In 1952, after Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimaggio, America's most legendary baseball player 12 years older than herself, met at a restaurant in Italy, fell in love at first sight, and after two years of love run, on January 14, 1954, the two men, known to Americans as the "Golden Virgins," were officially married at San Francisco City Hall.
On that day, the corridors were packed with reporters and photographers.
One is the sexy goddess in the hearts of American men at that time, the rising star of the American film and television industry, and the other is the first man in the minds of American women at that time, the most respected idol figure in the United States, what is more enviable and yearning than this? Therefore, their marriage was called a match made in heaven by the Americans at that time, and the scenery was the same for a while.
At midnight on January 29, 1954, a blissful Marilyn Monroe and her husband, Joe Dimaggio, boarded a Pan Am flight to Tokyo 15 days after their wedding and headed to Japan for their honeymoon.
Choosing to go on his honeymoon in Japan was actually an idea for DiMaggio, because he was going to train and coach the Japanese baseball team for the upcoming new season with his old friend and mentor, former Major League Baseball player Frank O'Dole, and for Marilyn Monroe, accompanying her husband to enjoy the scenery of Japan while completing his official duties, he could also temporarily get rid of the troubles of the low tide of his career.
However, during this journey, something unexpected happened to both of them and changed their fate as a result.
1. The Assistant Chief of Staff of the U.S. Military encountered on the plane.
On February 1, 1954, the plane of Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimaggio landed slowly at tokyo airport, and the two stepped off the plane one after the other, standing outside the airport, watching the traffic in front of them, they were full of freshness and curiosity.
At this moment, an American in military uniform smiled at the two of them.
The American general, who was the assistant chief of staff of the U.S. Army's Far East Command, returned to the United States this time to seek cooperation from the U.S. "Joint Labor Organization," but things did not go too well, so he returned to Japan early, coincidentally in the same plane as Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimaggio.
At first, he did not find the newlyweds, but after getting off the plane he suddenly remembered the identities of these two people, which made the assistant chief of staff of the US military a little happy, and a thought came to mind, perhaps, what has not been done in the United States can be done here.
After a few greetings, the assistant chief of staff asked Monroe whether, as a sexy goddess in the heart of Americans, would she be willing to go to Seoul, the capital of South Korea, to hold a condolence performance for the American soldiers stationed there.
In fact, Marilyn Monroe and Dimaggio, who heard this advice, were still blindfolded, and although they had some information about the Korean War, they did not know the specific situation.
Although the Korean War at that time had ended a year ago, but the US army had not yet withdrawn to the United States, for the US troops stationed in South Korea at this time, the charge of those overwhelming volunteer soldiers on the battlefield, the scene of blood like a landslide and tsunami, was still the most terrifying shadow in the hearts of the US soldiers, even if the winter was about to pass, the spring mood was ready to move, but the morale of the entire US army in South Korea did not change much, it was simply shaky, and the battlefield syndrome was plaguing every soldier.
At this time, some spiritual aspects are needed to soothe the soldiers.
However, because the United States believes that the war that occurred in Korea is completely different from the nature of the Second World War, the Slightly Famous American actresses cherish their reputations and are unwilling to get involved in this local war that is obviously unjust, and the US Department of Defense is also unwilling to increase capital investment in this, so it is difficult for the US "Labor United Organization" to find suitable actors to go to the South Korean Labor Army, and this result has led to the quality of the "Labor Army Performance" getting lower and lower, and the level is getting worse and worse. This made the U.S. Army Far East Command very helpless.
The discovery of Marilyn Monroe this time was also an unexpected bonus for the assistant chief of staff of the U.S. Army, who seduced Marilyn Monroe with eager eyes and flowery words, and he told Monroe: "This war lasted for three years, we lost, and our soldiers were very depressed, because of the various pressures of the war, and needed comfort..." Finally, the newlyweds, who had not yet begun their honeymoon, agreed to the invitation of the assistant chief of staff.
In fact, Marilyn Monroe agreed to participate in the show, and there may be some curious thoughts, after all, she has never had contact with the military, and she herself loves this kind of crowded scene, or she may see an opportunity, Fox's lawsuit is still going on, this time, maybe the Fox dispute can be resolved smoothly, she seems to have some realization that her future is changing.
2, the news of Monroe's coming burned the entire barracks like wildfire.
Subsequently, Marilyn Monroe and Dimaggio received an official invitation from the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Far East Command, which Monroe gladly accepted.
On February 13, 1954, Marilyn Monroe gave up her honeymoon trip with her newly married husband Dimaggio to the U.S. military camp in South Korea for a 4-day, called "Anything Is Possible" quick assembly condolence performance, when the U.S. army soldiers in the garrison camp, after hearing the news that Monroe would go to the Korean front to work, the entire U.S. military camp boiled over, and many American soldiers even cried with excitement.
