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A Different View of Marilyn

by Al Carmen Guastafeste

360 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-2067; ISBN 1-4120-1690-8; US$29.99, C$33.00, EUR24.00, £17.00

I couldn't believe that Marilyn Monroe would leave her husband, Joe Di Maggio, to be with her pianist Al Guastafeste on her tour of Korea in February of 1954.

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About the book      About the author      Excerpts and Table of Contents      Catalogue info

About the Book "Yes, there is a different view of Marilyn." February 14, 2004 marks the 50th anniversary of our tour of Korea. For one week my musical abilities (uninterupted by military service) and her meteoric rising star power combined in front of more than one hundred thousand service persons. The stuff we shared, and how we got there, and moved onward, are the subjects of this memoir. For information on ordering an autographed copy of A Different View of Marilyn, contact the author in one of the following ways: E-mail: alguasta@yahoo.com Mail: Al Guastafeste 166 Cypress Trace Royal Palm Beach, FL USA 33411-4707 Fax: 1-561-656-1893

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About the Author Al Carmen Guastafeste earned his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from the Juilliard School of Music on a scholarship. He also received a professional Diploma as a specialist in Music Education from Teacher's College, Columbia University. Mr. Guastafeste is a teacher, pianist, conductor, composer, and lecturer. He has taught on every level of education from elementary school through college, including the Juilliard school of Music. As a performing pianist Mr Guastafeste has toured in the United States, Japan, Korea, Okinawa, Guam, and the Phillipine Islands. He has appeared as a guest artist with several symphony orchestras, symphonic bands, in concert halls, on radio and television in the United States and Far East. Al Carmen Guastafeste was a pianist/conductor for Marilyn Monroe on her tour of Korea in February 1954. He has also performed with Florence Henderson, Marty Allen and Steve Rossi, Kaye Starr, Frank Fontaine, Al Martino, and many other notable stars. Mr. Guastafeste is equally proficient in performing Jazz, and classical concerts. Along with his lecture/demonstration programs, Mr. Guastafeste presents an exciting performance of "Educational Entertainment." Mr. Guastafeste is a member of: United Federation of Teachers (UFT), Local 2 American federation of Teachers (AFT) New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Music Teachers National association (MTNA) New York State Music Teachers Association (NYSMTA) Phi Mu Alpha Sinphonia Fraternity of America (Beta Gamma) International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) Juilliard Alumni Association Al Carmen Guastafeste's name appears in Who's Who in Entertainment (First Edition, 1989-1990).

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Table of Contents and Excerpts

PART I EXPOSITION

1. The Beginning

2. Music Lessons

3. Elementary School

4. High School

5. After High School

6. Basic Training

7. Overseas

PART II DEVELOPMENT

8. Entertainment Workshop

9. Preparations For Marilyn

10. Marilyn - Rehearsals

11. Korea

12. The Show Must Go On

13. Korea: The Final Day

14. After Korea

15. Home Again

16. Struggling For New Horizons

17. Meeting Demands

18. Carrying On

PART III RECAPITULATION

19. A Different View Of Marilyn

PART IV CODA

20. Learning Lessons

THE BEGINNING

It was February 1954. Korea was cold and Marilyn was hot! Marilyn was on her honeymoon with Joe Di Maggio in Japan in February 1954. United States Army personnel felt this would be a wonderful opportunity to have Marilyn visit over one hundred thousand troops in Korea.

A U.S. Army representative got in touch with Marilyn and asked, "Would you be willing to tour the troops in Korea?" Marilyn refused saying, "I would like to, but I don't have a pianist who can play for me." The Army representative replied, "Don't worry, we have the right person for you. He's Al Guastafeste." When I received a telephone call telling me I was going to be Marilyn Monroe's pianist, I was dumbfounded. All I could say was, "Oh?" The voice on the other end of the line replied, "All you can say is 'Oh,' aren't you excited?" "Sure I'm excited, but.... can she sing?"

The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't believe Marilyn Monroe, on her honeymoon, would leave Joe Di Maggio to go on tour with Al Guastafeste. I wasn't worried about playing for her because I knew what Joe was able to do with a baseball, I was able to do with a piano!

