Episode #176 | 05.21.24

Marilyn Monroe (Part 2): The Three Deaths of an Iconic American Actress

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In this episode

The conspiracy theories surrounding Marilyn Monroe’s death in 1962 continue to entertain the imaginations of those obsessed with celebrity and scandal. The stories, many of them fantastical and one of them true, feature cameos by the likes of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and Rat Pack members Frank Sinatra and Peter Lawford. Somewhere in the pile of countless rumors, innuendos, and crackpot theories is a closer understanding of exactly what happened and why the world lost its most iconic American actress at the young age of 36.

This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including sexual assault and suicide. If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

 

Sources

Marilyn Monroe: The Biography, by Donald Spoto

Marilyn Monroe: A Biography, by Barbara Leaming

Music for Chameleons, Truman Capote

The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Case Closed, by Jay Margolis and Richard Buskin

Mental Floss: Weekend at Errol Flynn’s: When John Barrymore’s Friends Stole His Corpse From the Morgue for One Last Prank

National Post: Errol Flynn, warts and all: How the broke Hollywood film star met his end in Vancouver

The Guardian: Michel Schneider’s top 10 books about Marilyn Monroe 

Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle: Review of the book “The Murder of Marilyn Monroe: Her Lips Were Sealed Until Now” by T. Atencio and R. Gentillalli

Time: The Best Response Ever to a Celebrity Nude Photo Scandal

Fox 5 San Diego: Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

Open Culture: Marilyn Monroe Recounts Her Harrowing Experience in a Psychiatric Ward in a 1961 Letter

Marilyn Forever: A History of Suicide Attempts

Newsmax: Sexual Exploitation by Therapists

Alarabiya News: Bobby Kennedy ordered murder of Marilyn Monroe, new book claims

Daily Mail: Did Marilyn Monroe abort JFK or RFK’s love child?

Nashville Noise: Marilyn Monroe Songs: The Bombshell’s Best Music Moments

New York Times: Channeling a Bombshell, One Jazzy Note at a Time

The Vintge News: When Marilyn Monroe stood up for civil rights and changed Ella Fitzgerld’s life with one phone call

Time: The Story Behind the Only Known Photo of Marilyn Monroe and John F Kennedy Together

Business Insider: The FBI warned Bobby Kennedy a book was coming out revealing his affair with Marilyn Monroe and blaming him for her death

 

Credits

Hosted and written by Jake Brennan.

Copy edited by Pat Healy.

Scored and mixed by Colin Fleming.

Additional music and score elements by Ryan Spraker.

DISGRACELAND theme song, “Crenshaw Space Boogie,” written and produced by Jake Brennan. Performed by Jake Brennan, Bryce Kanzer, Jay Cannava, and Evan Kenney. Mixed and engineered by Adam Taylor.

*illustrations by Avi Spivak @avispivak