Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most iconic figures in American cinema history. Her career and personal life were constant subjects of media fascination, with her image gracing magazine covers worldwide. Celebrated as a symbol of femininity and Hollywood’s quintessential beauty, Monroe was once the dream girl of many young men of her era. Despite her substantial achievements in the film industry, her personal life was marked by instability from childhood through her early death at the age of 36. Her tragic end shocked the world, and nearly 60 years after her passing, no other star has matched Monroe’s status as an icon of grace and beauty.
Early Life and Education
Marilyn Monroe was born on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California, under the name Norma Jeane Mortenson. She later changed it to Norma Jeane Baker. Much of her childhood was spent in foster care and orphanages. In 1937, she was cared for for a few years by Grace and her husband, Doc Goddard, who were family friends. Monroe’s mother paid them $25 a week for her upbringing. The Goddards, being devoutly religious, imposed strict rules on her, including forbidding her from going to the movies. Eventually, the family moved to the eastern states, but they could not afford to take the child with them.
Due to the difficulties of returning to her mother, Gladys, who suffered from mental health issues and was institutionalized, Monroe returned to foster care. Monroe recalled in her memoirs that her mother had tried to smother her with a pillow while she slept. Throughout her childhood, Monroe experienced sexual abuse on several occasions, including rape at the age of eleven. At fifteen, she left high school and married her first husband, Jimmy Dougherty, in 1942.
Career and Artistic Endeavors
Monroe dreamed of becoming a famous actress like Jean Harlow and Lana Turner. When her husband was sent to the South Pacific during World War II, Monroe worked at a munitions factory in Van Nuys, California. It was there that she was discovered by a photographer. By the time her husband returned from the war in 1946, Monroe had launched a successful career as a model, which led to her signing her first film contract that year. She changed her name to Marilyn Monroe and dyed her hair blonde.
Initially, Monroe was not seen as a major film star but rather as a typical actress. Her career took off several years later, thanks to her charming voice, delicate personality, and acting skills, earning her numerous awards and accolades. Her films attracted large audiences, with box office earnings surpassing $200 million—a substantial sum at the time.
Despite her success, Monroe struggled with performance anxiety, which sometimes affected her physical health and led to delays in her film projects. This caused frustration among her co-stars and crews. Nonetheless, her films continued to achieve significant box office success. In the mid-1950s, Monroe grew tired of being typecast as the naïve girl and moved to New York City to study acting with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. By the early 1960s, Monroe’s personal and professional life was in turmoil due to failed relationships and disappointing box office numbers for her latest films.
Most Notable Films
Monroe began her film career in 1947 with minor roles. Her breakthrough came with “The Asphalt Jungle” (1950), where she had a limited role. That same year, she appeared in “All About Eve,” where she impressed audiences and critics with her performance as Claudia Caswell. In 1953, she starred in “Niagara,” playing a young woman who conspires to kill her husband with her lover—a role that marked the emergence of Monroe as a future cinematic star. That year, she also starred in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” establishing herself as a sex symbol. She followed this with “How to Marry a Millionaire,” where three women seek millionaire husbands but find true love instead. In “There’s No Business Like Show Business” (1954), Monroe played a character in a comedic romance about a couple’s faltering marriage. In 1955, Monroe starred in “The Seven Year Itch,” a film about a faithful husband who is tempted to cheat while his family is away. In 1956, she appeared in “Bus Stop,” her first film after moving to New York and studying acting with Strasberg, where she played a singer kidnapped by a rancher who falls in love with her. In 1957, Monroe starred in “The Prince and the Showgirl” with actor and director Laurence Olivier. The film received mixed reviews but was a significant success in the UK. In 1959, she appeared in “Some Like It Hot,” one of her most famous films, with Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. Monroe played a singer who dreams of marrying a millionaire, with Lemmon and Curtis disguising themselves as women to hide from a gang after witnessing a murder. In 1961, Monroe made “The Misfits,” her final completed film before her death. In 1962, she was removed from the cast of “Something’s Got to Give” opposite Dean Martin due to missed filming days, which she attributed to illness. Martin refused to continue without her, leading to the film’s halt.
Marriages and Affairs
Monroe had three husbands: Jimmy Dougherty (1942-1946), Joe DiMaggio (1954), and Arthur Miller (1956-1961). She also had romantic relationships with Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Yves Montand, and director Elia Kazan.
On June 19, 1942, Monroe, at age 16, married Jimmy Dougherty, a 20-year-old merchant living next to her mother’s friend, who suggested the marriage to prevent Monroe from being sent to an orphanage. They were married for four years. As Monroe entered the film industry, she sought a divorce from Dougherty, who later commented, “I never knew Marilyn Monroe and I don’t claim to have any insights into her to this day because I only knew Norma Jeane and loved her.” In 1954, she briefly married baseball great Joe DiMaggio for nine months. After her death, DiMaggio became known for sending red roses to her grave for twenty years. Her third marriage, to playwright Arthur Miller, was the longest. They met in 1950 at a party, began exchanging letters, and developed a romance while Monroe was still married to DiMaggio. They married on June 29, 1956, but faced numerous problems, including Monroe suffering two miscarriages before their separation on January 20, 1961.
There were also strong rumors that Monroe had relationships with President John F. Kennedy or his brother Robert, or both, shortly before her death. On May 19, 1962, she performed her famous rendition of “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” at JFK’s birthday celebration, to which the president responded on stage moments later, “I can now retire from politics after you sing me ‘Happy Birthday’ in such a sweet and effective way.”
Death
Marilyn Monroe died at her home in Los Angeles on August 5, 1962, at the age of 36. An empty bottle of sleeping pills was found beside her bed. Despite speculation that she might have been murdered, the official report attributed her death to a drug overdose. She was buried in her favorite Emilio Pucci dress inside a coffin known as the “Cadillac casket,” the most advanced casket of its time, made of heavy bronze and lined with silk. Lee Strasberg delivered a eulogy at her funeral, attended by a small group of friends and family.
Even decades after her death, Marilyn Monroe remains a cinematic legend and a unique figure. She has been emulated by numerous celebrities over the years, including Madonna, Lady Gaga, and Gwen Stefani, in recognition of her enduring artistic legacy.
