In
1945, Norma Jeane Dougherty walked into the Blue Book Model Agency and was
immediately signed to their books. From that moment on, her career went
from being a little-known model to an International starlet, with her image
gracing magazine covers around the world. It wasn’t long before Norma
Jeane was signed to Twentieth Century Fox, her name changed to Marilyn Monroe
and her acting career began. However, Marilyn still modelled occasionally
for Blue Book and its associated photographers, and Miss Snively kept in touch
with the young woman who the agency had catapulted into stardom.
When
Marilyn sadly passed away in 1962, Miss Snively put her agency records into a
storage box, where they stayed until Astrid and Ben Franse discovered them many
years later. The box was taken to the Netherlands, and the announcement
in 2012 of what was found inside, created headlines around the world.
Eager to tell the story of Marilyn and Emmeline, Astrid has now begun work on
the documentary project with film-makers Frank van Osch and Suzanne van
Leendert, and the book with author Michelle Morgan. The intention of both
is simple: during her lifetime, Miss Snively tried to make the files into a
book or film herself, so everyone is adamant that this project should be an
extension of what Miss Snively began all those years ago.
The
book and documentary are not biographies; they are instead a unique look into
Marilyn’s early career in the 1940s, and her continuing relationship with the
Blue Book Agency. At the same time the projects will also give an insight
into Emmeline herself; telling the fascinating story of how she played her part
in creating a legend. “If Miss Snively hadn’t been around, there would
not have been a Marilyn,” says Astrid. “She discovered her, she saw her
potential.”
The book, Marilyn’s Blue Book Days will begin with
Emmeline Snively discovering that her most famous client has passed away, and will
then travel back in time to the early days of the agency, and of Marilyn
Monroe’s early life and modelling career. We will discover how she became
a Blue Book Model in 1945; what Miss Snively thought of the young girl who
walked into her office; and the modelling jobs and personal appearances she had
during the years ahead. The project will be a tribute to Marilyn,
Emmeline, the agency itself, and the models who walked through its doors in
search of fame and fortune.
There is a FaceBook page dedicated to the project, which all
fans are very welcome to join. You can join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/629269130427851/
For
Archive and Exhibition queries, please contact Astrid Franse: astridfranse[at]Hotmail[dot]com.
For
book queries, please contact Astrid Franse: astridfranse[at]Hotmail[dot]com and Michelle Morgan: Michelle[at]MichelleMorgan[dot]co[dot]uk
For documentary queries,
please contact Suzanne van Leendert: Suzanne[at]vofprodukties[dot]tv
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