What do you think?
Rate this book
Falling for Marilyn: The Lost Niagara Collection
In 1952, a Canadian magazine asked photojournalist Jock Carroll was given the assignment of a lifetime. He was to to write a story about and take pictures of the most seductive actress of the day, Marilyn Monroe, on the set of her movie 'Niagara', which was shooting at Niagara Falls. Over the course of several days, Jock followed Marilyn on and off the set, shooting her at work, at play, and at rest. Just twenty-six old, Marilyn was on the brink of stardom, not yet disillusioned, she spoke openly to Jock of her dreams, hopes, and even fears.
Jock's story 'Marilyn's Not So Menacing', appeared in Canada's 'Weekend Magazine' in August 1952. The photographs that he had taken were then filed away. Now, more than forty years later, these pictures have been rediscovered and many published for the first time ever in this magnificent, intimate book.
The camera loved Marilyn, and Jock Carroll's photographs showcase her breathtaking beauty. They also reveal the deeper Marilyn, capturing the star in moments of seriousness and anxiety as well as laughter and teasing. In the accompanying text, Jock releases the thoughts and feelings that Marilyn confided to him during the time they spent together. The extraordinary combination of words and pictures reveals both the image that Marilyn confided to him during the time they spent together. The extraordinary combination of words and pictures reveals both the image that Marilyn knew exactly how to project and the complex nature of the woman behind the public persona.
This stunning collection shows Marilyn carefully applying make-up, playfully practising how to smoke a cigarette, and taking direction on the set - always exuding the natural sensuality that made her one of the most compelling stars of this century. Jock Carroll's remarkable and candid photographs capture the essential contradiction of Marilyn - her quality of being at once knowing yet vulnerable - in a way that will make you, too, fall for Marilyn.
Jock's story 'Marilyn's Not So Menacing', appeared in Canada's 'Weekend Magazine' in August 1952. The photographs that he had taken were then filed away. Now, more than forty years later, these pictures have been rediscovered and many published for the first time ever in this magnificent, intimate book.
The camera loved Marilyn, and Jock Carroll's photographs showcase her breathtaking beauty. They also reveal the deeper Marilyn, capturing the star in moments of seriousness and anxiety as well as laughter and teasing. In the accompanying text, Jock releases the thoughts and feelings that Marilyn confided to him during the time they spent together. The extraordinary combination of words and pictures reveals both the image that Marilyn confided to him during the time they spent together. The extraordinary combination of words and pictures reveals both the image that Marilyn knew exactly how to project and the complex nature of the woman behind the public persona.
This stunning collection shows Marilyn carefully applying make-up, playfully practising how to smoke a cigarette, and taking direction on the set - always exuding the natural sensuality that made her one of the most compelling stars of this century. Jock Carroll's remarkable and candid photographs capture the essential contradiction of Marilyn - her quality of being at once knowing yet vulnerable - in a way that will make you, too, fall for Marilyn.
101 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1996
1 person is currently reading
42 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 22, 2022
I reckon people probably didn't realise that had Marilyn still been alive today she could have been a goodreads user. She was an avid reader and arrived on the set of Niagara with very few clothes but a huge pile of books. She was reading, for instance, 'Letters to a Young Poet' by Rainer Maria Rilke and had just read 'The Thinking Body' by Mabel Ellsworth Todd and had enjoyed Thomas Wolfe and Walt Whitman as well as reading Kahil Gibran's 'The Prophet'. Wouldn't it have been exciting to have seen her on goodreads?!
Photographer Jock Carroll got the call of a lifetime when in June 1952 he was invited to go to Niagara to do a photoshoot with Marilyn Monroe who was there ready to film the movie 'Niagara' with co-stars including Joseph Cotton, Jean Peters and Casey Adams. And they were all under the direction of Henry Hathaway.
In typical Marilyn fashion he was kept waiting for his first meeting with her, even though she was still in the early part of her career. But when she arrived he was surprised and he commented, 'I was not to meet a typical starlet.' And he quickly realised, 'Completely unaware, I was walking in on the beginnings of the Marilyn Monroe legend.'
He was introduced by publicity man for the movie Frank Neill and Marilyn said hellos, extended her hand and smiled at him. His immediate view was 'What a smile. Full, red lips, white teeth, those wide-set innocent blue eyes. When she smiled, tiny laughter lines formed at the corners of her eyes; when she looked directly at you, it made you feel as though the two of you were sharing some naughty secret. The effect on me was cataclysmic.' He was hooked, thus his title 'Falling for Marilyn.'
From then on he spent a lot of time with her, often just the two of them, and he even ran her across the border so she could get a parcel to Joe Di Maggio more quickly. It very nearly caused trouble for as he approached the checkpoint he realised he had a crate of beer in his car and that it could prove troublesome but the border guards only had eyes for Marilyn and let him through even though they had seen the beer.
As a consequence of his friendship, he managed to take plenty of candid shots of her, a complete roll of film for instance with her trying out how to smoke a cigarette, which she had to do in the film. And one of the more candid shots is of Marilyn listening in to a 'phone call between Neill and Hy Gardner when the chat show host was trying to get Marilyn on his show but she would not have any of it. Gardner would not accept her rejection so in the end she resorted to bending down and listening to the exchange between the two so that she could make sure her points were adhered to.
The photographs are magical and Cotton provides a lengthy and vibrant introduction as well as snippets from the interviews alongside most of the photographs; one of her in bed for instance carries, 'I sleep in the nude but I pull up the sheets.
