The Final Years of Marilyn Monroe: The Shocking True Story by Keith Badman Page A

soon warmed a little to the idea of being back in Tinseltown. While the singer was in Hollywood performing a children’s charity concert, her initial weeks were spent as a guest of Frank Sinatra at his bachelor pad in Coldwater Canyon.In an attempt to cheer her up, a present from him, a small white poodle, was waiting for her upon her arrival. Of Scottish descent, it had been acquired from actress Natalie Wood’s mother Maria, a renowned breeder. On account of Frank’s well-publicised connections to the Mafia (though Sinatra wasn’t keen on the moniker), Marilyn affectionately baptised the pet ‘Maf’.
    On Sunday 11 June, Marilyn had been among a host of Hollywood celebrities at St Cyril’s Roman Catholic Church in suburban Encino for the christening of Clark Gable’s 10-week-old son, John Clark Gable, who was born just 124 days after his father’s death. Wishing to be discreet, the actress slipped quietly through the star-studded crowd in a veil and a subdued black dress. She looked like a widow. After the service, she joined the others at a champagne reception at the Gables’ nearby home. She and Gable’s widow, Kay, had evidently forgiven each other following Kay’s suggestion that Monroe’s persistent delays on the set of The Misfits had contributed to her husband’s death. In fact, they had become friends. Two months earlier, on Tuesday 11 April, she had drafted a letter to the actress which read, in part, ‘I miss Clark each day more. I’ll never get over this great loss. But God has blessed me with three great children and precious memories.’ Kay even sent Marilyn a copy of the child’s first-ever photograph.
    With the actress still residing at his home, questions about her alleged affair with Frank Sinatra dominated her early spell back in Hollywood. When columnist Louella Parsons confronted her about this, she made light of the tittle-tattle by replying, ‘I couldn’t be more surprised . . . He has always been very kind to me,’ adding, ‘I want to go to his and Dean Martin’s birthday party at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.’ Which she did. At midnight on the night of Wednesday 14 June, at Martin’s surprise belated 44th birthday celebration, she was seen seated at the very edge of the Sands’ stage, champagne glass in hand, gently swaying along to the music, enthusiastically applauding each number and gazing up adoringly at Sinatra as he performed. Rumours of their affair were ignited further when the two were spotted having an intimate tête-à-tête in the lounge immediately after the show. But despite the gossip, Monroe toddled off to bed alone, while Frank remained behind, chatting with his show business pals way into the early hours. (For the record, by the middle of June 1961 Monroe had dated Frank just twice and not five or more times, as many previous Monroe scholars have led us to believe. Their relationship would, in fact, not intensify for another three months.)
    Marilyn’s time in Las Vegas was brief. Later that day, accompanied by her press agent, Pat Newcomb, she flew out of the city en route to Los Angeles International Airport. After an exceedingly brief stopover in Coldwater Canyon, Marilyn was escorted back to the airport where,amid great excitement, she caught her flight back to New York’s Idlewild Airport, arriving there during the evening of Thursday 15 June. Amid tidal waves of wolf-whistles and flash bulbs, she remarked ‘No comment’ to reporters who had enquired why she had suddenly returned. In fact, she was there for two reasons. First, business. Thanks to the amount of time she had spent there, most of her ongoing promotional and occupational matters were still being handled in the city. For instance, within an hour of her homecoming, she was holding court in her Manhattan home with Louella Parsons and The New York Herald Tribune ’s ‘Television Today’ columnist, Marie Torre. Then, with matters concerning her television play Rain deepening, Marilyn held