She was the embodiment of Hollywood sexiness in the 1950s and 1960s, with such classics as ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,’ ‘The Seven Year Itch,’ and ‘Some Like It Hot’ earning her a spot as one of the century’s most She was named the sixth greatest actress of the century. Blonde hair, blue eyes, curly eyelashes, red lips and a beauty mark are her trademarks, and Andy Warhol’s prints based on her have inspired unlimited commercial value.
Her tragic birth and family history of illness gave her a fatal insecurity, and she longed to recover lost ground from the aura of stardom and gain favor from a fictitious marriage, but neurotic loneliness was never far from her.
And the Kennedy brothers’ ambiguous and confusing sudden death, making her mystery more and more fascinating and spreading.
This is Marilyn Monroe. On the 60th anniversary of her death, let’s look back at 36 moments from her short life of 36 years, and “see” her beauty and sadness that have no place to be.
In addition, Ana de Armas’ Monroe biopic ‘Blonde’ will be available on Netflix on September 23rd and is rated NC-17 by Northern America.
From the exposed stills, Amas and Monroe’s look is quite similar. When the film is released, we will once again review the complicated life of this legendary Hollywood star and look back at the mystery, vulnerability and charm of this sexy goddess.
01、Naive and innocent little girl
The chubby-faced girl, originally named Norma Jeane Baker, was born on Children’s Day in 1926. Her mother, Gladys Pearl Baker, was an editor at a film studio, and her father is unknown. The unmarried mother, Gladys, gave birth to her daughter at Mercy General Hospital in Los Angeles, the cost of which was raised by colleagues.
Two weeks later, in a very precarious financial situation, she abandoned little Norma because she could not afford to raise her and was admitted to Norwalk State Hospital.
As an illegitimate child, Monroe bounced around from adopter to adopter and orphanage to orphanage. She was placed in 11 consecutive foster homes and spent a year in a Los Angeles children’s home.
02、Lonely orphanage children
This is a photo of Monroe in a children’s home with no smile and a resigned face. Little Norma is invisible there, no one pays attention to her, and she even shows symptoms of stuttering when she is under stress.
The foster family wouldn’t let Monroe call them mommy and daddy, and Gladys would only occasionally visit her struggling daughter and then turn around and leave. The only person who paid any attention to her was a mailman, and Tippy, the dog who accompanied her, died tragically one night.
The tragic experience of her childhood deprived Monroe of the opportunity to be loved by others, and she wanted to be the center of attention rather than wealth.
03、”Psychotic” mother and daughter
This is a picture of Monroe when Gladys picked her up from the orphanage when she was seven years old. At the orphanage, her mother never smiled when she visited her, but her eyes were filled with tears.
Gladys has intermittent relapses of an old illness that makes further emotional contact with her daughter difficult.
In the fall of 1933, Gladys tried to bring her seven-year-old daughter into the fold. A year later, she was sent to a state hospital psychiatric ward due to a mental breakdown.
Gladys’ family has a history of severe mental illness; she herself is the illegitimate daughter of a schizophrenic whose brother died by suicide. She married at the age of fifteen, and after her marriage her husband cheated on her and her two children were taken away.
Years later, when Monroe learns of her mother’s pain and suffering, her heart aches for her mother and for herself.
04、The campus goddess with “star dream”
This is Monroe as an adolescent on a farm, under the guardianship of Grace Goddard, her mother’s colleague and best friend, and her aunt Anna.
Grace, who worked in a film studio, was the first to discover Monroe’s beauty, showing her many popular commercial films, taking pictures of her and teaching her makeup.
During that period, Monroe nurtured dreams of stardom and had his idol, Jean Harlow.
As an adolescent, Monroe was no longer an ugly duckling, but a schoolyard sensation, and in 1941, she was named “Beautiful Girl” in high school. She also possessed great intelligence, with an IQ of 168.
05, 16-year-old “first marriage”
When Grace was almost 16, her family moved for work. She had to marry herself off early to avoid going back to the orphanage.
A man five years older than himself, James Dougherty, appears, handsome, previously president of the school’s student council, very popular with the girls.
On June 19, 1942, Monroe was married to James. After their marriage, Monroe quickly settled into the warmth of a family she had never enjoyed before.
