Marilyn Monroe was introduced to her number two husband, the “I Love Lucy'' star, by an unlikely matchmaker.
The 25-year-old was having dinner with her agent, Norman Brokaw, when William Frawley, who played Fred Mertz on the sitcom, approached them. He had an offer that the actress could not refuse.
”[My father] Norman's son, Joel Brokaw, told Fox News Digital.[It was] At the live Hollywood show, all the casting agents tuned in to watch. They went and they were doing this TV show, and then he said, “Let's go down the street and go to the Hollywood Brown Derby and eat.” It was a must-see place. ”
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Marilyn Monroe didn't know who Joe DiMaggio was when they met in 1952. (Getty Images)
“It didn't take long for me to notice them,” Joel said. “William Frawley came to your table and said, 'I'm having dinner with Joe D. He wants to meet a young woman. When he's done, he'll stop by your table.'
“Marilyn turned to her father and said, 'Who is Joe D?' She had no idea who Joe DiMaggio was and was clearly not a baseball fan, so he asked her, 'Who is Joe D?' I needed to briefly explain the importance of Joe DiMaggio.”
Hollywood lore has it that Joe DiMaggio was reading a newspaper when he came across a photo of Marilyn Monroe in a baseball uniform. he was shocked. (Getty Images)
Brokaw, who represented Elvis Presley, Clint Eastwood and many other top stars, died in 2016 at the age of 89. Joel is writing a new memoir about the late patriarch. “Marilyn's Driving” This article details how he went from working in the mailroom at William Morris Agency to becoming CEO.
Joel Brokaw's book “Driving Marilyn'' has been published. (Lions Press)
DiMaggio was 12 years older than Monroe and had just retired from the New York Yankees. He was dining with a close friend when he found himself captivated by the blonde beauty.
And Brokaw seized the opportunity to bring the two together.
”[My father and Marilyn] “They finished their meal first. They went to the table and the rest is history,” Joel said.
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William Frawley starred as Fred Mertz on the 50's sitcom “I Love Lucy.” (via CBS, Getty Images)
Joel said his father met Monroe through his uncle, Hollywood talent agent Johnny Hyde. In her book My Story, Monroe stated that Hyde was in love with her and had asked her to marry him.
“If you look at all the stories that have been written about Marilyn Monroe, Johnny Hyde is the standout chapter,” Joel explained. “He was a big-time super agent who believed in Marilyn. He lived with her. He staked his entire reputation on advancing her career.”
Hollywood agent Johnny Hyde wants to marry his client, up-and-coming actress Marilyn Monroe. (Alamy)
“The attitude of a lot of his colleagues at the time was, 'That's his girlfriend and she's blonde of the year,'” Joel said. “A lot of people didn't find her particularly appealing. But towards the end of her life, he finally signed her to a contract with 20th Century Fox. At that point, my father I had just been promoted to agent.” ”
Marilyn Monroe and agent Johnny Hyde, circa 1949. (Alamy)
Joel said Hyde had a “very bad heart condition” and was unable to take his dream client to the event. That's when Mr. Brokaw intervened.
“He had to take her to an audition, and the audition fee was $55, which is the SAG minimum,” Joel explained. “He took her to acting lessons, went to premieres and the TV shows she was doing. He got to spend a lot of time with her.
Watch: 'I Love Lucy' star played matchmaker between Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio: Author
“From what he told me about her, they really hit it off. He really liked her. He thought she was incredibly smart. We had a great relationship.”
Norman Brokaw became Marilyn Monroe's agent. (Brokaw family)
Hyde died in 1950 at the age of 55.
It was in 1952 that Brokaw and Monroe walked up to DiMaggio's table to say hello. DiMaggio and Monroe dated for nearly two years before marrying at San Francisco City Hall in 1954.
A few months after the couple said yes, Brokaw got a phone call. It was from DiMarzio. According to the book, Monroe was no longer his client at the time.
Joe DiMaggio wanted Marilyn Monroe to be a housewife. She had other plans. (AFP via Getty Images)
“Joe DiMaggio received advice from his father at a critical time in his marriage,” Joel said. “Joe wanted Marilyn to be a stay-at-home mom. He was becoming increasingly annoyed by Marilyn's rising profile and public appearances.
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio's marriage was said to be rocky until they finally called it quits. (Underwood Archive/Getty Images)
“So his father said to him, 'I don't know any woman who could convince a man to give up a 56-game hitting streak. And I don't know a man who could convince a man to give up his 56-game hitting streak.' The actress will not appear in the film with Clark Gable or Spencer Tracy.
“It made [a] “A light bulb went on in Joe DiMaggio's mind,” Joel said. “He believed that advice helped his marriage last a little longer. . . . It also cemented his father's lifelong friendship with Joe DiMaggio.”
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Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio's marriage lasted nine months. (NY Daily News Archive, via Getty Images)
This power couple's marriage lasted only nine months. Monroe filed for divorce from DiMaggio, citing “emotional abuse.”
Brokaw and Monroe met again in 1962 in a unique way.
At the time, Joel's mother was hospitalized with schizophrenia. Mr. Brokaw needed someone to watch over his sons. Monroe's psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Greenson, who also treated Joel's mother, recommended his housekeeper, Eunice Murray.
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio reunited in 1961, the year before her death. (Getty Images)
“She was someone he assigned to many of his patients to help them with their daily responsibilities and to watch over them,” Joel explained. “A few weeks ago, Eunice Murray came into the house and found Marilyn Monroe dead. That was a really strange episode in my life.”
Mrs. Eunice Murray, the late Marilyn Monroe's housekeeper, told reporters that Marilyn Monroe did not appear suicidal. (Getty Images)
“I really liked Mrs. Murray,” Joel said. “But I also felt like her energy was weird. … That was part of growing up in Hollywood. There were a lot of weird things.”
Monroe died of a barbiturate overdose in 1962. She was 36 years old. It was DiMaggio, who returned to her life in 1961, who planned her funeral.
“It was an undying love that he had for her for the rest of his life,” Joel said.
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Joe DiMaggio's last words were, “I can finally meet Marilyn.” (Getty Images)
For 20 years, DiMaggio had fresh roses delivered to Monroe's grave twice a week. He outlived his ex-wife by nearly 40 years. He died in 1999 at the age of 84.
DiMaggio's lawyer later said DiMaggio's reported last words were, “I can finally meet Marilyn.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
