Marilyn Monroe - Complete Biography

Norma Jeane Mortenson baptized as Norma Jeane Baker, also known as Marilyn Monroe, was an American model and movie actress.

Eventually, she set on to become 1 of Hollywood’s greatest superstars and an all time sex symbol.She began her career as a photography model but by 1946 she was getting smaller roles in low budget films. Her first significant projects where in the movies The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve. Her imminent success became to materialize immediately after she played the leading part in the musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and posing in Playboys first issue.

She had the leading part in the comedy How to Marry a Millionaire, The Seven Year Itch and Bus Stop, and thanks to the huge box office success of these movies, she started to be seen as one of the most profitable actresses in the movie industry. Her biggest hit was Some Like it Hot, which made her a Golden Globe winner for best comedy actress.

She was also considered one of the most beautiful womens in the history of cinema. She was married to baseball player Jode di Maggio, and to Arthur Miller.

She past away august 5 1962, product of an overdose, in a very shady incident. There are some hypothesis pointing she committed suicide but this was never proved.

The American Film Institute considers here one of the Top 10 movie stars of all time.

Her Early Years

Gladys Baker, Marilyn’s mother, was married to a norwegian man called Edward Mortenson in 1924, but they separated soon after. She found later that she was pregnant.

Baby Norma Jeane

Marylin was born in L.A. on June 1st 1926. She was named Norma Jeane Mortenson, but her mother baptized her as Norma Jean Baker because her father was never around.

Gladys was not able to take care of Marilyn because of economic and emotional problems, so she left her with her adoptive parents Albert and Ida Bolender, who lived in Hawthorne, California.

When Gladys solved her problems and bought a house of her own, she took back Norma Jeane, but after a few months she (Gladys), suffered a nervous breakdown and Norma was given to Grace McKee, her best friend. It was Grace who promoted the little girls interest for the movies and who pushed her to become an actress in the future.

Later in 1935 McKee married Ervin Silliman Goddardand moved to the US West Coast, so the girl was given to other family in custody.  2 years after her wedding, Grace took the girl back with her, but months later she again gave the custody of the girl to someone else, this time her uncle Olive Bruning, after the little girl accused Gobbard of sexual abuse. By the age of 12 the little girl was sexually abused again by both of  Brunings sons.

In 1938 McKee took Norma Jeane to her aunt, Ana Lower. By 1942, Lower started to have health issues that wouldn’t allow her to take proper care of the girl, so she had to go back to live with McKee and Goddard. The couple then moved to Virginia. When  Norma Jeane was 16 , she married a 21 years old cop named James Dougherty and left school to become a housewife.

Her Career

Yank Magazine

Norma Jean at the Factory

In 1943, with World War II, Dougherty enroled in the marines and was sent to Santa Catalina Island, in front of Los Angeles and then sent to Australia. Left alone, Norma Jean moved to her mothers in law house, whom she worked with in an ammunition factory.

In 1945 the photographer Henrik Manukyan took a picture of the future actress while she was working in the factory. He was trying to portrait women working during WWII. The pictures were sent and then published by Yank Magazine. Thats how she started her modeling career, represented at first by  Emmeline Snively, who recommended her to dye her hair platinum blonde. She then became a famous pin-up model, making covers for mor than 30 magazines.

In 1946, she filled for divorce because her husband opposed her artistic career.  That same year, Twentieth Century Fox Ben Lyon, gave her a contract for 125 dolars per week, so she can work as a regular extra. He was the one who gave her the name “Marilyn Monroe”. “Marilyn” after actress Marilyn Miller and “Monroe” because of her mothers maiden name.  She had a part as a telephone operator in the musical The Shocking Miss Pilgrim and as a hot waitress in Dangerous Years, both aired in 1947, but her contract was not renewed because her appearences did not cause the desired impact.

As Angela in The Asphalt Jungle.

Monroe with Keith Andes

In 1948, Mornoe signed a semestral contract with Columbia Pictures. While working there she met vocal coach  Natasha Lytess, who worked with her for many years. She played “Peggy” in the musical Ladies of the Chorus, but the movie was not succsesfull, so Columbia did not renew her contract.

Afterwards she got a part in a small comedy, and artist representant Johnny Hyde offered to represent her. Under his wing, she got to portray “Angela” , the mistress of a corrupt lawyer in the movie The Asphalt Jungle. That same year (1950) she also got the part to act as “Claudia Caswell”, an aspiring actress, in the drama All About Eve, which was acclaim by the critics and audiences. Thanks to the good reviews that she received from those critics, Twenty Century Fox offered her a 7 year contract.

Evolution

In February 1951, Monroe inscribed herself in a art and litaratures classes at the University of California. That year she worked in several low budget films, like Home Town Story, As Young as You Feel y Love Nest.

Monroe and Keith Andes in Clash by Night (1952).