MARILYN - REHEARSALS

. . . . At 10:15 a.m. the phone rang. I picked it up and said, "Private Guastafeste speaking, may I help you?"

Walter Bouillet, who was the coordinator in charge of all operations of the Korean tour said, "Gus, Marilyn Monroe is in the hospital auditorium and is ready to rehearse. You and the band members can come down now."

When the guys in the band asked, "Gus, who was that? What did he say?"

I replied, "Oh... it wasn't anything important! It was just some man saying some girl named Marilyn was in the auditorium ready to rehearse." After I got a couple of pillows thrown in my face, the guys and I scrambled to our feet and dashed over to the auditorium with utmost calm.

As we entered the auditorium the acts from the show and the band went on stage. I calmly waited alone in the rear of the auditorium trying to control my excitement while my pulse must have reached at least one hundred and twenty beats per minute. Everything was so quiet I could hear my heart pounding away. Then, the silence was broken. I heard some talking as I glanced at the empty rows of seats in the middle. My eyes began looking at the right side where I thought I heard the voices coming from. Then I began to stare at this blonde. She was talking to a man I recognized as Walter Bouillet.

Walter looked up for a moment. When he saw me, he motioned for me to come over. My heart continued to pound and increased to double time. The reverberation of each beat was echoing throughout my body and made my feet move automatically. Each foot felt like it weighed ten pounds as I moved closer, and closer. As I approached, I noticed this blonde wearing a pair of tan corduroy slacks and a black long sleeved sweater. These clothes fit her beautifully and accented the shape of her body. Her blonde hair was a perfect contrast to the black sweater she was wearing. She also was wearing black high heeled shoes.

As I was getting closer to her, I realized that today was Sunday, February 14th. I felt there wasn't a better day in the year to meet a world renowned movie actress than on Valentine's Day. I was a number one lucky guy, with a number one star, on the number one lucky day!

I finally gained control over my feet and when I stopped them from walking, I was standing face to face with this creature. What a face! I noticed she wasn't wearing much make-up, but enough to bring out highlights of her eyes and lips. Her blonde wavy hair was pushed slightly behind her ears and rested about an inch above her shoulders. Marilyn's nose fit her face perfectly. I have to admit, she was an unforgettable sight to behold.

Walter immediately broke my trance-like state as he made the introductions saying, "Marilyn, this is Gus. Gus, this is Marilyn." Marilyn held my hand and said, "Hi Gus. I heard a lot about you. I'm sure we'll get along fine!" She spoke with a soft, sensitive sound that I can still hear in my mind today. I said, "Hi, Marilyn. I also heard a lot about you too, and I know we're going to get along just great!"

As we held each other's hand during this moment of introductions, we looked into each others eyes and we both smiled. I got the feeling inside, that this was the beginning of an unforgettable relationship. Marilyn's hand was warm and her skin was soft. Her eyes were clear and steadfast. I knew she would have the confidence to carry out this new task that she accepted so willingly. Her voice was sincere so I felt she would be a diligent worker who would want to do her best. I was happy with our first meeting, and glad my temperature returned to normal once we started talking.

Marilyn was pretty in movies, but she was more beautiful in person. Marilyn was physically well proportioned but appeared petite overall. She carried herself with such pride that it would be virtually impossible not to notice her walk by. She was noticed by all, men and women, and there would be over 100,000 servicemen noticing her in Korea.

Now that the introductions were out of the way, Marilyn and I walked on to the stage. I introduced Marilyn to the members of the cast of "Anything Goes," and the guys in the band who would accompany her songs. She was very warm with her greeting. Everyone smiled and immediately felt more relaxed. I found this interesting because here I was very concerned with making Marilyn feel comfortable, while with just a smile, Marilyn put everyone at ease.

Marilyn and I walked over to the piano and I asked, "What are you going to sing Marilyn?" She said, "'Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend;' 'Somebody Loves Me;' and, 'Do It Again.'"

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Catalogue Information

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