The friendship and common admiration of Marilyn Monroe and Carl Sandburg
Marilyn Monroe and Carl Sandburg, a young actress and an elderly poet, seemingly had nothing in common. Yet, they became good friends and held a deep admiration for each other. Their relationship is one of the most interesting and lesser-known aspects of Marilyn’s life, showing how two people from very different worlds managed to connect on both a human and intellectual level. Let’s take a closer look at this fascinating story.
Well, Marilyn is the actress everyone knows, and I think she needs no introduction, but a brief presentation of Carl Sandburg may be necessary. Sandburg’s life was deeply connected to politics: he spent ten years in the Socialist Party of America before leaving it and becoming a Democrat. He supported leaders such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, and John F. Kennedy, and he strongly defended civil rights. He wrote one of the most complete and influential biographies of Abraham Lincoln, who became his great personal hero. In addition to being a poet, he was an essayist, journalist, folklorist, children’s author, and he even worked in Hollywood at one point. He also made musical recordings of traditional ballads and folk songs. During his lifetime, Sandburg was an essential part of American cultural folklore, a widely admired and respected public figure. His humanity, warmth, and broad understanding of the United States made him a unique presence, able to connect both with political leaders and with young artists like Marilyn.
Marilyn began to learn about Carl Sandburg through Arthur Miller. Before they married, Marilyn and Miller had met in 1951 during the filming of As Young as You Feel, and Marilyn used to send him letters. In one of them, she told him that many people admired their fathers, but she had never had one. Miller replied that she could admire Abraham Lincoln and recommended Carl Sandburg’s biography of him. Arthur Miller didn’t know it, but Marilyn had already admired Lincoln since childhood or adolescence. She felt they shared similar humble backgrounds and she was drawn to his political vision, so she quickly bought Sandburg’s biography and loved it. Although she would later acquire more books about Lincoln, Sandburg’s remained her favorite.
However, Marilyn wouldn’t meet Carl Sandburg in person until 1958, during the filming of Some Like It Hot. From that moment until her death, Sandburg and Marilyn developed a genuine friendship. Sandburg visited her occasionally, and they spoke on the phone quite often. Marilyn admired him deeply; he became one of the people she respected the most, something she mentioned more than once. She was especially fascinated by the fact that, despite his age, Sandburg had tremendous vitality, singing and playing the guitar with great energy. She also appreciated his closeness to ordinary people and his progressive political views. For Marilyn, Sandburg became another father figure. She was very affectionate with him, even resting her head on his shoulder at times. For his part, Sandburg also felt great fondness for Marilyn. He liked her, admired her, and spoke very positively about her.
I began this article by saying that, at first glance, Marilyn and Sandburg seemed to have little in common, but the truth is that they actually shared quite a lot. Politically, both were progressive Democrats who deeply valued the idea of the “common man.” They both publicly supported John F. Kennedy and considered democracy to be something essential. For both of them, civil rights were a major political concern, and they also shared a strong fascination with Abraham Lincoln, who was their political idol. Outside of politics, they also had similar interests: both enjoyed poetry, both loved cinema, and both could sing.
During their meetings, Marilyn and Sandburg often talked about all the things they shared. Marilyn acknowledged that, thanks to those conversations, she learned even more about Abraham Lincoln. But their exchanges weren’t limited to politics or history: Sandburg loved playing the guitar and singing, and he frequently shared that side of himself with her. On one occasion, he even taught Marilyn some exercises that he claimed were very helpful for sleep.
Sandburg remembered Marilyn with great affection. He said that Marilyn didn’t have deep knowledge of politics or economics, but she could speak confidently about national issues, Hollywood, and people who were important to her. He remarked that there was something inherently democratic about her, and that she was absolutely charming.
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