As the sun set over a Phoenix hotel in the 1950s, two little boys stood on a balcony below while the woman upstairs playfully tossed grapefruits and oranges down to them.

That woman was Marilyn Monroe.

And the boys’ mother was Academy Award–winning actress Eileen Heckart.

In Playing Catch with Marilyn Monroe, acclaimed playwright and memoirist Luke Yankee shares a deeply personal glimpse into the making of the classic film Bus Stop — and the extraordinary friendship between Marilyn Monroe and Eileen Heckart that blossomed behind the scenes.

Drawn from firsthand memories, family stories, and conversations with his mother, Yankee paints a portrait of Marilyn rarely seen by the public: funny, vulnerable, intelligent, insecure, generous, and deeply determined to be taken seriously as an artist. Far from the glamorous stereotype created by Hollywood, this Marilyn laughs with children, struggles with self-doubt, and forms a profound bond with another gifted actress navigating fame, ambition, and loneliness.

While much has been written about Marilyn Monroe over the years, there is very little about another woman who truly knew her as a colleague, an equal, and a friend… until now.

Part Hollywood memoir, part love letter to a vanished era, and part reflection on mothers, sons, and the complicated people hiding behind celebrity, Playing Catch with Marilyn Monroe offers readers an intimate and unforgettable snapshot of two remarkable women whose friendship changed each other forever.

Perfect for readers who love:
• Old Hollywood history
• Marilyn Monroe
• Celebrity memoirs
• Broadway and theatre stories
• Behind-the-scenes film history
• Emotional family memoirs

Released to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth, this heartfelt eBook offers a rare and touching glimpse of the human being behind the legend.