January 14, 1954
In 1954, after a two year courtship, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio had a 'supposed-to-be' civil wedding in San Francisco. Municipal Judge Charles E. Perry married the two hi-profile citizens, and later said in all the excitement, he forgot to kiss the bride! Judge Perry had thrown everyone out of his chambers, trying to keep the ceremony as private as he could. But, of course, reporters, photogs, and a slew of fans were jammed outside the courtshouse waiting to get a look. And the photographers wanted Joe and Marilyn to kiss, so they could get a shot of it.
Joe DiMaggio, as we all probably know, had enjoyed a 13 year career with the New York Yankees as center fielder, and is well known for his 56-game hitting streak during the summer of 1941. I don't think this stat has been broken yet, and he was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. He played his entire career with the Yankees, retiring in 1952 at the age of 37.
'Joltin' Joe
And, of course, as we all know, Marilyn Monroe was dubbed the sexiest woman in Hollywood during the 1940's, 50's, and, I suppose, up until her untimely death in 1962...well, if the shoe fits! Marilyn was a beauty...and, it didn't matter what she was wearing. I believe, that if she were in today's world, she would still shine as she did in the 1940's, 50's, and 60's. She came quite a long way from her early beginnings, having been born to an emotionally unstable mother, and, a "not-so-sure I want to claim my dad". She spent quite a lot of time in foster homes, and some time with relatives as a child. That might explain why she had a tendancy to attach herself to older men, you think? Maybe not.
Well, back to Joe...when he wanted to meet and date Marilyn, did he know he would fall in love with her? Or, was it merely a conquest desire? Who knows...but, it later became evident that he had fallen as hard as one could fall for someone. And, Marilyn, at first, really wasn't that interested in him-she didn't even care much for baseball. Joe set out to protect Marilyn from any and all demons that possessed her troubled life. It seems as though he became a bit over-protective and possessive of the popular blonde, resulting in a short (less than one year) marriage. Her famous 'skirt-blowing' scene in the 1954 movie 'the Seven Year Itch' infuriated Joe DiMaggio. And it caused quite a conflict between the couple. When Marilyn filed for divorce from Joe, it was on the grounds of mental cruelty. In 1956, Marilyn married playright Arthur Miller, and, that marriage ended in divorce in 1961. In the meantime, Joe DiMaggio had been seen with other women, but had not married again. And, later, when Marilyn would have problems and become distressed, Joe would still come to her rescue. He even loaned her quite a sum of money for a down payment on her house. They did spend more time together again, and it was rumored that DiMaggio desired to re-marry Marilyn.
But, Marilyn passed away before a re-marriage could take place. It was reported that DiMaggio's son had spoken to Marilyn over the phone the night before she died, and he thought she sounded fine. Well, we know that her death was ruled as a suicide by overdose, even tho there has been much speculation of foul play. I won't mention names of anyone thought to have been involved. All I can add, is that the situation was a sad one, and a loss.
It is reported that there was no one for Marilyn in death, so, once again, Joe DiMaggio became her hero. He claimed her remains and arranged her funeral, only allowing certain persons to attend, and no press. Other resources suggest that Joe, along with studio producers, directors and actors, contributed to her death. It was said that if Joe had behaved differently, they would have had a good marriage. I'm not sure I agree with that theory...I think DiMaggio bit off more than he could chew. For the next 20 years after Marilyn's death, Joe visited her grave regularly and kept fresh flowers at her crypt.
Later, Joe DiMaggio became the spokesman for 'Mr. Coffee' and did commercials endorsing the famous coffee maker from 1974 until 1990.
The "Yankee Clipper", 'Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, passed away at his Florida home from lung cancer on March 8, 1992. DiMaggio is interred at Holy Cross Cemetary in Colma, California.
Now, if I was asked to name someone whom I think was a 'Special Valentine', Joe DiMaggio's name would 'POP' right off the top of my head! And, I'm dedicating this Valentine's Day to a man who remained a 'true Valentine' to the same woman for more than 35 years!
...Well, other than my wonderful husband Karo, who is MY 'true Valentine'!
Ah...it took an act of Congress to get this old photo here!
This is Karo in December of 1997 before we were married.
Happy Valentine's Day, Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe!
Joe DiMaggio, as we all probably know, had enjoyed a 13 year career with the New York Yankees as center fielder, and is well known for his 56-game hitting streak during the summer of 1941. I don't think this stat has been broken yet, and he was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. He played his entire career with the Yankees, retiring in 1952 at the age of 37.
