Marilyn Monroe FBI Files

Description

Marilyn Monroe: An FBI Dossier

• 1926: Marilyn Monroe is born Norma Jeane Mortenson.
• Prior to 1962 (exact date unknown, but likely late 1950s/early 1960s): Marilyn Monroe begins dating Arthur Miller, prompting significant FBI interest due to Miller’s alleged connections to 29 Communist organizations.
• Undetermined Date (likely during or after her relationship with Arthur Miller): Monroe expresses interest in obtaining visas to visit the Soviet Union. This information was heavily redacted in earlier FBI file releases but revealed in later ones.
• Circa 1954 (after her marriage to Joe DiMaggio ends): Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio, and others reportedly attempt to raid Monroe’s Hollywood apartment. DiMaggio’s motive is believed to be finding derogatory information against Monroe ahead of their divorce.
• July 1962: An FBI Bureau memorandum summarizes the conclusion of their investigation into Monroe’s Communist ties, stating: “Subject’s views are very positively and concisely leftist; however, if she is being actively used by the Communist Party, it is not general knowledge among those working with the movement in Los Angeles.”
• Shortly Before August 4, 1962: Monroe reportedly makes several calls to Robert Kennedy.
• August 4, 1962: Marilyn Monroe dies.
• August 1962 (shortly after Monroe’s death): Moscow Domestic Service Radio reports on the death of Marilyn Monroe, as noted in a CIA FBIS report.
• After Monroe’s Death: A financial inventory of her estate is created, and her will is copied.
• After Monroe’s Death (exact date unknown): An investigation is conducted into threats made against Joe DiMaggio and others by a possible former principal in the Marilyn Monroe fan club, related to DiMaggio’s relationships with other women after Monroe.
• Undetermined Date (after Norman Mailer’s book “Marilyn” is published): The FBI creates several memos concerning Norman Mailer’s assertions in his book, specifically regarding Monroe’s death and her calls to Robert Kennedy before her death.
• 1999, 2011, 2012: The FBI releases files pertaining to Marilyn Monroe under the Freedom of Information Act.
• November 2017: Several pages of Marilyn Monroe’s FBI files, previously declassified, are made public.
• 2017: A Church Committee folder containing Marilyn Monroe files is released.

Cast of Characters

• Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson) (1926-1962): The central figure of the FBI files. A famous actress whose relationships, political views, and the circumstances surrounding her death were subjects of FBI scrutiny. The files reveal her “positively and concisely leftist” views and interest in visiting the Soviet Union.
• Walter Winchell: A prominent journalist and radio commentator. The FBI showed interest in his reporting and commentary on Monroe’s life and death, indicating his influence on public perception.
• Arthur Miller: A renowned playwright and one of Marilyn Monroe’s husbands. His association with “29 Communist organizations” drew significant FBI attention when he began dating Monroe.
• Joe DiMaggio: A legendary baseball player and one of Marilyn Monroe’s husbands. His FBI file includes an investigation into threats against him after Monroe’s death. He was also reportedly involved in an attempt to raid Monroe’s apartment to find derogatory information before their divorce.
• Frank Sinatra: A famous singer and actor. He was reportedly involved with Joe DiMaggio in an attempt to raid Marilyn Monroe’s apartment in Hollywood.
• Robert Kennedy: Attorney General during the period covered by some of the events. Norman Mailer’s book asserts that Monroe made several calls to him shortly before her death, a detail the FBI took note of.
• Norman Mailer: An American novelist, journalist, and filmmaker. His book “Marilyn” made assertions about Monroe’s death and her reported calls to Robert Kennedy, which prompted FBI memos.
• Former Principal in the Marilyn Monroe Fan Club: An unnamed individual who was investigated for making threats against Joe DiMaggio and others after Monroe’s death, related to DiMaggio’s subsequent relationships.

Marilyn Monroe FBI Files

709 pages of material.

FBI Files

675 pages of files obtained from the FBI, covering Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), born Norma Jeane Mortenson. Several pages were not declassified until November 2017. Contains approximately 570 different pages from four different Freedom of Information Act releases from 1999, 2011, 2012 and a small release in 2017. Later releases contain significantly fewer redactions then earlier releases.

These files contain coverage of accounts about Monroe’s relationships and speculation about the circumstances surrounding her death. The files show the FBI was interested in keeping up with what Walter Winchell was saying about her life and death in his articles and shows. The Bureau showed great interest when Monroe began to date Arthur Miller, a man who an FBI memo says was connected to 29 Communist organizations.

Revealed in later releases, but completely redacted in earlier releases, information that Monroe had sought to obtain visas to visit the Soviet Union.

The conclusion of the FBI’s investigation into Communist ties is summarized in a Bureau memorandum from July 1962, “Subject’s views are very positively and concisely leftist; however, if she is being actively used by the Communist Party, it is not general knowledge among those working with the movement in Los Angeles.”

FBI File Cross References includes extracts from Joe DiMaggio’s FBI file covering an investigation into threats made against DiMaggio and others by a possible former principal in the Marilyn Monroe fan club, related to DiMaggio and his relationships with other women after Monroe.

Includes an account of Frank Sinatra and Joe DiMaggio along with several other individuals attempting to raid Monroe’s apartment in Hollywood. It was reported that DiMaggio was attempting to find derogatory information against Marilyn Monroe ahead of their divorce.

Several pages of memos concern Norman Mailer’s assertions in his book, “Marilyn,” about Monroe’s death and his reporting that she made several calls to Robert Kennedy shortly before her death.

Other Material

Additional material includes a copy of Marilyn Monroe’s will and a financial inventory of her estate crated after her death. CIA FBIS report on Moscow Domestic Service Radio Report on the death of Marilyn Monroe. A 2017 release of a Church Committee folder of Marilyn Monroe files

The files contain a text transcript of all computer recognizable text embedded into the graphic image of each page of each document, creating a searchable finding aid. Text searches can be done across all files in the collection at once.