When we talk about beauty and glamour, there is only one name that comes to mind, and that is Marilyn Monroe. She is the personification of beauty, glamour, and grace. Today, the name ‘Marilyn Monroe,’ is a high honor for anyone.
She was much more than the “50’s sex goddess.” Her boldness, mixed with her innocence and sensual nature, was a global sensation still after five decades after her passing away.
Monroe was more than just a glamour queen or movie star; she took her star status beyond just movies. She is an “Icon.” She is an inspiration to millions across the world, how to overcome obstacles and achieve great success with hard work.
Decades after her death and after hundreds of documentaries. Netflix is making an original film based on her tragic life, called Blonde.
Personal Biography
| Born | Norma Jeane Mortenson (birth name)June 1st, 1926Los Angeles, California, US |
| Died | August 4th, 1962 (aged 36)Los Angeles, California, US |
| Cause of death | Barbiturate Overdose |
| Resting Place | Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actress, Singer, Model |
| Net Worth | $7 million (Marilyn Monroe net worth today) |
| Years Active | 1945-1962 |
| Spouse(s) | James Dougherty (m.1942 – d.1946) Joe DiMaggio (m.1954 – d.1955) Arthur Miller (m.1956 – d.1961) |
| Parent(s) | Gladys Pearl Baker (mother) |
| Relatives | Berniece Baker Miracle (Half-sister) |
| Height | 1.68m (Marilyn Monroe Height) |
| Signature |  |
Early Life
Marilyn Monroe was born to Gladys Baker in 1926. Her birth name was Norma Jeane Mortenson. The identity of her father remains undetermined, but it is believed to be Charles Stanley Gifford. He was a co-worker of Gladys Baker when she was working in RKO Studio as a film cutter.
Monroe never had a normal childhood because of her mother’s mental health. Her mother was later diagnosed to have paranoid schizophrenia and was admitted to Metropolitan State Hospital. Monroe was only 12 years old then.
Since the age of 12years old, Monroe was constantly in and out of orphanages and foster homes. When her foster parents were relocating to West Virginia, the state barred them from taking Monroe with them.
With trouble getting into an orphanage for 16 years old Marilyn, she got married to her neighbor’s son James Dougherty. On June 19th, 1942, days after her 16th birthday, she got married to this 21year old man.
Career
Marilyn Monroe didn’t have a long career, but her 17 years of career is nothing short of glorious. She had to face a lot of hurdles from her production house, but she came out victorious.
She started off as a model, then gradually transitioned to an actress. Initially, Monroe was type cast as a “dumb blonde,” but she fought to be taken seriously. That is when she made the movie Bus Stop, and it was a huge success.
Initial modeling career (1944 -1948)
After her husband joined the Merchant Marine, he was shipped out in the Pacific. Monroe was “boarded out of her mind.” So she signed a contract against her husband’s wishes with the Blue Book Model Agency in 1945.
The agency found her best suited as a pin-up model, and she started posing mostly for men’s magazines. To be more approachable and employable, she straightened her lock and dyed her hair the iconic blonde color.
In August of 1946, she began her contract with 20th Century Fox. This was the year when she divorced Dougherty to pursue her career. With Fox, she learned how to dance, sing and act and learn about the movie-making process.
Her first movies where she had small roles were Dangerous Years (1947) and Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948). Determined to become a great actress, she started studying at Actor’s Lab.
The Breakthrough Years (1949-1952)
Marilyn resumed her modeling and clicked her iconic Marilyn Monroe nude photograph with Tom Kelly. That is when she started feeling comfortable with nudity.
Shortly after, she met Johnny Hyde, the VP of William Morris Agency. With his help, Monroe landed small roles in movies like Joseph Mankiewicz’s All About Eve (1950) and also John Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle (1950).
In the December of 1950, Hyde helped her negotiate a seven-year-long contract with 20th Century Fox. Just one day after the contract was signed, Hyde died of a heart attack, and Monroe was left devastated after this.
In 1951, she played in three comedy movies by Fox, As Young as You Feel, Love Nest, and Let’s Make It Legal. All three of them were successful. From these movies, she was getting recognized.
Her following few films, such as Clash By Night, We’re Not Married, and Don’t Bother To Knock, were released in 1952. The films were released to attract publicity after Monroe declared that she posed nude for a calendar shoot.
A Star Is Born (1953)
During 1953, Monroe was the quintessential sex symbol of Hollywood, along with the most profitable and bankable actresses. Three consecutive films solidified her status in Hollywood First is Niagara (1953). This was the film that made her the sex symbol.
With this film, she introduced her signature look of glistening red lips, dark arched brows, pale skin, and the beauty mark. The film was heavily marketed with a 30-second long shot of Monroe’s behind while she is walking and her hips swaying.
The second film was Gentleman Prefers Blondes (1953). If Niagara made her into a sex symbol, then this film solidified her as the “Dumb Blonde.” This film became the biggest box of success of that year. Her notable song from the movie “Diamonds are girls best friends” is still an iconic song.
