What do you think?
Rate this book
My Week with Marilyn & The Prince, the Showgirl and Me
In 1956, twenty-three-year-old Colin Clark began work as a lowly assistant on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl, the film that united Sir Laurence Olivier with Marilyn Monroe. The blonde bombshell and the legendary actor were ill suited from the start. Monroe, on honeymoon with her new husband, the celebrated playwright Arthur Miller, was insecure, often late, and heavily medicated on pills. Olivier, obsessively punctual, had no patience for Monroe and the production became chaotic. Clark was perceptive in his assessment of what seemed to be going wrong in Monroe's life: too many hangers-on, intense insecurity, and too many pills. Before long, Monroe and Clark spent an innocent week together in the English countryside and Clark became her confidant and ally. This special theatrical edition also includes The Prince, The Showgirl and Me, Colin Clark's diary during the film's production.
Audiobook
Published October 4, 2011
About the author
Colin Clark
4 booksColin Clark was a British writer and filmmaker who specialised in films about the arts, for cinema and television.
He was the son of the art historian Kenneth Clark, and the younger brother of the Conservative politician and military historian Alan Clark, with whom he was not always on good terms.
Born in London, he was educated at Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford. From 1951 to 1953, he did national service as a pilot officer in the Royal Air Force. In that capacity, he flew the Handley Page Hastings aircraft to Malaya and the Middle East.
Colin Clark's first job on leaving university was as a personal assistant on the film The Prince and the Showgirl (1957), directed by Laurence Olivier and starring Olivier and Marilyn Monroe, an experience Clark later turned into two books – The Prince, the Showgirl and Me and My Week with Marilyn – the former a set of diaries (a TV documentary version of which was also made in 2004) and the latter a memoir of his relationship with Monroe. Clark's period with Monroe is the basis of the 2011 film My Week with Marilyn.
Clark was briefly married to prima ballerina Violette Verdy in the 1960s. Their marriage ended in divorce. He retired from filmmaking in 1987 to write books. He died in December 2002 in London.
Abridged from Wikipedia.
He was the son of the art historian Kenneth Clark, and the younger brother of the Conservative politician and military historian Alan Clark, with whom he was not always on good terms.
Born in London, he was educated at Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford. From 1951 to 1953, he did national service as a pilot officer in the Royal Air Force. In that capacity, he flew the Handley Page Hastings aircraft to Malaya and the Middle East.
Colin Clark's first job on leaving university was as a personal assistant on the film The Prince and the Showgirl (1957), directed by Laurence Olivier and starring Olivier and Marilyn Monroe, an experience Clark later turned into two books – The Prince, the Showgirl and Me and My Week with Marilyn – the former a set of diaries (a TV documentary version of which was also made in 2004) and the latter a memoir of his relationship with Monroe. Clark's period with Monroe is the basis of the 2011 film My Week with Marilyn.
Clark was briefly married to prima ballerina Violette Verdy in the 1960s. Their marriage ended in divorce. He retired from filmmaking in 1987 to write books. He died in December 2002 in London.
Abridged from Wikipedia.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
March 18, 2013
I watched the movie and read the book in the same week. Marilyn Monroe is a fascinating person and I enjoyed this glimpse into her career.
October 15, 2021
This is an unusual book in that it combines two books into one, successfully it should be said. They are both Colin Clark's works, 'The Prince the Showgirl and Me' from 1995 and 'My Week with Marilyn' from 2005. It also includes an introduction from Simon Curtis, the director of the film ‘My Week with Marilyn’ and includes an exclusive interview from Louise Tucker with Adrian Hodges, screenplay writer of the resultant film.
Colin Clark was a young, 24-year-old, third assistant-director on the film 'The Prince and the Showgirl' that was meant to give Sir Laurence Olivier, recognised as SLO throughout the book, and Marilyn Monroe the opportunity to show why he was the leading British actor of the day and she was the screen's leading, and most in demand, actress. But it failed miserably as Clark got the job because he was a friend of SLO and his wife Vivien Leigh, VL in the book; it was very much a case of who you knew because Clark had absolutely no experience in film at all. In fairness, he was keen and determined to do a good job so he very quickly learnt what was needed and went on to further success in film-making.
What he didn't realise was the difficulties that would arise with SLO not taking to MM (who he originally thought he would be able to have an affair with), who was constantly late and when she did arrive, was not as professional as SLO wished in offering up her lines and often went into a tantrum over various issues. Fortunately Clark decided to write a diary of everything that went on and it proves to be a most fascinating, and very readable, account of how the film progressed, or on occasions, didn't progress.
It all takes place between 3 June 1956 and 19 November of the same year and packed into those four and a half months there is so much drama that the book is difficult to put down; it was often disappointing to have to turn off the light at night there was so much tension on and off the set. The off the set action revolved around MM living in a country house away from Pinewood Studios with her drama coach's wife Paula Strasburg, who caused so much trouble that SLO lost his temper with her on more than one occasion.
There are actually two books in one in this version; the first records the events that happened around the film while the second, which is the 'My Week with Marilyn' offering, has been extracted from the main body because Clark felt it was too personal to be included there. Indeed, he wrote the entries around the dates that had been extracted in a way to disguise what else was going on behind the scenes as it were. But he later decided that his week with Marilyn was worthy of recording.
Clark captures all the asides, innuendoes and carping comments made by all the participants with the only one who seemed not to join in being the elder states-lady Dame Sybli Thorndike, who he adored and who gave him a scarf to keep warm when he arrived early morning at the set to start the long wait for the leading lady. As for MM, it was not difficult to see how the tension developed, I imagine one had to treat her quite delicately but it would seem that if that was done, she would have been more reasonable. SLO was so demanding that she just couldn't take it.
His week has a more tender approach in that he befriended Marilyn and even shared her bed, without, so he says, anything untoward happening, for she was allegedly on her honeymoon with Arthur Miller, AM, who Clark and most of the others on the set strongly disliked for the way he treated MM. He even left her, went to Paris and then on to New York while she was working and that is when Clark became a closer friend than he previously had been.
There are so many anecdotes worth relating but just a couple that amused me are his comment on the screenwriter of the original play, Terrence Rattigan, of whom he writes, 'Rattigan couldn't write the menu on a fish and chip shop blackboard', perhaps a little harsh but he made his point, and then, towards the end of the filming, he records, 'All that we can hope now is that we've produced a good film. At the moment it is impossible to tell.'
Editing can, of course, make a vat difference, but even so this film was not very well received, unlike this book of which the Daily Telegraph critic commented, 'There are many books on film-making more weighty than this, but few as entertaining.' On that note, who wants weight? And I entirely agree with his comment.
Colin Clark was a young, 24-year-old, third assistant-director on the film 'The Prince and the Showgirl' that was meant to give Sir Laurence Olivier, recognised as SLO throughout the book, and Marilyn Monroe the opportunity to show why he was the leading British actor of the day and she was the screen's leading, and most in demand, actress. But it failed miserably as Clark got the job because he was a friend of SLO and his wife Vivien Leigh, VL in the book; it was very much a case of who you knew because Clark had absolutely no experience in film at all. In fairness, he was keen and determined to do a good job so he very quickly learnt what was needed and went on to further success in film-making.
What he didn't realise was the difficulties that would arise with SLO not taking to MM (who he originally thought he would be able to have an affair with), who was constantly late and when she did arrive, was not as professional as SLO wished in offering up her lines and often went into a tantrum over various issues. Fortunately Clark decided to write a diary of everything that went on and it proves to be a most fascinating, and very readable, account of how the film progressed, or on occasions, didn't progress.
It all takes place between 3 June 1956 and 19 November of the same year and packed into those four and a half months there is so much drama that the book is difficult to put down; it was often disappointing to have to turn off the light at night there was so much tension on and off the set. The off the set action revolved around MM living in a country house away from Pinewood Studios with her drama coach's wife Paula Strasburg, who caused so much trouble that SLO lost his temper with her on more than one occasion.
There are actually two books in one in this version; the first records the events that happened around the film while the second, which is the 'My Week with Marilyn' offering, has been extracted from the main body because Clark felt it was too personal to be included there. Indeed, he wrote the entries around the dates that had been extracted in a way to disguise what else was going on behind the scenes as it were. But he later decided that his week with Marilyn was worthy of recording.
Clark captures all the asides, innuendoes and carping comments made by all the participants with the only one who seemed not to join in being the elder states-lady Dame Sybli Thorndike, who he adored and who gave him a scarf to keep warm when he arrived early morning at the set to start the long wait for the leading lady. As for MM, it was not difficult to see how the tension developed, I imagine one had to treat her quite delicately but it would seem that if that was done, she would have been more reasonable. SLO was so demanding that she just couldn't take it.
His week has a more tender approach in that he befriended Marilyn and even shared her bed, without, so he says, anything untoward happening, for she was allegedly on her honeymoon with Arthur Miller, AM, who Clark and most of the others on the set strongly disliked for the way he treated MM. He even left her, went to Paris and then on to New York while she was working and that is when Clark became a closer friend than he previously had been.
There are so many anecdotes worth relating but just a couple that amused me are his comment on the screenwriter of the original play, Terrence Rattigan, of whom he writes, 'Rattigan couldn't write the menu on a fish and chip shop blackboard', perhaps a little harsh but he made his point, and then, towards the end of the filming, he records, 'All that we can hope now is that we've produced a good film. At the moment it is impossible to tell.'
Editing can, of course, make a vat difference, but even so this film was not very well received, unlike this book of which the Daily Telegraph critic commented, 'There are many books on film-making more weighty than this, but few as entertaining.' On that note, who wants weight? And I entirely agree with his comment.
November 12, 2011
Interesting and good read about a special time in the author's life. It paints Marilyn Monroe in a very honest way and we are privy to a glimpse of her life via his intriguing connection to her for one week during the filming of The Prince and The Showgirl She had created a persona that she turned on and off, and the author,(a truly insightful man even at the tender age of 23 at the time)managed to share details that put us right into his diaries and private journals. For me, the added bonus to this book was the inclusion of "The Prince, The Showgirl and Me, which incorporates those diaries in story fashion.
I had the good fortune to attend the after-party in New York recently for the movie version of My Week With Marilyn, and am happy to see that the movie stuck closely to the book.
I had the good fortune to attend the after-party in New York recently for the movie version of My Week With Marilyn, and am happy to see that the movie stuck closely to the book.
November 23, 2016
I enjoyed the behind the scene look that Mr. Clark allowed us. There has been much debate about the validity of Mr. Clark's time with Ms. Monroe, but I choose to believe that a good portion is true and some may be stretched to fit the memory that Mr. Clark has. These memories are from a time long ago so some things may not be accurate but I don't see why someone would lie about Ms. Monroe or her life that painted her in so accurate a light that has been revealed. The story was gripping but I feel the writing could have been better.
August 8, 2026
This was interesting. I’m not sure I would call it good, but I wouldn’t call it bad either. Interesting sums it up.
January 27, 2012
It all started with an assignment. Earlier this month I'd had to review a book for the magazine I'm working for and seeing as there was a strong buzz for Michelle Williams in the movie My Week With Marilyn, I picked this book - a 2-in-1 re-release of Colin Clark's memoirs of his experiences working on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl - for that purpose. I started reading with complete detachment and disinterest for the 'stars' of the book. Marilyn Monroe, though a legendary movie icon, and her films have never entered my film education for some reason so I started reading purely for the job and didn't expect to find anything interesting about it.
Also, I'm not a big fan of memoirs. My problem with them (or any biographical or autobiographical works) is that very often I go thinking, "Is this real?" Memoirs and biographies are supposed to be non-fiction but I think that most things published in the genre is very subjective. Some of them can be very entertaining but most, I just find annoying. The good ones are usually the ones that are doused in humor and written by authors who don't mind looking more or less like a human being. I can count on one hand which of these authors that I like. One finger, actually. And I've only read one book from him so far. (His name, in case you want to know, is David Sedaris.)
But of course a job is a job (and this means money and livelihood) so I steeled myself and started reading. The book is basically made up of Colin Clark's diary entries that detail his life, his background, and the beginning of his involvement with the production of the movie, The Prince and the Showgirl. They were thoughts, opinions and - occasionally - explanations on the What's What and Who's Who in the film industry of that era. He wrote down his impressions on people - friends, colleagues, rivals, idols, lovers (including a male one at some point, although he was ultimately a ladies man) - and, surprise, surprise! They actually sounded rather funny.
Before I knew it, I was laughing, sighing, growling and giggling uncontrollably in inappropriate places and at inappropriate times*. It took me two weeks to get through that first half of the book (the first memoir, The Prince, The Showgirl And Me) due to time constraints and other things**, but I ended up falling in love with Clark and the people in his life. The book had quietly snuck up on me and taken me over, making me obsess about it and recommend it to people. (One of the reactions my friend had to my recommendation was, "You? Recommending a memoir? Who are you and what have you done with my friend?")
I followed up right away with My Week With Marilyn, the second memoir inside this book that detailed Clark's love affair with Marilyn Monroe from 11 to 18 September 1956 (coincidentally, the last date of the entry is also my birthday 26 years later). The second one had a more fantastical feel to it (as I understand it, it was written many years after it ended) and therefore felt more like a work of fiction instead of non-fiction. Of course this is not to say that Clark made it all up; I'm merely saying that there's a distinct change of style in Clark's writing. Whether it's because he'd grown older and more mature by the time he wrote it or simply because he wanted to enhance the drama, the change is not unwelcome. In fact, it's very entertaining to see this affair written in a more fairy tale-esque way instead of pure journal entries. In any case, I was left in stitches in most places (yet another round of inappropriate reactions in inappropriate places***) and kept me in suspense and then put me through a minor heartbreak throughout, knowing that this guy didn't get The Girl.
This being a memoir, of course I still have suspicions that Clark exaggerated the events for dramatic purposes. At some points, I also thought he had a very high opinion of himself (particularly in the earlier entries; probably because of his young man's ego) and that had me gnashing my teeth in annoyance. But gradually as the stories of the film's filming and the antics of the actors and crew members became more and more engaging, my annoyance turned into amusement and eventually extreme fondness. Besides, I think I would've been a lot more displeased if Clark were to present himself as a humble chap with nothing going on for him. At least, he never pitied himself and his voice was consistently funny, if not terribly charming.
Whatever the truth was in the end, I got over my own prejudice over memoirs. In the case of this book, story and writing style triumph over so-called 'truth'. It didn't make me a fan of Marilyn Monroe, but I learned so much more about this legendary movie star. And while the events in the memoirs took place 50 years ago, I learned a bit about the 'politics' of the British film industry and its 'relationship' with their American cousins. These aspects are hardly scandalous but still quite informative. At the very least, they confirm what I'd already guessed about that particular world.
In more ways than one, this book has become very precious to me. So precious in fact that I ended up buying it for myself. I have a feeling that this is a book I will be rereading many times in the future. And considering that I've been a memoir-skeptic before I started this reading, that is really saying something. Big deal? Oh yes it is.
Footnotes
* I started reading this book at the proper bookstore where I work. I was standing/leaning on the Customer Service counter and there were staffs (my colleagues) and customers nearby. I laughed and snorted many times and drew their attention. I repeated the same thing the next day because I didn't immediately buy the book, seeing no necessity for it, as at that point I'd still treated the book as being a part of my assignment and not read it for my own enjoyment.
** Seeing as I had a deadline, I borrowed the book from the bookstore (using my press card; the absolute wonders of having dual jobs) so I could continue reading the book at home. The maximum number of days for book borrowing from the bookstore is 3 working days. I returned the book on the 4th day and continued reading it in the store, where I kept it on reservation for several more days. I would've been able to finish reading it within the week, but unfortunately I was busied by magazine deadlines and incoming shipments of new books. So I had to postpone reading for a few more days.
