Marilyn Monroe


Marilyn Monroe (June 1, 1926 - August 5, 1962) was an American film actress.
She was born Norma Jean Mortenson in Los Angeles, California, but later took
her mother's name Baker and called herself Norma Jean Baker. Marilyn Monroe
was her screen name.

Biography

Passed among several homes as a girl, sexually abused as a teenager, Norma
Jean thought little of herself. Yet she also had a gritty, opportunistic
side, and dreamed of being a big movie star. She knew she had a soft voice
and she climbed the ladder. She was both more intelligent and more unhappy
than her screen goddess image ever suggested.

Marilyn Monroe was also Playboy's first centerfold. She did not pose for
Playboy, however. The photos were taken for a calendar several years earlier
and Hugh Hefner purchased them for his men's magazine.

Marilyn died in her Los Angeles home at age 36, supposedly a suicide from
drug overdose, but circumstances surrounding her death have led many to
believe that her death was not a suicide. Rather, some believe that she was
killed because of her involvement with members of the Kennedy family.
Decades after her death people still speculate.

Gladys Baker, Marilyn's mother, was released from a sanitarium years after
Marilyn's death. After her release she moved into her daughter Berniece's
house in Florida. Afterward she moved to a nursing home where she died on
congestive heart failure on March 11th, 1984 at eighty-two years old. She
was never certain who Marilyn Monroe or Norma Jeane were when asked. A woman
so fascinated by movie stars, did not even know she gave birth to one of the
most famous women in history.

Marriages

Marilyn was married three times throughout her life. The first was to Jim
Dougherty when she was 16 years old. Marilyn's guardian, Grace Goodard, who
was moving away with her own new husband, wanted Marilyn to get married so
she would not go back to an orphanage. She later divorced him in 1946, as
she wanted to create a career for herself in movies and Jim did not want her to.

In 1952 she married baseball great Joe DiMaggio. That union lasted 9 months.
Joe wanted Marilyn to be a housewife and have children. Marilyn always
wanted children, but did not want to give up her career.

It's indicated by some that Joe had beaten Marilyn a number of times during
their short marriage. One incident happened after her skirt blowing scene in
The Seven Year Itch. After storming off the set during the scene, Joe
returned home and after Marilyn's arrival later that evening. He allegedly
assaulted Marilyn for the humiliation he felt during her "display."

[Monroe and Miller photo]
Monroe and Miller on the set of The Misfits

Monroe's last husband was playwright Arthur Miller. To save their marriage,
Arthur created the movie The Misfits as a Valentine for Marilyn. Shooting
the movie was rough, and soon after the film wrapped they divorced. Arthur
went on to marry Inge Morath, a photographer who was on the set of the movie
to document its creation.

After Marilyn's death, Arthur opened a play called After the Fall with a
character named Maggie who was very similar to Marilyn. The play upset all
of Arthur and Marilyn's friends. Arthur's career in America was soon
shattered. He now has a play in the works called Finishing the Picture which
is centered around the making of The Misfits. Marilyn's character spends the
play in a tranquillised haze in a hotel room, drinking and suffering a
nervous breakdown.

DiMaggio never stopped loving Marilyn, and after she died, he sent fresh
roses to her crypt 3 times a week for 20 years. He took over her funeral
arrangements, and refused to allow her 'killers' to attend. No Hollywood
figures attended, and no Kennedys were invited. Her first husband, Jim
Dougherty, was working for the Los Angele Police Department that day, and
Arthur Miller did not attend.

Joe DiMaggio's last words were, "I'll finally get to see Marilyn."

Marilyn's make-up stylist, Whitey, promised Marilyn that he would make her
up when she died. Marilyn even gave him a money clip with the words, "Whitey
Dear, While I'm still warm, Marilyn." Joe reminded him of his promise when
she died. He fulfilled that promise with the help of a bottle of whiskey.

A myth that Marilyn Monroe was born with six toes resulted from the
publication of photographs taken by the photographer Joseph Jasgur in March
1946. The pictures were published in the book The Birth of Marilyn: The Lost
Photographs of Norma Jean (1991) by Jasgur and Jeannie Sakol. Two of the
pictures can be interpreted as showing six toes, although they can also be
explained as tricks of the light. Since there is no corroborating evidence
from other photographs or written records, the story is commonly dismissed
as an urban legend.

Marilyn Monroe is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in
Westwood, California.

Trivia

   * The song Candle in the Wind (1973), which was written by Bernie Taupin
     and sung by Sir Elton John, was based upon the life and passing of
     Marilyn Monroe.
   * Albert Einstein was a fan of Marilyn's.
   * When Prince Rainier of Monaco was looking for a famous wife to marry,
     Marilyn was suggested to him. He later married actress Grace Kelly,
     whose fame turned Monaco into the famous landmark it is today.
   * Marilyn's features are copyrighted to her estate, and are not allowed
     to be copied exactly.
   * Hugh Hefner bought a crypt next to Marilyn for $85,000 and the other
     crypt next to her was sold for $125,000. There are no empty spots
     available near Marilyn.

Films

   * Dangerous Years
   * The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (uncredited)
   * Scudda Hoo Scudda Hay Just one of the (unmentioned) girls in the
     background.
   * Ladies of the Chorus
   * Love Happy
   * A Ticket to Tomahawk (uncredited)
   * The Asphalt Jungle
   * All About Eve
   * The Fireball
   * Right Cross (uncredited)
   * Home Town Story
   * As Young as You Feel
   * Love Nest
   * Let's Make It Legal
   * Clash by Night
   * We're Not Married!
   * Don't Bother to Knock
   * Monkey Business Cary Grant as a forgetful professor. Marilyn is his
     secretary.
   * O. Henry's Full House
   * Niagara
   * Gentlemen Prefer Blondes featuring Marilyn performing Diamonds are a
     Girl's Best Friend.
   * How to Marry a Millionaire
   * River of No Return co-starring Robert Mitchum
   * There's No Business Like Show Business
   * The Seven Year Itch with Tom Ewell. Remember the "flying dress"?
   * Bus Stop
   * The Prince and the Showgirl which also starred Sir Laurence Olivier.
   * Some Like It Hot Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in drag meet Marilyn when
     they join an all-girl orchestra.
   * Let's Make Love
   * The Misfits, written by Marilyn's husband Arthur Miller and co-starring
     Clark Gable. This was both Monroe's and Gable's last film.