06、American GI’s “dream girl”
The picture shows Monroe’s earliest portraits for the army. With the advent of World War II, her husband went with the merchant ships to join the army on the overseas front.
In June 1945, Monroe, still named Norma, became a parachute factory inspector and was responsible for painting planes.
In order to cooperate with the factory to take propaganda photos for the army, she and a group of female workers were selected, met photographer David Conover and were tapped for stardom.
Monroe was at her best and natural on camera, and her pictures were published to inspire the American soldiers. monroe quickly became the dream girl of the American GI’s.
07、Advertising
Shortly after her divorce, she moved out of her in-laws’ house and launched a career as an advertising and cover girl. Model agency owner Snively says she’s like the girl next door.
Monroe’s first job was a 10-day job as a showgirl in Los Angeles, paying $90. Despite the meager income, Monroe continued to send money to her adoptive mother, Grace.
08、The inconspicuous “dragon girl”
Monroe, who had made a name for herself in the advertising world, was noticed by Hollywood studios. She was introduced by her agent, auditioned for Twentieth Century Fox, and signed a six-month acting contract.
Initially, under her original name of Norma Jeane Baker, she performed in a six-minute black-and-white short film with an unknown actor, which was sold for a high price. Her stage name was later changed to Jean Adair.
During this period, she had almost no work, only small roles, and was dismissed by Twentieth Century Fox once her contract expired.
The picture is a still from Monroe’s appearance in a second-rate film called ‘Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!’ (1948), in which she plays a girl who coaxes a church, but has only one line.
09、The birth of “stupid and sexy”
After leaving FOX, Monroe auditioned for a six-month contract at Columbia. Here she is in ‘Love Happy’ (1949), in which she worked with the “Marx Brothers” (Harpo Marx and Chico Marx), known for their pantomime.
She plays a silly and sexy girl in it, mainly to match the Marx brothers’ vaudeville-style antics.
You know, she practiced how to walk sexy for a week to get the role in the film. Despite only showing one side, Monroe was able to appear in the cast list at the end of the film as expected.
That is, from then on, her role was similarly fixed and she never broke away from it again.
10、Meet Johnny Hyde
On December 31, 1948, Monroe attended a party hosted by a producer and met Johnny Hyde, a famous agent who saw Monroe’s potential as a star and thought she should not be a contract actress.
Under the recommendation of Hyde, Monroe appeared in John Huston’s ‘The Asphalt Jungle’ (1950) as a simple and flamboyant mistress.
Hyde also offered her the opportunity to perform in a national television commercial, believing that at this point Monroe needed to build her popularity with more appearances.
Monroe was persuaded by Hyde to complete cosmetic surgery on her nose and chin.
At this time, Monroe was in an incestuous relationship with Hyde (Hyde already had a family) and was living in his Beverly Hills mansion, where Hyde had proposed to her but was rejected.
After Hyde’s death in 1950, his family kicked Monroe out of their home, and for a time Monroe fell into self-blame for Hyde’s death and tried to take a lighter life.
11、Make amazing achievements with ‘All About Eve’
Under Hyde’s care, Monroe was cast in the star-studded ‘All About Eve’ (1950). Although still in a supporting role, it was very effective in raising awareness to be part of a film that was nominated for 14 Academy Awards.
At a cast meeting, Bette Davis looked experienced and glowing, but Monroe made an excuse to leave early and go back to prepare her lines, but she would still forget them the next day.
In addition, Monroe was later revealed by Celeste Holm to have a homosexual crush on Betty Grable. In any case, Monroe became famous with this film, and attended the Oscars the next year.
12、Return to FOX
Monroe, whose contract with Columbia had expired, returned to FOX to sign a seven-year contract, at which point she was already earning $500 a week.
Thanks to her efforts, FOX arranged for her to appear in a thriller-drama called ‘Don’t Bother to Knock’ (1952). She played the role of Nell, who is meek on the outside but manic on the inside. Because of the death of her boyfriend in a plane crash, she became mentally disturbed and had serious violent tendencies.
Monroe wanted to use the film to prove that she had “acting skills”, even though her movements and expressions were slightly exaggerated and contrived, but she received some positive reviews from the media.