The third film that year was, How To Marry A Millionaire (1953), which was the biggest box office success for Monroe. These movies solidified her status as a sex symbol in Hollywood.
This was further confirmed when Hugh Hefner featured photos of her on the cover and the centerfold of Playboy magazine.
The cover was a photo of her Miss America pageant in 1952, and the centerfold was a Marilyn Monroe sexy and nude photo of her. The publication of these photos was not with Marilyn Monroe’s consent.
Marilyn And Her Monsters: Rumors & Mental Health
Marilyn Monroe was some kind of an enigma; most of her life is shrouded in mystery. But through her many journals, we get to know a shy, timid, insecure young girl with a thirst to prove herself.
She was scarred from sexual abuse, constant therapy, betrayal in love, and was scared of turning mad. So who is the real Marilyn Monroe, the “Blonde Bombshell” as we all know her? Or someone who suffered negligence, abuse mentally, physically, and sexually, divorce and addiction.
The only constant in her life was Loneliness. Other than dealing with all these, she just pushed them deep inside her and created an alter ego for the world to see, Marilyn Monroe. While Norma Jeane Mortenson was hidden deep inside.
She suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder from an early age. And this haunted her throughout her life.
- When she was a minor, Marilyn was molested by her foster father, which is why her stay with the Goddards was short-lived.
- In 1952, her romance with baseball star Joe DiMaggio was highly publicized. The two of them got married on January 14th, 1954. But the marriage was over within a year. Her being a “sex symbol” caused a drift in their marriage. They got divorced nine months later.
- In 1952, she got the reputation about hard to work with. She started forgetting her lines and showing up late to work or not coming at all. Her dependency on her acting coaches irritated the directors.
- She started to have problems with low self-esteem, perfectionism, and stage fright. The lack of control in a movie set created such problems. She started to struggle with insomnia and anxiety. This was when she started taking Barbiturates and Amphetamines.
- Monroe was dating playwright Arthur Miller, which was highly controversial. They even got married on June 29th, 1956. She also had an ectopic pregnancy in 1957, which got miscarried.
- In 1962, on 19th May. she went to Madison Square Garden to sing “Happy Birthday, Mr. President,” on stage for President Jonh F. Kennedy. Marilyn Monroe outfits shocked the nation with her beige sheer-like dress with rhinestones.
- It is believed that Marilyn had sexual relations with both John f. Kennedy and his brother Robert F. Kennedy.
Death Of A Star
Marilyn Monroe’s body was found on her bed in her home at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive in Brentwood, Los Angeles. She was pronounced dead somewhere between 8:30 pm and 10:30 pm. Marilyn Monroe autopsy found that she died of poisoning by an acute barbiturate.
Marilyn Monroe funeral was performed at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery on 8th August. It was a private occasion. Marilyn Monroe house went to her acting coach Lee Strasberg.
Even her death is shrouded in mystery. Conspiracy theorists believe that she was murdered as not a suicide. An investigation was also opened, but due to a lack of any evidence of foul play, it was closed.
Filmography
| 1947 | Dangerous Years |
| 1950 | The Asphalt Jungle |
| 1951 | Love Nest |
| 1953 | Niagara |
| 1953 | Gentlemen Prefers Blonde |
| 1955 | The Seven Year Itch |
| 1956 | Bus Stop |
| 1962 | Something’s Got To Give (remained unfinished) |
Frequently Asked Questions!
1. Who Inherited Marilyn Monroe’s Wealth?
Marilyn Monroe’s acting coach, Lee Strasberg, inherited most of her assets. After he died, everything was transferred to his third wife Anna Mizrahi.
2. Does Marilyn Monroe House Still Exist?
Yes, her house still exists. In 2017, it was sold for $7.25 million in 2017. The present owner is a Marilyn Monroe impersonator named Jasmine Chriswell.
3. Who Owns Marilyn Monroe’s Dress?
Ripley’s Believe It or Not, which is a privately owned, for-profit company, owned the gown for $5 million in 2016. When Kim Kardashian wore the gown, it was more than $10 million in valuation.
Wrapping Up!
Marilyn Monroe was not just a sex symbol or a movie star; she was much more than that. She was an inspiration to millions worldwide. She showed us how to be bold and unapologetically.
If you ask me how old would Marilyn Monroe be today, it would be 96 years old same as Queen Elizabeth II. She was all alone when she died; there is no record of Marilyn Monroe children.
People are often curious whether there is any record of Marilyn Monroe tattoo, but the answer is no. Marilyn was not very tall; if you ask “ how tall was Marilyn Monroe,” she was 1.68m tall.
Marilyn Monroe daughter of a mental patient, achieved greatness even though being bought up in an orphanage and foster homes. She was a star that couldn’t shine brighter and fell too soon.
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