Glamour is the descriptive word that comes to mind when we think back to Hollywood’s Golden Age. The stars shone brightly in the days of Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Grace Kelly, and Elizabeth Taylor. However, many would agree that the brightest star and the most glamorous was Marilyn Monroe. She might also have been the most tragic. This detailed and intricately researched book from author Andrew Wilson pulls back the curtain on Marilyn’s façade of glamour, while serving up specifics about her childhood, her desire to be loved, and her recurring depression. The book may not be a traditional tribute, but in fact it serves as proof of how she struggled to overcome her personal challenges.
Wilson’s book is timed to release in celebration of what would have been Marilyn’s 100th birthday. Of course, it’s a tragedy that she only lived for 36 years, and we discover even more tragedy and sadness as the book guides us through a childhood (as Norma Jeane) we wouldn’t wish on anyone … foster homes and orphanages. This led to her foundation of fear and insecurity. Wilson describes how her need to be loved and wanted was often at odds with her public image of glamorous blonde bombshell, as was her commitment to reading and learning – despite being a high school dropout.
As proof of her iconic image as a movie star and celebrity, it’s truly fascinating to note the number of legends, rumors, and conspiracies linked to Marilyn. Wilson discloses his access to the archives (tapes, interviews, documents, letters) of 1985 biographer Anthony Summers, who wrote “Goddess: The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe”. Additionally, Wilson researched so much more on his own, making this work truly stand out despite the dozens of books already published profiling Marilyn. What we learn is that stories and tales and memories of Marilyn are easy to come by. The difficult part is separating fact from fiction, especially when so much of the fiction has been fed to us over the years. Wilson lays out the facts and admits when he’s drawing his own conclusions. This is in stark contrast to how he feels about Norman Mailer’s 1973 “Marilyn: A Biography”, which Wilson describes as ‘sloppily researched.’
When it comes to beloved icons, the real money makers are conspiracy theories and rumors when trying to sell one of those many Marilyn books. Wilson methodically addresses the facts as applied to such items as her being sexually assaulted as a minor, the white piano, multiple miscarriages, her endometriosis, the clashes with Laurence Olivier, the ‘wrong door raid’, her conversion to Judaism, that infamous dress from “Happy Birthday, Mr. President”, her three marriages (the first at age 16), brothers John and Bobby Kennedy (each get their own chapter), and of course, her death at such a young age and under mysterious circumstances. Also included is the story behind Hugh Hefner obtaining the Marilyn photos he used in the 1953 launch of “Playboy” magazine.
For those interested in Marilyn’s three marriages, Wilson includes plenty. First husband Jim Doughterty, a police officer, wrote two books about her, while neither Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio nor Pulitzer Prize winner Arthur Miller did. In fact, the latter two remained quite close-lipped when it came to discussing Marilyn after her death. Specifics on the marriages are included, and as you’d suspect, it wasn’t all rosy for Marilyn. Other romances and rumored romances are part of her story. This includes Frank Sinatra and Yves Montand, as well as screenwriter Jose Bolanos, supposedly her final lover.
Famed acting coach Lee Strasburg not only worked with Marilyn, but also became one of the few she trusted implicitly. Wilson covers her lifelong connection to therapists, including her time with Anna Freud, daughter of Sigmund. Marilyn’s struggles with mental health and depression were a constant battle, and given her childhood and fame, it’s actually understandable. Arthur Miller is quoted as telling her, “You’re the saddest girl I ever met.” Compare that to what Oscar winning director Billy Wilder said: “When I met her, she did not impress me. When I saw what the camera saw, I knew she was special.” Wilder directed Marilyn on THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH (1955) and SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959), the former included the iconic scene of Marilyn standing on the grille as the wind blows her skirt up. It’s that transformation in front of the camera that Wilson notes a few times.
