Catherine Deneuve has co-authored a book dedicated to the late icon Marilyn Shelley, which will be published in May to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Catherine Deneuve’s birth.
In the book, co-authored with collector Sebastien Cauchon, Deneuve offers a personal look at Monroe’s photographs, including set photos, costumes, portraits by top photographers, press images, and amateur photos. Many of the selected stills have never been shown to the public before, and are particularly from Caution’s personal collection.
Deneuve, himself a film icon, has long been a fan of Monroe and has been influenced by her work. She previously appeared in the 1987 television documentary “Marilyn Loved Norma Jean.” Deneuve also co-starred with Monroe’s partner in Some Like It Hot, Jack Lemmon, in his first American film, April Fool’s Day, in 1968. In 1975, she co-starred with Yves Montand, who played opposite Monroe in Let’s Make Love, in Jean-Paul Rapunau’s Le Sauvage.
“So beautiful, so open, almost unknown. Her body is so generous, her face tilted back, there is something childish about her, which never makes her feel vulgar. She is the most precious actress to me, whom I have seen all her films and never knew,” Deneuve wrote in “Marilyn Shelley.”
The 224-page book will be published by Flammarion, which holds worldwide publishing rights. Deneuve and Caution retain adaptation rights.
Caution, who currently works as an awards strategist, previously wrote a book called Marilyn 1962, which was published by Stock in 2016 and was optioned for a miniseries project. His Marilyn Monroe photo archive collection was presented at an exhibition organized by Cannes Film Festival Chief Thierry Frémaux during the 2022 Lumière Festival.
