I used to read movie magazines as a kid with a pint of Breyer's coffee ice cream
that was like heaven for me movie magazines and Breyer's ice cream, you know. Marlon Brando was my
favourite since I was 13 and saw him in guys and dolls and I didn't sing for 27 years because of
stage fright. When I did I used the scene from 'Guys and Dolls (1955)' with Marlon and Jean
Simmons - only I made myself like a character to replace her - so I could sing this song. He was my
my biggest crush, my idol. Somebody who was such a brilliant actor; and so beautiful! Oh my God.
and what about you it's got you too
your eyes are the eyes of a man who's in love that same flame deep within made them shine
[One of the things about Marlon Brando - it's in the public record - a very wounded person]. Yes
he was a very damaged person - and I wasn't exactly unwounded either! And you know these
two obsessives came together and just exploded. We were really addicted to each other; and you know
addictions are very very difficult to get rid of: very! [It was an eight-year relationship?
He married two other women in the course of that relationship, fathered children with them. What
was it that made you stay?] I loved him. You know obsessive love which is a whole another
thing - I mean we need another half hour for that one, but with the presence of a psychiatrist.
Well I don't think Marlon ever got to trust women. I don't know enough about Elvis really to make any
kind of supposition, but I know that Marlon was a horribly damaged person by the time I met him.
His mother was an alcoholic; his father drank. And you know she (his mother) disappointed him
constantly over and over and over, so he kept either punishing women for having the capacity
to do that to men; and he kept punishing himself by finding women who were very often not reliable!
Interesting yes? [And yes indeed and tragic in the sense that it even drove you to attempt suicide].
It did. It was my way - twisted and sick as it was - to try to end that kind of humiliation and pain.
I just didn't know how else to do it because I kept going back to him.
And apparently she became a very great teacher and then she had of course these two students who went
forth you know and one was Warren (Warren Beatty) I think De Niro studied with her
I think. And I know that Brando did. You know I kew Marlon!
Yeah he was something unbelievable, unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable. Sarah (my grandmother)
I told you what she said about Marlon didn't I? She used to say I wasn't home when people...
she she didn't like him in the beginning
and she said somebody came to see about him she said 'He's a bum and his mother is a drunk.'
His mother was alcoholic. I went to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), I learned about AA through Marlon and
through Dodie Brando which was something in those times, but I think when she (my grandmother) saw
him (on stage) she saw something else. And then no matter who came to see me she said I wasn't home:
she only wanted me to go out with him because she was such a great actor. Something about
Marlon you know... they have this 'Speak to Me' and they did you see that? It's... they've played
at Lincoln Center 'Speak to You' and it's him talking to himself in in a microphone.
But the thing that they didn't... that it didn't convey is that he had - like every really great
man - a huge sense of humour. I mean I'm sure that Einstein could make you laugh more than anybody:
a huge sense of humour. And you didn't get that but he... I did know him very well, you know.
I actually was in love with him when I was young, but everybody was in love with him, yeah.
Then they (the studio) said 'Now we want you, but Marlon
you have to... Marlon wants to see you.' Now at that time I didn't know who Marlon Brando was his
films were not... I didn't see 'Streetcar (Named Desire)'. I did not know who Marlon Brandon was if
[You're sitting there telling me you didn't know who Marlon Brando was after 'Streetcar'?]
It wasn't out! Anyway oh well true to form true to form first of all Marlon was gorgeous, absolutely
gorgeous. I had no preconceived idea who this man was. So they leave me alone and I think it was
the director's office I'm sitting there and all of a sudden this guy comes in with Levi's and a
t-shirt - surprise surprise - [right something else] never looks at me directly everything is
to the side you know and you know [the new look] the new look, the new yes [the animal]
because he walked around [did you feel that animal?] oh yeah [you did and sexual attraction?
Did he look at you sexually like when at that time..?] Well it was very provocative
not uh lecherous in the sense of you know looking at legs right the way he did it no it was very uh
very different and obviously it was very [Brando brought a new thing to the film, a new
thing to the stage he was the man who really invented and changed the whole theatre and film
am I right? Let's show this scene I'd like to see the scene of Marlon Brando].
dude
Say you live here all the time? All my life
We've been over the Carbonville [Utah, USA] at the meet.
Bunch of motorcycles came through this way yesterday.
They didn't stop.
Is that what they give you in those races for killing yourself?
That's right. You want it? Well go on, take it. No!
Go ahead. No!
Come on you can't do that! You you won it
you'll have to get your name engraved or whatever you do. It's important to you. You don't you don't
give something like that away just like that not unless you knew a girl real well
well and you liked her. Hey Johnny!
Yo! 'Bout this town - they got
a dock here. They're gonna rewire Crazy! Hey what are we gonna do sit around and scratch ourselves?
Yeah we gonna wait for crazy or are we gonna get out of this dump?
We're gonna wait for Crazy.
[That is that is seen this hot scene it must have been a very hot scene at that time?] Yes
today it would be like ho-hum really yeah [But that was hot in those days]. Yes yes
[He brought it first; he was the first one that brought that to the screen, that passion.