*** At this point, I'd bought the book already because I couldn't stand having to read it in small installments at the store. My review of the book had been postponed for the next issue, which meant I no longer had a deadline for it (and this didn't upset me because by the time my editor told me to change my book review, I'd already been reading it for my own enjoyment), but I still wanted to have it. But that didn't change the fact that, when I read it in public places like the coffee shop or my office area that have a lot of people in it, I still made the most embarrassing reactions for the whole world to see.
Also, I'm not a big fan of memoirs. My problem with them (or any biographical or autobiographical works) is that very often I go thinking, "Is this real?" Memoirs and biographies are supposed to be non-fiction but I think that most things published in the genre is very subjective. Some of them can be very entertaining but most, I just find annoying. The good ones are usually the ones that are doused in humor and written by authors who don't mind looking more or less like a human being. I can count on one hand which of these authors that I like. One finger, actually. And I've only read one book from him so far. (His name, in case you want to know, is David Sedaris.)
But of course a job is a job (and this means money and livelihood) so I steeled myself and started reading. The book is basically made up of Colin Clark's diary entries that detail his life, his background, and the beginning of his involvement with the production of the movie, The Prince and the Showgirl. They were thoughts, opinions and - occasionally - explanations on the What's What and Who's Who in the film industry of that era. He wrote down his impressions on people - friends, colleagues, rivals, idols, lovers (including a male one at some point, although he was ultimately a ladies man) - and, surprise, surprise! They actually sounded rather funny.
Before I knew it, I was laughing, sighing, growling and giggling uncontrollably in inappropriate places and at inappropriate times*. It took me two weeks to get through that first half of the book (the first memoir, The Prince, The Showgirl And Me) due to time constraints and other things**, but I ended up falling in love with Clark and the people in his life. The book had quietly snuck up on me and taken me over, making me obsess about it and recommend it to people. (One of the reactions my friend had to my recommendation was, "You? Recommending a memoir? Who are you and what have you done with my friend?")
I followed up right away with My Week With Marilyn, the second memoir inside this book that detailed Clark's love affair with Marilyn Monroe from 11 to 18 September 1956 (coincidentally, the last date of the entry is also my birthday 26 years later). The second one had a more fantastical feel to it (as I understand it, it was written many years after it ended) and therefore felt more like a work of fiction instead of non-fiction. Of course this is not to say that Clark made it all up; I'm merely saying that there's a distinct change of style in Clark's writing. Whether it's because he'd grown older and more mature by the time he wrote it or simply because he wanted to enhance the drama, the change is not unwelcome. In fact, it's very entertaining to see this affair written in a more fairy tale-esque way instead of pure journal entries. In any case, I was left in stitches in most places (yet another round of inappropriate reactions in inappropriate places***) and kept me in suspense and then put me through a minor heartbreak throughout, knowing that this guy didn't get The Girl.
This being a memoir, of course I still have suspicions that Clark exaggerated the events for dramatic purposes. At some points, I also thought he had a very high opinion of himself (particularly in the earlier entries; probably because of his young man's ego) and that had me gnashing my teeth in annoyance. But gradually as the stories of the film's filming and the antics of the actors and crew members became more and more engaging, my annoyance turned into amusement and eventually extreme fondness. Besides, I think I would've been a lot more displeased if Clark were to present himself as a humble chap with nothing going on for him. At least, he never pitied himself and his voice was consistently funny, if not terribly charming.
Whatever the truth was in the end, I got over my own prejudice over memoirs. In the case of this book, story and writing style triumph over so-called 'truth'. It didn't make me a fan of Marilyn Monroe, but I learned so much more about this legendary movie star. And while the events in the memoirs took place 50 years ago, I learned a bit about the 'politics' of the British film industry and its 'relationship' with their American cousins. These aspects are hardly scandalous but still quite informative. At the very least, they confirm what I'd already guessed about that particular world.
In more ways than one, this book has become very precious to me. So precious in fact that I ended up buying it for myself. I have a feeling that this is a book I will be rereading many times in the future. And considering that I've been a memoir-skeptic before I started this reading, that is really saying something. Big deal? Oh yes it is.
Footnotes
* I started reading this book at the proper bookstore where I work. I was standing/leaning on the Customer Service counter and there were staffs (my colleagues) and customers nearby. I laughed and snorted many times and drew their attention. I repeated the same thing the next day because I didn't immediately buy the book, seeing no necessity for it, as at that point I'd still treated the book as being a part of my assignment and not read it for my own enjoyment.
** Seeing as I had a deadline, I borrowed the book from the bookstore (using my press card; the absolute wonders of having dual jobs) so I could continue reading the book at home. The maximum number of days for book borrowing from the bookstore is 3 working days. I returned the book on the 4th day and continued reading it in the store, where I kept it on reservation for several more days. I would've been able to finish reading it within the week, but unfortunately I was busied by magazine deadlines and incoming shipments of new books. So I had to postpone reading for a few more days.
*** At this point, I'd bought the book already because I couldn't stand having to read it in small installments at the store. My review of the book had been postponed for the next issue, which meant I no longer had a deadline for it (and this didn't upset me because by the time my editor told me to change my book review, I'd already been reading it for my own enjoyment), but I still wanted to have it. But that didn't change the fact that, when I read it in public places like the coffee shop or my office area that have a lot of people in it, I still made the most embarrassing reactions for the whole world to see.
March 18, 2014
"I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to spend a few days in the company of the most wonderful, brave and beautiful person in the world".
As someone who knows very little about Marilyn Monroe, (Apart from about her death and the fact that she was a pain in the ass to work with) this book was a wonderful insight into how hard it must be to be the most famous woman in the world. Overworked, overmedicated, overencouraged and overnervous Marilyn Monroe came to England in 1956 to make a movie with Sir Laurence Olivier in the hopes that it would turn her into a real actress instead of a sex symbol, meanwhile a young third assistant director keeps a diary of the movie making process and unwittingly becomes Marilyns best friend on the set after everyone gets fed up with working with her and starts to hate her.
I dont usually like books that are in diary form but this was was nice and easy to take, short chapters and wonderfully detailed information about the movie making process and a friendship with Marilyn Monroe and a lowly third assistant. Colin Clark may not be the best writer in the world, but he's wonderfully honest and didn't seem to take sides in the fight for struggle to control Marilyn and get her to work every day. He was just a nice guy who wanted to help a star, and in a lot of ways I think he did help her. Nothing sexual happened between them, it was just friendship, and how refreshing it was to see between a young man and woman. Sure Colin was sexually attracted to her, every man was back then, but everything was completely innocent between them.
This book definitely confirmed a few things I already knew about certain stars, like Olivier being quite self important, and Marilyn being very difficult to work with and that Arthur Miller was just an asshole, but the most surprising thing to me in this book is how it changed my opinion of Vivien Leigh. All I know of her is her horrible portrayal of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the wind, and i really hate that film! But to my delight it seems that Vivien was just a genuinely nice British woman who also wanted a glimpse of the most famous film star in the world.
There's a sense of fiction about this book, one could easily read this and believe that Colin Clark made the whole thing up, but you know what, I believed every word he wrote. And even if it is all made up I'm ok with that too. Sometimes it's nicer to live in a fantasy world than it is the real world and i think if you were living in a world of film stars it would be easy to get lost in a place like that. I think one of the greatest tragedies in Marilyns life is that she didn't have more friends like Colin instead of friends who just wanted her to do what they told her and take pills to keep her doped up. Maybe if she had, her life wouldn't have been cut so short.
Still, I believe Colin Clark really did spend a week with Marilyn, and I'm glad I even got to read about it.
As someone who knows very little about Marilyn Monroe, (Apart from about her death and the fact that she was a pain in the ass to work with) this book was a wonderful insight into how hard it must be to be the most famous woman in the world. Overworked, overmedicated, overencouraged and overnervous Marilyn Monroe came to England in 1956 to make a movie with Sir Laurence Olivier in the hopes that it would turn her into a real actress instead of a sex symbol, meanwhile a young third assistant director keeps a diary of the movie making process and unwittingly becomes Marilyns best friend on the set after everyone gets fed up with working with her and starts to hate her.
