Halloween Card Sent to Marilyn Monroe by James Haspiel
In October 1955, about a year into his devoted fandom of Marilyn Monroe, a teenage James “Jimmy” Haspiel mailed this Halloween card to Marilyn at 2 Sutton Place South in New York City.
The front of the card features a glamorous Halloween witch accompanied by the words “You’re Bewitching.” Inside, the card reads: “I Want To Be Haunted By You”
Signed “Jimmy Haspiel, he added a playful postscript:
“Aren’t you going to answer my letter???”
The card is accompanied by its original mailing envelope, postmarked October 28, 1955, providing a remarkable snapshot of the early days of the relationship between Marilyn and the young fan who would eventually become one of the most familiar figures in her New York life.
“Lanilyn Boebruh”
Adding another wonderfully personal element to the card is a hand-drawn portrait of Marilyn signed “Lanilyn Boebruh.”
When I asked Jimmy who Lanilyn Boebruh was, he revealed the story behind the unusual name:
“It was me. That was my alter ego at the time.”
The drawing transforms an already charming piece of correspondence into something even more personal. Before Jimmy became known to Marilyn fans around the world, he was simply a teenager expressing his admiration for Marilyn through letters, cards, drawings and a persistent hope that she might respond.
James Haspiel and Marilyn Monroe
James Haspiel would go on to become one of Marilyn Monroe’s most devoted admirers and a familiar presence during her years in New York.
Marilyn knew Jimmy by name, and he photographed her extensively throughout the years that followed. He was there to capture countless candid moments, and Marilyn posed for numerous photographs with him.
What makes this 1955 Halloween card particularly special is its date.
It comes from the very beginning of that story.
In October 1955, Jimmy could not have known what the following years would bring or that the movie star to whom he was mailing this playful Halloween greeting would eventually recognize him and know him personally.
His presence in Marilyn’s life would continue until her passing in 1962.
Marilyn at 2 Sutton Place South
The original envelope survives with the card and is addressed to Marilyn at 2 Sutton Place South, New York City, where she was living during this pivotal period in her life.
The envelope’s October 28, 1955 postmark anchors the artifact to a specific moment in Marilyn’s New York years.
She had stepped away from Hollywood, formed Marilyn Monroe Productions and was pursuing a new chapter both professionally and personally. New York provided Marilyn with an opportunity to study acting, immerse herself in literature and the arts, and begin reshaping the direction of her career.
Collector’s Note
I love pieces like this because they tell such a wonderfully human story.
Long before Jimmy Haspiel wrote books about Marilyn or became known to Marilyn fans around the world, he was simply a teenager who admired her enough to send her a Halloween card, draw her portrait and ask why she hadn’t answered his letter.
Knowing what came afterward makes the card even more poignant.
Jimmy would eventually become someone Marilyn recognized and knew by name, and he would remain a presence in her life for years. Yet when he mailed this card in October 1955, that relationship was still in its earliest stages.
I especially love the drawing signed “Lanilyn Boebruh.” When I asked Jimmy who that mysterious person was, his answer made the artifact even better: “It was me. That was my alter ego at the time.”
Seventy years later, this charming piece of Marilyn history has found a new home in The Marilyn Monroe Collection.
I also recently had the honor of sitting down with Jimmy for the All Things Marilyn Podcast, where he shared memories from his remarkable relationship with Marilyn and the years he spent photographing her in New York.
Hearing Jimmy tell those stories in his own words makes preserving something from the very beginning of that journey particularly meaningful. It’s a conversation I think every Marilyn fan will enjoy, and the episode is available wherever you listen to podcasts.
Listen here.
Scott Fortner
Marilyn Monroe Collection
Founder & Owner
@mariylnmonroecollection 
TheMarilynMonroeCollection