FOX didn’t mean for Monroe to go “powerhouse”. She and Cary Grant were cast in ‘Monkey Business’, continuing the “silly but sexy” role.
She once said, “I had to beat my own heart to play the dumb girl and ask stupid questions. How the hell am I supposed to go about it to look smart?”
13、Nude photo fiasco
In May 1949, Monroe was approached by photographer Tom Kelley who wanted to take several nude photos to be used in the Miss Golden Fantasy calendar, noting that her name would not be written on them, for which Monroe received $50.
After becoming famous, the nude photos were unearthed again. Monroe’s public relations skills are now strong. Monroe’s frankness and panic made her sympathetic to the public in those conservative times.
To prevent future threats, she sold her nude photos to Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine, for $500, becoming the first ‘Playboy’ girl.
Instead of ruining her career, the fiasco was like a bombshell that made her a sexy spokesperson.
14、Leave your handprint at TCL Chinese Theatre
In ‘Niagara’, Monroe played a slut who specializes in seducing men, and makeup artist Allan Snyder gave her dark, arched eyebrows, bright red lips and a beauty mark that became her signature.
After that, Monroe’s career reached its first peak when she starred in ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ and ‘How to Marry a Millionaire’ in 1953, establishing her as a Hollywood sex goddess and becoming the most glamorous actress of the time. She became the most glamorous actress of her time.
Another heroine of ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ describes Monroe as “shy and sweet, and far more intelligent than people think”.
On June 26 of the same year, Monroe left his handprints on the wet concrete floor in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre with Jane Russell.
15. ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’
1953’s ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ is a Monroe classic, with the interlude ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ becoming a highly popular film and television song, parodied by Madonna and the film ‘Moulin Rouge’. Moulin Rouge’ both parodied the scene.
Monroe showed her endless charm in this song and dance performance, and sang out the desire of her fellow women for jewelry, for which she practiced intensely day and night outside the scene.
For this film, Monroe won the award for Most Improved Star. Once the movie came out, even Truman Capote wanted her to play the female lead in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’.
16、Badly discredited by FOX
Monroe has portrayed a series of glamorous screen images, but she has been dissatisfied with the film’s dull characters. monroe asked the company to give herself the right to review the script, which caused serious disagreements between her and FOX.
Monroe began to drink alcohol, gain weight, become overly dependent on sleeping pills, and even become somewhat depressed. In order to be able to slim down and wear nice clothes, she also lost weight with an enema.
Faced with the company forcing her to star in the bad comedy ‘The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing’, Monroe forcefully refused, stating that she did not approve of the film’s plot and line roles, and Monroe was finally suspended from FOX.
The company cast Joan Collins as the female lead and dressed her up as a retarded girl in a pink dress, with the intention of smearing and satirizing Monroe.
17, married to “the love of my life”
Monroe met her second husband, Joe DiMaggio, who was a global sex goddess and a legend in American baseball history.
Back in 1951, DiMaggio enjoyed Monroe’s films with the Chicago White Sox players. After he retired, he asked Monroe’s agent to meet him, but Monroe did not accept the invitation at first. Later, the two met at an Italian restaurant.
On January 14, 1954, Joe DiMaggio and Monroe, 12 years younger than himself, were married at San Francisco City Hall.
18、Singing on the Korean battlefield
DiMaggio was invited to Japan for a baseball exhibition game soon after his wedding, and he and Monroe spent their honeymoon together. DiMaggio, who is supposed to be a popular baseball player in Japan, was unexpectedly stolen by his wife Monroe. As soon as he stepped off the plane, reporters swarmed around Monroe.
On February 16, 1954, Monroe arrived in Korea for a four-day military tour. She also visited wounded soldiers in Japan, where she sat on the floor in a fur coat and chatted with the wounded.
19、’The Seven Year Itch’ signature move
This is one of the most iconic screen moments in the history of cinema. On the night of September 11, 1954, during the filming of director Billy Wilder’s ‘The Seven Year Itch’, Monroe stood in a subway vent, her white skirt was blown up like a parachute, and she shyly covered her skirt and smiled, letting it swing. This clip would be repeated for the next half century, establishing her as the queen of sex.
