Marilyn Monroe personified Hollywood glamour with an unparalleled glow and
energy that enamored the world. Although she was an alluring beauty with
voluptuous curves and a generous pout, Marilyn was more than a '50s sex goddess.
Her apparent vulnerability and innocence, in combination with an innate
sensuality, has endeared her to the global consciousness. She dominated the age
of movie stars to become, without question, the most famous woman of the 20th
Century.
She was born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926 in Los
Angeles, California, to Gladys Baker. As the identity of her father is
undetermined, she was later baptized Norma Jeane Baker. Gladys had been a film
cutter at RKO studios, but psychological problems prevented her from keeping the
job and she was eventually committed to a mental institution.
Norma
Jeane spent most of her childhood in foster homes and orphanages until 1937,
when she moved in with family friend Grace McKee Goddard. Unfortunately, when
Grace's husband was transferred to the East Coast in 1942, the couple couldn't
afford to take 16-year-old Norma Jeane with them. Norma Jeane had two options:
return to the orphanage or get married.
On June 19, 1942 she wed her
21-year-old neighbor Jimmy Dougherty, whom she had been dating for six months.
"She was a sweet, generous and religious girl," Jimmy said. "She liked to be
cuddled." By all accounts Norma Jeane loved Jimmy, and they were happy together
until he joined the Merchant Marines and was sent to the South Pacific in 1944.
After Jimmy left, Norma Jeane took a job on the assembly line at the Radio Plane
Munitions factory in Burbank, California. Several months later, photographer
David Conover saw her while taking pictures of women contributing to the war
effort for Yank magazine.
He couldn't believe his luck. She was a "photographer's dream." Conover used her
for the shoot and then began sending modeling jobs her way. The camera loved
Norma Jeane, and within two years she was a reputable model with many popular
magazine covers to her credit. She began studying the work of legendary
actresses Jean Harlow and
Lana
Turner, and enrolled in drama classes with dreams of stardom. However,
Jimmy's return in 1946 meant Norma Jeane had to make another choice- this time
between her marriage and her career.
Norma Jeane divorced Jimmy in June
of 1946, and signed her first studio contract with Twentieth Century Fox on
August 26, 1946. She earned $125 a week. Soon after, Norma Jeane dyed her hair
blonde and changed her name to Marilyn Monroe (borrowing her grandmother's last
name). The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
Marilyn's first movie
role was a bit part in 1947's The Shocking Miss Pilgrim. She played a series of inconsequential characters until 1950, when
John Huston's thriller The Asphalt Jungle
provided her with a small but influential role. Later that year, Marilyn's
performance as Claudia Caswell in All About Eve (starring
Bette Davis) earned her
further praise. From then on Marilyn worked steadily in movies such
as: Let's Make
It Legal, As Young As You Feel,
Monkey
Business and Don't Bother to Knock.
It was her performance in 1953's Niagara, however, that
delivered her to stardom. Marilyn played Rose Loomis, a beautiful young wife who
plots to kill her older, jealous husband (Joseph Cotten).
Marilyn's success in Niagara was followed with lead roles in the wildly popular Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes (co-starring Jane Russell) and How to Marry a
Millionaire (co-starring Lauren Bacall and Betty
Grable). Photoplay
magazine voted Marilyn the Best New Actress of 1953, and at 27 years old she was
undeniably the best-loved blonde bombshell in Hollywood.
On January 14,
1954, Marilyn married baseball superstar Joe DiMaggio at San Francisco's City Hall. They had been a
couple for two years, after Joe asked his agent to arrange a dinner date. "I
don't know if I'm in love with him yet," Marilyn said when the press got word of
their relationship, "but I know I like him more than any man I've ever met."
During their Tokyo honeymoon, Marilyn took time to perform for the service men
stationed in Korea. Her presence caused a near-riot among the troops, and Joe
was clearly uncomfortable with thousands of men ogling his new bride.
Unfortunately, Marilyn's fame and sexual image became a theme that
haunted their marriage. Nine months later on October 27, 1954, Marilyn and Joe
divorced. They attributed the split to a "conflict of careers," and remained
close friends.
