1958 was a strenuous year for Marilyn Monroe. After suffering a miscarriage in mid-1957, her mental health took a big hit, and grew severely depressed. She hadnât worked in over a year [since The Prince and the Showgirl which was filmed in the fall of 1956] and her marriage to Arthur Miller was rocky; one day they were in love, and the next day they were screaming at each other. Marilyn still had hope to have children, and for her marriage to be saved; on top of that she was still hoping to be a good actress. While filming Some Like It Hot, Marilynâs psyche was up and down. One evening, she accidentally took an over-dose of pills and was throwing up so badly her acting coach, Paula, took her to the hospital to recover. Arthur didnât join her until half-way through filming, and by that time Marilyn learned she was pregnant. Marilyn was highly anxious about suffering a miscarriage, as her past taught her, and tried to do everything she could to take care of her baby inside of her. Director Billy Wilder, and co-star Tony Curtis didnât help Marilynâs insecurities, anxieties, or lateness. Wilder constantly yelled at her, and Curtis retreated further away from her, complaining about everything she did, and making her work strenuous hours even after knowing she was pregnant. By the end of filming, Wilder and Marilyn werenât speaking and he spoke negatively about her in the press about her lateness and performance on set.
Marilyn Monroe on the set of Some Like It Hot, 1958.