I dont usually like books that are in diary form but this was was nice and easy to take, short chapters and wonderfully detailed information about the movie making process and a friendship with Marilyn Monroe and a lowly third assistant. Colin Clark may not be the best writer in the world, but he's wonderfully honest and didn't seem to take sides in the fight for struggle to control Marilyn and get her to work every day. He was just a nice guy who wanted to help a star, and in a lot of ways I think he did help her. Nothing sexual happened between them, it was just friendship, and how refreshing it was to see between a young man and woman. Sure Colin was sexually attracted to her, every man was back then, but everything was completely innocent between them.
This book definitely confirmed a few things I already knew about certain stars, like Olivier being quite self important, and Marilyn being very difficult to work with and that Arthur Miller was just an asshole, but the most surprising thing to me in this book is how it changed my opinion of Vivien Leigh. All I know of her is her horrible portrayal of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the wind, and i really hate that film! But to my delight it seems that Vivien was just a genuinely nice British woman who also wanted a glimpse of the most famous film star in the world.
There's a sense of fiction about this book, one could easily read this and believe that Colin Clark made the whole thing up, but you know what, I believed every word he wrote. And even if it is all made up I'm ok with that too. Sometimes it's nicer to live in a fantasy world than it is the real world and i think if you were living in a world of film stars it would be easy to get lost in a place like that. I think one of the greatest tragedies in Marilyns life is that she didn't have more friends like Colin instead of friends who just wanted her to do what they told her and take pills to keep her doped up. Maybe if she had, her life wouldn't have been cut so short.
Still, I believe Colin Clark really did spend a week with Marilyn, and I'm glad I even got to read about it.
May 21, 2013
So, I honestly didn't expect to like this book (or even love it). My book club decided to read it and all the other lovely ladies seemed to really, really want to read it. So, I thought "why not?" I honestly wasn't looking forward to it at all but, well, anyway. I did, haha.
Let's start of by saying, I haven't seen this movie. Nor did I ever really want to. Marilyn Monroe was a true icon and there will never, ever be anyone else like her. I honestly think it's blasphemous for anyone to even try. (I really have trouble with some movies like this in the first place. Mostly because I feel like no one can ever truly and accurately play someone as awesome as Marilyn. Plus, I really feel like Michelle Williams was the wrong choice all around.) So that's probably why I wasn't quite so excited to read this.
But a book isn't a movie and that's probably where my assumptions, chiefly, went wrong.
In the end, I ended up loving this book. Colin was a great narrator and a hilarious one at that. I ended up loving him more than probably anyone else in the whole book. His sense of humor is phenomenal and oftentimes he had me laughing out loud.
My main problem, however, is that this is actually two separate books. He first transcribed his diary entries and those were published and then later he wrote up his account of his week spent with Marilyn and then that was published. As two separate books. Well, that being said, I don't think the two accounts always meshed. This book contained both so I first read My Week With Marilyn and then the second book The Prince, The Showgirl & Me.
In the diary portion, he stopped writing during the week he spend with Marilyn. But since they were two separate accounts, I found there were somethings repeated in the diary entries that we'd already read about in the MWWM story (and since they were credited with separate dates, well, I was confused to no end). So some things just didn't always seem to fit together quite right. If this had been written as one whole book (instead of two separates) and formed one whole account, I think this could have been corrected.
But as they stand, I felt this was a bit of a problem. But oh well. In the end, I liked the whole thing quite a lot and enjoyed it immensely. I felt it gave a whole different side to Marilyn Monroe that the public had probably never had a chance to experience. And for that, I loved this book quite a lot.
It's definitely one I would highly recommend to anyone who's a fan of Marilyn or even in the film world in general. The diary entries go into a lot of details about filmmaking which I actually found to be really fascinating. Overall, this was a good book and I'm glad I actually had the opportunity to read it!
Let's start of by saying, I haven't seen this movie. Nor did I ever really want to. Marilyn Monroe was a true icon and there will never, ever be anyone else like her. I honestly think it's blasphemous for anyone to even try. (I really have trouble with some movies like this in the first place. Mostly because I feel like no one can ever truly and accurately play someone as awesome as Marilyn. Plus, I really feel like Michelle Williams was the wrong choice all around.) So that's probably why I wasn't quite so excited to read this.
But a book isn't a movie and that's probably where my assumptions, chiefly, went wrong.
In the end, I ended up loving this book. Colin was a great narrator and a hilarious one at that. I ended up loving him more than probably anyone else in the whole book. His sense of humor is phenomenal and oftentimes he had me laughing out loud.
My main problem, however, is that this is actually two separate books. He first transcribed his diary entries and those were published and then later he wrote up his account of his week spent with Marilyn and then that was published. As two separate books. Well, that being said, I don't think the two accounts always meshed. This book contained both so I first read My Week With Marilyn and then the second book The Prince, The Showgirl & Me.
In the diary portion, he stopped writing during the week he spend with Marilyn. But since they were two separate accounts, I found there were somethings repeated in the diary entries that we'd already read about in the MWWM story (and since they were credited with separate dates, well, I was confused to no end). So some things just didn't always seem to fit together quite right. If this had been written as one whole book (instead of two separates) and formed one whole account, I think this could have been corrected.
But as they stand, I felt this was a bit of a problem. But oh well. In the end, I liked the whole thing quite a lot and enjoyed it immensely. I felt it gave a whole different side to Marilyn Monroe that the public had probably never had a chance to experience. And for that, I loved this book quite a lot.
It's definitely one I would highly recommend to anyone who's a fan of Marilyn or even in the film world in general. The diary entries go into a lot of details about filmmaking which I actually found to be really fascinating. Overall, this was a good book and I'm glad I actually had the opportunity to read it!
April 21, 2012
I came to this book via the movie, My Week with Marilyn. This is in fact two books, the first being The Prince, the Showgirl & Me, which is basically the diary of Colin Clark. He is an young Englishman, whose parents know many in the acting world as a result of his father's job. Colin manages to wangle a job as 3rd Assistant Director on the film of the same name, that will feature Lawrence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe. While there, he wrote a daily diary of his thoughts of the making of the film, the difficulties experienced by and with Marilyn Monroe as Olivier and his staff try to deal with Marilyn's issues and haphazard schedule. I found this part very interesting, providing an intriguing perspective on the making of a film and also on both of the main characters. The second book, My Week With Marilyn, was a bit disappointing. This book covers a week from the diary, that Colin left blank but wrote about much later in life. During this particular week, Arthur Miller, Marilyn's new wife left her for a week and went to Paris and back to New York. During this week, Colin has personal contact with Marilyn and that contact is what the book covers. In scope, it's probably about one-quarter of both stories; it just didn't seem necessary to me. I enjoyed the first very much and this almost seemed a throw-in. I enjoyed it more in the form of a movie. All in all, both books were interesting and informative and I enjoyed them. Overall, I'd give them a combined 3.5 and recommend either you watch the movie or read the books, especially if that time of life, with you had stars like Olivier and Monroe, interests you in any way.
July 19, 2025
1 ⭐️
I feel for Marilyn Monroe. This book really put into perspective but the pressures of hollywood got to her and how she was treated by the film industry and the public.
I’m not sure how much i believe from Colin Clark, his perspective is questionable at the best of times. I will say his diary entries in the first part detailing the film production and working with MM was really really interesting. The second part, the actual my week with marilyn part was boring to say the least. It just draggeddd and felt repetitive from the first part.
Overall, i mean i’m not sure what to say. It’s hard to judge this book, ive heard many question Colin Clark’s credibility and he made ALOT of insanely uncomfy misogynistic comments.
I feel for Marilyn Monroe. This book really put into perspective but the pressures of hollywood got to her and how she was treated by the film industry and the public.
I’m not sure how much i believe from Colin Clark, his perspective is questionable at the best of times. I will say his diary entries in the first part detailing the film production and working with MM was really really interesting. The second part, the actual my week with marilyn part was boring to say the least. It just draggeddd and felt repetitive from the first part.
Overall, i mean i’m not sure what to say. It’s hard to judge this book, ive heard many question Colin Clark’s credibility and he made ALOT of insanely uncomfy misogynistic comments.
