Joe DiMaggio

Born: 1914-11-25

Joseph Paul DiMaggio (born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio; November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "the Yankee Clipper", and "Joe D.", was an American baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. He is widely considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time and is best known for setting the record for the longest hitting streak in baseball (56 games from May 15 – July 16, 1941), which still stands today. He was a three-time American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award winner and an All-Star in each of his 13 seasons. During his tenure with the Yankees, the club won ten American League pennants and nine World Series championships. His nine career World Series rings are second only to fellow Yankee Yogi Berra, who won ten. At the time of his retirement after the 1951 season, he ranked fifth in career home runs (361) and sixth in career slugging percentage (.579). He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955 and was voted the sport's greatest living player in a poll taken during baseball's centennial year of 1969. His brothers Vince (1912–1986) and Dom (1917–2009) were also major league center fielders. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces on February 17, 1943, rising to the rank of sergeant. He spent most of his military career playing for baseball teams and in exhibition games, and superiors gave him special privileges due to his prewar fame. Embarrassed by his lifestyle, he requested that he be given a combat assignment but was turned down. He was released on a medical discharge in September 1945, due to chronic stomach ulcers.  In January 1937, he met actress Dorothy Arnold on the set of Manhattan Merry-Go-Round. He announced their engagement on April 25, 1939, they married on November 19, 1939, and had a son, Joseph Paul DiMaggio Jr. (1941–1999). They divorced in 1944, while he was on leave from the Yankees during World War II. He and actress Marilyn Monroe eloped on January 14, 1954. The union was troubled from the start by his jealousy and controlling attitude; he was also physically abusive. After returning from New York City to Hollywood in October 1954, she filed for divorce after only nine months of marriage. He underwent therapy, stopped drinking alcohol, and expanded his interests beyond baseball. He reentered her life as her marriage to Arthur Miller was ending. On February 10, 1961, he secured her release from Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic in Manhattan. She joined him in Florida where he was a batting coach for the Yankees. Their "just friends" claim did not stop remarriage rumors from flying. Bob Hope "dedicated" Best Song nominee "The Second Time Around" to them at the 33rd Academy Awards. According to Maury Allen's biography, he was told that DiMaggio left his employ on August 1, 1962, because he had decided to ask Monroe to remarry him. Four days later, on August 5, she was found dead in her Brentwood home. Devastated, he claimed her body and arranged for her funeral. He barred Hollywood's elite and members of the Kennedy family from attending, including President John F. Kennedy. He had a half-dozen red roses delivered to her crypt three times a week for 20 years. He refused to talk about her publicly or otherwise exploit their relationship. He never married again.


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Angels in the Outfield

as Joe DiMaggio (uncredited)
Released: 1951-10-19

The short-tempered manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates mends his ways in return for a little...

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The First of May

as Self
Released: 1999-03-20

Cory is a foster child nobody wants. Carlota is an elderly woman the world has forgotten....

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WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2012-07-23

Walk the dark and hallowed path of he who cannot be buried. The Apocalyptic Warrior who has...

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Rat Pack

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2022-01-11

In the 1950s, a small group of artists monopolized the attention of the cameras and the public....

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Say Hey, Willie Mays!

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2022-10-27

Follow Willie Mays’ life both on and off the field over five decades as he navigated the...

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Marilyn Monroe: The Mortal Goddess

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1994-10-17

An account of the life and career of Marilyn Monroe, one of Hollywood's most famous and...

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Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1986-04-19

Her story is well-known — the lonely child who yearned for affection and approval which she...

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Night of 100 Stars III

as Self
Released: 1990-05-21

A celebrity benefit for The Actors' Fund of America, featuring music, songs, dance and comedy.

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Manhattan Merry-Go-Round

as Self
Released: 1937-11-26

In this musical comedy, a crooked record producer uses his mob connections to force performers...

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Dream Girl: The making of Marilyn Monroe

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2022-09-20

How did Marilyn Monroe become one of the greatest sex symbols of all time? What drove a prudish...

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Marilyn Monroe: Death of an Icon

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2010-02-10

Documentary about Marilyn Monroe: 1962: America loses its blonde icon. Marilyn Monroe dies under...

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Transformation: The Life and Legacy of Werner Erhard

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2006-04-27

From two-time Emmy winner Robyn Symon comes an intriguing documentary which offers an intimate...

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Marilyn on Marilyn

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2001-01-01

Documentary on Marilyn’s life told by herself from the taped interviews she gave to Life...

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The House of Steinbrenner

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2010-09-21

Love them or hate them, the Yankees dominated baseball for more than four decades, then sagged...

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Mi Marilyn

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1975-01-02

A memory of Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), woman, actress, goddess, myth, in the words of the...

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MLB Vintage World Series Films: New York Yankees

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2006-07-25

A five-DVD, 12-hour set covering 58 years, this is a sweeping time capsule of the history of the...

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Super Stars of Sports: Baseball

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1991-01-01

Made in 1990, this compilation video highlights the "Best of the Best" in Baseball.

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Marilyn Monroe: I Want to Be Loved

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2010-02-10

Documentary about Marilyn Monroe.

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The Record Breakers

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1991-01-01

Welcome to a hard driving video about the biggest winners of all, the athletes and teams who...

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Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1997-10-19

Winner of the International Monitor Award for Best Documentary, this portrait celebrates one of...

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1969 New York Mets: The Official World Series Film

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1969-12-01

The bad fortune of the Mets was forever changed when pitcher Tom Seaver debuted with New York in...

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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

as Self
First aired: 1962-10-01

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight...

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What's My Line?

as Self - Mystery Guest
First aired: 1950-02-02

Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while...

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The Ed Sullivan Show

as Self
First aired: 1948-06-20

The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June...

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