra had ended because of Sinatra's alleged ties to organized crime, Marilyn was now considered a political liability.

  In the first week of August Marilyn began making threats. If she could not talk to the brothers she would hold a press conference and blow the lid off what would undoubtedly become a huge scandal. A few days later Marilyn Monroe was dead. A motive for murder? There are many rumors and stories surrounding the death. Complete books have been written on just the one night in question. This much is known. Dr. Ralph Greenson, Marilyn's psychiatrist, called the police for the first time at 425am on August 5. The problem with this is that Marilyn had died between 10-11pm the night before. The key to the mystery is answering what went on at Marilyn's residence between the time of her death and the first call to the police. Those hours were apparently used to clean up the death scene. Marilyn's diary was never found. Nothing relating in any way to the Kennedy's was ever found. Witnesses have put Robert Kennedy in Los Angeles on the night of August 4, 1962.