THE EERIE READ

I'm kind of getting back into a book that I never really finished but it's one of those books that is too earie to read late at night. It's called 'The Assassination of Marilyn Monroe' and deals with her death in the early 60s and the supposed coverup and shambles of an investigation that occured following her death and also in depth the weeks and days indeed hours leading up to her death.

I love all this kind of shit and although Marilyn will never be another Bette Davis, she's one of the few icons who transcend time with their appeal, James Dean, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe are the three who spring to mind. Although if they were alive I'm sure they'd have done a guest spot on Will & Grace and made some rather duff movies but because they all died prematurely they didn't get the chance for Will & Grace! Marilyn did a few good movies - Niagara was fabulous and she looked divine in the figure hugging red dress, she had a small part in my favourite movie All About Eve and was simply wonderful in Some Like It Hot. Her oozing sex appeal and innocence as Sugar Kane make her instantly likeable and she has the walk to end all walks in the train station. Joan Collins says this movie should be in everybody's top 5 and I have to agree - it's an absolute joy.

Marilyn led a trouble life and although she was a success, she got pretty screwed over by a lot of people, after getting her contract at Fox Studios, she apparently smiled and said "That's the last cock I'll have to suck" The book I'm reading to hits home with lots of evidence to say Marilyn didn't die of an accidental overdose but that the Kennedy's were involved and Marilyn knew a bit too much for the FBI's liking - it's all Hollywood legend and very fascinating, evidence in her bedroom being tampered with, friends being present at the scene but their stories don't match, Frank Sinatra's involvement and the eyewitness reports of Bobby Kennedy helicoptering into Beverly Hills the night of Marilyn's death all lead me to think her death was anything but an accident. It's a bit creepy reading about all the treachery surrounding her and to be honest the book gets a little bit too scientific for it to be completely my bag but the sheer drama and sensationalism is second to none and the fact that it involves the American Royal Family and one of the worlds biggest screen goddesses, apparently dying of an overdose all make it a thrilling read.

No matter what, Marilyn Monroe or Norma Jean Baker was a star of the first magnitude and one of the most exciting ever to grace the silver screen. In my last year at high school, I had to do some sort of essay which I thought would be good to write as 2 letters, the first one was a plea from a man whose wife had just died but in a rather deft and genius move, I wrote the reply from Marilyn Monroe the night she died as if she was writing back to a fan. I thought it was genius but then again, in the same portfolio, I wrote a dire poem about a cafe and another essay on satellite TV so looking back it may have been patchy at best - but certainly inspired!