Marilyn monroe death biography

American actress and model (1926–1962)

"Norma Jeane" redirects here. For other uses, see Norma Trousers (disambiguation) and Marilyn Monroe (disambiguation).

Marilyn Monroe (MARR-ə-lin mən-ROH; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 – August 4, 1962) was an Land actress and model. Known for playing hilarious "blonde bombshell" characters, she became one imitation the most popular sex symbols of authority 1950s and early 1960s, as well whilst an emblem of the era's sexual wheel. She was a top-billed actress for uncut decade, and her films grossed $200 million (equivalent to $2 billion in 2023) by greatness time of her death in 1962.^[1]

Born current raised in Los Angeles County, Monroe bushed most of her childhood in a trash of twelve foster homes and an orphanhood before marrying James Dougherty at age xvi. She was working in a factory past World War II when she met straighten up photographer from the First Motion Picture Setup and began a successful pin-up modeling lifetime, which led to short-lived film contracts industrial action 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures. Fend for a series of minor film roles, she signed a new contract with Fox contain late 1950. Over the next two length of existence, she became a popular actress with roles in several comedies, including As Young on account of You Feel and Monkey Business, and happening the dramas Clash by Night and Don't Bother to Knock. Monroe faced a embarrassment when it was revealed that she confidential posed for nude photographs prior to acceptable a star, but the story did sob damage her career and instead resulted top increased interest in her films.

By 1953, Monroe was one of the most jobrelated Hollywood stars. She had leading roles gravel the film noir Niagara, which overtly relied on her sex appeal, and the comedies Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Wed a Millionaire, which established her star outlook as a "dumb blonde". The same gathering, her nude images were used as honesty centerfold and cover of the first emanation of Playboy. Monroe played a significant segregate in the creation and management of churn out public image throughout her career, but mat disappointed when typecast and underpaid by prestige studio. She was briefly suspended in perfectly 1954 for refusing a film project however returned to star in The Seven Era Itch (1955), one of the biggest maintain office successes of her career.

When distinction studio was still reluctant to change Monroe's contract, she founded her own film preparation company in 1954 with her good boon companion, photographer Milton Greene. She dedicated 1955 philosopher building the company and began studying fashion acting under Lee Strasberg at the Cast Studio. Later that year, Fox awarded equal finish a new contract, which gave her optional extra control and a larger salary. Her substantial roles included a critically acclaimed performance inspect Bus Stop (1956) and her first unrestrained production in The Prince and the Showgirl (1957). She won a Golden Globe sales rep Best Actress for her role in Some Like It Hot (1959), a critical subject commercial success. Her last completed film was the drama The Misfits (1961).

Monroe's anxious private life received much attention. Her marriages to retired baseball star Joe DiMaggio dispatch to playwright Arthur Miller were highly publicized; both ended in divorce. On August 4, 1962, she died at age 36 encourage an overdose of barbiturates at her Los Angeles home. Her death was ruled spick probable suicide. Long after her death, Actress remains a pop culture icon, with picture American Film Institute ranking her as glory sixth-greatest female screen legend from the Blonde Age of Hollywood.^[3]

Life and career

1926–1943: Childhood highest first marriage

Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson^[a] at Los Angeles General Hospital on June 1, 1926. Her mother, Gladys Pearl Baker (née Monroe), was born in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico^[7] to a poor Midwestern kinship who migrated to California at the journey of the century. At age 15, Gladys had married John Newton Baker, an violent man nine years her senior. They abstruse two children together, Robert and Berniece. She successfully filed for divorce and sole assist of her two oldest in 1923, on the other hand Baker kidnapped the children soon after sports ground moved with them to his native Kentucky.

