CELEBRITY CHAT with JOSHUA GREENE


Picture by Milton H. Greene is cover from the book Milton's Marilyn copyright by Joshua Greene.

May 25th, 2002

Joshua Greene is the son of fashion photographer and Marilyn's business partner Milton H. Greene. Marilyn lived at Joshua's family home for a time while he was a young boy.

Joshua is the author of the book Milton's Marilyn which tells about it and has many great pictures. (The background picture on this page is from the book's cover.)

In the chat I interviewed Joshua about his family experiences with Marilyn, when Marilyn and Milton formed Marilyn Monroe Productions, and about his new projects involving the Milton H. Greene pictures of Marilyn.


(action)
Danamo taps microphone for a sound check.
(sound / KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK)

(Danamo) Hello everyone, and thank you for coming to chat today. Before we begin, I would like to remind everyone that this is a moderated chat. Although you can follow the chat on your computer screens, you will not be able to enter comments or join into the conversation until the interview portion of the chat is concluded. After the interview, the chat room will be opened for all of you to speak freely, and we will also have a drawing, for one of you to win a special prize.

Welcome, Joshua, to the chat room. Thank you for being here with us today.
(sound / APPLAUSE)

(Joshua) I must confess that Danamo has been after me for a year, and this is the first time I've ever done this, so thank you for the opportunity... I'm happy to be part of this and as I mentioned before, you worked very hard at making this happen...

Yes, I've been bugging you for quite a while about this :-)

One question that is on everyone's mind is about your memories of Marilyn. Of course, your book, Milton's Marilyn covers much of that, and we urge everyone to read it, (available from www.amazon.com.. )

For the sake of our audience could you tell us a bit about what it was like growing up with Marilyn in your house?

I had the pleasure of Marilyn being my babysitter and the unfortunate experience of being tickled to tears and bathed in bubble baths, oh it was terrible.

She gave you bubble baths? A bubble bath with Marilyn, wow, that's fantastic!

What was she like as your baby-sitter? Not like the baby-sitter in Don't Bother To Knock, I'm sure! Did she ever play with you and your friends?

Well, I wasn't old enough to appreciate it. Actually, she was very happy with her life at this time, so I was loved and cared for.

Do you remember being there with Marilyn when those photos of you and her together were taken?

Only the pictures when I was 3 years old, which was 1956 and '57.

There is a wonderful picture of you with Marilyn, where you are holding a camera. Do you still have that camera? Was it your camera?

Unfortunately the camera was stolen from my father...

Really? How terrible!

Do you remember any details from being there when that picture was taken? Was it a candid shot or did you pose?

I was 3 years old, it was during the filming of Bus Stop, and it was taken near the dining room on the 20th Century lot.

Were you always interested with cameras and photography since then?

Well, I started printing for my father at 11 years old and continued in photography.

Well, you sure had the best teacher anyone could have! Milton was fantastic.

We've all seen the Marilyn Merlots and some of us have all of them in our collection. How did it happen that they all feature Milton Greene pictures on the label?

Actually, Milton's pictures have appeared for the last 7 years and I envy any of you that have all of the bottles from the beginning, I would love to know the value of these items because we are asked constantly. We are also going to put a section on our website for collectors to share info on prints and products that are created from images by my father.

Some of the people here in chat today are HUGE collectors of them and could tell you the values... Maybe one of them could email you with a list later?

We would love to learn all we can, and look forward to remaining in contact with all of you.

I love the Merlots, and must confess that all in my collection are opened and emptied ***hiccup***

No doubt you are compensated for their use of the Greene photos on the label, but do they also give you a lifetime supply, or at least some cases of the Merlot too? Have you ever tasted the stuff? Personally, I think it's very good!

We receive 2 cases of each bottle that has Milton's images, we distribute, open, and drink 12 bottles and keep the other 12 sealed up, and some of the years have been better than others.

Will the Marilyn Merlots always continue to have Milton Greene pictures on them?

That decision is made by the owner of the company, however he has been quite pleased with our longstanding relationship, and I hope to continue it. We have so many pictures that need to be restored and ultimately shared.

Well, we sure enjoy it and hope they do continue with it! Can you give us a hint of which picture will be on the next one?

Sorry, sworn to secrecy (LOL)

I had to try, LOL

Are there any plans for a film restoration of The Prince & The Showgirl and will you be a part of it? Will the much-anticipated DVD edition of the film include extra features from the Milton Greene archives?

Good question, we have not been approached by the powers at be to be included in that project We are going to make available very small thumbnails of 60,000 of Milton's images on our website by September 1.

They will be rough and unrestored with lots of new Marilyn.

