5 Haunting Details Revealed In Marilyn Monroe's Last Photoshoots (The Final 3 Weeks)

The enduring fascination with Marilyn Monroe has never waned, but the final weeks of her life, culminating in her tragic death on August 4, 1962, remain the most scrutinized period. Decades later, new perspectives and publications continue to emerge, shedding light on the atmosphere of her last days. As of late , the most recent examinations of her final photographs reveal a complex woman—vulnerable, yet fiercely determined to control her own narrative.

These last images, taken just three weeks before her passing, are not a single picture but a collection from two separate, iconic photoshoots. They capture the ultimate Hollywood paradox: the world's biggest celebrity caught between the manufactured image of the "bombshell blonde" and the reality of Norma Jeane Baker, the woman behind the legend. Understanding the context of these final sessions provides a haunting glimpse into the final chapter of a timeless icon.

Marilyn Monroe: A Brief Biographical Profile

Marilyn Monroe, an American actress, model, and singer, became a global cultural icon, celebrated for her "bombshell" comedic roles and her status as a major sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s. Her tumultuous life and untimely death have cemented her place as one of the 20th century's most enduring figures.

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• Birth Name: Norma Jeane Mortenson (later baptized as Norma Jeane Baker)
• Born: June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California, U.S.
• Died: August 4, 1962 (aged 36), in Los Angeles, California, U.S.
• Cause of Death: Ruled as probable suicide due to a barbiturate overdose.
• Notable Spouses:
  • James Dougherty (m. 1942; div. 1946)
  • Joe DiMaggio (m. 1954; div. 1955)
  • Arthur Miller (m. 1956; div. 1961)
• Major Films: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), The Seven Year Itch (1955), Some Like It Hot (1959), The Misfits (1961).

The Last Professional Photoshoot: George Barris's Unfinished Collaboration

The pictures most often cited as the absolute last professional photographs of Marilyn Monroe were taken by photographer George Barris. This session was part of a planned book collaboration titled "Marilyn: Her Life In Her Own Words," which was tragically never completed.

The Final Day and Iconic Beach Images

Barris photographed Monroe over several sessions in the summer of 1962. The final day of shooting took place on July 13, 1962, just three weeks before her death.

The most famous images from this shoot were taken on Santa Monica Beach and in the Hollywood Hills.

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In these photos, Monroe is often seen unstyled, wearing a simple white towel, a casual green, white, and red striped sweater, or a bikini.

The Barris photos are notable for their raw, unpolished quality. They show a Marilyn who appears more relaxed and natural than her highly-stylized studio portraits. She is seen laughing, playful, and sometimes pensive, posing with seaweed on the beach and climbing rocks in the Hollywood Hills wearing high heels.

Barris, out of respect and grief, decided not to publish the book or the majority of the photographs immediately after her death. They remained largely unseen for many years, adding to their mystique as the final, intimate visual record of the star.

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The Last Sitting: Bert Stern's Controversial Vogue Shoot

While the George Barris shoot yielded the very last images, the photoshoot known as "The Last Sitting," conducted by renowned fashion photographer Bert Stern for Vogue magazine, is arguably the more famous and controversial of her final sessions.

This extensive 12-hour session took place at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles in late June and early July 1962.

The Nude and The 'X' Marks

The session was an intense, marathon shoot that resulted in an astonishing 2,571 portraits.

During this shoot, Marilyn agreed to pose for a series of nude and semi-nude images, which were a significant departure from her typical studio work.

Controversially, Monroe reviewed the contact sheets and, unhappy with some of the nude shots, marked them with a red 'X' to indicate they should not be published.

Stern later published these 'X' marked images, a decision that remains a point of contention among Monroe's fans and biographers, as it violated her wishes for the photographs.

The images from "The Last Sitting" capture a duality: a glamorous, sensual star, but also one who appears tired, fragile, and somewhat guarded, despite the revealing nature of the shoot.

The Last Long Talk: Richard Meryman’s Interview

Alongside the final photographs, the last major published piece of content featuring Marilyn Monroe was her long interview with Richard Meryman, an Associate Editor for Life magazine.

This candid conversation took place on July 4, 1962, at her home.

The interview was published posthumously in the August 17, 1962, issue of Life under the headline, "A Last Long Talk With A Lonely Girl."

Monroe used the interview to address the public's perception of her, famously stating, "I don't mind being burdened with being a sex symbol... but I can't stand to be a thing."

It was a final, poignant attempt by Monroe to articulate the difference between her public persona and her private self, a theme that resonates deeply when viewing the photographs taken around the same time.

The Haunting Context of Her Final Weeks

The proximity of these two major photoshoots and the interview to her death—all within a four-week period—lends them a haunting significance that goes beyond mere celebrity documentation.

1. A Career in Crisis

At the time of these sessions, Marilyn Monroe had recently been fired from the set of her film, Something's Got to Give, due to her frequent absences.

She was fighting to regain control of her career and public image, which is why she agreed to the extensive photoshoots and the candid interview. She was trying to prove she was still a viable, serious star.

2. The Unseen Illness

In many of the photos, particularly the less-retouched ones from the Barris shoot, there is a visible vulnerability. Though she is smiling and posing, biographers often point to a look of exhaustion or sadness in her eyes.

Monroe was under the constant care of a doctor and psychiatrist during this time, dealing with significant emotional and mental health struggles that were largely hidden from the public.

3. The Unfinished Story

The George Barris photo book was meant to be her definitive statement, a chance to tell her life story in her own words, accompanied by images she chose. Her death left the project incomplete, sealing the public's perception of her as a mystery, forever defined by an unfinished narrative.

4. The Private Life vs. Public Image

The contrast between the highly-produced, glamorous images of "The Last Sitting" and the casual, almost girl-next-door look of the Barris photos perfectly mirrors the internal conflict of Norma Jeane and Marilyn Monroe.

Her final images are a powerful visual document of this struggle, showing her attempting to embody both the sex symbol the world demanded and the simpler, more authentic woman she wished to be.

5. The Final Phone Call

The very last known hours of her life on August 4, 1962, involved a series of phone calls, including one with actor Peter Lawford, who later claimed she sounded "slurred" and "disoriented."

While not a photo, this final audio interaction provides the chilling auditory context to the last images, transforming the playful star in the Barris pictures into a woman in her final, desperate moments at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive.

The final photographs of Marilyn Monroe are more than just pictures; they are historical artifacts. They capture her at the peak of her fame, yet at the precipice of her personal collapse. They serve as a timeless, poignant reminder of the woman who was both the most photographed person in the world and, ultimately, one of the most misunderstood.