Robert Jennings, a reporter for the Pacific Star-Spangled Banner, said: "The news that Monroe is coming has burned the entire barracks like wildfire, and some American soldiers have even cried, and some have suddenly and silently longed for the arrival of that moment."
At that time, although Marilyn Monroe was not a first-line star, at most it could only be regarded as a quasi-first-line star, but because some military magazines in the United States often appeared in the photo of Marilyn Monroe, the American soldiers were no less familiar with Marilyn Monroe than any star in the United States.
Marilyn Monroe, accompanied by the U.S. military, stepped off the plane, wearing an American military uniform
Many U.S. military personnel even risked court-martial trials in order to see Monroe, and an American Ted Sherman who had been to the concert later recalled: "That night, when we heard that Marilyn Monroe was coming to the camp for a performance, I was with a group of naval personnel who were at Daegu Air Base, and together we lured and persuaded our transport pilots to report that there was a problem with the R4D transport aircraft, so we needed to delay our flight back to Tokyo Bay." ”
He proudly said: "In fact, that day was a really enjoyable night for all these homesick guys who were bewildered by the movie star's performance. The sight and sound of Marilyn's song "Diamonds are the Girl's Best Friend" is still a very cherished memory of mine. ”
Marilyn Monroe's trip to Korea was a great success.
10 performances in four days, more than 100,000 U.S. troops came to watch the performance, before each performance, the American soldiers had to seize the position a few hours in advance, even if they seized the position on the battlefield would not be as heroic as this, in front of the stage, those military photography enthusiasts will be crowded with positions.
Everyone thinks that Marilyn Monroe is their dream lover, and in order to show her best in front of Monroe, they always bathe, wash and shave their faces before the show arrives, and strive to give Marilyn Monroe the best image.
When Marilyn Monroe stepped off the military plane in a wide American military uniform, her trademark blonde curls and big red lips, American soldiers were amazed and impressed by her beauty, more beautiful and sexy than seen in the movie posters.
The soldiers cheered around Monroe, picked up their cameras, and took pictures of Marilyn Monroe one by one.
During the show, something happened that delayed the show, which frustrated the American soldiers, who were so angry that they even threatened to launch a riot, which made the show organizers so frightened that they had to cancel the performances of other actors after the show began in order to allow Monroe to get on stage faster.
As 18-year-old Marilyn Monroe, in the face of thousands of homesick young soldiers, her true feelings were completely revealed at this time, completely letting go of her star image, she either wore an air force jacket with black pants, military boots and chatted with the soldiers, signed their photos, or performed on the stage in an evening dress, or wore a thousand bird checkered dresses to bloom under the stage, or had lunch with the soldiers in the canteen, went to the hospital to comfort the disabled soldiers...
She is like a confidant big sister, without the kind of contrivance and coldness of the star, fully displaying her true talent and enthusiastic personality, and the sincere feelings she has for the mood of the soldiers who are far away.
At this time, Marilyn Monroe's every move, a smile, is concerned about the heart of every American soldier, can make the 100,000 soldiers in the audience fall into madness, in confidence, frankness, beauty is heartbreaking.
A song "Everything Is Over" by Cole Porter resonated with the US military in South Korea, and the US military soldiers in South Korea sang tears and could not cry.
Marilyn Monroe sang the classic song: "Diamonds Are Girls' Best Friends."
On February 17, 1954, Marilyn Monroe performed in South Korea for the officers and men of the US 3rd Infantry Division, after the performance, everyone posed backstage for the US soldiers to take pictures, Monroe only wore a naked long skirt, despite the cold, in the ice and snow of minus tens of degrees, so that later due to the wind and cold fever of 40 degrees, a full week of rest, someone asked her why she did not wear a leather jacket, she said: "I know that the soldiers want to see my perfect body, I must wear less." ”
But it was all worth it, and the 4 carefree days not only boosted the morale of american soldiers, but also made Marilyn Monroe gain greatly.
After the performance, Monroe said: "The trip to Korea was the best thing I've ever experienced, and before that, I never felt like a star, but at that moment in the barracks, I saw so many men for the first time, I stood on the stage and looked down, and saw everyone smiling at me and cheering at me, it was amazing, I felt like a world-class star for the first time!" ”
3. The rift in the marriage of Dimaggio and Marilyn Monroe.
The 4-day labor performance ended perfectly, and Marilyn Monroe's harvest was far more than that.
Soon after her return to China, the famous Fox Film Company in the United States found that letters from North Korea and Japan flew like snowflakes, and thousands of soldiers strongly demanded that Marilyn Monroe be seen in Hollywood movies, begging the film company to let her play a more important role.
To these military fans, Marilyn Monroe is beautiful whether she wears a loose military uniform or a sexy suspender dress, and posters about her are plastered all over the bed.
At this moment, Marilyn Monroe, who had already had a conflict with Fox Pictures, was brilliant again, and out of control, that year, she won the "Most Popular Female Star" award, and her "silly white sweet" image deliberately created by Fox Pictures in the public mind was completely overthrown.
