Marilyn Monroe's Tumultuous Affair and the Making of "Let's Make Love"

According to the article, the 1960 musical comedy "Let's Make Love" starring Marilyn Monroe and Yves Montand carries a complex backstory. The film was a project Monroe reluctantly agreed to make due to contractual obligations with 20th Century Fox. She and then-husband Arthur Miller selected it as "the least objectionable" of the studio's available scripts.

Production of the film was fraught with tension, rewrites, and a very public off-screen affair between Monroe and Montand. Both actors struggled during the shoot, with Monroe arriving "in agony of struggle" and Montand facing his own frustrations. As their spouses were frequently away, the two actors grew closer and began a high-profile affair that ultimately contributed to the end of Monroe's marriage in 1961.

Despite the turmoil, Monroe delivered moments of undeniable star power on set, including a "sizzling" performance of "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" that is considered one of her best musical numbers. The film opened to mixed reviews but was overshadowed by the tabloid coverage of the Monroe-Montand affair. While it never reached the box office heights Fox had hoped for, "Let's Make Love" remains a fascinating snapshot of Monroe's late-career period, positioned between two of her most iconic performances.