A Woodside, CA resident has shared his memory of meeting Marilyn as a young (and rather pushy) fan with the Daily Democrat.
“Stan Cartwright wanted to meet famed actress Marilyn Monroe so badly, it temporarily cost him his summer job. Cartwright, recently retired as Woodside High boys tennis coach, was 16 when he was hanging clothes for models at the I. Magnin department store in San Francisco.
‘I was working on the sixth floor and Marilyn Monroe walked in,’ said Cartwright, age 81. ‘She was on the main floor, walking along with Joe DiMaggio’s aunt. I left my floor, taking the elevator down to the cosmetics section.’
The bold Cartwright engaged the legendary Monroe in a conversation.
‘Hi, Marilyn,’ Cartwright said to Monroe. ‘How are you today?’
‘I’m fine,’ Monroe replied.
Cartwright asked for an autograph and Monroe obliged. Then he pushed the envelope even further.
‘Is there any chance to get me into the movies?’ asked Cartwright half-kiddingly.
‘I’m afraid I can’t do that,’ Monroe told Cartwright.
Monroe went up to the millinery department on the second floor to try on some hats.
‘All these models were standing behind me,’ Cartwright said. ‘Monroe was making a movie then, and she started singing. So I started singing with her.’
Unfortunately for Cartwright, the president of I. Magnin was standing right behind him at the time.
‘They let me go the next day,’ Cartwright said. ‘That’s the only job I’ve been fired from. They hired me back later on because my brother was the singing door man at I. Magnin.'”