Later, Marilyn Monroe said in her recollection that at that time, she had just joined Fox, and the weight was not very heavy, but after she returned from South Korea, her shadow superstitions from South Korea kept pouring in, from 50 letters per week to 5,000 letters, thanking South Korea, thanking the American soldiers in South Korea, and their success was credited to them.
Subsequently, she took over fox pictures' future popular classic film "The Seven Year Itch", and Marilyn Monroe's classic style of standing on the subway vent, letting the breeze blow up her skirt and then gently pressing it with her hands, swept the world.
In the days that followed, Marilyn Monroe, as one of the most important cultural symbols of the United States in the 20th century, has become a symbol of the United States, her speech and manners, dress and dress have led the American fashion in all aspects, known as "the most photogenic person of the 20th century", the American Film Association released "the greatest 25 actresses in the history of American cinema", Marilyn Monroe is one of them, and the Smithsonian Museum Association in Washington also included her in the list of "100 Most Outstanding People in American History".
However, along with luck came the rift in her marriage.
Marilyn Monroe smiled happily on stage, and the faces of American soldiers in the audience were full of admiration
When Dimaggio and Marilyn Monroe were interviewed for the first time in Japan, DiMaggio thought that as the most legendary baseball player in the United States, he should be more popular than Marilyn Monroe, who was not a first-line actress at all, and that she had accompanied her to guide the game of baseball in Japan and should have received more attention, but Dimaggio found that at the press conference, almost not many people asked about him and about baseball.
On the contrary, Marilyn Monroe's fans are not only numerous, but also crazy, and wherever Marilyn Monroe goes, there are a bunch of people screaming at her.
This is a more famous photo
At the press conference, the focus of the reporters' interviews was also Monroe, and some questions were asked without scruples, even including "Do you sleep naked, what are you wearing in your clothes", which made Dimaggio extremely annoyed.
Therefore, when Marilyn Monroe went to the U.S. military barracks in South Korea, Dimaggio refused to accompany her.
Originally, the American general of the U.S. Far East Command in Japan at that time planned this performance with the consent of Dimaggio and Marilyn Monroe, and the U.S. Far East Command invited the two of them.
Later, when Dimaggio learned what kind of organization the United Labor Organization (USO) was in the United States, and the ambiguous performance of some of the female artists in the barracks, DiMaggio's heart was full of doubts.
Especially Marilyn Monroe's 4-day performance in South Korea, the newspapers have a lot of exaggerated reports, what is wearing a suspender in front of the US military sexy twisting waist, what to give every soldier a kiss... This has made Dimaggio unable to restrain himself.
At this time, the new marriage has just begun, and the rift has already appeared.
In 1954, Marilyn Monroe participated in the filming of the famous film "The Seven Year Itch", Dimaggio received a call from a friend, came to the set, just saw the famous subway station vent shooting scene, Marilyn Monroe's small white dress was blown up by the wind, he was jealous, and when the onlookers cheered loudly, his face was "dead-like expression".
That night, the film crew's colleagues heard Marilyn Monroe's house, there was a roar, and the next day, people saw Monroe's back, a bruise of a purple piece.
And that's not all, di Maggio not only started a cold war with Marilyn Monroe, but he also hired a private detective to search everywhere for evidence of monroe's derailment, and tracked Monroe's actions, which made Marilyn Monroe, who had just felt some happiness, fall into a mental crisis again, and had to rely on a large number of sleeping pills to calm herself.
In 1954, shortly after the filming of The Seven Year Itch, Monroe divorced baseball star Joe Dimaggio.
"As I grew up, I gradually realized that I was different from other children," she wrote in her autobiography, "because there was no kissing or hope in my life, and I often felt lonely and wanted to die." I always try to please myself through fantasies. I never fantasized that someone would love me as much as any other child. ”
However, after the divorce, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio have always maintained a friendly relationship in their hearts, and when Marilyn Monroe needs it, Joe DiMaggio will rush to her side to protect her.
At the end of 1954, Marilyn Monroe underwent a minor gynecological operation, and DiMaggio heard the news and immediately arrived in Los Angeles to take care of his postoperatively unwell ex-wife, and at the premiere of "The Seven Year Itch", it was Joe Dimaggio who accompanied her, which seemed to become a tacit understanding.
At a time when she experienced emotional entanglement with President John F. Kennedy's brother, the failure of her own company, and the contradictions with Fox Pictures, Dimaggio once again came to Marilyn's side, and later, she suddenly understood that she and DiMaggio had quietly agreed that they would remarry on August 8, 1962.
On this day, however, Joe Dimaggio presided over Marilyn Monroe's funeral.
On the evening of August 5, 1962, Marilyn Monroe, 36, died in her bedroom in her Los Angeles apartment after overdose of barbiturates, at the age of 36.