Mary C Farris
*Marilyn Monroe was born as Norma Jeane Mortenson and waslater baptized as Norma Jean Baker. Her mother was Gladys Baker and no one issure of the identity of her father.
*She was born in Los Angeles, California on June 1, 1926.
*Her mother was a film cutter at RKO studios, but had toquit because of mental problems, and was later committed to a mental hospital.
*This left Norma Jeane to live in an orphanage, until she wasable to move in with family friend, Grace Mckee Goddard. She was left behind,when the family had to move to the east coast and could not take sixteen yearold Norma Jeane with her.
*It was either go back to the orphanage or get married andNorma Jeane decided to marry her next-door neighbor, Jimmy Dougherty. They werein love, but the relationship was stressed when Jimmy joined the merchantmarines and was sent to the South Pacific.
*Norma Jeane decided to work on the assembly line at theRadio Plane Munitions factory in Burbank California. It was here wherephotographer David Conover discovered her. He used her for a shoot of womencontributing to the war effort, but then began sending her modeling jobs.
*In no time, Norma Jean was a popular model with manymagazine covers under her belt. She enrolled in drama classes, and eventuallymade the choice of stardom over her marriage to Jimmy and they divorced in1946.
*Soon after, Norma Jeane dyed her hair blond and begancalling herself Marilyn Monroe, a last name she got from her Grandmother.
*Marilyn proceeded to play in many movies. In the beginningshe had only small parts, but later she was given the staring roles.
*Her first movie was The Shocking Miss Pilgrim, whichgave her only a small role, the next was The Asphalt Jungle, All About Eve,Lets Make It Legal, As Young As You Feel, Monkey Business, Don’t Bother toKnock, and then Niagara.
*Niagara was a very popular movie, which paved theway for Gentlemen Prefer Blonds, and How To Marry A Millionaire.
*On January 14, 1954, Marilyn married baseballplayer, Joe DiMaggio, but due to Marilyn’s sexual image, they were laterdivorced the same year.
*Trying to shed her shallow blond image, Marilyn started herown motion picture company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, which produced BusStop, and The Prince And The Showgirl. Marilyn then made the famous,Some Like it Hot.
*Marilyn tried marriage again by marrying playwright,Arthur Miller. Her wrote the movie, Misfits, which was to be Marilyn’s lastcompleted film.
* On August 5, 1962, 36-year-old Marilyn died in her sleepat her Brentwood, California Home, and was buried in the Corridor Memories #24,at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California.
*Some believe that Marilyn was murdered and others believethat she killed herself with sleeping pills, but the answer to those questionshave not quite been discovered.
*Marilyn won many awards for her acting, which included,best new actress of 1953 by photoplay magazine, a golden globe for bestactress in a comedy in Some Like It Hot, and in 1962, she was namedfemale World Film Favorite.
*Although she won awards for her acting that was not whatMarilyn was popular for. What made Marilyn an icon of the 50’s was her sexappeal. She set the standards for what sexy was to be, with her 35-22-35measurements according to her dressmaker. She portrayed the spacey, blondbombshell of the time and that is what made her so very popular. Even thoughMarilyn tried to stray from her title as the dumb blond, unfortunately that iswhat she we be remembered for most.
*Her innocence and vulnerability in combination with hersexuality made Marilyn Monroe a star and one of the most popular actresses ofthe 20th century.
Legend Marilyn Monroe Biography. (n.d.) RetrievedMarch 6, 2002, from http://www.marilyncollector.com/legend/
Biography.html
Marilyn Monroe Biography. (n.d.) Retrieved March 6,2002, from http://mtmt.essortment.com/marilynmonroeb_rrot.htm
Marilyn Monroe’s Official Website. (n.d.) RetrievedMarch 6, 2002, from http://www.marilynmonroe.com/bio.html
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