Nearly 2,000 people stopped to watch as Monroe filmed the scene. The photographers shouted frantically, “One more, one more!” The shoot is rumored to have lasted until 2:30 a.m.
In 2011, the white dress fetched £2.8 million at the Debbie Reynolds auction.
20、Sad announcement of breakup
The night the shoot ended, the cast and crew came roaring from Monroe’s house. The next day, the make-up artist saw bruises on Monroe’s back. The couple fought over it and began a cold war and separation.
Two weeks later, she handed a copy of the divorce papers to DiMaggio, who had written a letter to Monroe prior to the divorce in an attempt to salvage the marriage.
On October 31, 1954, the court decided to divorce them anyway. Their fairy tale of love ended in the ninth month of their marriage.
The two remained close friends after the divorce, and in late 1954 DiMaggio traveled to Los Angeles to care for Monroe, who had just undergone minor gynecological surgery.
21. Study with Lee Strasberg
In order to improve her acting skills, Monroe went to New York to study acting with the famous Lee Strasberg, and it was during her studies that she became close friends with Brando.
Monroe sat in the last row of every class and listened to the teacher with an open mind. monroe’s female neighbor remembers that she always had her books with her.
Strasberg and her family soon recognized her as part of the family. Monroe once left 75% of his fortune to him, but after Strasberg’s death, his daughter auctioned off the estate.
22、Formation of private production center with friends
After her contract with FOX expired, Monroe, tired of the “Idiot Girl” role, set up the “Marilyn Monroe Production Center” with her photographer friend Milton Greene.
Milton is determined to create a new sensual Monroe, both of whom have experienced a childhood of poverty and long for warmth, and whose friendship transcends all.
When Milton and Monroe ended their partnership, he just wanted the $100,000 he had invested: “Let me be the only person in your life who doesn’t ask you for anything.”
After Monroe’s death, Milton hid nearly 10,000 never-before-published photos of Monroe in his attic and never mentioned Monroe’s name until his death.
23, Marilyn Monroe’s first Golden Globe nomination, acting skills were recognized
Due to the $12 million box office success of ‘The Seven Year Itch,’ FOX prepared a better deal for Monroe, who has the right to review the script and director and has more room to act and the right to produce one film a year.
In 1956, Monroe, who had not appeared in Hollywood for a year, appeared in ‘Bus Stop’, applying all the acting lessons she had learned from her teacher to the play, playing a barmaid with a subtle psychological transformation who wants to escape the advances of a cowboy.
The film also earned Monroe a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical Comedy category. The picture shows Monroe and the two male leads, Don Murray and Arthur O’Connell, standing for the promotion of the film.
24、The third marriage
As early as 1951, Monroe declared that the most attractive men in her mind were Arthur Miller and Albert Einstein. Through Strasberg’s introduction, she met Miller, who wrote ‘Death of a Salesman’. Monroe’s innocent humor aroused Miller’s protective nature and they dated a year later.
After ‘Bus Stop’ wrapped, Monroe and the Pulitzer Prizes winner were officially married in White Plains, New York.
With her husband’s initiation into Judaism, Monroe wanted to be a good wife and cooked Miller’s favorite dishes such as croquettes, fishballs and coleslaw.
25, the Queen’s “reception”
At the invitation of Laurence Olivier, Monroe went to London to star in ‘The Prince and the Showgirl’. During the shoot, Monroe’s mood was unstable and her weight changed frequently, causing the costume designer to prepare many different sizes of costumes.
My Week with Marilyn’, starring Michelle Williams and Eddie Redmayne, faithfully recreates Monroe’s dependence on alcohol and mental instability.
Monroe in the film, a smile without artifice, despite forgetting words and late trivia to the director’s headache, but Monroe in some of the character action design on the long play, or to Olivier many surprises.
Although ‘The Prince and the Showgirl’ suffered a setback after its release, Monroe was nominated for a British Academy Film Award. Monroe is pictured here in London in 1956, being received by Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor.
26、Motherly love bursting Monroe
Monroe, who has never had a child in her life, has been desperate to have her own baby and give her child all the love she never had in her childhood.
