A rare 1960 Marilyn Monroe audio interview during making of "Let's Make Love" Photos and footage P/2

By the time it was known, I had already done The Asphalt Jungle, I was hired at Fox, and I remember they called on the set, the publicity department, and said something to the effect of, did you post for a calendar? And I said, yes, anything wrong? There was great anxiety, and my voice says, you all don't say you did, say you didn't. So, I said, but I did. I signed the release, and I did, and I feel I should say it, so I did say that I did, and they were very unhappy about it. And then, the cameraman who was working on the film at that time, he got a hold of one, and he asked me if I'd sign it. And so I said, yes, I would. I signed it, and I said to him and his name, and I said, this isn't my best angle, and of course, they got madder, the studio. And they said, but you can't sign those. And I said, but it's me, and they'd rather have these than the other sign. If they're friends, I don't sign for strangers, but they're friends. Or some, I said, do you like me better with long hair? Because the hair was down to here, my hair. That's why I did the Asphalt Jungle. Little by little, I think Fox got used to it. Yes, you don't starve just for food, do you? Well, I didn't. I had no family. And I mean, I had no place to go just to have a roof over my head. Of course, a lot of people said, well, why didn't you go and get a job in a 10 cent store? Something like that. And because I didn't have a high school education, they wouldn't accept me. That's not true. Neither are true. My mother's first husband is named Baker. Her second husband was Mortenson, but she was long since divorced when I was born. So, on my birth certificate, I believe it says, profession, Baker. So she was just trying to think quickly, I guess, and said Baker. Well, in all my school records, it was known as Jean Baker. In fact, I was always told, by the way, when I was very young, that my father was killed in an automobile accident in New York before I was born. When I was very young, I was told that. As regards your mother, to you, she was just a woman with a red hair. Actually, she was. You see, when I was very young, I called every woman I would see. I'd say, well, there's a mama. And if I would see a man, I'd say, there's a daddy. Or papa, I guess you'd say in French. So, to learn that she was my mother was quite a shock. It was a woman with red hair. The people I was staying with, I was about three. And one morning I was having a bath, actually, and I referred to the woman as mama. And she said, I'm not your mother. The one who comes here with the red hair and so forth, she's your mother. Don't call me mother anymore. Call me aunt, so-and-so. But the one I was concerned was her husband. I says, but he's my daddy. She said, no. You call him uncle, so-and-so. Although they weren't my aunt and uncle. I never lived with my mother. I don't know about the 12 days old. I don't remember. But I know I was very young. No. I used to ask what my mother was when I... Oh, I don't know. Well, when I was put in the orphan's home, and I refused to go into the orphan's home. I mean, I said I saw the orphan. I could read at 10. Orphan. And I put my feet down on the sidewalk. They had to drag me. And I said, I'm not an orphan. And so I thought, well, she's dead somewhere. And then later some people said, well, it's better you forget about your mother. I said, but where is my mother? And I said, well, it's better you forget about her. She's dead. So I was told that. So whatever, invented. I don't know what they mean. It was all kind of vague. I couldn't find out anything for sure. I wasn't eight, because when I was eight, I remember when I had a birthday at eight years old. And so I would still be seven. And my mother did buy a home. But I didn't see her very often. It was very... Well, the circumstance, very unhappy and kind of haphazard. I didn't see her very much. The English couple that I told you.