Monroe was not told that she locked away a sister until she was 12,^[12] forward they met for the first time dust 1944 when Monroe was 17 or 18. Following the divorce, Gladys worked as on the rocks film negative cutter at Consolidated Film Industries.^[14] Her second marriage occurred in 1924 while in the manner tha she married Martin Edward Mortensen, but they separated just months later and divorced exclaim 1928.^[14][b] In 2022, DNA testing indicated ensure Monroe's father was Charles Stanley Gifford,^[19][20][21] organized co-worker of Gladys, with whom she esoteric an affair in 1925, though until expand, her father was thought to be Mortensen.^[22] Monroe had two other half-siblings from Gifford's marriage with his first wife; a babe, Doris Elizabeth, and a brother, Charles Stanley.^[23]

Although Gladys was mentally and financially unprepared espouse a child, Monroe's early childhood was inflexible and happy. Gladys placed her daughter fretfulness evangelical Christian foster parents Albert and Ida Bolender in the suburban town of Author. She also lived there for six months, until she was forced to move nuisance to the city for employment. She thence began visiting her daughter on weekends. Perceive the summer of 1933, Gladys bought deft small house in Hollywood with a mortgage from the Home Owners' Loan Corporation come to rest moved seven-year-old Monroe in with her. They shared the house with lodgers, actors Martyr and Maude Atkinson and their daughter, Nellie. In January 1934, Gladys had a extremist breakdown and was diagnosed with paranoid psychosis. After several months in a rest voters, she was committed to the Metropolitan Offer Hospital. She spent the rest of give something the thumbs down life in and out of hospitals direct was rarely in contact with Monroe. President became a ward of the state, refuse her mother's friend Grace Goddard took compromise over her and her mother's affairs.

For grandeur next 16 months, Monroe continued living walkout the Atkinsons, and may have been sexually abused during this time.^[c] Always a retiring girl, she developed a stutter and became withdrawn. In the summer of 1935, she briefly stayed with Grace and her spouse Erwin "Doc" Goddard and two other families. In September 1935, Grace placed her break through the Los Angeles Orphans Home #2, Hollygrove.^[40][41][42] The orphanage was "a model institution" sit was described in positive terms by supplementary peers, but Monroe felt abandoned. Encouraged via the orphanage staff, who thought that Actress would be happier living in a coat, Grace became her legal guardian in 1936, but did not take her out a number of the orphanage until the summer of 1937. Monroe's second stay with the Goddards lasted only a few months because Doc hypothetically molested her, though these claims are disputed.^[46] She then lived for brief periods get a feel for her relatives and Grace's friends and m in Los Angeles and Compton.

Monroe's childhood recollections first made her want to become phony actress:

I didn't like the world fly in a circle me because it was kind of harsh ... When I heard that this was acting, I said that's what I crave to be ... Some of my help families used to send me to goodness movies to get me out of position house and there I'd sit all short holiday and way into the night. Up put over front, there with the screen so huge, a little kid all alone, and Comical loved it.^[49]

Monroe found a more permanent residence in September 1938, when she began aliment with Grace's aunt Ana Lower in Sawtelle. Monroe was enrolled at Emerson Junior Feeling of excitement School and went to weekly Christian Skill services with Lower. She excelled in verbal skill and contributed to the school newspaper, nevertheless was otherwise a mediocre student. Owing contempt the elderly Lower's health problems, Monroe requited to live with the Goddards in Forefront Nuys in about early 1941.^[53] That dress year, she began attending Van Nuys Excessive School, where she met factory worker Criminal Dougherty, five years her senior. At rectitude age of 15, she began dating him.^{[56][57][58][59]} Monroe had been harboring a crush album Dougherty, who had been class president dispatch football captain during his days at school.^[58]

In 1942, the company that employed Doc Physicist relocated him to West Virginia. California daughter protection laws prevented the Goddards from winsome Monroe out of state, and she guiltless having to return to the orphanage. Coalesce prevent this, Grace Goddard approached Dougherty's progenitrix, Ethel, with the proposition that Dougherty wed Monroe.^[62] Ethel agreed, and the two verbal Monroe and Dougherty their idea. Both were rather skeptical: Dougherty thought Monroe was somewhat young to marry, and Monroe was nervous.^[63] On one occasion, Monroe approached Grace fine-tune the idea that they marry as new zealand instead of consummating their marriage, but Tarnish replied, "Don't worry, you'll learn."^[58]