Working with Brando at the time, working your scenes with him
tell me about it Mary]. Well he knew see I can have a great facade; I can come out and I look
like I know what I'm doing I don't have any idea what I'm doing, but I look like I do uh-huh,
which is good for actually. [That's great yes]. Yes but he knew he knew that you were scared to
death [He did?] Oh yes he's very... he has that animal right perception now I've heard since we
did this picture he was a very nasty fellow to some leading ladies - I don't know. [He wasn't
then to you?] Not at all! He was very nice. Brought me over before we started shooting
we sat down in a little coffee shop and so forth and he sat me down and we started talking and he'd
ask me questions and start laughing and his whole persona changed entirely to one of just a friendly
'Let's go have some fun together!' [But when that camera's rolling it's something...] That
happens yes [It's a magic huh? Tell me about... he changed... I mean his script, he doesn't follow
the script?] No no no no no not at all. Well I mean he follows the sense and it wasn't technical
dialogue - it didn't make any difference which question came first or whatever - but he had from
the act- he was the true Actor's Studio (not the phony Actor's Studio (Lee Strasberg etc.) [What
do you mean 'the true Actor's Studio?] He didn't go and prepare. He was preparing all the time. He
had a life (inner life), a tremendous inner life. But he wasn't out and 'I've got to feel
the scene.' He had it at all... he was working all the time. He knew how to work;
his working wasn't just the lines but of finding things to do
right and and to say 'I don't want that girl to go into complete shock.
I want her to respond to me.' So he would do things to divert: me playing with the coin on the
counter. And it would throw me and that's exactly which was a better for me otherwise I might...
When did you meet Marlon? In 1955 in the commissary of Paramount (Pictures). What happened
when you met him? He just asked for an introduction and then a couple of days
later he phoned me for to have dinner with him and coming from a very strict family I said I would
love to but he'd have to bring a friend along. [And so did he?] He did yes! [Did he really?
And then did he ask you to marry him shortly thereafter?] No I came down with tuberculosis
I was in the hospital for 10 months. [Oh my gosh]. And uh during that period I fell in love with him
and then we got married. [Why was he attentive then?] Very attentive,
very kind to me and to the other patients and to the nurses, yes.
[Well now in your book apparently after the marriage things fell apart]. Well as soon as
I was on my feet as soon as I was able to make my own decisions and carry on with my own life,
he didn't like that independence. [Oh so you think that was what really happened?] Yes. [Well
what what are some of the things that he did do? What was... you were married for how long? A very
short time]. 1 year. [Just a year and in that time you became pregnant with your son?] Yes.
[Um what happened? What did he what did he do to you?] Well uh I was new to the country I was new
to the business I was suddenly thrown in with business managers, publicity agents uh theatre
people, uh studio people that I couldn't contend with. I didn't know how to - there was a lack
of communication between Marlon and myself, there was a language barrier which we tried to overcome
and things got more and more difficult and finally it did break. [And you say you're afraid
with Marlon's behaviour. That's what you're really afraid of?] I am very afraid of it, yes. [Because
of your son?] Because of my son. [Why?] Marlon is very erratic uh he is not a good family man
a child needs discipline; he needs schooling it's very important; he needs his meals on time;
he needs to go to bed at a certain time; he knows how far he can go; what to do what not to do he
cannot be permissive. Marlon is not that kind of a disciplinarian. [Do you see your son now?] Oh yes
I do. [What's he doing? Has he fared well? He's 21 years old]. Yes he lives up in Oregon (USA) he
bought himself a piece of land and he's farming up there now. [Would you and Marlon have
any kind of contact now?] No. [You don't know what he thought of the book?] I don't think he liked
it. [No but you haven't had any direct feedback from him?] No. [Well one thing that amazed me in
the book you talk about his bringing home a young woman that he was having an affair with while you
were married]. Yes. [What were the circumstances? How did that happen? I mean isn't that an awful
brazen thing to do?] It is very brazen and it shocked me. I was very pregnant at the time and
the girl was [___] and I remember uh I was just in my lounging pyjamas, I just got up from bed
and I wasn't looking my best and in walks this very glamorous girl and I thought 'I don't like
that too much.' [And uh then she started chatting about using curry or something?] Yeah she told me
uh because I was breastfeeding my baby and I was eating curry that it was bad for the for the baby
and I asked what what her were her qualifications that she can make such a statement, after all she
wasn't a mother. And the thing that irritated me most was she went into the icebox - and
I happened to love mangoes - and she took the last mango! [Oh my gosh!]
It's sort of romantic and glittery the way love affairs used to be in the 50s and late 40s and
even early 60s. It's gotten more... maybe there's more quantity but there's less
quality - but men seem very upset at the idea of revealing the names
of past husbands and lovers, but women like it. Now watch him get all upset.
[What about the men in here that you you talk about?] Well some of the men loved it and called
me up and gave me funny stories. Marlon Brando called me and said look it's okay put me in your
book but in a scale of 10 I want to be 10! [You had a romance with Marlon Brando didn't you?]
Well yes it was a very friendly one. It went on for a number of years and we were sort of
(in between love affairs) friendly lovers; and that's the only way I can describe it in those
days he wasn't afraid of the press and he was a beginning actor. And as a matter of fact I
went to Hollywood first and then I warned him he should take his relatives so he came with
his sister and he lived with his grandmother in Silver Lake, people don't know it he...