The most celebrated of all actresses, Marilyn Monroe, was born on June 1, 1926 in the Los Angeles General Hospital, in California.
Biography and Career :
Prior to her birth, Marilyn's father bought a motorcycle and headed north to San Francisco, thus abandoning his family in LA. Afterward, Gladys gave Norma Jean (Marilyn) the name of Baker, a previous suitor before Mortenson. Gladys, who was extremely attractive, worked for RKO Studios as a film-cutter.
She suffered from mental illness and therefore was in and out of mental institutions for the rest of her life. Subsequently, Marilyn spent time in foster homes.
In 1942, at the age of sixteen, Marilyn Monroe married a 21 year old aircraft plant worker by the name of James Dougherty. The marriage only lasted four years
as they divorced in 1946. By this time, Marilyn Monroe began modeling swim suits and bleached her hair blonde. Various shots made their way into the public eye, where some were eventually seen by RKO head, Howard Hughes. Hughes offered Marilyn Monroe a screen test, but an agent suggested that Fox Studios would be the better choice since it was bigger and more prestigious. Her first film was in 1947 with a bit part in THE SHOCKING MISS PILGRIM.
1948 saw Marilyn Monroe in the largely forgettable film SCUDDA HOO! SCUDDA HAY! The two of the three brief scenes she appeared in wound up on the cutting room floor. Later that same year, Marilyn Monroe was given a better role as Evie in DANGEROUS YEARS. Columbia Studios then picked her to portray Peggy Martin in the short film LADIES OF THE CHORUS (1948). Columbia dropped her after that film. In 1949, Marilyn appeared in United Artists' film LOVE HAPPY. It was also the same year in which she posed nude for the now famous calendar shot which was later to appear in the first issue of Playboy magazine in 1953, which boosted her career. She was Playboy's first centerfold.
1950 proved to be a good year for Marilyn Monroe. Not because she appeared in five films, but because of the notices for her small parts in two of the five. They were THE ASPHALT JUNGLE with MGM and ALL ABOUT EVE with Fox. Even though both roles were amounted to bit parts and later recieved Oscar nominations, movie fans remembered Marilyn Monroe's dumb blonde performances. In 1951, Marilyn got a fairly sizable role in LOVE NEST. The public was now getting to know Marilyn and was enthralled with her. In 1952, Marilyn Monroe appeared in DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK and in MONKEY BUSINESS where she was seen for the first time as a platinum blonde.
The next year Marilyn Monroe appeared in GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES as Lorelei Lee. This was also the year when she began dating baseball great, Joe DiMaggio. Later, she appeared with Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall, and Rory Calhoun in HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE. Although her co-stars got rave reviews, it was the sight of Marilyn who excited the audience, particularly if they were men. On January 14, 1954, Marilyn married Joe DiMaggio, then proceeded to the film THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS. By 1954, Marilyn announced her divorce from DiMaggio. The union only lasted eight months. In 1955, she appeared in THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH which showed one of the film's most memorable scenes where she stands over a subway grating causing her dress to blow up all around her. Her work was slowing down due to problems with being tardy or not showing up at all. In BUS STOP (1956), she finally proved to the critics that she could play a dramatic role. It was also the year she married the brilliant playwright, Arthur Miller. (They divorced in 1960).
After a year off in 1958, Marilyn Monroe returned to the silver screen for the delightful comedy, SOME LIKE IT HOT with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. The film was an absolute smash hit with Curtis and Lemmon pretending to be females in an all girl band so they can get a job. That would be the only film for that year. In 1960, Marilyn appeared in the production of George Cukor's LET'S MAKE LOVE with Tony Randall and Yves Montand. The following year, Marilyn Monroe made what was to be her final film. THE MISFITS would also prove to be the final film for the legendary Clark Gable. In 1962, Marilyn was chosen for the film, SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE. Again, her absences caused delay in production and she was fired in June.
She went into seclusion in her home in LA. On August 5, 1962, Marilyn Monroe's housekeeper found her lying face down in her bed and nude, the victim of an overdose on sedatives. She was only 36. Marilyn made only 30 movies during her lifetime, but her legendary status and mysticism will remain with film history forever.
Marilyn Monroe Image : galleryone.com
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