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It is likely that this note was written during the first half of the shooting, in July. Gay (Langland) is the name of the character played by Clark Gable. The final “R” refers to Roslyn (Taber), Marilyn’s character.

Marilyn at Costello’s restaurant, New York, 1955

KITCHEN NOTES

1955 or 1956

Contrary to the image we may have of Marilyn as often disorderly and chaotic, she attended to some aspects of daily life with care and even meticulousness. When she had to decorate an apartment or house she made notes, took measurements, collected samples or patterns, and decided on color schemes and the arrangement of furniture. Similarly, when she organized a dinner for Helen Schneider’s birthday, very likely at the end of 1955 in New York, she wrote a long, exacting list of everything she had to prepare or check out. Each detail was planned, down to the table decorations and bathroom requisites. This party may have taken place when Marilyn moved into an apartment on the corner of Sutton Place and 57th Street after her long stay in a suite at the Waldorf-Astoria, which had turned out to be too costly for Marilyn Monroe Productions. Incidentally, Marilyn sometimes enjoyed cooking, and when she did she noted recipes down to the last ingredient, step by step, including the quality of produce needed.

ask for Kitty & or Clyde

my white dishes—all of them from Westport

my old silver candle holders

my paintings two—dutch woman big one and drunken angels

get firewood—what about silverware

buy—white toilet seat

buy—hamper & or gold thing for bathroom & or thing for back of door for towels, bottles, etc

buy—lamps for bedroom—also shades take Kirt with me

buy foot stool & coffee table (ask M. Moumulion)

buy bar buy mirror at L. & Taylors

buy two chairs—classic—for in front of piano, also serves for extra guest chairs

buy brass ash trays one for M. one for L. one for me

buy chandeliers—one for hall—one for dining area—take back the two glass silver things

buy twelve linen napkins—silverware—for 12

buy birthday present for Helen—

have Kirt paint places for chandeliers also where railing broke

have Milton & Kirt put pictures in hallway—help me arrange room & place

have Kirt saw off legs of brass candle holders

dry clean comforter

have wash—bathroom rugs

send out laundry

call Moumulion

guest towels

paintings 2

coffee table

[indecipherable] glass bar

Notes:

Kitty and Clyde may have provided Marilyn with occasional help.

Kirt seems to have been a man who did odd jobs for Marilyn.

M. Moumulion: unidentified.

The reference to Milton Greene would mean this birthday dinner took place between 1955 and 1956. Marilyn stayed at Milton and Amy Greene’s property in Westport, Connecticut, when she first arrived on the East Coast and often visited them in subsequent months.

champagne? at least some kind of wine with dinner

buy—liquor—scotch—gin—vermouth—

hors d’œuvres—caviar—others?

two roasts—1—prime ribs of beef 1—turkey

have Hedda make dressing

large mixed green salad with endive hearts—avocado? (Also aspic?)

vegetables—frozen peas or in pod?—not done too well—Kitty’s squash? or something

Potatoes—of some kind—? ask Kitty

Celery hearts—olives—scallions?—Radishes

ask Hedda about fruit & ice cream for dessert—choc & vanilla

Coffee & cookies & danish pastry for later

Birthday cake for Helen—

Geo. Leslie & me 2

Hedda & Norman 2

Ettore & Jessie 2

Helen & Isadore 2

George Brusilla [Braziller] & wife 2

Guy & friend with guitar 2

Bloomingdales?

Wine glasses 12

linen napkins

6 or more guest towels

Murray Hill—25400

french prov. white

marble top 2 sizes

coffee table

buy for less than he says

Lloyds 116 E 60th

Ivory. Flakes or snow

Rinso Blue or detergent

Notes:

Geo. Leslie: unidentified.

Isadore Schneider (1896–1976) was born in the Ukraine and emigrated with his family to the United States in 1904. A novelist