According to The Independent, Monroe was fired from the film "Something's Got to Give" on June 7, 1962, for her chronic absenteeism. According to Michelle Vogel in "Marilyn Monroe: Her Films, Her Life," Monroe was re-hired less than a month later, on August 1, 1962. She wasn't just re-hired — she was re-hired with a long list of bonuses.
First and foremost, she got an immediate raise from $100,000 to $250,000 to complete work on the film. Second, she was also given a $1 million contract for two more films, raising her salary to $500,000 per film. And possibly most important for Monroe, director George Cukor was replaced with Jean Negulesco. After being fired by a furious studio, Monroe was triumphant.
Why the studio made such an abrupt about-face remains under speculation. Many believe that co-star Dean Martin's refusal to consider working with any other actress had a lot to do with it. Vogel suspects that the studio simply realized that for all her flaws, Monroe was a unique box office attraction who was literally irreplaceable. Whatever the reasons, on August 1, 1962, Monroe was at a professional high point. She never got to enjoy it. Three days later, on August 4, 1962, she was dead.