Clark Gable passed away twelve days after filming wrapped on THE MISFITS (1961 screenplay by Arthur Miller), and it became the final feature film released for both Gable and Marilyn Monroe. The last public photos of her were taken at Dodger Stadium for a charity game with kids, and yes, writer Andrew Wilson covers her death and funeral and how those have been analyzed and debated since. It’s interesting to note that Marilyn lived in more than fifty different places during her short life, and the only house she purchased had an inset in the tiled doorway that read “Cursum Perficio”, translated to ‘My journey ends here’. And what a journey it was … despite ending much too soon. Marilyn’s cover story is glamour, but Andrew Wilson separates the person from the star.
The book by Andrew Wilson is available on Amazon beginning June 2, 2026
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. We all love a good (and sneaky) twist in a movie. It takes exceptional storytelling and acting to pull it off, and it’s a bit funny when it becomes obvious that the screenwriter just kind of ran out of ways to maintain the suspense. That’s what happens about twenty minutes into this one from writer-director Katie Aselton, real life wife of filmmaker Mark Duplass, who also co-wrote this script.
Greetings again from the darkness. There haven’t been many documentary trilogies over the years, yet this is the third in a series from husband-and-wife documentarians Joshua Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell. The first two were KISS THE GROUND (2020) and COMMON GROUND (2023), and all three deal with the importance of regenerative agriculture … a solution to our food problem and, it’s no exaggeration to say, the key to our future.
Greetings again from the darkness. Are there alien-human hybrids living amongst us right now? That’s the question documentarian Serena DC is looking to answer with this latest. She is a published author and talk show host, and has directed other documentary projects with subjects from ‘beyond’. The first thing we learn is also the first thing that puts us a bit on the defensive: there are many definitions of hybrid. The generally accepted definition is “half ET/hal human”. In other words, shared DNA.
Greetings again from the darkness. For those of us who love movies and watch entirely too many each week/month/year, we have hardened to the fact that every so often we find one that simply doesn’t click for us. Even then, we hope to latch on to a particular character, setting, or element to the story that will keep us engaged. Sometimes the really odd, unconventional films are the ones with the most to offer – even though they often require the most ‘mental’ effort to connect.
The Ryan Express. Tex. Nolie. However you refer to Lynn Nolan Ryan, he was without question one of the most exciting players and dominating pitchers in Major League Baseball history. Sure, he had some detractors, but few of those are knowledgeable baseball fans or among those who were lucky enough to see him pitch. Renowned sportswriter and author Tim Brown serves up plenty of ‘inside baseball’ here as it relates to Nolan’s career, yet some of the most interesting bits and pieces are in regard to Ryan as a man.
Greetings again from the darkness. The Farrelly Brothers (Bobby and Peter) were the creative force behind such comedy classics as DUMB AND DUMBER (1994), THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (1998), and one of my personal favorites, OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE (1999). At some point, the brothers decided to split up and work on their own projects. Peter won a couple of Oscars for GREEN BOOK (2018), and now Bobby, working from a screenplay by Thomas Moffett (AN ACTOR PREPARES, 2018), delivers one more in line with the brothers’ early works.
Greetings again from the darkness. Stories on geopolitics are almost always interesting, and this latest from writer-director Olivier Assayas (CARLOS, 2010) and co-writer Emmanuel Carrere is also quite timely, given the current state of international events. The film is based on the 2022 fictionalized novel by Giuliano da Empoli, and it’s inspired by the life of Vladimir Putin’s former Deputy Chief, Vladislov Surkov … named here as Vadim Baranov.
Greetings again from the darkness. You likely know that an octopus has eight limbs (the name is a giveaway). Did you also know they have nine brains and three hearts? Anything else you need to know about the species, at least for this movie, will be explained by Marcellus (voiced by Albert Molina), the main attraction at the aquarium where much of this story takes place. Most every book club had the 2022 best-selling debut novel from Shelby Van Pelt on its agenda, and now writer-director Olivia Newman (WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, 2022) and co-writer John Whittington have adapted it for the big screen.
Greetings again from the darkness. The first feature film from writer-director Sophy Romvari has been well received on the festival circuit, and it’s easy to see why so many have been drawn in by this Canadian- Hungarian production. It’s a deeply personal film with autobiographical elements from the filmmaker. The best family dramas often deliver a gut-punch, and this one certainly does … yet it’s the storytelling structure that provides hope for future gems like this.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 