Part Seven

On May 2, 1961, George Chasin messengered two scripts, one for Celebration and the other for Lucy Crown, to Monroe's bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where she was recovering from sinus trouble. The next day, he forwarded a confidential letter from Frank McCarthy regarding a role in the film adaptation of Zuleika Dobson by Max Beerbohm.

Giving the "acting coach" one more try, Fox contacted Frosch on May 4 to announce Strasberg was reconsidering his planned June European vacation to direct Marilyn in Goodbye Charlie. Fox doubles their original offer of $22,500 to $50,000 for his services. Whether because of greed or playing hardball to make up for his dismissal years before, Lee wanted more money and declined. Twentieth would not offer a third time, and it seemed the studio was about to lose one of its biggest money-making stars after all. Mike Connolly's May 8 column reported, "Marilyn hasn't signed for Rain as she owes Fox one more film, and with Cukor not feeling chipper, she doesn't want just any substitute. But the time for signing for Rain is drawing nigh."

Marilyn remained in Los Angeles as Parson reports of Monroe and Pat Newcomb "at the Villa Nova Restaurant dining on spaghetti," adding that if Marilyn stays much longer, "will DiMaggio be joining her?" The same day, Walter Winchell comments on the many delays, joking, "We hear Marilyn Monroe's version of Rain on teevee will be different. Reverend Davidson gets tired of waiting for Marilyn to show up at rehearsal and goes back to his wife."

A May 13 Winnipeg Free Press column mentions that not only has N.B.C. invested $100,000 so far in the projected special and how they must still pay Serling's $25,000 fee, whether or not the show was broadcast. However, coast-to-coast discussions between agents, executives, and lawyers took place that gave hope to things falling into place.

By May 15, Fox sent Marilyn Monroe Productions a letter summarizing the agreements both parties reached, including any claims made by either side that were withdrawn or canceled. The fourth year of her contract was extended but set to expire on November 15, and Fox "may not require her said services so to commence before November 15." Extending her contract but not requiring her to work at all. "And while she cannot work for another studio, appear on stage or television - she will be allowed to continue with Rain as long as it is completed by October 30, 1961." Most importantly, she wouldn't have to do Goodbye Charlie. The same day, the Long Beach Press-Telegram printed an interview she'd done with Earl Wilson. In it, she states when asked about Rain, "I don't care which year—one of these years." Later, she adds, "I can work or loaf, and now, I'm in the mood for a loaf."

May 19 found Monroe still wanting March as her leading man and George Roy Hill as her director. Monroe promised a quick reply, but nothing was heard by May 22. Two days later, the Marches officially withdrew, and all mention of their names was to be stricken from further contracts. Marlowe presented a list of unknown replacements.

Not knowing of Fox's May 15 letter, Hedda Hopper's May 24 column agrees (a little late) with Monroe's earlier dislike of the film's premise. "Before Marilyn Monroe can work at all, she has to wait until the 20th decides about Goodbye Charlie, which she hopes will never be made as far as she's concerned. I'm with her; it was a failure as a play, and Monroe's the last person to play a man who returns reincarnated as a girl."

With no knowledge of the previous day's events, Earl Wilson's March 25 column reads, "Now that MM's fee to TV-tape Rainin July and August, agents are sweet-talking Fredric March, Florence Eldridge, and director George Roy Hill about how cool the Brooklyn NBC TV studio'll be those hot months." Revision notes regarding Monroe's contract now grant the actor the ability to portray Reverend Davidson in the same size and placement before the title but after Monroe's top billing in hopes of finding a big-name replacement for the departed Marches.

June 1, Marilyn's 35th birthday, finds actor Paul Schofield for the role of Davidson at N.B.C.'s suggestion. Born in Birmingham, England, Schofield began his stage career with a 1940 debut performance in Desire Under the Elms. Compared to Laurence Olivier, he played from the Old Rep in Birmingham to the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford. Scofield was noteworthy for his striking presence, distinctive voice, and delivery's clarity and unmannered intensity. His versatility at the height of his career is exemplified by his starring roles in theatrical productions as diverse as the musical Expresso Bongo to King Lear. Schofield might have been an excellent choice in N.B.C.'s eyes, but perhaps not an opinion necessarily shared by Marilyn or Strasberg. Schofield was to star on Broadway in Man of All Seasons beginning in November.

With a recent Emmy win for Best Dramatic Series, Twilight Zone, on June 6, Serling complained to Marie Torre about his displeasure with the situation. "I turned in two drafts a while ago, then sat back to await a reaction. Everybody went silent. N.B.C., the color network, went to black. It's been a very silent situation. Curious beast that I am, I attempted to find out. I didn't really, but I did hear to my chagrin, Marilyn, I was told, has become enamored of the 1922 Colton/Randolph stage play version of Rain. She's been rehearsing with that." Serling continued. "Well, if they want the old version of Rain, they'd better get another 'boy.' I've seen so much of the old Rain I'm waterlogged. It'd be pointless for me to even bother."

"This nobody will believe, but the upshot of my request was that the project is hush-hush, so secret, that nobody will part with the script. I only wrote it, you know. Two weeks ago, I told one of the Rain people that I wanted a copy of my script to revise it. This party thought it was a good idea and promised to get back to me 'momentarily.' I've yet to hear. In television, 'momentarily' means the end of the geophysical year." Serling was exasperated, closing with, "This whole experience, so help me, has been more twilight-zonish than my own series."

Marilyn seemed upbeat in several interviews. "I just had a birthday. I'm 35, and I don't mind it all. I enjoyed being a girl. I'm going to love being a woman. I was out to see Kay Gable. We stayed up late talking, and that's why things are kind of disorganized today. I saw her son; he's a beautiful boy. It was wonderful seeing Kay. Kind of sad, too." (Color footage shows Marilyn attending John Clark Gable's christening at St. Cyril's Church in Encino, demurely dressed in black with a veil covering her platinum blonde hair.) She still held out hope for her role as Sadie Thompson: "I'm very anxious to do Rain. I'm going back to New York to talk about it. The problem now is a leading man. Fredric March would have been just wonderful, but now he's going to do a play."

Two days later, within hours of returning home, Monroe met with Serling in her apartment to hopefully smooth over any hard feelings he had towards her or Strasberg and the rumors he'd complained about. As she held the final say on his script, Serling listened to Marilyn's suggestions. He found her "a warm, friendly, beautiful, but odd girl."