Marilyn was ready to shed her "shallow blonde" image by
1955. It had gotten her into the spotlight, but now that she had the opportunity
and experience, Marilyn wanted to pursue serious acting. She took a hiatus from
Hollywood and moved to New York City to study under Lee Strasberg at his Actors'
Studio. In 1956, Marilyn started her own motion picture company, Marilyn Monroe
Productions. The company produced Bus Stop and The Prince and the
Showgirl (co-starring Sir Laurence Olivier).
These two films allowed her to demonstrate her talent and versatility as an
actress. Marilyn received further recognition for 1959's Some Like It
Hot, winning a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a
Comedy.
On June 29, 1956, Marilyn wed playwright Arthur Miller. The
couple met through Lee Strasberg, and friends reported she made him "giddy."
While they were married, Arthur wrote the part of Roslyn Taber in 1961's
The
Misfits especially for Marilyn. The movie co-starred
Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift. Sadly, the marriage between Marilyn and
Arthur ended on January 20, 1961, and The
Misfits was to be Marilyn's (and Gable's) last completed
film.
At the 1962 Golden Globes, Marilyn was named female World Film
Favorite, once again demonstrating her widespread appeal.
Sadly, in a
shocking turn of events on the early morning of August 5, 1962, 36-year-old
Marilyn died in her sleep at her Brentwood, California home. The world was
stunned. Marilyn's vibrant spirit and beauty made it impossible to believe she
was gone. On August 8, 1962, Marilyn's body was laid to rest in the Corridor of
Memories, #24, at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California.
During her career, Marilyn made 30 films and left one, Something's Got to
Give, unfinished. She was more than just a movie
star or glamour queen. A global sensation in her lifetime, Marilyn's popularity
has extended beyond star status to icon. Today, the name "Marilyn Monroe" is
synonymous with beauty, sensuality and effervescence. She remains an inspiration
to all who strive to overcome personal obstacles for the goal of achieving
greatness. |
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Something's Got to Give (1962) ....
Ellen Wagstaff Arden
The Misfits (1961) .... Roslyn Taber
Let's Make Love (1960) .... Amanda
Dell
... aka The Billionaire
... aka The Millionaire
Some Like It Hot (1959) .... Sugar
Kane Kowalczyk
The Prince and the Showgirl (1957)
.... Elsie Marina
Bus Stop (1956) .... Cherie
... aka The Wrong Kind of Girl
The Seven Year Itch (1955) .... The
Girl
There's No Business Like Show Business
(1954) .... Vicky Hoffman/Vicky Parker
... aka Irving Berlin's There's No
Business Like Show Business (USA: complete title)
River of No Return (1954) .... Kay
Weston
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
.... Pola Debevoise
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) ....
Lorelei Lee
... aka Howard Hawks' Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes (USA: complete title)
Niagara (1953) .... Rose Loomis
O. Henry's Full House (1952) ....
Streetwalker (The Cop and the Anthem)
... aka Full House (UK)
Monkey Business (1952) .... Miss Lois
Laurel
... aka Be Your Age
... aka Howard Hawks' Monkey Business
(USA: complete title)
Don't Bother to Knock (1952) ....
Nell Forbes
We're Not Married! (1952) .... Annabel
Norris
Clash by Night (1952) .... Peggy
Let's Make It Legal (1951) .... Joyce
Mannering
Love Nest (1951) .... Roberta Stevens
As Young as You Feel (1951) .... Harriet
Home Town Story (1951) .... Iris Martin
Right Cross (1950) (uncredited) ....
Dusky Ledoux
All About Eve (1950) .... Miss Caswell
The Fireball (1950) .... Polly
... aka The Challenge
The Asphalt Jungle (1950) .... Angela
Phinlay
A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950) (uncredited)
.... Clara
Love Happy (1949) .... Grunion's Client
... aka Kleptomaniacs (USA)
Ladies of the Chorus (1948) .... Peggy
Martin
Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948) (uncredited)
.... Girl in Canoe (lake scenes)
... aka Summer Lightning (UK)
Dangerous Years (1947) .... Evie
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