June 24, 2017
I did enjoy this book. It's been in my TBR pile for a while and I picked it up for a light read while on vacation. This memoir (two, really - one written during the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl and one reconstructed later) fit the bill. I quite enjoyed all the details of filmmaking, and intend to re-watch the movie soon (although The Prince and the Showgirl is kinda boring and not Marilyn's best). However, I question the veracity of Mr. Clark's details in My Week with Marilyn and think it was quite sensationalized to push the movie (which, I saw when it came out, but I'm afraid it was also a piece of fluff).
June 18, 2014
Jag AVGUDAR Marilyn, har gjort sedan jag var liten. Men fy fan vilken skitbok detta var! Ännu en person som skulle skriva om henne för sin egen vinnings skull. Recension kommer i bloggen så småningom om, just nu är jag på tok för irriterad att ens tala om denna bok.
Recension: ZellysBokhylla
Recension: ZellysBokhylla
March 22, 2013
Not sure how I feel about these books. It was really interesting to get an insight into Marilyn Monroe and the people around here, it was also interesting to see how movies are / were made. It's just a slow and sad that no one seemed to be able to help Marilyn.
October 25, 2017
3,5
Interesting story about what happens behind the scenes of a movie. But I would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't about a movie from 1956, because even if I like and know Marilyn Monroe, I've never heard of most of the other actors.
Interesting story about what happens behind the scenes of a movie. But I would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't about a movie from 1956, because even if I like and know Marilyn Monroe, I've never heard of most of the other actors.
December 11, 2020
Took me a while to get through, and while some parts had merit, overall the narrator came across as self-absorbed, sexist, and insufferable. Because of this, I also didn't really believe most of what he was saying.
June 23, 2013
A delightful read :)
You have to get used to the diary-writing, but I loved it!
You have to get used to the diary-writing, but I loved it!
June 23, 2024
Don’t know if I believe everything
August 25, 2026
If true, 5 stars for its humor and insight.
If not, 1 star for being horrifically shameful.
If not, 1 star for being horrifically shameful.
March 1, 2017
A little about the author – Colin Clark was born in October 1932.
His father was art historian Lord Clark of Saltwood. He was educated at
Eton and was a writer and filmmaker who specialised in television programs about the arts.
He was the third assistant director on the 1956 film - The Prince And The Showgirl.
He died in 2002.
My Week With Marilyn was first published as The Prince, The Showgirl And Me in 1995 by Harper Collins.
This copy of My Week With Marilyn was published in 2011 to tie in with the movie adaptation of the book by BBC Films.
My Week With Marilyn is essentially memoirs of Colin Clark that he wrote whilst working as the third assistant director on the 1956 – The Prince And The Showgirl, which started. Marilyn Monroe and Sir Laurence Olivier.
Colin Clarke was a young man in his early twenties at the time and it was his first job within the film industry. He had always been fascinated in the way films were made and as his father was a friend of Sir Laurence Olivier he eventually managed to get a job working on the film.
There was a big buzz about the film as at the time Sir Laurence Olivier was the greatest theatre actor and Marilyn Monroe the biggest movie star in the world was coming over to England to make the film.
Colin Clark’s account of the making of the film are fascinating not only doesn't it give a real insight into the way movies were made and the film industry but it gives a firsthand account of the problems on the set and the well known difficult relationship between Sir Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe.
This book also gives an insight into Marilyn Monroe as a person and it is already known that she was a troubled person who took too many uppers and downers, taking one to counteract the other. She also suffered from mental illness and was a vulnerable person. The book also depicts how everybody seemed to want to control Marilyn yet all were unable to. She was infamously late all of the time for everything and what I felt when I was reading the book is that she really was completely clueless as to how this and her other behaviours affected and massively inconvenienced everyone else. It never crossed her mind.
She also could never remember her lines and it again is well known that often loads of takes had to shot to get her to do one short scene right.
I was left feeling that the whole thing overwhelmed her having to concentrate on lines, expression, character as well as the dozens and dozens of people on set watching.
Sir Laurence Olivier thought she was completely unprofessional and intensely disliked her – as did everyone else who worked on the film except for Colin Clark.
What was really sad is that on the last day of filming Marilyn bought everybody on the set who had worked on the film a small gift and everyone threw it in the bin, that is how much she was disliked.
A fascinating insight into Marilyn as a person. I could not help feeling ( Despite being a fan of Marilyn) that she was quite a self obsessed person and I did think that somebody should have told her straight and told her to wise up, but sadly nobody did. I don't think anybody really cared about her to really help her, all the friends that are know we're all just hangers on with their own agenda and too afraid to say anything that might upset her.
I thought it was a good honest account of time spent with Marilyn and I could not help wondering if Marilyn Monroe’s real problem could possibly have been Aspergers, because there is so much in her personality that indicates this.
This is a great biographical read and an essential read for people who are interested in Marilyn or those who are already fans.
November 3, 2021
I wanted to read this book (These books) to find out just how true to them the film had been. I’ve always had an admiration for Marilyn that I will never know where it came from, so the idea of a film about her behaviour and lifestyle backstage and at home during the filming of one of her films, that I actually hadn’t seen at that point, piqued my interest. (I have since watched ‘The Prince And The Showgirl’ and loved it. She really did steal the limelight and royally showed up Sir Larry, having been upset by him throughout the production). Having thoroughly enjoyed the new film, I wanted to get more details from these volumes. I have to say that I don’t think that I gleaned any further information from them, but instead I just found myself enjoying the tale all over again.
It reads as it is seen on screen, easily and with great charm.
The chapters are short and simple, as they are written as diary entries, and the only change that I would make, as this particular edition is a compilation of both of Colin’s books, is that I would have placed that specific “Week” in question where it was meant to be chronologically. It just makes it a bit harder to remember at which time it occurred in the process of the films completion.
It’s surprising what Mr Clark gets away with disclosing about the various people involved and of some of his actions too, but although he is a bit of a rogue, he doesn’t claim to be anything else. He describes himself with warts and all too. I do wonder if the first edition on its release might have been partially doctored to protect certain people. There are lots of subjects that would have been taboo back then.
His descriptions of Sir Laurence’s anger towards the starlet, for instance, might have been quite damning at the time. Although I know that they were close friends, he’s certainly put me right off him and seeing him in the original film didn’t change that.
What Mr Clark says about Marilyn however might as well be hero worship. Nothing but kind words and adoration, despite her obvious issues that caused many problems for all involved in the picture. I wonder how much of their friendship was real or whether it might have been Monroe’s womanly wiles getting what she wanted from him, as he was warned she might. I’d like to think that she was the sweet and lovely young lady described by Colin though.
The style of writing itself is easy to read, not just because of the short diary entries, but because he doesn’t use complicated language or try to prove that he’s better than others by using Latin phrases or words only heard in high society and learned at his posh school.
There is a segment by the screenwriter, for the Eddie Redmayne film, which shares views that I’m not sure I agree with, but it was a nice feature to have.
My only other criticism would be that as he said that he didn’t write down what happened on “The Week”, how does he remember it all so clearly?
I absolutely loved this book. Colin isn’t essentially a good person, by his own admission, but he certainly does have a charm of his own and his views on the crazy life on a film set do match my own experiences.
9.22/10.
It reads as it is seen on screen, easily and with great charm.
The chapters are short and simple, as they are written as diary entries, and the only change that I would make, as this particular edition is a compilation of both of Colin’s books, is that I would have placed that specific “Week” in question where it was meant to be chronologically. It just makes it a bit harder to remember at which time it occurred in the process of the films completion.
It’s surprising what Mr Clark gets away with disclosing about the various people involved and of some of his actions too, but although he is a bit of a rogue, he doesn’t claim to be anything else. He describes himself with warts and all too. I do wonder if the first edition on its release might have been partially doctored to protect certain people. There are lots of subjects that would have been taboo back then.
His descriptions of Sir Laurence’s anger towards the starlet, for instance, might have been quite damning at the time. Although I know that they were close friends, he’s certainly put me right off him and seeing him in the original film didn’t change that.
