The Love Story of Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller: In Photos

An award-winning playwright with critical accolades, Arthur Miller, however, was also best remembered for a more personal side: the third husband with the longest marriage to Marilyn Monroe, the legendary sex symbol. After their first encounter in 1950, Monroe and Miller began an affair when they reunited in 1955. To the movie star, Miller seemed to give her that true sense of affection and safety; to the playwright, Monroe’s fierce loyalty to him during his HUAC testimony was forever a blessing. On June 29, 1956, the pair got married at the Westchester County Court House in White Plains, New York.

June 1956. Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe are shown after their marriage in a religious ceremony at the home of Mr. and Mrs. James Barrett of South Salem, New York. Photo by Bettmann.

Their marriage was soon met with strains, which perhaps began with Monroe’s discovery of her husband’s notebook in which Miller described his disappointment in marrying her. Devastated by several miscarriages and tormented by the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, Monroe finally turned to barbiturates. Miller would later turn to another woman, Inge Morath, whom he met during the filming of The Misfits – a film that marked the end point for the pair’s relationship. They officially divorced in January 1961.

On August 5, 1962, Monroe died from a suspected drug overdose, and Miller was heavily criticized for not attending her funeral. However, Christopher Bigsby, Miller’s biographer, recalled that when the acclaimed playwright showed him the garage of his house in 2002, he found that Miller still kept five letters from Monroe and her bicycle in the same place she had left it.

Below are some photographs of the pair before their separation:

1956. Marilyn Monroe nestled in the arms of her fiancé Arthur Miller, both laughing in front of their home on Sutton Palace in New York when they announced their engagement to the press. Photo by Paul Salde.

June 1956. Marilyn Monroe waves from Arthur Miller's convertible as the newlyweds leave their Roxbury, Connecticut home for a picnic on the day after their wedding. Photo by Bettman.

July 1956. Marilyn Monroe outside her home in Englefield Green with husband Arthur Miller. Photo by Evening Standard.

July 1956. Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller kiss in a convertible, next to them is Monroe's close friend, Milton Greene, New York. Photo by Paul Schutzer-LIFE.

July 1956. Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller ride in a Thunderbird convertible with Monroe's close friend, Milton Greene, New York. Photo by Paul Schutzer-LIFE.

August 1956. Marilyn Monroe out for a cycle ride with husband Arthur Miller. Photo by Harold Clements.

1956. Marilyn Monroe and husband Arthur Miller arrive at the Berkshire home of playwright, Terence Rattigan for a private party. Photo by Keystone.

January 1957. Marilyn Monroe and husband Arthur Miller in car at Idlewild Airport after arriving from Kingston, Jamaica. Photo by Jack Clarity.

1957. Marilyn Monroe with husband Arthur Miller in front of the Queensboro Bridge in New York. Photo by Sam Shaw.

1957. Marilyn Monroe leans over the door of a convertible Ford Thunderbird to kiss Arthur Miller, New York. Photo by Sam Shaw.

1957. Marilyn Monroe with husband Arthur Miller in Amagansett, New York. Photo by Sam Shaw.

1957. Marilyn Monroe at the beach with husband Arthur Miller in Amagansett, New York. Photo by Sam Shaw.

April 1957. Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe listen as a man speaks with them at an April in Paris Ball held at the Waldorf Astoria, New York. Photo by Peter Stackpole-LIFE.

April 1957. Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller share a laugh as they attend the 'April in Paris Ball' at the Waldorf Astoria, New York. Photo by Peter Stackpole-LIFE.

April 1957. Marilyn Monroe smiles and gazes into the eyes of husband Arthur Miller as they dance at an April in Paris Ball held at the Waldorf Astoria, New York. Photo by Peter Stackpole-LIFE.

1957. Marilyn Monroe with husband Arthur Miller at the premiere for 'The Prince and the Showgirl' at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Photo by Sam Shaw.

1958. Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe embrace and share a smile in their apartment, New York. Photo by Robert W. Kelley-LIFE.

July 1958. Accompanied by husband Arthur Miller, Marilyn Monroe with silver threads instead of gold--leaves New York, on her way to Hollywood. Photo by Bettmann.

November 1960. Marilyn Monroe and husband Arthur Miller look lovingly at each other upon their arrival here from New York by plane. Photo by Bettmann.