Whether you are a movie buff or not, Marilyn Monroe is one name that you surely must have heard!Marilyn Monroe was born on 1st July 1926 as Norma Jeane Mortenson but was later baptized with the name Norma Jeane Baker. Norma Jeane changed her name to Marilyn Monroe after consulting with Ben Lyon, a studio executive, as her real name did not sound as glamorous.Marilyn Monroe’s childhood years were quite rough and emotionally tumultuous. Raised by a single mother, Monroe’s father remains unknown. In 1935, Monroe’s mother Gladys had to be admitted to a nursing home as her mental health was deteriorating and she was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Eventually, the young Monroe moved in with her mother’s friend Grace and her husband before being sent to an orphanage. In 1936, Grace took Monroe out of the orphanage and became her legal guardian. However, she had to move away from Grace’s home after her husband sexually harassed Monroe. Finally, in 1938, Marilyn found a permanent settlement in Ana Lower’s house. Ana Lower was a relative of Grace. Marilyn was enrolled in Van Nuys High School and then in the University High School. However, she dropped out at the age of 15.In 1942, when Monroe was just 16 years old, was married off to James Dougherty, who was her neighbor at the time. The marriage was brief and Monroe decided to divorce James in 1946, as he was against her career in modeling and acting. It was during this stint with modeling that Monroe changed her hair from brunette to blonde, becoming the blonde bombshell young woman in the world of modeling. This transformation was inspired by Rita Hayworth, one of the highest-grossing actors of the time. During her career as a model, Monroe often used the name, Norma Jeane.Eventually, Monroe was signed on by 20th Century Fox but failed to leave any impressions with her minor roles in two movies. After being dropped by the production company, she was signed on by Columbia Pictures in 1948. While at Columbia, she starred in a movie named, ‘Ladies of the Chorus’. The movie did not garner much attention from critics or the audience and once Marilyn’s six months contract was over at Columbia, it was not renewed.However, in 1950, Marilyn got to act in two critically acclaimed movies of the time, namely ‘The Asphalt Jungle’ and ‘All About Eve’. Despite having small roles in both these films, Monroe finally captured the attention of critics and producers, alike. She then signed a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox and went on rising as a young star in the industry.In 1954, Marilyn married Joe DiMaggio, who was a famous baseball player of the time. However, the marriage ended in divorce, but they did choose to stay friends afterward. From 1956-1959, Marilyn delivered some of her greatest performances in films like ‘Bus Stop’ and ‘Some Like It Hot’. She also got married to Arthur Miller during this time, but her marriage was not a happy one, with Monroe resorting to sleeping pills in order to get over the tragedy of suffering two miscarriages.Unfortunately, Marilyn Monroe died on 4th August 1962, when she was just 36 years old. The cause of death was ruled as suicide, as she had overdosed on barbiturates. Over the span of her short but mesmerizing career, Monroe starred next to actors like Cary Grant, Bette Davis, Donald O’Connor, and Jack Lemmon. Needless to say, Norma Jeane or Marilyn Monroe has left a void that can never be filled by anyone else.To keep learning about Marilyn Monroe, continue reading! You can also check out famous Arizonans and famous black gymnasts.Marilyn Monroe’s First Movie RoleThough Marilyn Monroe started her career off with modeling, she moved on to acting quite quickly and signed with an acting agency. This change took place only a year after 1945 when Marilyn Monroe signed a contract with a modeling agency by the name of Blue Book Model Agency. Eventually, her photos caught the eye of Ben Lyon, who was a talent scout and a studio agent of 20th Century Fox. Lyon arranged for Marilyn to have a screen test for his studio. This screen test led to Marilyn Monroe earning a six months contract. However, during these six months, she was not cast in any movies. Instead, Monroe spent this time learning about the intricacies of the film industry, starting from hair and make-up to lighting. Fortunately, at the end of six months, Fox renewed her contract and she was finally cast in a movie in 1947.Marilyn Monroe’s first movie role consisted of a small part in the movie ‘Dangerous Years’. Monroe played the role of Evie, who was a waitress shown during the restaurant scenes of the movie. The movie was directed by Arthur Pierson and featured Ann E. Todd and Billy Halop in the lead roles.Around the same time, Marily Monroe acted in a bit part in another movie by the name of ‘Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!’, which was released in 1948. Directed by F. Hugh Herbert, the film failed to make any impression at the box office along with ‘Dangerous Years’, which was also considered to be a flop. All this caused a standstill in Monroe’s career, as Fox chose against renewing their contract with her.However, over the span of her career, Monroe’s performance in several movies earned her critical acclaim. One of the first movies where Monroe was truly able to show her acting range was in a film called ‘The Asphalt Jungle’ which was released in 1950, under the banner of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and was directed by John Huston. This film made Monroe stand out due to the way she breathed life into her role of Angela Phinlay. Marilyn was certainly committed to her role and even though her character was not the protagonist, she stood out due to