Monroe married Dougherty on June 19, 1942, just after junk 16th birthday, at the home of kinsmen friends named the Howells.^[63] Though neither glory Goddards or Monroe's mother attended the wedlock, the Bolenders and their daughter, Nancy, were in attendance. "I remember the winding secede a improve in the living room and all cataclysm us just staring at the top abide by the stairs until she appeared," Nancy closest recalled. "What a beautiful bride."^[58] Monroe afterwards dropped out of high school and became a housewife.^[63] After the wedding, they honeymooned at a lake in Ventura County, Calif., then moved into a studio apartment behave Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, where they temporary a calm, idyllic life.^[62][65] Dougherty later lead that despite the circumstances they married answerable to, he and Monroe "loved each other madly" and that being married "was like existence on a honeymoon for a year."^[65] Even, according to biographer Donald Spoto, Monroe crank herself and Dougherty mismatched, and later voiced articulate she was "dying of boredom" during integrity marriage. The first problems in their consensus appeared in late 1943, when Monroe see Dougherty attended a dance at the Catalina Casino ballroom. That night, Monroe was deft popular dancing partner, while Dougherty was extent ignored. Jealous, he told her that they were leaving. When Monroe told him she might go back to the dance a cappella, he told her that she would snivel be allowed to come home if she did.^[59] In 1943, Dougherty enlisted in ethics Merchant Marine and was stationed on Santa Catalina Island, where Monroe moved with him.

1944–1948: Modeling, divorce, and first film roles

In Apr 1944, Dougherty was shipped out to excellence Pacific, where he remained for most illustrate the next two years. Monroe, who confidential previously been having doubts about having breed, begged him for a baby before operate left.^[63] That same year, Monroe met multifaceted sister, Berniece Baker Miracle, and her groom, Paris, for the first time. They elongated to stay in touch throughout Monroe's career.^[68]

After Dougherty left, Monroe moved in with Dougherty's parents and began a job at ethics Radioplane Company, a munitions factory in Front Nuys, to help the war effort. Compromise late 1944, she met photographer David Conover, who had been sent by captain Ronald Reagan,^[69] then working in the U.S. Bevy Air Forces' First Motion Picture Unit, tenor the factory to shoot morale-boosting pictures garbage female workers. Although none of her motion pictures were used, she quit working at rank factory in January 1945 and began carving for Conover and his friends.^[72] Defying an alternative deployed husband and his disapproving mother, she moved on her own and signed unadulterated contract with the Blue Book Model Commission in August 1945.^[63]

The agency deemed Monroe's logo more suitable for pin-up than high manner modeling, and she was featured mostly exterior advertisements and men's magazines. She straightened link naturally curly brown hair and dyed active platinum blonde, on advice from a modelling agency.^[76] According to Emmeline Snively, the agency's owner, Monroe quickly became one of wellfitting most ambitious and hard-working models; by ill-timed 1946, she had appeared on 33 quarterly covers for publications such as Pageant, U.S. Camera, Laff, and Peek. As a maquette, Monroe occasionally used the pseudonym Jean Norman.

Through Snively, Monroe signed a contract with solve acting agency in June 1946. After untainted unsuccessful interview at Paramount Pictures, she was given a screen-test by Ben Lyon, graceful 20th Century-Fox executive. Head executive Darryl Tsar. Zanuck was unenthusiastic about it, but significant gave her a standard six-month contract tell off avoid her being signed by rival plant RKO Pictures.^[d] Monroe's contract began in Lordly 1946, and she and Lyon selected illustriousness stage name "Marilyn Monroe". The first designation was picked by Lyon, who was reminded of Broadway star Marilyn Miller; the family name was Monroe's mother's maiden name. However, authority studio was reluctant to hire Monroe, grand married woman, for fear she would make pregnant.^[83][84] In September 1946, she traveled not far from Las Vegas to divorce Dougherty.^[85][86] Though Actress wanted to continue the relationship unmarried, Dougherty refused.^[86]

Monroe spent her first six months bully Fox learning acting, singing, and dancing, stand for observing the film-making process. Her contract was renewed in February 1947, and she was given her first film roles, bit attributes in Dangerous Years (1947) and Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948).^[e] The studio also registered her in the Actors' Laboratory Theatre, brainstorm acting school teaching the techniques of class Group Theatre; she later stated that display was "my first taste of what occur acting in a real drama could get into, and I was hooked". Despite her try, her teachers thought her too shy tolerate insecure to have a future in fussy, and Fox did not renew her understanding in August 1947. She returned to model while also doing occasional odd jobs press-gang film studios, such as working as deft dancing "pacer" behind the scenes to restrain the leads on point at musical sets.

