Our people in Hollywood: How Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev met Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Today, foreign visits of Russian politicians, as well as visits of leaders of other countries to us, are perceived as something commonplace. The news informs us about business trips of government officials almost every week. And just half a century ago, such a visit by the Soviet leader to the United States was a real event. Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev visited America in 1959, and the cameras of local journalists were happy to record the details of this trip.

For the first time overseas

At the height of the Cold War, the President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, invited Khrushchev to his country. The Soviet leader accepted the invitation and flew overseas in September 1959. He tried to take advantage of the visit - for example, he spoke in New York at a meeting of the UN General Assembly, calling on the countries of the world to universal armament.

Since this visit was the first diplomatic trip of the country's leader to America, much was perceived by Khrushchev as a novelty. Most likely, the idea of taking his wife Nina on this trip would not have occurred to the Soviet leader if it were not for the American tradition of attending diplomatic receptions as a couple.

The trip was immediately overgrown with rumors and tales. Many people still say that Khrushchev's passion for corn appeared in the United States: after a visit to Roswell Garst's farm, he admired the huge ears and hoped to introduce this crop in our country. This is not entirely true. Back in 1954, Khrushchev began to promote corn in agriculture. He really liked Garst's farm, though.

A trip to the "dream factory"

Many frames were captured by photographers during Khrushchev's visit to the "dream factory" - the famous Hollywood. At the Twentieth Century Fox studio, he talked with its head, Spyros Skuras.

At that moment, the musical "Cancan" was filmed at the studio with many stars: Frank Sinatra, Maurice Chevalier, Shirley MacLaine and others. Khrushchev mentioned that the film was almost pornographic. Although such an assessment is not surprising, if we remember with what obscene words he branded contemporary artists at the exhibition in the Manezh.

Naturally, there was also an unofficial part with a buffet table.

The banquet at the Cafe de Paris was called by journalists the largest gathering of stars in American history. The actors and actresses were really curious to see the foreign guest in an informal setting.

It was rumored that photographers specifically asked Shirley MacLaine to lift her skirt more often in the frame. More "spicy" photos were obtained this way.

But the most tricky gossip was spread around Marilyn Monroe. Several minutes of their conversation were overgrown with stories. Like, the scandalous actress asked: "Mister Khrushchev, can I count on a friendly kiss from you?" Khrushchev, given the presence of his wife at the event, replied that it would be an immodest act.

Of course, there was no talk of any flirting and flirting. Having appeared in Hollywood for just a day under the watchful eye of cameras, Khrushchev would not have had time to informally communicate with the Hollywood star. But in celebrity stories, people will always find a place for beautiful and invented details.