Film Biographies & Interviews, Entertainment Biography, Women's Biography, Photography - History, Criticism, & Collections, Women's Biography

Milton's Marilyn

Name: Milton's Marilyn
Author: Milton H. Greene
ISBN: 9780964687332

by Milton H. Greene

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Overview

In the mosaic that forms the seemingly immortal image of Marilyn Monroe this is probably the last, and certainly the finest, previously unpublished piece: the photographs of Milton H. Greene, from 1953 to 1957 Marilyn's photographer, artistic adviser, and business partner. In a series of skillful maneuvers Greene freed Marilyn from the shackles of her slave contract with Twentieth Century-Fox and formed their independent production company - Marilyn Monroe Productions, Inc. Thanks to this coup, she was at last able to command commensurate fees, choose her own vehicles, and triumph in Bus Stop and The Prince and the Showgirl, giving under Milton's tutelage her finest performances. The singular relationship between the celebrated photographer and the box-office blonde, illuminated for the first time by James Kotsilibas-Davis's original text, was intense and extremely fruitful. At times Marilyn even lived with Milton's family, finding the secure professional and personal base that she so desperately needed for her work and her emotional well-being. Their collaboration broke up in 1957, when Marilyn's third husband, playwright Arthur Miller, became involved in his wife's business affairs. Embittered, Milton Greene withdrew from MMP and refused to allow anyone to examine or publish the bulk of his Marilyn photos before his death in 1985. Disputes over his estate considerably delayed publication of this treasure trove of Marilyn images. This volume contains a rich selection of Milton H. Greene's photographs, most of which have never been published before. They present Marilyn Monroe at the zenith of her physical beauty - she never looked so erotic, elegant, or vulnerable, as she did to Milton's unerring "eye."

Top fashion photographer Milton Greene first met Marilyn in 1953. Throughout the next five years, the two became close friends and collaborated in many photo shoots. This loving, lavishly illustrated book contains over 125 never-before-published photos that bring out an extraordinary depth and vulnerability in Monroe.