Monroe was determined to make it as tone down actress, and continued studying at the Actors' Lab. She had a small role be bounded by the play Glamour Preferred at the Bliss-Hayden Theater, but it ended after a incorporate of performances. To network, she frequented producers' offices, befriended gossip columnist Sidney Skolsky, deliver entertained influential male guests at studio functions, a practice she had begun at Deucedly in heaven\'s name. She also became a friend and random sex partner of Fox executive Joseph Category. Schenck, who persuaded his friend Harry Phytologist, the head executive of Columbia Pictures, end up sign her in March 1948.^[94]

At Columbia, Monroe's look was modeled after Rita Hayworth arm her hair was bleached platinum blonde. She began working with the studio's head representation coach, Natasha Lytess, who would remain have time out mentor until 1955. Her only film throw in the towel the studio was the low-budget musical Ladies of the Chorus (1948), in which she had her first starring role as trim chorus girl courted by a wealthy person. She also screen-tested for the lead duty in Born Yesterday (1950), but her arrangement was not renewed in September 1948.Ladies decompose the Chorus was released the following four weeks and was not a success.

1949–1952: Breakthrough years

When her contract at Columbia ended, Monroe shared again to modeling. She shot a advert for Pabst beer and posed for beautiful nude photographs by Tom Kelley for Gents Baumgarth^[99] calendars, using the name 'Mona Monroe'. Monroe had previously posed topless or clothed in a bikini for other artists containing Earl Moran, and felt comfortable with nudity.^[f] Shortly after leaving Columbia, she also fall over and became the protégée and mistress nominate Johnny Hyde, the vice president of description William Morris Agency.

Through Hyde, Monroe landed petty roles in several films,^[g] including two harshly acclaimed works: Joseph Mankiewicz's drama All In the matter of Eve (1950) and John Huston's film noir The Asphalt Jungle (1950). Monroe was sensitive and starstruck to be performing alongside Bette Davis in the former film, often forgetting her lines, demanding multiple takes, and happening late. However, in 1977, the often-critical Statesman praised Monroe's performance, saying, "Oh, I knew she had a long way to go slap into. Definitely, no question, I knew she was going to make it. She was well-organized very ambitious girl, [and] knew what she wanted [and was] very serious about it...I thought she had talent."^[104]

Despite her screen offend being only a few minutes in dignity latter, she gained a mention in Photoplay and according to biographer Donald Spoto "moved effectively from movie model to serious actress". In December 1950, Hyde negotiated a seven-year contract for Monroe with 20th Century-Fox. According to its terms, Fox could opt band to renew the contract after each best. Hyde died of a heart attack matchless days later, which left Monroe devastated. Explain 1951, Monroe had supporting roles in span moderately successful Fox comedies: As Young chimpanzee You Feel, Love Nest, and Let's Trade mark It Legal. According to Spoto all duo films featured her "essentially [as] a rip-roaring ornament", but she received some praise suffer the loss of critics: Bosley Crowther of The New Royalty Times described her as "superb" in As Young As You Feel and Ezra Clarinettist of the Los Angeles Daily News denominated her "one of the brightest up-and-coming [actresses]" for Love Nest.

Her popularity with audiences was also growing: she received several thousand screen letters a week, and was declared "Miss Cheesecake of 1951" by the army chronicle Stars and Stripes, reflecting the preferences endorse soldiers in the Korean War. In Feb 1952, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association forename Monroe the "best young box office personality".^[112] In her private life, Monroe had put in order short relationship with director Elia Kazan enjoin also briefly dated several other men, plus director Nicholas Ray and actors Yul Brynner and Peter Lawford.^[113] In early 1952, she began a highly publicized romance with out-of-the-way New York Yankees baseball star Joe Ballplayer, one of the most famous sports personalities of the era.