1952 things started to get better for her, when she got her first lead part in the drama Clash by Night.  There she got the chance to share the screen with Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Douglas and Robert Ryan.  In march of that same year, she was

Monroe and DiMaggio

involved in a scandal regarding a nude photografic shoot she did in 1949 for a Calendar. Twenty Century Fox asked her to deny everything but she didnt. Later on an interview she stated: “I have nothing to be embarrased for. In 1949 i had some debts and this gig was the only way to get the money quickly.” That same month she appeared for the first time in Lifes Magazine Cover. In the magazine article, she talked about her younger years and goals in life. She met baseball star Joe Dimaggio in the set, and they started to have a romantic relationship, that was highly followed by the entertainment press.

Later she acted in 3 more movies: the comedy We’re Not Married with Ginger Rogers and Zsa Zsa Gabor; the thriller Don’t Bother to Knock with Richard Widmark, and Monkey Business with Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers.

Becoming Famous

Monroe as Rose in Niagara (1953).

En 1953, Darryl F. Zanuck, Twenty Century Fox president, asked her to play Rose in the romantic drama Niagara.

In December 1953, she was the cover girl for Playboys first edition with the famous picture “Golden Dreams”.

First Playboy Edition with Monroe in the Cover

Monroe starred along with Jane Russell the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. There she played “Lorelei Lee”, a materialistic pretty girl that just wanted a rich man to get married with. Her performance and her interpretation of the musical “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friends” became an instant classic.

That same year she worked with Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable in How to Marry a Millionaire. In this comedy she played “Paola”, a model that rents with her friends a luxurious apartment with the intention of attracting young rich men to get married with.

In 1954 she acted in River of No Return, an Otto Preminger film, along fellow actors Robert Mitchum, Rory Calhoun, Tommy Rettig and Murvyn Vye.

Monroe and Joe DiMaggio in Tokio.

When Monroes popularity was at its peak, Twenty Century Fox offered a part in the movie The Girl in Pink Tights with Frank Sinatra, but she refused because she wasnt content with the salary they offered her. She got suspended.

Marilyn sings to the troops in Korea

January 14, 1954, was the date of  her wedding to Joe DiMaggio. They got married in San Francisco, to later go to Japan, where DiMaggio was invited to participate in the national baseball league opening. Monroe went alone from Japan to Korea for 3 days, to perform in front of the military troops stationed there.

By march 1954, she was back in Hollywood, where she signed a contract with TCF  to appear in a musical where she joined other musical specialists of the like of  Ethel Merman, Donald O´Connor y Mitzy Gaynor.

Monroe took the part of “The Girl” in the comedy The Seven Year Itch, where the famous scene of Monroe wearing a flying white dress over the subway exhaust was filmed. Due to this, Monroe got into a big fight with her husband , who she divorced in LA two weeks later.

The Seven Year Itch was a commercial hit, and it sold more than 8M dollars. Monroe got positive reviews for he performance and was nominated for the BAFTA as best actress.

Right after she divorced DiMaggio, Monroe went to Ny and ceased acting for a brief period of time, because she wished to form her own film company and enhance her performing abilities. The author Truman Capote, a friend of the actress, advised her to sign up for the drama lessons given by Constance Collier, but the teacher died weeks after the beginning of the training course. That was when she enrolled at the Actors Studio, in classes given by Lee Strasberg. When Strasberg discovered that she was adequately prepared to act in front of their peers, she played with Maureen Stapleton Anna Christie, and Eugene O’Neill. While she hesitated throughout rehearsals in the main interpretation she did not need to have the script in her hands to say her lines. The characterization was so strong that it won the applause of many other students. Additionally in 1955, the actress started a romance with author Arthur Miller.

Marylin in a Gala with Arthur Miller

In 1956, Monroe came back to acting in the role of “Cherie” in the movie Bus Stop. Thanks to a new contract she signed with Twentieth Century Fox in that year, the actress could select the director. She opted for Joshua Logan, who had been trained by the same method of interpretation than her. Again Monroe’s performance got good criticism. Lohan, in his autobiography wrote: “Marilyn is one of the most talented actresses of all time, she is brilliant. She should have been nominated for best actress at the Academy Awards.” Bosley Crowther of The New York Times, said: “Marilyn Monroe proved to herself that she is an actress.” That year she was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress in a comedy or musical.

On June 29, 1956, the actress and Miller were married in a double ceremony, civil and religious.  The press agreed to go to the house where the event was held, but in one of the persecution in search of photographs a journalist covering the event died accidentally .  After the marriage  left to the city of London, where Monroe filmed the first movie of Marilyn Monroe Productions, The Prince and the Showgirl (1957). It was directed by Laurence Olivier, with whom she also shared the limelight. The shooting turned out to be very distressing for the actress, because she lost a pregnancy due to spontaneous abortion. During this period, due to her emotional and mental disorders, she became addicted to alcohol and barbiturates. Monroe’s performance was very well received by film critics, winning the David di Donatello Award for Best foreign actress in Italy and was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress.