60,000 Wow! I can't wait to see that!
Just so everyone knows, Joshua's web site is www.archivesmhg.com

You can send e-mail to prints@mhgarchives.com

Aside from Marilyn Monroe: Life After Death (1994), do other documentaries include Greene "home movies" of Marilyn with Arthur Miller and the Greene Family, the Monroe-Miller wedding ceremony?

Yes, a very small snippet was included in the documentary "Marilyn in Manhattan", and a production company in L.A. Some unseen footage for a piece I don't know the name of at this present time.

when was that released?

1999?

Thanks, will have to look for that.

We have many pics of Milton's sessions with Marilyn, like the Ballerina, Black Sitting, etc. Are there any other sessions, unknown to the public, that might be published one day?

There were 52 sittings and 2 of those are Bus Stop and Prince & the Showgirl. I'm not certain if all you are aware of all 50 situations there are many photos in each sitting that have never been published.

We are restoring images every day from Milton's Archive which includes some more of MM.

What a treasure! We are excited to hear that, and hope to see them soon.

Was there any one photo session (or moment in a photo session) which was extra special to Marilyn or Milton, more than the other ones?

MM (Marilyn Monroe) and MHG (Milton) were both really shy, so as an escape, they would create characters and pictures and revel in the wonderment of their efforts.

That sounds like a lot of fun for them.

Portraits of an Era, which has taken 2 years to create, introduces 60 images, in which 33 are MM.

Reading in Milton's Marilyn the part of the wedding of Marilyn and Arthur, it seems Marilyn didn't wanted to marry him or wasn't sure about it, and Milton said, she didn't have to do that. What was Milton's feelings about Marilyn's marriage to Arthur Miller? Was he apprehensive, or did he think Marilyn was doing the right thing for her at the time?

Milton wanted MM to be happy and once she decided that she wanted to marry him, Milton stood behind her 100% It was Arthur who couldn't be satisfied being Mr. Monroe.

How did you relate to Arthur Miller - or, how did he relate to you and other children? Did you interact with him much?

Not when I was a boy, though I did meet him about 6 years ago in NYC and frankly I feel that what was in the past is best left in the past and I believe that he would not make the same mistakes if the circumstances were repeated.

After Amy had that dream of Marilyn,(as mentioned in your book) Milton called her... they wanted to meet one day in August. Did they talk about what they would do? Was that call just "to talk" after such a long time? Was it a reconciliation?

She was calling an old friend and wanted that comfort that a close friend can give us in those times of our lives. They decided to get together the next month after he returned from an assignment in Europe, of course that day never came.

Did they discuss any ideas or plans, like another photo session or anything like that?

The reason for the meeting was about their friendship, more so than for professional reasons.

Did your parents ever talk to you (or you may have overheard things) about Marilyn, reminisce the family moments with her, or their feelings about the Marilyn Monroe Productions business?

I must say that from everything I've read about it, that Milton was perhaps Marilyn's truest friend, in friendship and in business.

Keep in mind that my father always looked out for MM's best interest, that included hair, makeup, lighting, clothing, as well as social occasions and business ventures. Many of the images that they created are based on Milton experimenting with hair, makeup, and costume...

Under the influence of others Marilyn Monroe Productions fell apart and Marilyn went along with it. (Is that an accurate assessment?) But Milton settled it fair and square with her... more than fair, really. Can you share with us any insight into your father's perspective on all that?

He came into the relationship because Marilyn asked him to help her. They fought 20th Century Fox, then together created the MMP. The difficulty of her personal life with Miller, rocked the boat and by '57 MM was torn between Miller and Milton and was unhappy, so again my Father asked her what she wanted to do.

He was surprised when she agreed with Arthur by asking Milton to sell his shares of MMP.

He did so for her, and only asked for the amount he had spent out of pocket. As ridiculous as that may seem , he did it to prove to both of them that his fundamental interest was in her well being.

Well, I certainly believe that he acted in her best interests, and who knows how history would have changed if MM had decided to stick with Milton...

I understand your studio is the "guinea pig" for a new printing process which Hewlett Packard is developing, and you are using the HP equipment to make prints for exhibits. Can you tell us a bit about that, how the work is going, and about some of the exhibits which you have now, or have had recently?

As I mentioned earlier, we have been putting together our show called Portraits of an Era. We will have exhibits at studio galleries in California and Santa Fe, a small installation this summer at the Eugene, Oregon Airport.

We just completed an exhibition at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in L.A. which will be back up this summer after renovations at the hotel are completed.

This winter we are going to launch Portraits of an Era in 6 cities. All the specifics of the venues will be on our website.

