Marilyn Monroe and the Camera [Hardcover]

Jane Russell (Author), Georges Belmont (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1989

This book of photographs has been put together by a consortium of international publishers. The editors' choice of the 150 most superb and evocative photographs has been gathered from photographers, libraries and private collectors around the world.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Many different, often contradictory, things have been written about Marilyn Monroe, but one truth remains constant—the camera loved her. Whether posing kittenishly in a pinup shot or dramatically for a classic portrait, this shy, vulnerable, enormously insecure woman was transformed by the lens.

Marilyn posed for nearly every major photographer of her day, and this pictoral chronicle of her affair with the camera, featuring shots from Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alred Eisentaedt, Elliott Erwitt, Philippe Halsman, Weegee, and thirty other artists, brings together the most beautiful and unusual images available. From her early days as a “fashion model” for ads and pinup calendars, through the film stills that follow her career as a minor actress and then major starlit, to the now-famous portraits by Avedon, and Cecil Beaton, as well as the paparazzi shots from the hordes of photographers who trailed her every move—Marilyn emerges in all her many moods: girlish and gay, sexy and serious, glamorous and girl-next-door. And, in a fascinating and revealing interview with French writer George Belmont, Marilyn sets the record straight about much of her early life, and about her ambitions, fears, and dreams. Jane Russell, Marilyn’s friend and costar in!

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, enhances this portrait with an affectionate foreword that describes what it was like to work with the young actress. Although we will never know the “real” Marilyn, this sumptuous volume goes a long way toward preserving the memory of an utterly unforgettable woman. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Georges Belmont, born in Belley, France, in 1909, is a writer, journalist, and the renowned translator of such authors as Henry Miller, Evelyln Waugh, Graham Greene, Henry James, an Erica Jong. He lives in Aix-en-Provence.

Jane Russell has starred in numerous motion pictures, including The Outlaw, Son of Paleface, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and The Tall Men. She lives in Southern California. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 245 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch Pr; First American Edition edition (November 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821217658
• ISBN-13: 978-0821217658
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,313,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This one is worth the money & I am serious about photos, January 17, 2004

By 

Raechel Reiter "raechelr" (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Marilyn Monroe and the Camera (Hardcover)

Hardcover: 245 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 13.00 x 1.10 x 9.40
ISBN: 0821217658 1989 first edition Soft cover are the same dimensions.

Contents:
Forward by Jane Russell 2 pages
About the photographers 5 pages
Marilyn interview with Georges Belmont 10 pages
Plates (huge photos) 214 pages of just photos
Biography pages 237-242
2 pages of filmography
bibiliography
photo credits
This is a great book, a few pictures are grainy, but 95% are sharp rich and gorgeously clear.
I was shocked that I had not seen some of the images. I collect her images, and have a lot of them on my computer that most people haven't seen. So this is a stellar collection indeed and a must for Marilyn fans. I have the "Marilyn A life in Pictures" and still this book had even more. I do recommend both books highly.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good place to start for Marilyn photos., July 14, 2003

By 

Daniel J. Hamlow (Narita, Japan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Marilyn Monroe and the Camera (Hardcover)

One of the first Marilyn books I got was a compilation of photographs from well-known photographers. It wasn't till later that I got the original primary sources, i.e. books by Eve Arnold, and collections by Bernard Bruno and Bert Stern. So once one gets this collection, one can decide which photographer captured Marilyn's beauty the best, be it Milton Greene, Bernard Bruno, Richard Avedon, Ed Feingersh, or my personal favourite, Andre de Dienes. The photos, both colour and B&W, accompanied by captions, take the reader on a chronological journey from 1945 to her death in 1962.

Well-known photographs include the Tom Kelley photo that led to the notorious nude calendar, her potato sack dress, the photo Andy Warhol used, her wearing the golden dress, and the Life magazine photo. The final picture is not of her but her obituary flashing across Times Square.

Other material include a 1960 interview done with Georges Belmont for the French magazine Marie Claire. She talks mostly about her early life as a child before going into her adult life. Jane Russell, who was her costar in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, does a brief but generous foreword on her recollections.

Other photos include scenes from movies, press conferences,and other occasions. There's an annotated biography and filmography in the rear of the book. Each film entry has the distributing company, year, starring cast, and the name of Marilyn's character. As for the bibliography, I was surprised to see I had nine of the books used.

This serves as a cross-section of photos taken by various photographers as well as a photographic history. Good for beginning MM students, as it was for me back then.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All the necessities, November 1, 2003

By 

sugar_pie (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marilyn Monroe & the Camera (Paperback)

This book features pictures from Marilyn's life ranging from her modeling days as Norma Jeane up until her death. You get many of the "classic" Monroe photos here, including the gold dress, the white dress scene from the Seven Year Itch, and several movie stills. Several candid shots are also included as well as some lesser seen ones from photograph sessions. Jane Russell paints an endearing picture of Monroe in the forward. We also get an interview with Monroe. It is a widely known fact that Marilyn embellished parts of her childhood and she does so here, claiming her mother is dead, when Marilyn's mom actually outlived her for more than 30 years. Nevertheless, Monroe appears beautiful, vulnerable, ans sensuous all rolled into one in these images. You get a lot of pics for a reasonable price.