In 1959, Monroe starred in the movie Some Like it Hot (Some Like It Hot), with a cast that included Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis, directed by Billy Wilder.  During filming, Monroe was always late, constantly asked to repeat the shots and with great difficulty was able to memorize her lines. She fell out with her teammates, especially with Curtis. The filming proved to be too distressing for the actress because she became pregnant but again there suffered a spontaneous abortion.

Marilyn at Some Like it Hot

The film was a huge critical and commercial success, was the highest grossing of that year and won five Oscar nominations. Monroe played “Sugar”, a romantic girl, unlucky in love and vulnerable, a superficial blonde, not too smart,  victim of the evil of others. For her performance she won the Golden Globe for best actress in a comedy or musical. Later, Wilder said that this film was one of the most important achievements of his career.

After Some Like It Hot, the actress signed a new contract with Twentieth Century Fox and acted in the musical Let’s Make Love, directed by George Cukor. The filming was delayed by the physical conditions of Monroe and because, at her request, the script was rewritten by Arthur Miller. The changes he made the playwright made Gregory Peck refuses to play his role in the film. Cary Grant, Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner and Rock Hudson also rejected the part, so the studio offered itto the French singer and actor Yves Montand. Monroe and Miller became friends with Montand and his wife, actress Simone Signoret. Later Signoret returned to France to shoot a movie, Monroe and Montand experienced a brief romance, while being both married. Although she asked him to abandon Signoret, when the filming ended, he returned home with his wife.The film had negative reviews and did not do well financially.

During this period,Monroe was marked by an health and am emotional deteriorated state . Often phoned Dr. Ralph Greenson, her psychiatrist and psychoanalyst at night because of insomnia. She also visited other doctors when she believed it was necessary to get more prescribed drugs.

In 1960, Monroe was part of the cast of the film The Misfits (Misfits), with John Huston, whose script was written especially for  by Arthur Miller. Roslyn The actress played a character that reminded her husband of situations, dialogue and moments of his life. The cast included, among others, Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift and Thelma Ritter. Filming began in July of that year and held in the Nevada desert. Monroe mood was not good, often missing the shooting, had difficulty concentrating and sleeping . She consumed large doses of drugs and alcohol.

In August, the actress was rushed to hospital in Los Angeles for ten days. The newspaper said the actress was close to death, but did not disclose the reasons for her hospitalization.  After that, Monroe returned to Nevada and completed filming the movie.  In November, the actress and her husband separate back to the city of New York and she took refuge at the home of Lee Strasberg.

The Misfits was poorly received by critics, although the performance of Monroe, as well as Gable, received positive reviews. In an interview, Huston said: “Marilyn dug into her own personal experiences to bring to the surface something unique and special. It had no acting technique. It was all true, it was just her.”

Monroe in the drama The Misfits (1962).

During the following months, Monroe’s addiction to drugs and alcohol put it on the brink of death again.   During the month of February entered the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic, an experience she later described as “a nightmare.” After a talk with Joe DiMaggio, who made her be moved from the hospital  to a normal clinic. Her poor health unabled her from working for the rest of the year.

In 1962, Monroe returned with to actio with Dean Martin, in the film Something’s Got to Give. When shooting began, the actress was in very delicate health, with frequent sinusitis, bronchitis and increasingly marked symptoms of insecurity. The 20th Century Fox hoped this project to clean up its economy, as the company threatened to bankcruptcy, due to the excessive costs that generated the movie Cleopatra (1963). On 9 May of that year  in New York, it took place the gala for the birthday of then U.S. President John F. Kennedy, in which Monroe sang “Happy Birthday Mr. President”. To attend this gala, the actress was absent for seven days of the shooting, although the study required to stay to do her job.

Then, Monroe returned to the shooting of Something’s Got to Give and filmed the scenes in which she was naked in a pool. These images then appeared on the cover of Life magazine. She said: “I want to drive Elizabeth Taylor on the covers of magazines.” For its delays and sudden absences from shooting she was fired. The Fox tried to complete the film using another actress, but Dean Martin was opposed, so the film had no choice but to reinstate her in it.

1962: Death

On August 5, 1962, at 4:55 pm., The head of the Los Angeles Police Department, Jack Clemmons received a call from psychiatrist Dr. Greenson, Monroe’s analyst, who said the actress died in her home. Officer Clemmons was the first on the scene. The first autopsy revealed he died from an overdose of barbiturates.

The police report described the event as a “probable suicide”, but for lack of evidence the investigators left open the possibility that she had been murdered. Other theories also suggested that John and Robert Kennedy had something to do with Monroe’s death, some even said it was the mob.

She was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.