Marilyn Monroe’s Personal Accounting Documents, September 1 to October 31, 1953

Records Documenting Expenses During Her Breakthrough Year, 1953

From the Personal Files of Marilyn Monroe: This group of three original accounting documents, prepared by the Law Offices of Wright, Wright, Green and Wright and dated November 2, 1953, provides a detailed record of Marilyn Monroe’s personal expenses incurred between September 1 and October 31, 1953. These records offer a rare and comprehensive financial snapshot of Monroe’s daily life during a period of extraordinary professional ascent.

The documents itemize a wide range of expenses, including household services, medical care, legal retainers, residential rent, hotel accommodations, wardrobe maintenance, and professional costs. Among the entries are payments for her apartment at 882 North Doheny Drive, medical services from multiple physicians, laundry and cleaning services, hotel charges at the Bel Air Hotel, and legal retainers paid to her attorney, Loyd Wright.

Also documented are expenses reflecting Monroe’s professional activity, including payments to Hollywood Photo Supply and telecommunications services, as well as routine personal expenditures such as groceries, florals, and household maintenance. These detailed entries provide insight into the infrastructure that supported Monroe’s life as her public visibility and professional obligations expanded.

The timing of these accounting records coincides with a pivotal period in Monroe’s career. In the months surrounding these expenses, she made her first television appearance on The Jack Benny Show, signed a recording contract with RCA, and starred in How to Marry a Millionaire, which premiered in November 1953. By this time, Monroe had firmly established herself as one of the most recognizable and sought-after figures in motion pictures.

Preserved among her personal files, these accounting records provide rare, precise documentation of Monroe’s financial life at the moment she transitioned from rising star to international icon.

Notable Expenses From Marilyn Monroe’s 1953 Accounting Records

The detailed entries within these accounting documents provide a rare and revealing portrait of Marilyn Monroe’s daily life during one of the most transformative periods of her career. Several expenses offer particularly meaningful insight into her personal circumstances, professional demands, and living environment.

Residence at 882 North Doheny Drive
Monthly rental payments of $200.00 to Violet R. Mertz document Monroe’s residence at her Doheny Drive apartment. This location served as her home during a period when her fame was rapidly expanding following the release of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire. These records anchor Monroe to a specific physical address during a pivotal moment in her ascent to international stardom.

Bel Air Hotel Accommodation
A charge of $603.23 for Room 132 at the Bel Air Hotel reflects Monroe’s extended stay at one of Los Angeles’ most exclusive and discreet residences. The Bel Air Hotel was frequently used by Monroe as a temporary refuge, offering privacy and comfort during periods of professional transition and personal change.

Medical Care and Professional Oversight
Multiple entries document payments to Cedars of Lebanon Hospital and private physicians, including Dr. Joseph L. Codronel and Dr. Elliot Corday. These records illustrate the medical care Monroe received during a demanding period marked by intensive filming, public appearances, and travel.

Legal Representation by Loyd Wright
Monthly retainer payments to her attorney, Loyd Wright, reflect the increasing complexity of Monroe’s professional affairs. Wright played a critical role in advising Monroe on contracts, negotiations, and legal matters as her career expanded and her value within the industry grew substantially.

Professional and Career Related Expenses
Charges from Hollywood Photo Supply and telecommunications providers highlight the infrastructure supporting Monroe’s work, including photography, publicity, and communication. These entries reflect the operational demands placed upon Monroe as her career entered a new phase of global recognition.

Personal and Household Maintenance
Routine expenses for cleaning services, laundry, groceries, florals, and household upkeep provide a grounded and humanizing glimpse into Monroe’s daily life. These ordinary transactions stand in contrast to her extraordinary public image, revealing the practical realities that existed alongside her growing fame.

Category:

Marilyn's Finances

Item:

Original Legal Accounting Records Documenting Marilyn Monroe’s Personal Expenses During Her Breakthrough Year, 1953

Collector’s Note

Prepared by her attorneys, the statements document not only ordinary household expenses but also the growing professional infrastructure required to sustain expanding fame. They show how legal representation, medical care, travel, accommodation, and publicity all formed part of a coordinated financial reality.

What stands out is their precision. These documents place Monroe within a measurable moment of transition. Although her public image was rapidly evolving, the records demonstrate that success brought increasing complexity rather than immediate simplicity.