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Marilyn Monroe Memorabilia
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A Charles Feldman Letter to Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio Pertaining to The Seven Year Itch
4 – 14 June 2024, 12:00 PDT
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A Charles Feldman Letter to Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio Pertaining to The Seven Year Itch
Typed Carbon (Unsigned), 5 pp, 4to, May 17, 1954, Beverly Hills, retained copy of a letter to Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, and Loyd Wright, on onion skin paper, from Charles Feldman.
Charles Feldman wore many hats in Hollywood; as one of the top agents in show business, his talent roster included the biggest star of them all, Marilyn Monroe. By 1954, he had been her agent for 3 years while she was under contract to media mogul Darryl F. Zanuck at Twentieth Century-Fox. During that time, they discussed many projects in which Monroe was interested. In the first paragraph of this letter, Feldman reminds Monroe, her then-husband Joe DiMaggio, and her attorney Loyd Wright of a previous morning in which they had all gotten together to discuss Monroe's intense interest in appearing in the film version of the Broadway hit, The Seven Year Itch, as well as Feldman's attempts, as her agent, to secure the part for her. As producer of the film, however, he was looking out for himself as well as Monroe. He proceeds to write that almost every studio in town wants to shoot the film and he details the corresponding negotiations each studio is attempting. Billy Wilder was, for all intents and purposes, already chosen as director, and he desperately wanted Monroe for the role as well. Feldman then goes on to relay that he was able to negotiate terms with Darryl F. Zanuck at Twentieth Century-Fox, the studio in which Monroe was under contract, for her to appear in the film (playing the martyr, Feldman stresses that he could have gotten more for himself had he gone with the other studios). Feldman also assures Monroe that, on her behalf, he made this film part of her contractual obligation as opposed to an extra film over and above her contract, as Fox wanted. To his credit, Feldman expresses desire to have everything in writing, regardless of their personal relationship, and he leaves spaces on the last page for Monroe and Loyd Wright to sign their acceptance and return. The document is an interesting insight into the details that go into the production of what was at that time, in Feldman's words, considered "a plum by every studio in the business." Together with a 1 p typed carbon discussing foreign distribution of the film and a gelatin silver 8 x 10 in. photograph of Marilyn Monroe with Hollywood journalist Army Archerd in 1960.
8.5 x 11 in.
Charles Feldman wore many hats in Hollywood; as one of the top agents in show business, his talent roster included the biggest star of them all, Marilyn Monroe. By 1954, he had been her agent for 3 years while she was under contract to media mogul Darryl F. Zanuck at Twentieth Century-Fox. During that time, they discussed many projects in which Monroe was interested. In the first paragraph of this letter, Feldman reminds Monroe, her then-husband Joe DiMaggio, and her attorney Loyd Wright of a previous morning in which they had all gotten together to discuss Monroe's intense interest in appearing in the film version of the Broadway hit, The Seven Year Itch, as well as Feldman's attempts, as her agent, to secure the part for her. As producer of the film, however, he was looking out for himself as well as Monroe. He proceeds to write that almost every studio in town wants to shoot the film and he details the corresponding negotiations each studio is attempting. Billy Wilder was, for all intents and purposes, already chosen as director, and he desperately wanted Monroe for the role as well. Feldman then goes on to relay that he was able to negotiate terms with Darryl F. Zanuck at Twentieth Century-Fox, the studio in which Monroe was under contract, for her to appear in the film (playing the martyr, Feldman stresses that he could have gotten more for himself had he gone with the other studios). Feldman also assures Monroe that, on her behalf, he made this film part of her contractual obligation as opposed to an extra film over and above her contract, as Fox wanted. To his credit, Feldman expresses desire to have everything in writing, regardless of their personal relationship, and he leaves spaces on the last page for Monroe and Loyd Wright to sign their acceptance and return. The document is an interesting insight into the details that go into the production of what was at that time, in Feldman's words, considered "a plum by every studio in the business." Together with a 1 p typed carbon discussing foreign distribution of the film and a gelatin silver 8 x 10 in. photograph of Marilyn Monroe with Hollywood journalist Army Archerd in 1960.
8.5 x 11 in.
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