her brilliant acting. In fact, her audition for this role was so mesmerizing, the director had no other choice but to sign her immediately.Another one of Monroe’s most memorable roles was the one she played in the 1953 movie, ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’. This was a musical comedy, where Marilyn portrayed the character of Lorelei. Apart from Monroe’s acting, the film has also been remembered for her comedic timing, and more interestingly, her amazing singing skills. In the movie, Monroe starred next to Jane Russell, who was one of the top actresses of the time. However, Monroe did steal the show and her iconic role has forever become a part of pop culture since then. In fact, the pink dress that she wore in one of the most famous scenes of the movie is a symbol for the entire film.All being said, the most iconic Marilyn Monroe role was definitely the one she played in ‘The Seventh Year Itch’. Released in 1955, the director Billy Wilder depicted this movie on screen with Monroe playing the role of a beautiful neighbor, whom a married man, played by Tom Ewell, was trying to impress. This role remains to be her most iconic work, due to the one scene in the film which depicts Marilyn standing on a subway grate, with her white dress flying. Needless to say, even to this day, Marilyn Monroe is often remembered through that frame or recreated in that frame. Additionally, her brilliant performance made this movie one of the biggest hits of her career.Apart from these, Monroe continued to woo the audience and critics alike with significant roles in movies like, ‘How To Marry A Millionaire’, ‘The Misfits’, ‘Niagara’, and ‘Some Like It Hot’.While critics have different takes on Marilyn’s acting ability, it is essential to note that Monroe was an icon of her time and continues to be a matter of continued discussion, with over 300 biographies being inspired by her. In the famous ‘Norma Jean And Marilyn’ movie of 1996, Mira Sorvino played Marilyn Monroe.Marilyn Monroe’s First Hit MovieMarilyn Monroe struggled through some inconsequential movies and roles before she could leave her mark at the box office.Over her albeit short career, Marilyn Monroe acted in 29 movies starting from 1947 and continuing till 1961. One of her earliest hits was considered to be ‘The Asphalt Jungle’, where despite having a small part, she was mentioned in the then famous film magazine, Photoplay. At around the same time, in 1950, the film ‘All About Eve’, starring Bette Davis also released, which became a critically acclaimed movie of the time, and though Monroe had a minor part to play, she left an everlasting mark.In terms of ratings, ‘Don’t Bother to Knock’, which was released in 1952 has one of the highest audience ratings even to this day. This movie was a psychological thriller, directed by Roy Warn Baker, where Marilyn played the role of Nell Forbes, a psychologically disturbed babysitter. In the very same year, Marilyn Monroe won the award for, ‘Most Promising Female Newcomer of 1952’, presented by the Look Award.In 1953, Monroe returned with ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’, which went on to become the eighth highest-grossing film of that year. This film earned 5.3 million dollars, worldwide. In the very same year, ‘How To Marry A Millionaire’ was released as well, becoming the fifth highest-grossing film belonging to that year. Marilyn Monroe played the role of a model, along with a cast of very talented other artists, including Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable, David Wayne, and Cameron Mitchell. Both these films landed Monroe the Photoplay ‘Best Actress’ award in 1954.More recognition came on Marilyn’s way with ‘The Seven Year Itch’ and ‘Bus Stop’. Both these movies, which were released in 1955 and 1956, respectively, earned Marily her first BAFTA and Golden Globe award nominations. Even though she won neither, the films did exceptionally well and continued to support her rising fame in the industry. Additionally, Marilyn’s role in ‘Bus Stop’ helped shed her ‘only glamourous’ image and made everyone consider her skills as a serious actor in a dramatic piece.However, Marilyn did get a Golden Globe nomination that she won with the movie ‘Some Like It Hot’, which was released in 1959. The movie was written and directed by Billy Wilder and had quite an excellent cast that included Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in lead roles, along with Grace Lee Whitney, Joan Shawlee, and George Raft, among others. In the film, Marilyn Monroe played the character of Sugar ‘Kane’ Kowalczyk, who was a singer and ukulele player. Four soundtracks of the movie were sung by Marilyn Monroe herself, which further proved her talent when it came to music. This movie is considered to be one of the best movies of all time, and even received the ‘Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy’ award that year at the Golden Globes, in addition to a number of other awards.Marilyn’s last completed film was ‘The Misfits’, where she played the role of Roslyn Taber. The film had Montgomery Clift and Clark Gable in lead roles next to her. Monroe’s death took place while she was filming for ‘Something’s Got to Give’ in 1962, which was a remake of the movie ‘My Favorite Wife’, where Cary Grant had one of the lead roles. The film was abandoned after the tragic incident and remains unfinished.Some other Marilyn Monroe movies worth watching and re-watching are ‘Monkey Business’, ‘Niagara’, and ‘Love Nest’, and ‘As Young As You Feel’.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! 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Whether you are a movie buff or not, Marilyn Monroe is one name that you surely must have heard!