What Mr Clark says about Marilyn however might as well be hero worship. Nothing but kind words and adoration, despite her obvious issues that caused many problems for all involved in the picture. I wonder how much of their friendship was real or whether it might have been Monroe’s womanly wiles getting what she wanted from him, as he was warned she might. I’d like to think that she was the sweet and lovely young lady described by Colin though.
The style of writing itself is easy to read, not just because of the short diary entries, but because he doesn’t use complicated language or try to prove that he’s better than others by using Latin phrases or words only heard in high society and learned at his posh school.
There is a segment by the screenwriter, for the Eddie Redmayne film, which shares views that I’m not sure I agree with, but it was a nice feature to have.
My only other criticism would be that as he said that he didn’t write down what happened on “The Week”, how does he remember it all so clearly?
I absolutely loved this book. Colin isn’t essentially a good person, by his own admission, but he certainly does have a charm of his own and his views on the crazy life on a film set do match my own experiences.
9.22/10.
January 22, 2012
I thought this was a great behind the scenes look about how a movie is made and of what really is involved. The subject matter being about MM is an added bonus.
I liked how descriptive CC is when describing his day-to-day duties and how it affects the set when events unfold as well as how the actors handle the pressure of film making , so much so, that you can feel the angst and the tempers fraying as if you were there watching it all while reading.
CC seems to describe SLO quite accurately especially considering he was such a great admirer of SLO and ultimately struck up a friendship and would later go on to work with him closely. I believe this also when describing MM, as some others I have read try to make her seem angelic when she was anything but which “true fans” may struggle with. If you were hoping to read a book about her life and how wonderful it all was this book is not for you!
Given MM’s behaviour and her blatant disregard for others, much as you try, you still can’t help but feel sorry for her and her situation as told through the eyes of CC. You can’t help feeling like you want to save her and rescue her from her fate; remove the “hanger’s” on that so obviously knew how to use MM to their advantage. If only she would of had enough self esteem without constantly worrying if she was good enough or wondering if her audience thought she was good enough.
CC himself writes in the pre-face for “The prince, the showgirl and me” that the entries are pretty much word-for-word and he has left very little out, at times I question whether his memory really was that good! As he is able to recite quite long conversations word-for-word, they tend to sound less like diary entries and more “on purpose” for a novel then a memoir. Maybe that’s why it’s an entertaining read? Where as “My week with Marilyn” is more of a novel based format. Whether it all really happened this way? Who knows, but it’s much more fun to pretend that it did!
In reading this you see that celebrity life really hasn’t changed then and now, just the medium for how we are able to access them. All in all I thought it was quite an enjoyable read, keeping in mind that sometimes it does tend to lag when talking about scenes from the “Prince And The Showgirl” in reference to technical jargon.
I liked how descriptive CC is when describing his day-to-day duties and how it affects the set when events unfold as well as how the actors handle the pressure of film making , so much so, that you can feel the angst and the tempers fraying as if you were there watching it all while reading.
CC seems to describe SLO quite accurately especially considering he was such a great admirer of SLO and ultimately struck up a friendship and would later go on to work with him closely. I believe this also when describing MM, as some others I have read try to make her seem angelic when she was anything but which “true fans” may struggle with. If you were hoping to read a book about her life and how wonderful it all was this book is not for you!
Given MM’s behaviour and her blatant disregard for others, much as you try, you still can’t help but feel sorry for her and her situation as told through the eyes of CC. You can’t help feeling like you want to save her and rescue her from her fate; remove the “hanger’s” on that so obviously knew how to use MM to their advantage. If only she would of had enough self esteem without constantly worrying if she was good enough or wondering if her audience thought she was good enough.
CC himself writes in the pre-face for “The prince, the showgirl and me” that the entries are pretty much word-for-word and he has left very little out, at times I question whether his memory really was that good! As he is able to recite quite long conversations word-for-word, they tend to sound less like diary entries and more “on purpose” for a novel then a memoir. Maybe that’s why it’s an entertaining read? Where as “My week with Marilyn” is more of a novel based format. Whether it all really happened this way? Who knows, but it’s much more fun to pretend that it did!
In reading this you see that celebrity life really hasn’t changed then and now, just the medium for how we are able to access them. All in all I thought it was quite an enjoyable read, keeping in mind that sometimes it does tend to lag when talking about scenes from the “Prince And The Showgirl” in reference to technical jargon.
July 15, 2015
This book is the story from Colin Clark's point of view of working with Marilyn Monroe and Sir Laurence Olivier on the film The Prince and The Showgirl. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050861)
Colin was the third assistant director on the film, a job he got through his various aristocratic family connections rather than any experience or hard work in the film business and he seems to have a very high opinion of the work that he did.
The book is split into two parts, the first a series of diary entries written surrounding his week long 'affair' with Marilyn Monroe culminating in a letter to his mate describing it briefly. The second part is the transcription of the remainder of his diaries of his time spent on the film, this is much longer than the first part and entirely skips over anything relating to his week with Marilyn.
Clark cashed in on Marilyn's appeal presumably soon after her untimely death, he describes his contempt at various points for the 'hangers-on' to Marilyn and how they are just after being a piece of the Marilyn Monroe show and to make money/fame for themselves, yet this is clearly what he did not long after.
The first part of the book goes into detail about Colin's week with Marilyn which was subsequently made into the film with the same title starring Michelle Williams as Monroe. I enjoyed the film and this is what prompted me to read the book, also I have an interest in Sir Laurence Olivier as 2 years ago his country home that he shared with Vivien Leigh, Notley Abbey, was the venue for my wedding. The second half of the book reveals some discrepancies with Clark's story in the first half which makes me wonder how much was embellished to sell the story and make him look like more of a hero/knight in shining armour/stud than he actually was. The date of Marilyn's miscarriage moves by 10 days, other things shift slightly from the original diaries which is a shame if you're actually paying attention to the book.
Overall, I didn't hugely enjoy the book, it left me feeling a little flat, I may go and rewatch the film to see how it compares now I have read the book with all its added extras. I probably won't be recommending this to family and friends.
Colin was the third assistant director on the film, a job he got through his various aristocratic family connections rather than any experience or hard work in the film business and he seems to have a very high opinion of the work that he did.
The book is split into two parts, the first a series of diary entries written surrounding his week long 'affair' with Marilyn Monroe culminating in a letter to his mate describing it briefly. The second part is the transcription of the remainder of his diaries of his time spent on the film, this is much longer than the first part and entirely skips over anything relating to his week with Marilyn.
Clark cashed in on Marilyn's appeal presumably soon after her untimely death, he describes his contempt at various points for the 'hangers-on' to Marilyn and how they are just after being a piece of the Marilyn Monroe show and to make money/fame for themselves, yet this is clearly what he did not long after.
The first part of the book goes into detail about Colin's week with Marilyn which was subsequently made into the film with the same title starring Michelle Williams as Monroe. I enjoyed the film and this is what prompted me to read the book, also I have an interest in Sir Laurence Olivier as 2 years ago his country home that he shared with Vivien Leigh, Notley Abbey, was the venue for my wedding. The second half of the book reveals some discrepancies with Clark's story in the first half which makes me wonder how much was embellished to sell the story and make him look like more of a hero/knight in shining armour/stud than he actually was. The date of Marilyn's miscarriage moves by 10 days, other things shift slightly from the original diaries which is a shame if you're actually paying attention to the book.
Overall, I didn't hugely enjoy the book, it left me feeling a little flat, I may go and rewatch the film to see how it compares now I have read the book with all its added extras. I probably won't be recommending this to family and friends.
August 3, 2012
I am extremely fond of diaries, though I have never read a man's before (unless you count Adrian Mole, which I don't) and Colin Clark's writing is extremely gripping and funny. I particularly enjoyed reading about his sexual escapades and was quite surprised at what he got up to! Forget Eddie Redmayne's innocent portrayal - Colin Clark is undoubtedly one naughty boy, absolutely girl crazy.