'Joltin' Joe
And, of course, as we all know, Marilyn Monroe was dubbed the sexiest woman in Hollywood during the 1940's, 50's, and, I suppose, up until her untimely death in 1962...well, if the shoe fits! Marilyn was a beauty...and, it didn't matter what she was wearing. I believe, that if she were in today's world, she would still shine as she did in the 1940's, 50's, and 60's. She came quite a long way from her early beginnings, having been born to an emotionally unstable mother, and, a "not-so-sure I want to claim my dad". She spent quite a lot of time in foster homes, and some time with relatives as a child. That might explain why she had a tendancy to attach herself to older men, you think? Maybe not.
Well, back to Joe...when he wanted to meet and date Marilyn, did he know he would fall in love with her? Or, was it merely a conquest desire? Who knows...but, it later became evident that he had fallen as hard as one could fall for someone. And, Marilyn, at first, really wasn't that interested in him-she didn't even care much for baseball. Joe set out to protect Marilyn from any and all demons that possessed her troubled life. It seems as though he became a bit over-protective and possessive of the popular blonde, resulting in a short (less than one year) marriage. Her famous 'skirt-blowing' scene in the 1954 movie 'the Seven Year Itch' infuriated Joe DiMaggio. And it caused quite a conflict between the couple. When Marilyn filed for divorce from Joe, it was on the grounds of mental cruelty. In 1956, Marilyn married playright Arthur Miller, and, that marriage ended in divorce in 1961. In the meantime, Joe DiMaggio had been seen with other women, but had not married again. And, later, when Marilyn would have problems and become distressed, Joe would still come to her rescue. He even loaned her quite a sum of money for a down payment on her house. They did spend more time together again, and it was rumored that DiMaggio desired to re-marry Marilyn.
But, Marilyn passed away before a re-marriage could take place. It was reported that DiMaggio's son had spoken to Marilyn over the phone the night before she died, and he thought she sounded fine. Well, we know that her death was ruled as a suicide by overdose, even tho there has been much speculation of foul play. I won't mention names of anyone thought to have been involved. All I can add, is that the situation was a sad one, and a loss.
It is reported that there was no one for Marilyn in death, so, once again, Joe DiMaggio became her hero. He claimed her remains and arranged her funeral, only allowing certain persons to attend, and no press. Other resources suggest that Joe, along with studio producers, directors and actors, contributed to her death. It was said that if Joe had behaved differently, they would have had a good marriage. I'm not sure I agree with that theory...I think DiMaggio bit off more than he could chew. For the next 20 years after Marilyn's death, Joe visited her grave regularly and kept fresh flowers at her crypt.
Later, Joe DiMaggio became the spokesman for 'Mr. Coffee' and did commercials endorsing the famous coffee maker from 1974 until 1990.
The "Yankee Clipper", 'Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, passed away at his Florida home from lung cancer on March 8, 1992. DiMaggio is interred at Holy Cross Cemetary in Colma, California.
Now, if I was asked to name someone whom I think was a 'Special Valentine', Joe DiMaggio's name would 'POP' right off the top of my head! And, I'm dedicating this Valentine's Day to a man who remained a 'true Valentine' to the same woman for more than 35 years!
...Well, other than my wonderful husband Karo, who is MY 'true Valentine'!
This is Karo in December of 1997 before we were married.
Happy Valentine's Day, Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe!
Now, I'm sure you know that 'Oscar' night is Sunday, February 26, 2012 (if I'm looking at the right calendar!). And, the movie "My Week With Marilyn", is up for two nominations! Best actress as Marilyn, by Michelle Williams, and the best supporting actor nominated is Kenneth Branagh, who played Sir Lawrence Olivier. It will be interesting to see what happens!
***
And, now, before I go, you know I must thank some folks.
Google
Yahoo Images
wikipedia
The San Francisco Chronicle
A special thanks to my friend and co-worker, Cindy. Cindy inspired and encouraged me to write this post...don't even remember how we got on the subject-I think I was asking who I could write about that could have been a special Valentine with a special story. And Cindy said, "Joe DiMaggio is the Champion Valentine! He loved Marilyn Monroe to the end!"
And, I found out that Cindy is right!
Happy Valentine's Day Cindy!♥
Happy Valentine's Day to my Loving, Caring Husband, Karo!♥
Happy Valentine's Day to my Mom, Bob and Leta!♥
Happy Valentine's Day to my son, Rusty and little Scooter!♥
...does the list go on?☺
♫YES!