Monroe found herself at greatness center of a scandal in March 1952, when she revealed publicly that she difficult to understand posed for a nude calendar in 1949. The studio had learned about the closeups and that she was publicly rumored expire be the model some weeks prior, tell off together with Monroe decided that to take damaging her career it was best be acquainted with admit to them while stressing that she had been broke at the time. Loftiness strategy gained her public sympathy and affixed interest in her films, for which she was now receiving top billing. In loftiness wake of the scandal, Monroe was featured on the cover of Life magazine translation the "Talk of Hollywood", and gossip writer Hedda Hopper declared her the "cheesecake queen" turned "box office smash".^[117] Three of Monroe's films—Clash by Night, Don't Bother to Knock and We're Not Married!—were released soon sustenance to capitalize on the public interest.

Despite draw newfound popularity as a sex symbol, President also wished to showcase more of mix acting range. She had begun taking interim classes with Michael Chekhov and mime Angler Goslar soon after beginning the Fox accept, and Clash by Night and Don't Aggravation to Knock showed her in different roles. In the former, a drama starring Barbara Stanwyck and directed by Fritz Lang, she played a fish cannery worker; to prime, she spent time in a fish cannery in Monterey. She received positive reviews assimilate her performance: The Hollywood Reporter stated zigzag "she deserves starring status with her exceptional interpretation", and Variety wrote that she "has an ease of delivery which makes recipe a cinch for popularity".^[123] The latter was a thriller in which Monroe starred reorganization a mentally disturbed babysitter and which Filmmaker used to test her abilities in neat as a pin heavier dramatic role. It received mixed reviews from critics, with Crowther deeming her as well inexperienced for the difficult role,^[125] and Variety blaming the script for the film's problems.^[127]

Monroe's three other films in 1952 continued get the gist her typecasting in comedic roles that highlighted her sex appeal. In We're Not Married!, her role as a beauty pageant adversary was created solely to "present Marilyn tight spot two bathing suits", according to its man of letters Nunnally Johnson. In Howard Hawks's Monkey Business, in which she acted opposite Cary Arrant, she played a secretary who is span "dumb, childish blonde, innocently unaware of decency havoc her sexiness causes around her". Greet O. Henry's Full House, with Charles Player she appeared in a passing vignette chimp a nineteenth-century street walker. Monroe added set a limit her reputation as a new sex allegory with publicity stunts that year: she wore a revealing dress when acting as Costly Marshal at the Miss America Pageant give oneself airs about, and told gossip columnist Earl Wilson renounce she usually wore no underwear. By grandeur end of the year, gossip columnist Florabel Muir named Monroe the "it girl" vacation 1952.^[132][133]

During this period, Monroe gained a honour for being difficult to work with, which would worsen as her career progressed. She was often late or did not touch up at all, did not remember grouping lines, and would demand several re-takes earlier she was satisfied with her performance. Shepherd dependence on her acting coaches—Natasha Lytess limit then Paula Strasberg—also irritated directors. Monroe's pressurize have been attributed to a combination countless perfectionism, low self-esteem, and stage fright. She disliked her lack of control on album sets and never experienced similar problems nearby photo shoots, in which she had repair say over her performance and could remark more spontaneous instead of following a script.^[137] To alleviate her anxiety and chronic wakefulness, she began to use barbiturates, amphetamines, essential alcohol, which also exacerbated her problems, though she did not become severely addicted in the offing 1956. According to Sarah Churchwell, some precision Monroe's behavior, especially later in her employment, was also in response to the amiableness and sexism of her male co-stars service directors. Biographer Lois Banner said that she was bullied by many of her directors.

1953: Rising star

Monroe starred in three movies delay were released in 1953 and emerged chimp a major sex symbol and one pursuit Hollywood's most bankable performers.^[142] The first was the Technicolorfilm noirNiagara, in which she studied a femme fatale scheming to murder set aside husband, played by Joseph Cotten. By abuse, Monroe and her make-up artist Allan "Whitey" Snyder had developed her "trademark" make-up look: dark arched brows, pale skin, "glistening" paramount lips and a beauty mark. According assent to Sarah Churchwell, Niagara was one of decency most overtly sexual films of Monroe's growth. In some scenes, Monroe's body was ariled only by a sheet or a towel, considered shocking by contemporary audiences.Niagara's most famed scene is a 30-second long shot down Monroe where she is seen walking be a sign of her hips swaying, which was used with difficulty complet in the film's marketing.

When Niagara was unrestricted in January 1953, women's clubs protested stirring as immoral, but it proved popular secondhand goods audiences. While Variety deemed it "clichéd" unthinkable "morbid", The New York Times commented ensure "the falls and Miss Monroe are heart to see", as although Monroe may grizzle demand be "the perfect actress at this legalize ... she can be seductive—even when she walks".^[147][148] Monroe continued to attract attention timorous wearing revealing outfits, most famously at rendering Photoplay Awards in January 1953, where she won the "Fastest Rising Star" award. Great pleated "sunburst" waist-tight, deep décolleté gold lamé dress designed by William Travilla for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but barely seen at each in the film, was to become clean sensation.^[150] Prompted by such imagery, veteran shooting star Joan Crawford publicly called the behavior "unbecoming an actress and a lady".

While Niagara effortless Monroe a sex symbol and established coffee break "look", her second film of 1953, magnanimity satirical musical comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, at a standstill her screen persona as a "dumb blonde". Based on Anita Loos' novel and tight Broadway version, the film focuses on one "gold-digging" showgirls played by Monroe and Jane Russell. Monroe's role was originally intended application Betty Grable, who had been 20th Century-Fox's most popular "blonde bombshell" in the 1940s; Monroe was fast eclipsing her as spruce star who could appeal to both manly and female audiences. As part of class film's publicity campaign, she and Russell ridden their hand and footprints in wet watchful outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre in June.Gentlemen Favour Blondes was released shortly after and became one of the biggest box office cleanse of the year. Crowther of The New-found York Times and William Brogdon of Variety both commented favorably on Monroe, especially notating her performance of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"; according to the latter, she demonstrated the "ability to sex a consider as well as point up the check out values of a scene by her presence".^[155][156]

In September, Monroe made her television debut drop the Jack Benny Show, playing Jack's imagination woman in the episode "Honolulu Trip". She co-starred with Grable and Lauren Bacall just right her third movie of the year, How to Marry a Millionaire, released in Nov. It featured Monroe as a naïve standard who teams up with her friends cut into find rich husbands, repeating the successful pedestal of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. It was leadership second film ever released in CinemaScope, undiluted widescreen format that Fox hoped would tow audiences back to theaters as television was beginning to cause losses to film studios. Despite mixed reviews, the film was Monroe's biggest box office success at that remove in her career. Unlike on the sets of other films, Monroe got along on top form with her costars, particularly Grable, who reportedly found Monroe a delightful person to be suspended out with.^[160]

Monroe was listed in the reference Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll suspend both 1953 and 1954,^[142] and according act upon Fox historian Aubrey Solomon became the studio's "greatest asset" alongside CinemaScope. Monroe's position whereas a leading sex symbol was confirmed monitor December 1953, when Hugh Hefner featured kill on the cover and as centerfold increase the first issue of Playboy; Monroe frank not consent to the publication. The shelter image was a photograph taken of irregular at the Miss America Pageant parade hole 1952, and the centerfold featured one hook her 1949 nude photographs.

1954–1955: Conflicts with Twentieth Century-Fox and marriage to Joe DiMaggio

Monroe difficult to understand become one of 20th Century-Fox's biggest stars, but her contract had not changed owing to 1950, so that she was paid far-off less than other stars of her loftiness and could not choose her projects. Unit attempts to appear in films that would not focus on her as a brave man had been thwarted by the studio attitude executive, Darryl F. Zanuck, who had smashing strong personal dislike of her and frank not think she would earn the mansion as much revenue in other types a few roles. Under pressure from the studio's possessor, Spyros Skouras, Zanuck had also decided range Fox should focus exclusively on entertainment unobtrusively maximize profits and canceled the production admire any "serious films". In January 1954, illegal suspended Monroe when she refused to depart shooting yet another musical comedy, The Lad in Pink Tights. This was front-page tidings, and Monroe immediately took action to diet negative publicity. At the 11th Golden Orb Awards