She had intimate relationships with both DiMaggio and Miller’s stepson. After her marriage to Miller, Monroe was forced to have several abortions due to ectopic pregnancies and endometriosis.
Monroe once said sincerely, “I always wanted a complete and happy home.”
Three marriages did not fulfill Monroe’s desire to be a mother, so playing with other people’s children became a great hobby for her.
Among Monroe’s many images is one of her holding a child, and she is passionate about children’s charities, pictured here with a child.
27、The last masterpiece
Two years later, Monroe returned to Hollywood to make her final film ‘Some Like It Hot’ (1959), in which she played the role of Sugar, a singer-songwriter who is intent on catching a rich man but is instead captured by a musician posing as an oil magnate.
The film went on to top the Motion Picture Association’s “100 Funniest Movies” list, and Monroe won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical Comedy for the film.
Director Billy Wilder was so demanding on set that Monroe’s line “It’s me, Sugar” was ng 47 times.
She needs to look at the blackboard to read her lines, is 2 or 3 hours late for each start, and occasionally refuses to leave the dressing room, causing a lot of trouble for her colleagues in the crew.
Years later, Billy gave Monroe this comment: “Anyone can remember lines, but only a true artist can perform well without knowing his lines!”
28、The seemingly separated couple
During the filming of ‘Some Like It Hot’, Monroe discovered that she was pregnant. But the stress caused by the extensive reshoots finally led to her ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.
Monroe suffered a complete blow, and she again took alcohol, tranquilizers and sleeping pills. In order to keep her fair skin, she used hormones, but the audience could not see any breakthrough on screen.
The crew was enraged by Monroe’s atrophy, and Miller was wrapped up in their unfriendly vibe on set, which he transferred to Monroe.
Their marriage began to show signs of collapse, and Miller even said of Monroe, somewhat maliciously, “She was a poet standing on a street corner, trying to recite verses to a crowd clamoring to pull her clothes off.”
Miller grew increasingly disgusted with Monroe, who was absent for 28 days during the filming of ‘Let’s Make Love’, causing a $1 million loss to the crew.
29、Blame yourself for the death of your idol
1961’s ‘The Misfits’ was Miller’s custom-made script for Monroe as a newlywed, and this Valentine’s Day gift is now the last leverage to save the marriage.
The film stars Clark Gable, whom Monroe imagined as a father when she was a child. Her role as Roslyn once again drags her into the dark world of her mind, a role that Monroe hates so much that it nearly breaks her.
She couldn’t remember her lines in the scene and was in a daze, making Gable on the sidelines suffer. Many critics, however, considered this to be the best performance of her career.
Two weeks after the film was finished, Gable died suddenly of a serious heart attack, and Monroe felt so guilty for causing his idol’s death that he cried for two whole days.
Monroe and Miller were officially divorced in Mexico on January 20, 1961.
30、Incarcerated in a mental hospital
After her third divorce, Monroe fell into anxiety and depression. She came to New York Hospital, affiliated with Connell University, and opened a room under an assumed name.
Monroe wrote to Strasberg for help, but the teacher ignored her.
In desperation, she dialed her second husband DiMaggio’s number. Without hesitation, he came from Florida and rescued her.
When Monroe emerged from the hospital on March 5, the media swarmed around her and she could only greet reporters with a glowing mask.
This time, DiMaggio decided to quit his job and remarry her, but Monroe did not dare to hope for anything more.
31、A stunning glimpse of the posthumous work
Monroe wanted to star in ‘Cleopatra’, but was rejected by FOX. She was cast in the George Cukor-directed family comedy ‘Something’s Got to Give’, in which she plays a wife who “comes back from the dead”.
Monroe was paid a tenth of what Elizabeth Taylor was paid for her role in ‘Cleopatra’, or $100,000, while co-star Dean Martin was paid as much as $500,000.
She and the director George relationship is bad, but Monroe did not discouraged, she quit sleeping pills, and actively cooperate with the diet, trying to turn things around through this film.
In one scene, she is seen in a bathrobe next to a blue pool of water, with eroticism flowing under half-coverage. The nude stills made the cover of ‘Life Magazine’.
Monroe suffered from bronchitis during filming, and the film was not completed due to a series of late absences.