To my dearest blogmates and readers, my heart goes out to you all (actually, it's "y'all" in my neck of the woods) on Valentine's Day! Thank you so much for reading my 'stuff', and, for your fun and exciting posts that enlighten my life! Know that deep in the ♥ of Texas, this filly is truly a fan, and I look forward to seeing you when your little icons pop up on my reading list.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY FROM THE KARDKORNER♥
♫You too, Elvis!♫
Haha! It's my special Elvis coffee mug...I actually drink from it!
I didn't realize that Joe DiMaggio was the coffee face all those years! I guess that was the unconscious time of my life or something. Fun post, thanks, Susan.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to your posts too, Susan, and one of these days I'm gonna get here on time! I'd be here in minutes rather than days if I could only get your blogs into my roll.
ReplyDeleteI love Michelle Williams and I am eager to see her portrayal of Marilyn, but at the same time I doubt that anyone can ever effectively become Marilyn. Other actresses have tried and failed because Marilyn is inimitable. I might be in the minority but I thought Marilyn was at her most beautiful before 1952. That's when her popularity exploded and she became a sex goddess and a cultural icon. Before that, in her early days as Marilyn and when she was still calling herself Norma, she was a fresh, lovely and natural girl next door. I always prefer that type of woman to the bombshell. It's hard to imagine Marilyn as an old woman because she was so fragile that I just somehow knew that her life wouldn't last. She was indeed a "candle in the wind." Thank you very much for another fascinating post, Susan, and happy Valentine's day to you!
A great post Susan - lots of things I didn't know too!
ReplyDeleteLove your Elvis coffee mug.
You and Karo have a wonderful loving Valentines Day - good cheer, Susan xx :D)
* Hi Nancy, I remember seeing Joe all the time in the Mr. Coffee commercials, especially in the late 70's. I read that he really made the coffee maker famous. I've owned quite a few of them myself. Thank you for coming by and have a Happy Valentine's Day!
ReplyDelete* Hey Shady! You're right! I've seen many photos of Marilyn...she did have that raw beauty, even with a ponytail and bobby socks. And, I think her real name is timeless. 'Norma Jean'...I've never known anyone else who dared have that name. I haven't seen the movie either, and, as you say, no one can effectively portray Marilyn. I applaud the ladies who have taken on the task. And, it's kind of like Elvis...did we really want to see him as an old man?
Thank you for taking time to read my post Shady. We're now in the Valentine floral rush! Hey...it's 29° in Fort Worth! Perfect carnation weather-Happy Valentine's Day to you Shady!♫
why am i not at all surprised that you have an Elvis coffee mug!! :)
ReplyDeleteand i didn't know all that love stuff about Joe & Marilyn. well, i did know they were married at one time...and i guess i had heard that he still loved her after they divorced...but i didn't realize that he claimed her body and kept fresh flowers for her...forever!
well...a Happy (belated!) Valentine's day to you & Karo!!
hope your weather's warming a bit...although we got down to the low 20's this past weekend...now it's back up to 70's!!
* Hi Laura! Yeah, Elvis is still in our building! I got the mug to put red carnations in-they're Karo's favorite flower. Turned out pretty nice.
ReplyDeleteI, too, didn't realize that Joe contiued to carry a torch for Marilyn, and when I found out, I thought it would be a good Valentine tribute.
I think everyone's weather is crazy this winter. I heard that Florida has had hot and cold like us...you never know what to wear! Thanks for coming by...have a great weekend!☺
Hi Susan. I've managed to sneak over here. Thank you so much for keep coming over and leaving comments on my blog. I have to say that Karo was very dishy in that photo! Loved reading all about Marilyn and Joe. What a gorgeous black & white photo of her. Talking of gorgeous, who is that gorgeous girl in your profile pic?!! Take care my friend.
ReplyDelete* Hi Thisisme. So good to see you here...hope you're feeling more up today. I really liked the black & white of Marilyn too, and, I didn't know much of the story of her and Joe. It was so interesting and shed a new light on him. Yeah, Karo was really a looker, and, still is to me even 16years later...the personality keeps him attractive. Well, that is me in my profile picture, but at the age of 21. Ahhh...those were the days! Thank you for sneaking by and saying hello. And for your gracious compliments! Stay warm my friend...chin up!
ReplyDelete