Marilyn, the last three days E-Book

Elisabetta Villaggio

• Herausgeber: Panesi Edizioni
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

It was the night between 4 and 5 August 1962 when Marilyn Monroe exhaled her last breath. The official cause: suicide by overdose of barbiturates. But the questions (and unanswered) are too many. Why they have never been officially questioned her housekeeper Eunice Murray, and her psychiatrist Ralph Greenson? Why the autopsy showed that there were no pills in her stomach, but several bites in the area of the heart? Why a woman with a spectacular career ahead of her had to kill herself? In Marilyn Monroe's short life they were intertwined loves, passions, work, politics and careers. Plots that perhaps they do have tragically decided the end. She had become an awkward Marilyn Monroe. In this script comes from the eponymous play, Elisabetta Villaggio tells us those last, tragic, three days.

Leseprobe

Elisabetta Villaggio

MARILYN, THE LAST THREE DAYS

MARILYN, THE LAST THREE DAYS - Elisabetta Villaggio © 2016 Panesi Edizioni, Cogorno (Ge) I digital edition: february 2016

ISBN 9788899289355

Translated by Francisca Stewart and Jocelyn Pierce

Cover rights reserved.

This work is protected by the Law on Copyright. Duplication is prohibited, even partial, not authorized.

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Gli Speciali

Preview

It's August 5th, 1962, at 4.25 am. Eunice Murray, a severe-looking woman, is dialing a phone number. Sergeant Clemmons, from West Los Angeles Police Department, gets the phone call. Mrs. Murray announced that Marilyn Monroe died.

This is the beginning of the one act theatrical play about Marilyn's last three days.

In the night between the 4th and 5th of August Marilyn Monroe died in circumstances that are still unclear. That woman, with a very sensual body and a childlike smile, that was the dream of millions of men and was destined to become a myth still alive, died under mysterious circumstances. She was only 36 years old.

Even the date of her death is not exact because the apparently lifeless body was found before midnight, on Saturday, August 4th, by Eunice Murray, her housekeeper, Ralph Greenson, her psychiatrist and Hyman Engelberg, her physician. They called LAPD from Marilyn's house, at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive, in Brentwood, a quiet neighborhood in the west side of the city where Pat Newcomb, her press office, also arrived that night. Immediately everybody talked of suicide and this was confirmed by the witnesses.

Too quickly, all those witnesses could be easily blackmailed. Marilyn had become uncomfortable with her dangerous friendships, she was the lover of two Kennedy brothers, John and Bob. She had social contacts with people linked to the Mafia as Frank Sinatra, and her former husbands was related to the left wing party, as Arthur Miller. She knew too many things because men, even the important ones, between the sheets, relax and talk. Marilyn was an intelligent free spirit that could frighten many people. She wanted revenge and she did not want to be used and then thrown to the side. She threatened to talk to tell her side of the story. She was threatening powerfull people that could be intimidated by that particular woman who wanted to live her life to the fullest, a feminist a head of her time.

What happened? How did she die? Who silenced everything? Why were the close people around her not telling the truth? I tried to tell her last days of life without frills, parties and luxury clothes. I imagined Marilyn in the privacy of her home, among her things, people who attended her home those last days or with whom she spoke to on the phone.

And, of course, from my point of view, I will tell you how she died.

Elisabetta Villaggio

1

The curtain rises. On the right side of the stage there is a bedroom. Inside the bedroom is a bed with white sheets. On the left side of the bed, is a night table with a white phone on it. On the other side of the bed, there is a stand full of clothes and a small armchair. There are plants and a large window behind the bed. On the left side of the stage, as if it were outside of the bedroom, sits a small table with a pink phone. Hidden behind this, in on the left side, there is another room that can just be glimpsed: it this is the guest cottage. The scene is almost dark. Only a small light to illuminates the table with the pink phone.

OVER SOUND

August 5, 1962 4.25 am.

Eunice Murray, the housekeeper who is, a severe looking woman, dials a phone number.

EUNICE

LAPD?

CLEMMONS (OS)

Yes, this is Sergeant Clemmons, West Los Angeles Police department. What can I do for you madam?

EUNICE

Marilyn Monroe has died. She committed suicide. I'm Eunice Murray, her housekeeper.

CLEMMONS (VFC)

I'll be right there lady. What's the address?

EUNICE

12305, Fifth Helena Drive.

The housekeeper goes out. After a moment the doorbell rings. She comes back with Sergeant Clemmons. The lights are turned on. On the bed there is a dead woman lying face down and covered with a sheet. A blonde tuft of hair can be seen sticking out from beneath the sheet. At the edge of the bed stand two men, Dr. Endelberg, Marilyn's general practitioner, and Dr. Greenson, Marilyn's psychiatrist. Engelberg, the quieter of the two, is sitting on the armchair next to the bed while Greenson is standing, walking nervously back and forth.

EUNICE

Here she is. She killed herself.

ENGELBERG

(

He stands up and shakes hands with Clemmons

) Hello, I'm Dr. Engelberg, Marilyn Monroe' personal doctor.

GREENSON

And I'm Ralph Greenson, her psychiatrist.

Mrs. Murray walks out unnoticed.

CLEMMONS

Watch commander, Sergeant Jack Clemmons.

GREENSON

(

He picks up a tube of pills from the night table

) She took them all. She committed suicide… I still can't believe it.

ENGELBERG

(

He sits down and holds his head in his hands

) We would have to have understood her. Poor Marilyn.

Clemmons raises the sheet. He looks at the veins on her arms before looking at her face, then he pulls out a pad to take notes.

CLEMMONS

What kind of pills were they?

GREENSON

Nembutal. They're barbiturates.

CLEMMONS

Has the body been moved?

ENGELBERG AND GREENSON

No.

CLEMMONS

(

Speaking to Greenson

) Did you try to revive her?

GREENSON

No, no it was too late. We arrived too late.

CLEMMONS

The position of the body is very composed for a person who died of poisoning. Usually they have contortions. Doesn't it seem strange?

ENGELBERG

Marilyn was a very peculiar person and very special. Yes, special.

CLEMMONS

Does that mean she died in a special way?

GREENSON

(

With a hysterical tone

) She is not just dead, she committed suicide. Suicide! Write it in your book, write it!

CLEMMONS

Do you know when she took the pills?

GREENSON

No.

CLEMMONS

Did you prescribe them?

GREENSON

Yes, of course. I've had Ms. Monroe in therapy for two and a half years. And, occasionally, she takes pills…especially when she has problems.

CLEMMONS

And what sort of problems had MissB Monroe been having recently?

GREENSON

She was working a lot, she was stressed from work.

CLEMMONS

Who discovered the body?

ENGELBERG

Mrs. Murray.

Clemmons turns to ask Mrs. Murray something and realizes she is not there. He calls her loudly.

CLEMMONS

Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Murray!

She comes immediately carrying clothes to be ironed, pausing next to the table with the white phone. Clemmons moves closer to her.

EUNICE

Yes?

CLEMMONS

When did you find out that something had happened to Miss Monroe?

EUNICE

Immediately after midnight. Then I called Doctor Greenson.

Eunice appears to want quickly end the conversation.

[...]

CLEMMONS

Do you mind telling me more about what happened?