Chris Finn, curator of the recent ‘Marilyn in Canada’ exhibit at the McMichael in Toronto, will discuss Marilyn’s time in Canada filming Niagara and River of No Return at the RiverBrink Art Museum, Niagara, on July 17 at 2pm.
” ‘(Niagara) was her first major acting role, and she was drawing quite a bit of attention,’ says Finn, McMichael’s assistant curator. ‘It seemed like she had a much closer relationship with the people she met on the street than any other time in her career after that.’
Monroe was a voluptuous star on the rise when she arrived in Niagara Falls in the summer of 1952…The city was abuzz with sightings, but few people got closer than photographer Jock Carroll, who followed Monroe on the set, on the town, and even in her hotel room…
‘She seemed very interested in mugging for the camera in order to create some humorous shots,’ says Finn. ‘It seemed like an interesting period of time, and (Carroll) spent quite a bit of time speaking with her as well.’
By the time she returned to Canada the following summer, Monroe was a superstar. Filming for ‘River of No Return’ took place in Banff, Alberta…Look Magazine sent photographer John Vachon to profile her, ending up with the first pictures of Monroe and Joe DiMaggio together.’
