Marilyn Monroe centennial reflections and new letter on her final hours

2026 marks the 64th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's death and the centennial of her birth. A recent retrospective selects the films that most defined her career, noting her early debut with 20th Century Fox in 1947, her unfinished project "Something's Got to Give," and her brief appearance with the Marx brothers.

A newly released letter from Monroe's psychoanalyst Dr. Ralph Greenson to poet Norman Rosten details the actress's last day on August 4‑5, 1962. Greenson recounts Monroe's morning routine in Los Angeles, a photo session with Lawrence Schiller, a therapy session that ended around 7 p.m., a walk on the beach with housekeeper Eunice Murray, and a phone call from Peter Lawford inviting her to a Santa Monica party. Monroe's final words to Lawford were "Say goodbye to Pat, the President and you because you are a good man," after which she ceased speaking. The letter also describes the subsequent calls to her agent and lawyer Milton Rudin.