The Co-Stars

At high noon one day last week, some 150 photographers, newsmen and news-hens in Manhattan's sedate Plaza Hotel began scrambling and clawing, cursing and groaning, to worm nearer to their common goal. All cameras converged on one of the least likely duos in cinematic history: Hollywood's Marilyn Monroe and Britain's Sir Laurence Olivier. Together in public for the first time, Marilyn, explosively protruding from a black velvet sheath, and Sir Laurence, with the ironic aplomb of a gentleman accidentally trapped in a powder room, confirmed the fact (TIME, Jan. 30) that they will co-star in a film version of Playwright Terence Rattigan's London stage hit, The Sleeping Prince. Producers: Marilyn and Sir Laurence. Director: Olivier. Breathed Marilyn: "My hope and dream was to have him ..." Sir Laurence allowed that he would like some profit participation, if he can "squeeze" it out of Marilyn.

Q. (thrice asked): "Sir Laurence, what do you think of Miss Monroe as an actress?"

A. (thrice given, by rote): "A brilliant comedienne, and therefore an extremely good actress."

Under Marilyn's dreamy pluckings, one of her wispy shoulder straps broke. (She later restaged the accident for frenzied photographers.)

Olivier (deadpan to the emboldened lensmen): "No leg pictures of Miss Monroe, boys. From now on, she's too ethereal."

Q.: "Miss Monroe, do you still want to do The Brothers Karamazov on Broadway?"

A. (languidly): "I don't want to play the brothers Karamazov. I want to play Grushenka. She's a girl."

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