Hearing about Golden Age Hollywood movie stars - besides the obvious Marilyn Monroe/Sir Laurence Olivier encounters, Gene Kelly and a few others also make more brief appearances - was so exciting. I'm a huge fan of filmstars of that era, particularly Vivien Leigh, so I adored reading about them from the perspective of someone who knew them personally. The Colin who is writing is much the same as I am right now, 20something, fresh out of University and with "no experience whatever" in his chosen field, not to mention enraptured with "show business". I found it a very inspiring book, although some of Clark's observations about Miss Monroe are very sad and poignant. The things he recorded that Laurence Olivier said are comedy gold.
I actually preferred "The Prince, the Showgirl and Me" half of the book to the more personal and romantic "My Week with Marilyn" section, which is strange as anyone can see that the MWWM section is the more exciting of the two. I suppose I wanted to hear a more broad tale of everything that was going on and which included everyone. I adored the stories about the little "wdg" (Wardrobe Girl) and Dicky Wattis. I went and bought The Prince and the Showgirl on DVD when halfway through the book and it is so interesting to watch if you have read it! Matching up scenes in the film with diary entries in the book proved to be a lot of fun. If you enjoyed reading this, I highly recommend watching both the original film The Prince and the Showgirl as well as the adaptation of the diary My Week with Marilyn. Five stars from me!
Hearing about Golden Age Hollywood movie stars - besides the obvious Marilyn Monroe/Sir Laurence Olivier encounters, Gene Kelly and a few others also make more brief appearances - was so exciting. I'm a huge fan of filmstars of that era, particularly Vivien Leigh, so I adored reading about them from the perspective of someone who knew them personally. The Colin who is writing is much the same as I am right now, 20something, fresh out of University and with "no experience whatever" in his chosen field, not to mention enraptured with "show business". I found it a very inspiring book, although some of Clark's observations about Miss Monroe are very sad and poignant. The things he recorded that Laurence Olivier said are comedy gold.
I actually preferred "The Prince, the Showgirl and Me" half of the book to the more personal and romantic "My Week with Marilyn" section, which is strange as anyone can see that the MWWM section is the more exciting of the two. I suppose I wanted to hear a more broad tale of everything that was going on and which included everyone. I adored the stories about the little "wdg" (Wardrobe Girl) and Dicky Wattis. I went and bought The Prince and the Showgirl on DVD when halfway through the book and it is so interesting to watch if you have read it! Matching up scenes in the film with diary entries in the book proved to be a lot of fun. If you enjoyed reading this, I highly recommend watching both the original film The Prince and the Showgirl as well as the adaptation of the diary My Week with Marilyn. Five stars from me!
March 12, 2012
The new edition has both Colin Clark's books in ONE SINGLE VOLUME!!!!
THis and the doctored diary "The Prince, the Showgirl and Me!!!"
in which the "Week With Marilyn" was never recorded
but written in a letter form for safe -keeping to CC's friend
for whom the diary was being written anyway.
Colin, in the letter which appears as an appendix in my Double-Volume
explains to Peter Pitt-Willard in Portugal, the original recipient of the diary,
how he met Marilyn when he went over to visit the retired policeman
whom he had hired to act as MM's bodyguard,
at the residence which he had also rented for MM to stay in during the filming.
CC's jobs were largely vital behind-the-scenes stuff.
He realised as the most unimportant person on the set
his hopes of meeting MM were nigh impossible,
so one evening he went to visit and...
"...imagine my surprise
when I did meet the great star -
but not at all in the circumstances which I expected.
I was so absolutely stunned that I stopped writing my diary for a whole week,
and when I started again I changed the dates in case anyone got their hands on it.
I seriously thought that I might be sued or bumped off.
It is hard to imagine,
but there is so much money riding
on Miss Monroe's prettty blonde head
that people get very, very ruthless."
MM liked him precisely because he WAS unimportant,
because he never used her and always sympathised with her.
Their relationship was NEVER physical.
And his observations of her realistic:
"...she is a mixture.
She can be sweet and funny and innocent;
she can be a tough and ambitious go-getter;
she can be totally lacking in self-confidence;
and she can do a pretty fair impression of Ophelia after Hamlet is gone
...she is a pretty hard lady to pin down."
THis and the doctored diary "The Prince, the Showgirl and Me!!!"
in which the "Week With Marilyn" was never recorded
but written in a letter form for safe -keeping to CC's friend
for whom the diary was being written anyway.
Colin, in the letter which appears as an appendix in my Double-Volume
explains to Peter Pitt-Willard in Portugal, the original recipient of the diary,
how he met Marilyn when he went over to visit the retired policeman
whom he had hired to act as MM's bodyguard,
at the residence which he had also rented for MM to stay in during the filming.
CC's jobs were largely vital behind-the-scenes stuff.
He realised as the most unimportant person on the set
his hopes of meeting MM were nigh impossible,
so one evening he went to visit and...
"...imagine my surprise
when I did meet the great star -
but not at all in the circumstances which I expected.
I was so absolutely stunned that I stopped writing my diary for a whole week,
and when I started again I changed the dates in case anyone got their hands on it.
I seriously thought that I might be sued or bumped off.
It is hard to imagine,
but there is so much money riding
on Miss Monroe's prettty blonde head
that people get very, very ruthless."
MM liked him precisely because he WAS unimportant,
because he never used her and always sympathised with her.
Their relationship was NEVER physical.
And his observations of her realistic:
"...she is a mixture.
She can be sweet and funny and innocent;
she can be a tough and ambitious go-getter;
she can be totally lacking in self-confidence;
and she can do a pretty fair impression of Ophelia after Hamlet is gone
...she is a pretty hard lady to pin down."
March 16, 2024
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Truthfully, I'm torn between a 2 and a 3 for the rating on Goodreads, but I stayed with two for a few good reasons:
1) Although I enjoyed the first story (My Week with Marilyn), the second story (The Prince, The Showgirl, and Me) bored me to death. It's so lengthy! Understandably, it's a diary so there are days where nothing interesting happens. But do I really care about the day-to-day life of a third assistant nobody? Not really.
2) The way the author describes some of the females in the book is just distasteful. The male gaze is certainly abundant (countless references of Marilyn's bosoms), while he simultaneously downgrades some of the ladies even one to nameless beings ('wardrobe girl'), unlike the majority of the men in the book of which he's no short of praises.
3) The author is a nobody who thinks everyone should bow down to him. He comes off as very arrogant and boastful most of the time. One of the few reasons why I halted my reading for a few weeks.
The only good thing about it is how the life of Marilyn Monroe is well-documented by the author, especially behind that 'blonde bombshell' persona. Marilyn Monroe was unpredictable with her constant mood swings, but was still able to amaze the people around her with her beauty. Like what the author says, working with Marilyn was pure pain but pure magic too.
I thoroughly enjoyed the film adaptation of My Week with Marilyn featuring Michelle Williams and Eddie Redmayne. I still often think about the film today.
Truthfully, I'm torn between a 2 and a 3 for the rating on Goodreads, but I stayed with two for a few good reasons:
1) Although I enjoyed the first story (My Week with Marilyn), the second story (The Prince, The Showgirl, and Me) bored me to death. It's so lengthy! Understandably, it's a diary so there are days where nothing interesting happens. But do I really care about the day-to-day life of a third assistant nobody? Not really.
2) The way the author describes some of the females in the book is just distasteful. The male gaze is certainly abundant (countless references of Marilyn's bosoms), while he simultaneously downgrades some of the ladies even one to nameless beings ('wardrobe girl'), unlike the majority of the men in the book of which he's no short of praises.
3) The author is a nobody who thinks everyone should bow down to him. He comes off as very arrogant and boastful most of the time. One of the few reasons why I halted my reading for a few weeks.
The only good thing about it is how the life of Marilyn Monroe is well-documented by the author, especially behind that 'blonde bombshell' persona. Marilyn Monroe was unpredictable with her constant mood swings, but was still able to amaze the people around her with her beauty. Like what the author says, working with Marilyn was pure pain but pure magic too.
I thoroughly enjoyed the film adaptation of My Week with Marilyn featuring Michelle Williams and Eddie Redmayne. I still often think about the film today.
