Marilyn Monroe was introduced to her husband number two by an unlikely matchmaker – the “I Love Lucy” star.
The 25-year-old was dining out with her agent, Norman Brokaw, as William Frawley, who plays Fred Mertz in the sitcom, walked away Get close to them. He made an offer that the actress couldn’t refuse.
“[My dad]took her to watch a TV show called ‘Lights, Camera, Action,’ which was a show for up-and-coming talent,” Joel Brokaw, Norman’s son, told Fox News Digital show. ” “(It was) a live show in Hollywood and all the casting agents tuned in and they went to do this TV show and he said, ‘Let’s go down the street to the Hollywood Brown Derby and watch a show. meal. ‘It’s a place worth seeing.”
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“It didn’t take long for them to be noticed,” Joel shared. “William Frawley… came up to the table and he said… ‘I’m having supper with Joe D. He wants to meet this young lady. We’ll go to your table when we’re done.’
“Marilyn turned to my dad and said, ‘Who is Joe D?’ She didn’t know Who is Joe DiMaggio. She’s clearly not a baseball fan. Therefore, he had to brief her on the importance of Joe DiMaggio. “
Brokaw, who represented Elvis Presley, Clint Eastwood and many other top stars, died in 2016 at the age of 89. Joel has written a new memoir about the late patriarch, “Driving Marilyn” It details how he went from working in the mailroom of the William Morris Agency to becoming the company’s CEO.
DiMaggio was 12 years older than Monroe and had just retired from the New York Yankees. While he was out for dinner with his best friend, he found himself smitten with the blonde beauty.
Brokaw didn’t miss an opportunity to help bring the two together.
“(My dad and Marilyn) finished eating first,” Joel said. “They came to the table and the rest is history.”
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Joel said his father met Monroe through his uncle, Hollywood talent agent Johnny Hyde. In her book My Story, Monroe said Hyde fell in love with her and proposed to her.
“If you look at all the stories about Marilyn Monroe, Johnny Hyde is a chapter that stands out,” Joel explains. “He was a big-time super agent who believed in Marilyn Monroe. He also lived with her. He staked his entire reputation on advancing her career.”
“At the time, a lot of the attitude from his peers was, ‘That’s his sweetheart, she’s the blonde of the year,'” Joel shared. “A lot of people didn’t see anything special in her. But eventually, toward the end of his life, he got her to sign a contract with 20th Century Fox. At that time, my father had just been promoted to junior agent.” .
Hyde had a “serious heart condition,” Joel said, which prevented him from taking his dream client to the event. That’s when Brokaw intervened.
“He had to take her to auditions, and she was paid $55 a job, Screen Actors Guild minimum wage,” Joel explained. “He took her to acting classes, to premieres and TV shows she was doing. He spent a lot of time with her.
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“From what he told me about her, they really hit it off. He really liked her. He thought she was very smart. They had a really good relationship.”
Hyde died in 1950 at the age of 55.
In 1952, Brokaw and Monroe walked up to DiMaggio’s desk to say hello. DiMaggio and Monroe continued to date for nearly two years before marrying at San Francisco City Hall in 1954.
months After the couple says “I do” Brokaw got a call. It was from DiMaggio. According to the book, Monroe was no longer a client at that time.
“Joe DiMaggio got a piece of advice from my father at a critical time in their marriage,” Joel said. “Joe really wanted Marilyn to be a full-time housewife. He became increasingly uncomfortable with Marilyn’s high profile and presence in public.
“So, my dad said to him, ‘I don’t know any woman who can convince you to stop hitting for the 56th game in a row. And I don’t know any man who can convince you, a young actress, not to be with Clark Gable or S. Starring in the movie with Spencer Tracy.”
“That was a lightbulb moment in Joe DiMaggio’s head,” Joel said. “He thought the advice made the marriage last longer… and it cemented my father’s lifelong friendship with Joe DiMaggio.”
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The power couple’s marriage lasted only nine months. Monroe files for divorce from DiMaggiociting “emotional abuse.”
In 1962, Brokaw and Monroe met again in a unique way.
At the time, Joel’s mother was hospitalized with schizophrenia. Brokaw needed help caring for his sons. Dr. Ralph Greenson, Monroe’s psychiatrist who also worked with Joel’s mother, suggested housekeeper Eunice Murray.
“He placed her around a lot of patients, helping them with their daily responsibilities and keeping tabs on them,” Joel explained. “A few weeks ago, Eunice Murray walked in and found Marilyn Monroe dead. That was a very strange experience in my life.”
“I really like Mrs. Murray,” Joel said. “But I also think she has a weird energy about her… That’s part of growing up in Hollywood — there’s a lot of weird stuff.”
Monroe died of a barbiturate overdose in 1962. He was 36 years old. DiMaggio re-entered her life in 1961 and arranged her funeral.
“This was his undying love for her for the rest of his life,” Joel said.
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For 20 years, DiMaggio delivered fresh roses to Monroe’s grave twice a week. He outlived his ex-wife by nearly forty years. He died in 1999 84 years old.
DiMaggio’s attorney later said his last words were reportedly: “I finally get to see Marilyn.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.