John Hyde, to whom this photograph is dedicated, was an influential Hollywood agent with the William Morris Agency. He first met Marilyn at Sam Spiegel's New Year's Eve party in 1948. At this point, Marilyn's career had come to a stand still, her first contract with 20th Century Fox had been terminated, and she had just been dropped by Columbia. Hyde however, was impressed enough on first meeting to champion her cause (almost essential for any aspiring actress in the brutal Hollywood system in place at the time), and with the help of Sam Spiegel, pursuaded John Huston to let Marilyn read for a role in The Asphalt Jungle, which in turn led to her being cast in a minor role in All About Eve. It was also Hyde who negotiated her new contract with 20th Century Fox, commencing in May, 1950. According to Barbara Leaming in her biography of Monroe, Hyde was desperately in love with her, and although fond of, and grateful to Hyde for his help, she did not reciprocate his feelings. He died on 18th December 1950 of a heart attack. That weekend Marilyn had declined Hyde's invitation to his Palm Springs home, consequently she blamed herself for his death, which led to a suicide attempt of her own the day after his funeral.