I hadn’t heard of Smash prior to discovering this tune, but from what I can tell, it was a television series in 2012-2013 about a group working to put on a Broadway musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe. This song was performed in the pilot episode of the series and, in the context of the musical, takes place when Joe DiMaggio sees Marilyn’s picture in a magazine and asks her out. Marilyn goes to the ball field to check things out and sings this bit with the New York Yankees.
Here’s a documentary on Joe DiMaggio by ESPN that aired in 1999 as part of the SportsCentury series. It’s obviously an abbreviated documentary, not going into a lot of depth, but it is still certainly worth a watch.
I came across this audiobook, Baseball Legend Joe DiMaggio, through the local library and spent my lunch break yesterday listening to it. Written and narrated by Geoffrey Giuliano, I wondered at first why this biography came only in audio format, with no hard copy or even ebook version. As I listened, however, the reason quickly became apparent.
The recording opens up with a broad, sweeping biography of DiMaggio, which takes up only about the first five or ten minutes of the hour-long book. This biography serves to set the foundation for the rest of the book, which turns out to be a sort of audio documentary of Joe DiMaggio’s life.
The audiobook features recordings of a variety of interviews, some with DiMaggio himself, others with broadcasters from both that era and the present day. Also included are snippets from actual radio broadcasts during that era. Giuliano provides the context for the various audio clips, which cover everything from DiMaggio’s early life to his war service, his 56-game hitting streak to his marriage to Marilyn Monroe, his relationship with his teammates to his life post-baseball.
Overall, I found it a fascinating experience to listen to the various clips. As I mentioned, the entire audiobook is only about an hour long, which made for an enjoyable lunch break. If you enjoy listening to old interviews and other audio clips, it’s worth checking out.
On October 27, 1954, the high-profile marriage between Yankee superstar Joe DiMaggio and actress Marilyn Monroe ended in divorce. Monroe filed on the grounds of mental cruelty, a mere 274 days after the wedding.
Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe on the cover of Now Magazine, January 1954 issue (Wikimedia Commons)
On January 14, 1954, Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio and actress Marilyn Monroe eloped and got married in San Francisco City Hall. While the romance between the two superstars captivated the nation, it proved to be a doomed union, almost from the get go. In October 1954, only 274 days after they were married, the couple divorced.
Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe on the cover of Now Magazine, January 1954 issue (Wikimedia Commons)
