Marilyn Monroe

 

Marilyn Monroe in The seven year itchThelma Ritter + Clark Gable + Marilyn Monroe in The MisfitsMarilyn Monroe + George Sanders in All about Eve

Biography

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe
A career is wonderful, but you can't curl up with it on a cold night

Movie news

This week 58 years ago Monkey Business premiered (September 5, 1952)

Born:

June 1, 1926

Born as:

Norma Jean Mortensen

Also called:

Norma Jean Baker

Died:

August 5, 1962

Norma Jeans mother, widowed and insane, abandoned her. According to My Story, Norma's autobiography, she was almost smothered to death at two, nearly raped at six and reared by 12 successive sets of foster parents. However, there is no evidence that this really happened; some people think Marilyn exaggerated the sadness of her youth.

In the 1940s she was asked to model to illustrate an article in Yank magazine and in 1946, she went to Hollywood to try to become an actress. Marilyn was barely visible in Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948) but with two supporting roles (as mistresses) in All about Eve (1950) and The Asphalt Jungle (1950) she reaped a mountain of fan mail.

Niagara (1953) and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) launched her as a love goddess. In 1954 she began to grow discontented with her career, so she began to study at Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio. A new contract offered her more creative control which gave her roles in The Seven-Year Itch (1955), Bus Stop (1956) and Some like it hot (1959).

In 1962 beset by depression and illness, Monroe died in her Los Angeles home, having taken an overdose of sleeping pills.

Selected Movies:

Books:

Anthony Summers -> Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe (1985)
Gloria Steinem and George Barris -> Marilyn (1986)
Berniece Baker Miracle and Mona Rae Miracle -> My Sister Marilyn (1994)
S. Paige Baty -> American Monroe (1995)

 

Marilyn Monroe in Some like it hot

News

Poster of Monkey Business

This week 58 years ago Monkey Business premiered (September 5, 1952)

Poster of Let’s Make Love

This week 50 years ago Let’s Make Love premiered (September 8, 1960)

Trivia

Marilyn’s mother gave Norma Jean the name of Baker, a previous suitor before Mortenson.

Marilyn appeared on the first cover of Playboy in 1953. Source / More (Web)

She started using the name Marilyn Monroe in 1946, but did not legally change it until 1956.

Conspiracy theories have sprung up around the circumstances of her death. Nearly all involving allegations that she was murdered due to her involvement with the Kennedy family. Source / More (Book)

Billy Wilder: “She was the meanest woman of Hollywood. She was plastic with breasts like granite and a brain like Swiss cheese, full of holes”. But he also said: “She was an absolute genius as a comic actress, with an extraordinary sense of comic dialogue”. Source / More (Book)

After her death, former husband Joe DiMaggio (1914-1999) continued to send flowers to her grave regularly until 1984. Marilyn early in their relationship: “If I die, Joe, promise me you will put roses on my grave.” Source / More (Book)

Bibliography