Marilyn Monroe was supposed to be making a comeback in the spring of 1962. The 36-year-old, cast as the free-spirited Ellen Arden in ‘Something’s Got to Give,’ a glossy remake of the 1940 comedy, ‘My Favourite Wife,’ arrived on set with a thinner frame, a brighter smile, and a studio desperate for a hit.
20th Century Fox was already losing money on ‘Cleopatra‘ starring Elizabeth Taylor. What it needed from Monroe was reliability. But what it got was something far more complicated.
Marilyn Monroe’s Infamous Pool Scene That Made Headlines
The movie’s principal photography began on April 23 without her. Monroe, battling chronic sinusitis, bronchitis, and the effects of past surgeries and barbiturate use, sent doctor’s notes instead of showing up. When she did appear in mid-May, she was tentative, often vomiting before scenes and retreating to her trailer. Yet she pushed through.
Related: Marilyn Monroe’s Daily Diet Was Surprisingly Wild And It Shaped Her Iconic Curves
On May 23 and 24, she filmed the now-famous n*** swimming pool sequence, slipping out of a flesh coloured bikini while the closed set buzzed off with excitement.
The stills would soon appear on magazine covers around the world. And it was then that a trip came that sealed her fate.
Why Marilyn Monroe Missed Work and Defied the Studio
Despite studio warnings, Monroe flew to New York on May 17 to sing a breathy, “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” to John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden. She returned to Hollywood on May 20, worked a few more days, and celebrated her 36th birthday on set June 1. It was her last day of filming.
On June 4, she fell sick again with a temperature of 102 degrees, and her sinus infection was worsening. That was enough for Fox, and they fired her on June 8, 1962.
In case you missed it: Hollywood Feuds That Got Ugly Off-Screen
Executive Henry Weinstein wrote a blunt memo, stating, “Marilyn has reported only twelve days out of the thirty-two she is supposed to have worked. She has completely flouted professional discipline and is responsible for putting 104 crew members out of work. We definitely are going to take some action to protect the picture, our stockholders and the other artists in the cast.”
Soon, Fox slapped a $75,000 breach-of-contract lawsuit and hired Lee Remick as her replacement.
Dean Martin’s Bold Refusal That Shut Down Production
Monroe’s response was quite devastating. She wired director George Cukor, stating, “Dear George, Please believe me, it was not my doing. I had so looked forward to working with you.”
Co-star Dean Martin did not remain silent either. When told he would now act opposite Remick, he said, “I signed to do the picture with Marilyn Monroe, and I will do it with no one else.” He refused to shoot another frame, after which production stopped.
What the Lost Footage Really Shows About Marilyn Monroe
The raw footage, later found in a Fox vault, shows Monroe anything but different. She apologizes when she misses lines, laughs when a child actor struggles, and encourages the crew.
Related: The Dark Reality of Marilyn Monroe’s On-Set Struggles That Turned Hollywood Against Its Biggest Star
Cukor later called the incident “tragic” and remembered her as “underwater.” Screenwriter Walter Bernstein was harsher, calling her self-destructive. But the studio, strained by ‘Cleopatra‘s rising costs, had drawn a line.
Marilyn Monroe’s Tragic Final Days
In late June, Fox quietly reopened talks, and by August 1, Monroe had been rehired at a higher salary of $250,000 for this film, along with a two-million-dollar two-picture deal. Filming was also set to resume in the fall, but three days later, on August 5, 1962, she was found dead in her Brentwood bedroom from an overdose of barbiturates.
As a result, ‘Something’s Got to Give‘ was never finished. The 37 minutes of footage offer a final glimpse of a star that Hollywood both celebrated and cast aside.
In the end, the controversy that got Marilyn Monroe fired was not because of her missed call times. It was about a studio that needed somebody to blame and a woman who could not hold everything together.
You might also like to read: How Did Marilyn Monroe Die?