32、White House sings birthday song
On May 29, 1962, Monroe was invited to the White House to celebrate the birthday of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. To do so, she left the cast of ‘Something’s Got to Give’ without permission.
Her ambiguous and provocative singing of ‘Happy Birthday Mr. President’ at the President’s 45th birthday dinner was one of the most successful moments of her acting career.
The tulle flesh-colored gown she wore that night was created by French designer Jean Louis and was studded with 2,500 rhinestones, decorated by metallic trim and beaded thread, with a near-naked back opening.
Monroe unapologetically called it the “John Fitzgerald Kennedy dress”. The dress was later auctioned off at Christie’s for a whopping $1.3 million. She also brought a gift for the president, a gold Rolex watch.
33. The “dangerous relationship” of the Monroe and Kennedy brothers
This is the only surviving photograph of Monroe and the Kennedy brothers, taken when John Fitzgerald Kennedy received Monroe on the day of his birthday party.
It was in 1961 that Monroe met the Kennedy brothers, set up by their sister.
Monroe is rumored to have the number of the White House roundtable, she knows a lot of confidential insider information about national politics. monroe often wears a wig and sunglasses, pretending to be a secretary and John F. Kennedy dating, and reporters have witnessed the image of them holding hands side by side in the sunset.
As their relationship deepens, Monroe becomes uncomfortable with him and even expresses her desire to replace Jacqueline as first lady to her best friend.
Monroe, who has not heard back from John, has pinned his hopes on his brother, who maintains a secret love triangle with John Fitzgerald Kennedy and a Hollywood bodyguard who claims to have filmed a sex tape of the three of them.
34、”Sickly” beauty
Fired from FOX for frequent unexcused absences and scandals, Monroe angrily protested to a reporter that Hollywood couldn’t blame its problems on the star.
In fact, FOX’s aim was nothing more than to save the company from the dwindling ‘Cleopatra’ as a promotional point.
A few weeks later, her bosses decided to rehire her, raising her fee to $1 million. However, Monroe, who had inherited her mother’s mental illness, once again fell into a desperate state of insomnia and anorexia.
The FBI director received a report that Monroe’s diary contained a record of John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s brothers’ plans against Castro, and that she had mentioned John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s connection to the Mafia with her hairdresser.
In addition, on the very day of her death, flowers booked by Monroe were delivered to the residence, in preparation for a reunion with DiMaggio.
Many events cast a veil over the last life of the goddess, pictured in a portrait taken a few weeks before she passed away.
35、Surprise death
Monroe was found naked in his Los Angeles home with a telephone in his hand late at night on August 5, 1962, at the age of 36. The official conclusion was that he “committed suicide because he could not bear the pressure of the show business”.
Diaries, memos and correspondence from Monroe’s locker disappeared. The death was reported three hours later, and someone who appeared to be Robert F. Kennedy was seen at the scene.
When the coroner attempted to examine her organs, she was told they were necrotic.
Ten years later, the actress who acquired Monroe’s residence discovers a wire, and Monroe’s friends believe she died of murder.
Marlon Brando, who spoke with Monroe on the phone before her death, said he did not sense any depression or suicidal tendencies in her.
Whether Monroe overdosed, committed suicide or was politically motivated is not known, but on August 8, Monroe was buried in Los Angeles wearing her favorite pale apple green Pucci dress as hundreds of fans burst into the cemetery to lay flowers.
36、After the curtain call, there is someone with her
The story doesn’t end here. While everyone associated with Monroe was writing books about her, DiMaggio never spoke of her in public.
Although he divorced Monroe, he always loved her. When he helped Monroe prepare her funeral, he refused to invite Hollywood stars, “If it weren’t for them, Monroe would still be alive.”
He kept the promise he made at the time of his wedding to Monroe, inserting three bunches of red roses into a vase in front of his tombstone every week for the next twenty years, and declaring that he would be buried next to Monroe after his death, “she was my only wife”, and he never married again.
Before DiMaggio died of lung cancer in ’99, he left his last words to the world: “I’m finally going to see Marilyn”.
Throughout her life, Monroe never fully experienced the warmth of a family, but she made Marilyn Monroe, and lived her life obsessively in the role of “star” Monroe, and she succeeded.