I'm sorry I missed that exhibit at the Roosevelt, we are going to be there next weekend for MM's birthday party.

When will the exhibit in California be opened?

Late summer.

Not in time for the memorial at Westwood?

I can't say for sure.

Are you going to speak again at the memorial this year?

I hadn't planned on it.

You were a great speaker at the last one :-)

Not to ask you any technical trade secrets or anything, but in general, is the HP system a new type of hardware, or does it also include new software to use with it?
(I ask for the sake of us computer geeks, LOL)

The Designjet 5000 (printer) with pigmented inks and Hahnemuhle Fine Art Papers will last over 150 years. The trick is to have color management control which in effect is software.

We are going to have our first workshop August 25th, for one week, with 3 faciliatators. The focus will be on creating images, enhancing them appropriately with Photoshop, and doing what needs to be done to successfully print them on the HP large format printer which has the capabilities of printing up to 60 inches wide. I'm sure you'd like to all see Marilyn 60 inches by 60 inches...

Yes, we sure would! And I'll bet the quality is fantastic?

Do you know if the HP printer will be available for home users, or is it intended only for professional applications such as you are using it for?

The HP 5000 is a $12,000 piece of equipment, it depends on what you call home use?(LOL)

Well, maybe not for the average home user then, haha.

So this workshop is to teach people how to use this new technology?

Yes, it's entitled the "passage." It will be $1000 for 5 days of intense work and HP is going to host a photo contest between the participants and give the winner the new 6 color HP 20ps printer which in worth $1900...

How cool!

Well, this about exhausts my prepared list of questions. Would you mind taking a few minutes more to chat with the audience here, if any of them might have any more questions?

Gladly.

Thanks, Joshua... and the room is now open to everyone.

(Nina) I would love to know, why they didn't fall in love? You know, they were best friends, understand? this is nothing against Amy; but when you understand another, isn't it normal you fall in Love?

My father was started to have a family and was interested in maintaining that image and lifestyle. MM and MHG were more like brother and sister. Also realize that the last thing that MHG wanted to do was complicate things by adding sex to the equation.

(Sydney) i have a question, please answer my question

Where's Sydney's question?

Thank you, I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on the whole murder question? Even if she wasn't murdered there was definitely some laws broken reporting her demise and handling the death scene.

My opinion is as valuable as your own, all of us know that it was not suicide, but who or when or why, I have no first hand knowledge.

When we did "Life After Death" I learned more from the assistant coroner (whose name I forget) and he told us that her cause of death was barbiturates but they were by enema.

You must have an opinion, I'm angry that no one has been held accountable for this, and that people will still protect the Kennedys, as corrupt as they are. Your father or the Rostens must have said something, the Strasbergs used her like no one else, yet she trusted these vultures.

Well, let's not get into a debate about the conspiracy issue here now, unless Joshua wishes to discuss it more.

If Joshua loved her he will want to discuss this.

(Melinda) How do you feel about personal Marilyn websites that use photos taken by Milton?

As far as my opnion on websites using Milton's images, it is important that people understand that using images without permission is breaking the law, all you have to do is ask :-)

We are very supportive of personal websites and in return we just want a copyright notice and a link to our site.

I want to thank you Joshua, for the permission you gave me to have some of your pics on my site. Most of the copyright owners, with only a few notable exceptions, are very generous with personal web sites, when asked for permission :-)

What separates you from everyone else profiting from her name?

Sydney, you ask a question that is misleading, The Archives is a House of Restoration, we restore historic images that are owned by other photographers, my relationship with Marilyn and my Father is a personal one and on a professional level, I am extremely protectivce of how these images and likeness is exploited. We do this in good taste and integrity.

Joshua provides a quality product, something we all enjoy, and it is an honor to Marilyn! If anyone should be taken to task, it is Mrs. Strasberg, for allowing Marilyn's name to be used on some of the tackiest items.

I know what you mean about the estate. It seems they are making an effort to be less tacky, it's not my job and I have no control.

I don't mean to be insulting, I just get tired of her being used, I will say that Milton Greene comes off as one of her truer friends. My big question is why didn't he or key others intervene when they knew she was in trouble?

Marilyn was her own woman, living her own life, she didn't contact my father untill it was too late.

(Joeybinx) Do you have a favourite photo of Marilyn?

BS-119 is a very sexy image of her taken candidly in between takes of the bed scene in Bus Stop I also like Sp-36, which is a picture of Marilyn in Richard Rodgers Swimming pool..

Joshua, thank you again for coming here today, it has been an honor and a pleasure!

I guess that's it, thank you all so much for the wonderful questions, I'm going fishing...


HOME