And he ends his text in a most poignant way, considering Marilyn died within 10 years of the interview and the filming. Having been on a trip in the 'Maid of the Mist' around the falls, Marilyn was aware of the suicides that had taken place there and one story fascinated her to such a degree that she commented about going over the falls being an awful way to die. 'Some people shoot themselves. But they don't do it properly and they only blind themselves. Then they're worse off than ever.' And as the two of them looked out over the water, she added, 'Sleeping pills are much better.'
Apart from that last comment, it is such a happy book and shows Marilyn off with her natural sensuality that made her one of the most compelling stars of the century.
Photographer Jock Carroll got the call of a lifetime when in June 1952 he was invited to go to Niagara to do a photoshoot with Marilyn Monroe who was there ready to film the movie 'Niagara' with co-stars including Joseph Cotton, Jean Peters and Casey Adams. And they were all under the direction of Henry Hathaway.
In typical Marilyn fashion he was kept waiting for his first meeting with her, even though she was still in the early part of her career. But when she arrived he was surprised and he commented, 'I was not to meet a typical starlet.' And he quickly realised, 'Completely unaware, I was walking in on the beginnings of the Marilyn Monroe legend.'
He was introduced by publicity man for the movie Frank Neill and Marilyn said hellos, extended her hand and smiled at him. His immediate view was 'What a smile. Full, red lips, white teeth, those wide-set innocent blue eyes. When she smiled, tiny laughter lines formed at the corners of her eyes; when she looked directly at you, it made you feel as though the two of you were sharing some naughty secret. The effect on me was cataclysmic.' He was hooked, thus his title 'Falling for Marilyn.'
From then on he spent a lot of time with her, often just the two of them, and he even ran her across the border so she could get a parcel to Joe Di Maggio more quickly. It very nearly caused trouble for as he approached the checkpoint he realised he had a crate of beer in his car and that it could prove troublesome but the border guards only had eyes for Marilyn and let him through even though they had seen the beer.
As a consequence of his friendship, he managed to take plenty of candid shots of her, a complete roll of film for instance with her trying out how to smoke a cigarette, which she had to do in the film. And one of the more candid shots is of Marilyn listening in to a 'phone call between Neill and Hy Gardner when the chat show host was trying to get Marilyn on his show but she would not have any of it. Gardner would not accept her rejection so in the end she resorted to bending down and listening to the exchange between the two so that she could make sure her points were adhered to.
The photographs are magical and Cotton provides a lengthy and vibrant introduction as well as snippets from the interviews alongside most of the photographs; one of her in bed for instance carries, 'I sleep in the nude but I pull up the sheets.
And he ends his text in a most poignant way, considering Marilyn died within 10 years of the interview and the filming. Having been on a trip in the 'Maid of the Mist' around the falls, Marilyn was aware of the suicides that had taken place there and one story fascinated her to such a degree that she commented about going over the falls being an awful way to die. 'Some people shoot themselves. But they don't do it properly and they only blind themselves. Then they're worse off than ever.' And as the two of them looked out over the water, she added, 'Sleeping pills are much better.'
Apart from that last comment, it is such a happy book and shows Marilyn off with her natural sensuality that made her one of the most compelling stars of the century.
March 9, 2013
It appears that Jock Carroll was so dazzled by Marilyn that he forgot to take pictures. He sort of admits this. As a native of the City of Niagara Falls, I can vouch for the many scenic backdrops of the area. It would have been more satisfying for me to see Marilyn on the Maid of the Mist (the photographer did accompany her on this boat), or in the floral gardens (about 100 feet from the "brink" photos), or buying those beautiful woolen goods (which he writes about) than seeing the lengthy shoot of Marilyn learning to smoke.
The text, written 30 years afterwards, like the photos, is a period piece from the 50's. A lot of it has been published before. There is an example of Joe DiMaggio's jealousy of Marilyn's career, examples of Marilyn trying to improve her mind and a sympathetic but detached statement of Marilyn's childhood tribulations.
Interestingly, for the weekend "off", Marilyn wasn't fully denied the "permission" to go to NYC to see Joe. Unlike her defiance of the studio in going to sing for JFK, she stayed. It seems that she didn't invite Joe to see the Falls and spent the time off with Carroll instead.
To me, this book is an example, fortunately a benign one, of the exploitation of Marilyn Monroe. Like many others Carroll said "I have some pictures. I can write 2000 words. I can publish a book."
I just finished The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe which inspired me to look up some of the older sources. Being from "The Falls" this one was of interest. I found it in my local library.
The book is for those collectors who need to have everything about this fascinating person or fans who need to see every photo or re-read all her words. The general public will enjoy a browse through the photos.
March 28, 2019
A lovely little collection of Marilyn photos that shows her a lot of her personality. There are also some lovely quotes scattered through out the book and in the first few pages of text. Enjoyable, but probably not something I’ll be keeping.
November 22, 2014
4 STARS
"In 1952, a Canadian magazine asked photojournalist Jock Carroll to write a story with photographs of Marilyn Monroe, on the set of her movie NIAGARA, then shooting at Niagara Falls. Here are 60 stunning, never-before-seen photographs of the legendary star at the height of her beauty at age 26." (From Amazon)
Fabulous shots of Marilyn Monroe during the movie Niagara.
"In 1952, a Canadian magazine asked photojournalist Jock Carroll to write a story with photographs of Marilyn Monroe, on the set of her movie NIAGARA, then shooting at Niagara Falls. Here are 60 stunning, never-before-seen photographs of the legendary star at the height of her beauty at age 26." (From Amazon)
Fabulous shots of Marilyn Monroe during the movie Niagara.
May 15, 2015
A lovely book with pictures of her whilst filming Niagara. A cute book to have in any collection.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews