Marilyn Monroe was Hollywood's glamour of the 50's. Although she was attractive beauty with voluptuous curves she was more than a sex goddess. She dominated the age of movie stars to become the most famous woman of the 20th century.
She was born on June 1, 1926 at 9:30AM in Los Angeles, California. Her birth name was Norma Jeane Mortenson and her mother Gladys Baker. Gladys was married to Edward Mortensen but the father of Marilyn turned out to be Charles Stanely Gifford the man Gladys was having an affair with. Gladys had been a film-cutter at RKO studios, but she had psycologocal problems that got her away from her job and eventually into a mental institution. Norma Jean edured a childhood of poverty and misery, sexual abuse. She was in and out of foster homes and orphanages.
In 1937 at the age of eight, she moved in with her mother's friend Grace McGee Goddard. When Grace's husband transferred to the East Coast in 1942, they could not afford to take Norma Jeane with them. Norman had two choices: get married or return to the orphanage.
On June 19, 1942 Norma wed her 21-year-old neighbor Jimmy Dougherty. Jimmy claims that Norma was a sweet, generous and religious girl that liked to be cuddled. Norma Jeane loved Jimmy very much and they were living happily until 1944 when he joined the Merchant Marines and was sent to the South Pacific.
After Jimmy left, Norma Jeane got a job at the Radio Plane Company factory in Burbank, California. Several months later, she had her picture taken by visiting Army photographer. Photographer David Conover saw her while taking pictures of women contributing to the war effort for Yank magazine. Conover used her for the shoot and then began sending modeling jobs her way. The camera loved Norma Jeane and she loved to be in the spotlight. Within two years she was a reputable model with many popular magazine covers. She startes studying the work of legendary Jean Harlow (Marilyn's Idol) and Lana Turner, and enrolled in drama classes to with dreams of stardom. In 1946, Jimmy returned from Marines and Norma had to make another choice- this time between her marriage and her career.
In June 1946, Norma Jeane divorced Jimmy. On August 26, 1946, she signed her first studio contract with Twentieth Century Fox. She earned 125$ a week. Not to long after that she dyed her hair bleach blonde and changed her name to Marilyn Monroe (borrowing her grandmother's last name Otis Elmer Monroe)
Marilyns 1st movie role was a small 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.
In 1952 baseball superstar Joe DiMaggio asked his agent to arrange a dinner date with Marilyn. On January 14, 1954, at San Francisco's City Hall, Marilyn married Joe DiMaggio. 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 damaged their marriage. At that time she was working on finishing the film The Seven Year Itch. Nine months later on October 27, 1954, Marilyn and Joe divorced. This was very tough time in Marilyn's life. They attributed the split to a "conflict of careers," and remained close friends.
In 1955, Marilyn wanted to pursue serious acting. She 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 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.
Marilyn was named female World Film Favorite in 1962 at the Golden Globes.
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.
Marilyn 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.