April 23, 2012
This version of the book is supposedly the first in which Clark's later memoir, "My Week with Marilyn" was packaged with the original one, "The Prince, the Showgirl and Me." Had I stopped at the first(eponymous)half, I'd have given this book three stars. I made the mistake of reading the tortuous second half, which was entirely too minutely (dare I say "boringly"?) detailed for my liking. It's an interesting story, certainly. The disastrous filming of the MM/Olivier movie came off the rails early on and never got back on track. Monroe was troubled and surrounded by sycophants; Olivier was a pompous ass trying desperately to inject some Hollywood vitality into his career. Beyond that, I'm not terribly interested in the endless behind-the-scenes minutiae of overheated lighting fixtures, territorial union electricians and the production's OCD continuity editor.
After Clark had the luxury of reviewing this period in his life as a mature adult rather than a wide-eyed 25-year-old, he was able to put together a leaner, more cohesive version of the story, which is the first half of the book. Had I to do over again, I'd read the former and skip the latter. Better yet, though this be heresy given where I post this review, I'll break with tradition and say the movie is actually better than either. Rent the DVD! Michelle Williams, Kenneth Brannagh, Julia Ormond, and a heartbreakingly adorable Eddie Redmayne as Colin Clark turn in across-the-board stellar performances.
After Clark had the luxury of reviewing this period in his life as a mature adult rather than a wide-eyed 25-year-old, he was able to put together a leaner, more cohesive version of the story, which is the first half of the book. Had I to do over again, I'd read the former and skip the latter. Better yet, though this be heresy given where I post this review, I'll break with tradition and say the movie is actually better than either. Rent the DVD! Michelle Williams, Kenneth Brannagh, Julia Ormond, and a heartbreakingly adorable Eddie Redmayne as Colin Clark turn in across-the-board stellar performances.
April 13, 2013
I volunteered to host this book for my book club because I saw the movie and absolutely adored it. When I first started My Week with Marilyn, I fell in love. The book was so much better than the movie, and the movie was amazing. I totally fell in love with Marilyn and Colin and just aghhh so many feels. There were such heartbreaking moments. I've only ever cried during ONE book but this book made me wanna cry. I felt tears forming. Just so emotional and beautiful and amazing. It made me see a side to Marilyn Monroe that I never knew before.
Then... the second half... The second half is the diary entries of Colin Clark while on set. This was one of the hardest things to get through. I hated them, and I'm a huge sucker for memoirs and diaries. It was just so boring, and I honestly hope if someone else reads this that they would like it but it took me forever to finish the book because of these so boring entries.
I thought it was cool how he split the book through because he had stopped writing in his diary the week he spent with Marilyn, and that's why they're out in two sections but I found the diaries utterly boring because the real fun was in the first half. If you do decide to read this, I suggest you only read the My Week with Marilyn. If it weren't for me hosting it for my book club, I would have stopped. The first half gets 4.5 stars. But because of the horribleness that is the second half, I'm giving the book as a whole 2 stars.
Then... the second half... The second half is the diary entries of Colin Clark while on set. This was one of the hardest things to get through. I hated them, and I'm a huge sucker for memoirs and diaries. It was just so boring, and I honestly hope if someone else reads this that they would like it but it took me forever to finish the book because of these so boring entries.
I thought it was cool how he split the book through because he had stopped writing in his diary the week he spent with Marilyn, and that's why they're out in two sections but I found the diaries utterly boring because the real fun was in the first half. If you do decide to read this, I suggest you only read the My Week with Marilyn. If it weren't for me hosting it for my book club, I would have stopped. The first half gets 4.5 stars. But because of the horribleness that is the second half, I'm giving the book as a whole 2 stars.
August 17, 2015
Marilyn Monroe is probably the most prostituted classic film star in the world. Her imagine is on everything from skull and bones biker t-shirts, to art deco picture posters in little girls bedrooms.
But still, after ever bio I've read, and TV movie about her life, I still have no idea what was going on with her. Was she a tragic child trapped in a woman's body, or was she a sexually aggressive female who used her body to get what she wanted? Was she a talented actress slowly dying from the vicious cycle of typecasting, or was she relaying on her pitiful but ultimately genuine personality to mask the fact that she had no idea what she was doing?
I'm torn about this story - Colin is not a particularly interesting narrator, mostly because he comes from a wealthy family and his built in connections to British film stars got him is job on the film. But also because he's so transparent - he appears to be the only man on set who didn't want to sleep with Marilyn. Also hiss "adventures" with Monroe feel like fabricated fantasy. Was he really close enough to be sleeping on (note: not in) Marilyn's bed the night she had her miscarriage, yet after filming wrapped he only received one phone call from her?
If nothing else this tale does speak to the horrible truths of addiction and self medication. And Colin's claim of an intimate albeit brief friendship with Monroe may be true, but this story didn't make me care enough to Google/research it further to even find out.
But still, after ever bio I've read, and TV movie about her life, I still have no idea what was going on with her. Was she a tragic child trapped in a woman's body, or was she a sexually aggressive female who used her body to get what she wanted? Was she a talented actress slowly dying from the vicious cycle of typecasting, or was she relaying on her pitiful but ultimately genuine personality to mask the fact that she had no idea what she was doing?
I'm torn about this story - Colin is not a particularly interesting narrator, mostly because he comes from a wealthy family and his built in connections to British film stars got him is job on the film. But also because he's so transparent - he appears to be the only man on set who didn't want to sleep with Marilyn. Also hiss "adventures" with Monroe feel like fabricated fantasy. Was he really close enough to be sleeping on (note: not in) Marilyn's bed the night she had her miscarriage, yet after filming wrapped he only received one phone call from her?
If nothing else this tale does speak to the horrible truths of addiction and self medication. And Colin's claim of an intimate albeit brief friendship with Monroe may be true, but this story didn't make me care enough to Google/research it further to even find out.
February 6, 2012
I started this in February. I finished the first part -- the "My Week with Marilyn" portion -- in a matter of days. It was definitely interesting and I understand why the started of with that one. The second half -- "The Prince, the Showgirl, and Me" part and the first book published -- was far more painful to get through.
The second half was interesting. I learned a lot about film making that I never knew about or hadn't thought about at all. It just didn't have enough Marilyn.
However after reading the second half, I have SERIOUS doubts about the truthfulness of that first half. I mean, you're a young man working on a film set and suddenly the MOST FAMOUS and MOST BEAUTIFUL woman on the PLANET gives you attention and you don't yell it from the rooftops? I mean, there wasn't an INKLING in the second part about his time with Marilyn. It's suspect, I think.
A good story though and if it is true, then that's cool and good for him. But...I don't know.
An interesting read -- the first half is definitely fun for Marilyn fans. The second half is far more for fans of film...just not enough MM.
The second half was interesting. I learned a lot about film making that I never knew about or hadn't thought about at all. It just didn't have enough Marilyn.
However after reading the second half, I have SERIOUS doubts about the truthfulness of that first half. I mean, you're a young man working on a film set and suddenly the MOST FAMOUS and MOST BEAUTIFUL woman on the PLANET gives you attention and you don't yell it from the rooftops? I mean, there wasn't an INKLING in the second part about his time with Marilyn. It's suspect, I think.
A good story though and if it is true, then that's cool and good for him. But...I don't know.
An interesting read -- the first half is definitely fun for Marilyn fans. The second half is far more for fans of film...just not enough MM.
May 20, 2013
Yet another lovely book that was introduced to me by my book club! I've always been fascinated by Marilyn Monroe, so I was really interested in reading this and was thrilled to see it on our reading list. The copy that I read (the film copy) is actually two books in one: My Week with Marilyn and The Prince, the Showgirl, and Me. MWwM is about the time that Colin Clark spent with Marilyn, and the second book is about his experience working on the film as a whole. I found both to be very interesting, but definitely enjoyed the first section the most. It could get a bit difficult to follow sometimes, especially the second part because of Clark's use of abbreviations instead of people's actual names. Also, I don't really think that this is the best format for the book; it would be much easier to read if the first book was inserted into its proper place in the second book (chronologically, it takes place smack-dab in the middle of the second book). Overall, definitely an interesting read written by a person who was in the perfect fly-on-the-wall position. I recommend this to Marilyn fans and film enthusiasts alike!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews