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Marilyn Monroe's Secret Shoot: Wife's Surprising Reaction
13 Jul
Summary
- Kirkland's wife initially unimpressed by his Marilyn Monroe photos.
- Monroe requested champagne, Sinatra records, and silk sheets for shoot.
- New book by wife celebrates Monroe's 100th birthday with photos.
Francoise Kirkland, widow of photographer Douglas Kirkland, has revealed her surprising lack of initial interest in her husband's famed 1961 photoshoot with Marilyn Monroe. At 35 and at the peak of her fame, Monroe made only three requests for the session: champagne, Frank Sinatra records, and silk sheets. These images, taken for Look magazine, have become iconic, particularly as Monroe passed away nine months later at 36.
Francoise, then a 22-year-old French intellectual, admitted she was "not that impressed" by the Marilyn photos, considering them less significant than work by artists like Picasso. However, her perspective evolved over time. She has now curated a collector's edition hardcover book, "Douglas Kirkland: Marilyn. A Magical Dance," featuring these photographs to commemorate Monroe's 100th birthday.
Published by Damiani Books, the collector's edition presents the photos in a unique leporello format, including handwritten reflections from Douglas Kirkland, who died in 2022 at 88. Francoise sought a tactile, displayable format, moving away from large books. She described the project as a "different way of telling" the well-known story of the legendary session.
Kirkland was an established photographer when assigned to Monroe for Look magazine's 25th anniversary issue. He recounted that despite Monroe's three-hour tardiness, she was efficient once on set. He also shared that Monroe spoke of her "unhappy childhood" during the shoot, and they planned a future meeting that never occurred due to her death.
The photographs are noted for capturing Monroe's blend of innocence, playfulness, and sexiness, offering a sense of vulnerability that made her more accessible. Douglas Kirkland's career also included photographing other Hollywood legends such as Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor. Francoise Kirkland emphasized that the biggest "rival" in her marriage was not other women, but the camera itself, reflecting his profound passion for his craft until his final days.
