Marilyn Monroe - biography of Marilyn Monroe

early years

Marilyn Monroe's childhood could not be called happy. At birth she was given the name Norma Jeane Mortenson. She was born on June 1, 1926. Her mother, Gladys Pearl Baker, already had two children from her first marriage, but after the divorce they remained with their father. Norma Jeane's father was recorded as Gladys's second husband, Martin Edward Mortensen, but according to the official version, they separated even before pregnancy. At her baptism, Norma Jeane was recorded under the last name of Gladys' first husband, John Newton Baker. So the identity of the movie star’s father remains unknown to this day.

Soon after birth, the mother gave the girl to a family of guardians. This was a common practice in America; if parents were very busy at work, they would give their children to families to keep an eye on them. Gladys worked very hard and could not devote enough time to look after the baby. During her childhood and youth, Norma Jeane changed many guardians. But she still tried to see her daughter on weekends and sometimes even took her with her to Los Angeles. In 1933, her mother took her away from her guardians and settled with her in Hollywood. But in 1934, Gladys was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and she was placed in a hospital, where she remained until her death in 1984. The girl began to be raised by Grace McKee, a friend of her mother, but after about two years she sent the girl to her relative, however then she was forced to live with Grace again. That same year, while she was in high school, Norma Jeane met James Dougherty. She soon married him, dropped out of school and moved with him to West Virginia. There, at the age of 17, she began working at an aircraft factory. In June 1945, she was noticed by a photographer who came to photograph women working in factories; he was fascinated by the young Norma Jeane and offered her a fee for shooting. Soon the future movie star quit her job at the factory to become a model. The fact of the absence of a permanent home and family comfort undoubtedly left an imprint on the life of the future actress. Perhaps that is why her personal life was quite difficult.

Childhood

Marilyn was born in the American city of Los Angeles on June 1, 1926, her real name was Norma Jean.

The baby's mother, Gladys Pearl Baker (maiden name Monroe), worked as an editor at the RKO Pictures film studio. On her mother's side, Norma Jean's grandmother was Irish, her grandfather was Scottish, so European blood flowed in the veins of the girl who was born.

The name of Norma Jeane's real father was unknown; she was recorded with the slightly distorted surname of her mother's last husband, an emigrant from Norway, Martin Edward Mortensen. When she was baptized at the age of six, her mother changed her surname to Baker (this is the surname of the first husband of Marilyn Monroe's mother).

When Marilyn was already famous, she once made a statement that as a child her mother showed her a photo of her real father, he was a traveling salesman for the RKO Pictures film studio, Charles Stanley Gifford. However, the actress’s biographers did not take this statement seriously. The fact is that her mother Gladys had many lovers at that time and most likely herself did not know exactly who Norma Jeane’s father was.

Gladys had two more children from previous marriages, but they did not live with her, as her mother was experiencing serious financial and psychological problems. She was not ready to raise a third child, so little Norma Jeane ended up in a foster family two weeks after birth. Nevertheless, the mother sometimes saw her baby.

Norma Jeane lived in the family of Albert and Ida Bolender until she was eight years old. They had one child of their own; they took the rest of the children under their guardianship in order to subsist on child benefits. It cannot be said that Norma’s early years were joyful and cloudless. Sometimes her mother visited her and organized holidays, buying the girl ice cream.

In 1933, Norma Jeane's mother took her into her own home. But they did not live together for long. The mother had bad mental heredity; her parents ended their lives in a psychiatric clinic. So she began to have seizures more and more often, she cried and laughed at the same time, as a result, the orderlies took Gladys on a stretcher to the appropriate medical facility.

Norma was taken in by her mother's friend Grace Atkinson McKee. Everything was fine, Grace loved the girl and took custody of her. It was she who was the first to take the baby to the cinema, teach her how to use cosmetics and consider the talent inherent in her nature, and said that she would turn out to be a famous film actress. But a year later Grace got married, and a month later the newly-made couple sent the girl to an orphanage because they lacked money. So Norma Jeane ended up in the Los Angeles Orphanage and received number 3463.

Several families tried to adopt Norma Jeane, but were unsuccessful because Gladys' mother refused to sign the documents. Sometimes the girl was taken in by Grace McKee again. But due to the fact that her husband and his son from her first marriage sexually harassed Norma Jeane, she each time sent her ward to her aunts - either in Compton to Aunt Olivia Brunings, or in Van Nuys to Aunt Anya Lowe.

Norma Jean lived in Van Nuys for almost four years and considers this period to be the calmest of her entire childhood and youth.

Norma Jeane considered going to the movies to be her greatest happiness in her childhood; she loved it madly and called all the screen characters her friends. She spent the money that she was sometimes given on movie tickets, and could sit alone in the cinema hall in front of a huge screen from morning to evening in complete delight. The girl did not miss a single detail of what happened in the film.

Having changed so many foster families, an orphanage, someone's endless relatives, the girl actually turned out to be so lonely that the closest person in her life was a woman from the cinema screen - actress Jean Harlow, whom Norma idolized and dreamed of someday seeing in reality. . This dream was not destined to come true because Jean Harlow died very early, at the age of 26. But Norma Jeane achieved more in life: she not only became the same dazzling blonde, but also conquered the whole world.

Carier start

In 1945, Norma Jeane was able to get a job at a modeling agency in Los Angeles, which gave her more chances to develop a modeling career. The agency considered her suitable for a pin-up, and so she began to appear in magazines. Her image was changed, her curly hair was straightened, and later she became blonde. Her husband, James, did not like her new occupation and they began to have disagreements, and in the end their relationship completely deteriorated. Although Marilyn Monroe's first marriage did not bring her much love, it greatly helped her career. Perhaps if Marilyn had not moved with her husband to Virginia and started working at a factory where a photographer noticed her, she would never have become a star.

In 1946, Norma Jeane was noticed in the film industry and signed a contract with 20 Century Fox. She adopted the pseudonym "Marilyn Monroe", inspired by actress Marilyn Miller, but decided to leave a link to her past by taking her mother's maiden name. At first, her work at the studio was insignificant or coldly received by the public. In 1948, she signed a contract with Columbia Pictures and at the same time the musical Chorus Girls was released, in which she received the main role, but it was not successful and she soon left the studio.

In 1948, she had rhinoplasty and a prosthesis implanted in her jaw to make her appearance more in line with Hollywood standards. In addition, the newly minted actress still remained a model; in 1949 she posed nude in a photo shoot organized by Tom Kelly.

Marilyn Monroe in 1945.

Career

Norma did not think of connecting her life with acting. She did not consider herself talented and capable. When the girl was 17 years old, she got a job at an aviation industry.

Norma worked diligently and acquired skills. The turning point in her life happened when a team of photographers arrived at the plant.

At that time, World War II was going on. The photographers had a special mission. They were tasked with taking a series of photographs of the plant and its workers. The footage was to go to the newspaper for an article that would increase the motivation and resilience of the military.

One of the team members, David Conover, noticed a beautiful girl. He invited Norma to work as a model. After some deliberation, Norma agreed.

In 1945, the girl began working with Conover. She posed for him and his friends, and received money for it. There was enough money to live on.

Conover advised Norma to try becoming a professional model. The girl listened to his advice and 6 months later signed the first contract in her life with a modeling agency.

It was then that Norma was radically changed. Company employees came up with a new image and pseudonym for the girl, Jean Baker. They dyed her hair platinum and gave her a charming hairstyle.

After some time, Jean became a successful model. One day billionaire Howard Hughes saw her. He was fascinated by the girl's charm and beauty. The man suggested that Jean become a film actress.

The girl happily agreed to the billionaire's proposal. So she began working at 20th Century Fox with director Ben Lyon. Ben didn't like the stage name Jean Baker. He decided to come up with another, more sonorous pseudonym for the girl.

Jane decided to take her mother's last name, Monroe. But I had to tinker with the name. Gene and Ben thought for a long time, but then the director noticed that the girl was unusually similar to the film actress Marilyn Miller. So Norma got a new pseudonym, Marilyn Monroe, for which she became famous throughout the world.

For a long time, Monroe was not invited to act in films. Marilyn wasn't upset. She believed that she was not yet ready to become a professional actress. However, the girl continued to improve. She attended dance and acting classes, learned to sing and learned the basics of film production.

In 1947, Marilyn starred in several films. She played undeciding leading roles, but the experience helped the girl move up the career ladder.

A year later, Monroe decides to break away from cinema and return to a modeling agency. However, here the girl is invited to work at the Columbia Pictures film studio.

But cooperation with the company did not allow the girl to become popular. But Marilyn met a lot of famous people who gave her some good advice regarding her acting in films.

Two years later, in 1950, Marilyn returned to work at the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was then that she received her small but significant role in the film “The Asphalt Jungle.”

The actress played a character who appeared in the frame for just a minute. The girl took on the role of the heroine with all her heart. Probably because of this, film critics noticed her fleeting appearance in films.

Marilyn Monroe gained real popularity after starring in the film “All About Eve,” which won 6 Oscar awards.

A year later, the actress starred in several comedies. They began to actively discuss the girl. Film critics promised Monroe incredible popularity. And so it happened.

Now annoying reporters persistently hovered around Marilyn, who loved to discuss the actress’s complicated life. The girl often appeared in newspapers naked. Thus, Monroe became not just popular, but a real star, a sex symbol of the United States of America.

In 1952-1953, the actress starred in several films, which later became mega-popular. Monroe played with famous actors of that time: Jane Russell, Cary Grant, Fred Allen.

Monroe gradually gained the image of an original, naive girl, deprived of intelligence and intelligence, but endowed with incredible beauty and charm.

The actress herself performed songs in films. One of her most famous compositions was “I Wanna Be Loved By You,” which was performed in the film “Some Like It Hot.”

The girl liked her new image of a stupid blonde. She performed the roles with ease. However, Monroe wanted something more, for example, to play in a drama. But Marilyn was afraid that she would not succeed. And the directors didn’t want to cast her in serious roles.

In 1961, the actress managed to make her dream come true. A couple of months before her death, she played the dramatic role of Roslyn Taber in the film The Misfits.

The beginning of success

Marilyn Monroe was offered cameo roles in several films that came out in 1950, including The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve. Her appearance was noted by the press, which brought her success and a seven-year contract with 20 Century Fox. Then she starred in several more films, and was again noticed by critics. To develop her acting skills, she took lessons from Mikhail Chekhov. And pretty soon she became a crowd favorite. Also, her personal life remained very diverse; the actress had affairs with several men at once, including directors and actors.

In 1952, Marilyn Monroe was first cast in leading roles, and at the same time there was a scandal over nude photographs of the actress that she took in 1949. However, she managed to convince the public that this was a necessary measure due to her difficult financial situation at that time. And this only made her films more popular. In 1952, she starred in several more films; the actress tried very hard to expand her acting scope and appear on screen only as a doll decorating the frame, but as an actress capable of embodying a comedic or dramatic role.

A breakthrough in Marilyn Monroe's career can be considered her role in the film "Niagara" in 1953. Thanks to this film, the actress received her recognizable makeup, designed by makeup artists to make her stand out more. The film contained rather explicit scenes with the actress. It was very well received by the public, although it was criticized by the press. That same year, two successful films were released in which Monroe starred: “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “How to Marry a Millionaire.” After them, the actress finally secured her status as a sex symbol.

Diet recipe

But the Marilyn Monroe diet involves more than just exercise. As you know, Monroe had a great respect for red wine, and, according to experts, it also made a certain contribution to the formation of the actress’s beautiful figure. As you know, modern nutritionists recommend red wine as a product for those who want to lose weight. But the only thing is that such wine can stimulate the appetite. And in order to prevent this from happening, it is necessary to adhere to the diet that the famous singer used. She would take a bottle of red wine and drink it throughout the day. You can't drink everything at once, you need to drink a little. And such a diet should last two to three days. If you feel very hungry these days, you can eat one apple.

Strengthening our position in the film industry

In 1954, Marilyn Monroe had a conflict with the studio 20 Century Fox, which even suspended the contract with the actress because of her refusal to appear in some films on the grounds that she wanted to devote herself to more serious films. That same year, she married baseball player Joe DiMaggio, whom she began dating back in 1952. The newlyweds left for Japan and later the actress traveled around Korea. Upon returning to the States, she won the "Most Popular Actress" award and signed a new contract with the studio and began work on the film "The Seven Year Itch", which featured her most recognizable scene where she holds up her white dress while standing over an air vent. Although this scene became iconic for the actress, it also completely ruined the relationship between Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, which was already difficult due to his jealousy. However, their relationship continued even during the divorce in 1954, which did not stop the actress from dating others.

Following the success of Marilyn Monroe, she opened her own production company with photographer Milton Greene in 1955. The actress explained her decision by saying that she wanted to play really worthy roles, and the studio continued to make her a sexy fool and did not allow her to grow as an actress. She has also dedicated herself to improving her skills as an actress. At the end of 1955, Monroe managed to sign a contract with 20 Century Fox on new terms that suited the actress.

Personal life of Marilyn Monroe

The actress was not married for 8 years. Only in 1954 did she marry one of the best baseball players in history, Joe DiMaggio. However, Marilyn's new husband was very jealous and against this background he often raised his hand against the movie star. Because of all this, the marriage did not last long - they divorced in the same year (to be more precise, this marriage lasted about 9 months). But, even despite all Joe’s assault, he loved Monroe very dearly.

In 1950, Marilyn Monroe met Arthur Miller, a playwright. After a short conversation they had to part ways. Their new meeting took place in 1955, after which a romance broke out, and in 1956 they got married. This marriage turned out to be the longest of all the stars had, but not the happiest.

Monroe always wanted a man like Miller, but he considered her childish. On top of that, Marilyn Monroe dreamed of having children, but she either couldn’t get pregnant or the pregnancy was unsuccessful. Monroe and Miller separated in 1961.

There are also rumors of a romance between Monroe and John Kennedy, who was US President from 1961-1963. But they have no official confirmation.

New Horizons

In 1956, the actress decided to take an important step and officially changed her name to Marilyn Monroe. Also in 1956, she married playwright Arthur Miller, whom she began dating during her divorce from Joe DiMaggio. Many said that this would ruin her career, since Arthur Miller was under surveillance by the FSB due to suspicions of communism. However, this did not bother the actress, even though the press spoke negatively about their relationship. For the sake of her husband, Marilyn converted to Judaism. Also in 1956, the film “Bus Antonovka” was released, after which the actress received the reaction she had been hoping for for so long, the press called her a real actress and she even received a nomination for the Golden Globe. When the actress was busy filming in England, she suffered a miscarriage and after that she decided to devote time to her family and take a break from work. In 1957, she managed to get pregnant again, but the pregnancy had to be terminated because it was ectopic. A year later she had another miscarriage. Against the backdrop of all these problems caused by her endometriosis, Marilyn's dependence on drugs worsened, she even ended up in the hospital with an overdose of barbiturates. In 1958, the actress starred in the film Some Like It Hot, but problems often arose on the set; Monroe had a conflict with the director. She needed many takes because she would forget her lines. In 1959, the film was released and became a breakthrough of sorts for Monroe; she received a Golden Globe. Throughout her life as a Hollywood actress, Monroe fought for her position in the film industry; recognition of her acting talent was important to her, but her reputation as a beauty, which developed early in her career, greatly hindered her in this.

Version 1. Murder organized by the Kennedy brothers

At the end of 1954, Monroe bought a diary. She often recorded dialogues there with John Kennedy, who, during conversations with friends, discussed issues related to politics, or discussed certain decisions made by the government. Of course, these conversations should not have been heard by strangers.

Abusing alcohol and illegal substances, from time to time falling into despondency, Marilyn Monroe, whose height and weight always delighted men, posed a serious threat to Kennedy: if she had told the world about their relationship, then their whole life would have collapsed into one moment.

After the death of the actress, someone rummaged through her things. The diary was never discovered. It is unknown who it was: intelligence agents or someone else, and it is also unclear whether they had anything to do with Monroe’s death. The phone was picked up. It also remains a mystery with whom Monroe spoke before her death - no recording of this conversation was found at the station.

Career decline

While filming one of the films, Monroe aroused the director's dislike because she missed filming days and was late. Her reputation at the studio began to decline, she was considered not the most serious actress and she often did not meet deadlines. This was only confirmed on the set of the film “The Misfits,” released in 1961. The script was written by her husband, with whom she no longer had a relationship at that time, and after filming they separated. Filming was difficult. Monroe had health problems, pain from gallstones aggravated her drug addiction, and even had to stop filming so that the actress could detoxify in the hospital. The film was received rather coldly by critics. After the release of the film, the actress took care of her health; she underwent surgery and was in the hospital. In 1962, she began filming the film “Something’s Gotta Give,” but even before filming began, the actress fell ill, but the studio never rescheduled it, citing the fact that Monroe was feigning illness. She appeared in New York, where she sang “Happy birthday, Mr. President" on the birthday of John F. Kennedy, whom she met personally in 1961 and with whom she was rumored to have had an affair. This episode also became iconic in her life, like the scene on the subway hatch; it became the calling card of the actress. The studio was extremely unhappy with the movie star's behavior, and she was eventually fired from 20 Century Fox and sued for disrupting filming. The film that was started was never completed, although the studio changed the decision to fire Monroe and in the summer of 1962 offered her a new contract, although their relationship was established, all their joint plans were disrupted by the death of the actress.

Marilyn: film career

The luxurious platinum blonde with an inimitable smile and alluring gaze starred in her first episodic roles. The films were frankly weak and passable, but the aspiring actress rejoiced at every opportunity to learn acting. Monroe dreamed of playing real, dramatic roles and took private lessons from emigrant Mikhail Chekhov, a Russian actor who had previously served at the Moscow Art Theater. Along the way, she studied at Lee Strasberg's acting studio in New York, and read Russian classics on Chekhov's advice.

Marilyn Monroe - a luxurious blonde with an inimitable smile and an alluring gaze. Alas, directors mercilessly exploited the image of a dim-witted but attractive sex bomb, and Marilyn starred in “Love Nest” (1951), “Clash in the Night” (1952), “Niagara” (1953 ). Her role in the films “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “How to Marry a Millionaire” (both filmed in 1953) brought her universal admiration and overwhelming popularity. Against the backdrop of unprecedented success, crowds of fans and daily declarations of love, Marilyn remained internally lonely, fearing disappointment from young Norma.

Marilyn Monroe in the film “How to Marry a Millionaire” In 1956, Monroe starred opposite John Murray in the melodramatic comedy “Bus Stop” and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the first time in her acting career. Then the actress worked in the joint British-American project “The Prince and the Showgirl” (1957). Her partner and at the same time the director of the film was Laurence Olivier. Marilyn Monroe - I Wanna Be Loved By You (from the film Some Like It Hot) And again Monroe was among the nominees (now at the British Film Academy) as best foreign actress, but... the prize went to Simone Signora. And only after the film “Some Like It Hot/Some Like It Hot”, American film critics finally recognized her as the best comedic actress and in 1960 Marilyn received her first ever cinematic prize – the Golden Globe for her role as Darling.

Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable in the film “The Misfits” Monroe finally got the very dramatic role that she had dreamed of for so long. The actress played practically herself: a desperate divorced woman, disillusioned with men, traveling with two cowboy friends in the hope of finding work. She starred in the film “The Misfits” (1961) together with the spectacular Montgomery Clift and the still charismatic Clark Gable, for whom this work, like for Marilyn, turned out to be the last in the cinema. Marilyn Monroe on the set of the film “Something’s Gotta Give” ( which was never finished)

Death

The official cause of death of the movie star is suicide through an overdose of barbiturates, to which the actress was addicted. The investigation carried out after her death leaves no other guesses; the dose found in Monroe's blood far exceeded the permissible limit, and it was also confirmed that it was not a murder. The actress's body was discovered by her housekeeper on the night of August 5, 1962. Monroe had a very unstable mental state, especially in recent years, when she began to have severe health problems. She had panic attacks and was severely depressed, which her doctors later confirmed. Also, her personal life was largely the reason for her depressed state; Monroe had several unsuccessful pregnancies and she never managed to become a mother. And her relationships with men, although very intense, did not bring her satisfaction. The actress seemed to have been looking for true love all her life, but most of her relationships did not lead to anything serious, often her relationships ended as quickly as they began, and not all men treated her appropriately, some even used violence against the woman.

Many called the actress a victim of the hype inflated around her life by the press. Her death hit her audience hard, and suicides even increased in Los Angeles. She was an inspiration to many. The story of her life instilled in people faith in the possibility of a better life. The actress had a difficult childhood, she never saw her father and did not even know who he was, but she achieved great heights and became a favorite of people.

PS An unforgettable legacy

The image of Marilyn Monroe began to be exploited almost immediately after her death. Thousands of women around the world to this day try to be like her, at least externally, since few people manage to understand the inner world of the actress, even Hollywood imitators, starting with Jayne Mansfield and ending with Scarlett Johansson. “Marilyn Monroe. The Last Session" Documentary maker Patrick Jedi created the film "Marilyn Monroe. Last session." The investigation is also carried out in the journalistic documentary film “Evidence from the Past. Marilyn Monroe" (2017). Many artistic films have been created, in one of which, “7 Days and Nights with Marilyn” (2011), the fatal blonde is played by Michelle Williams. For this role, the actress received a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination. Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe in the film 7 Days and Nights with Marilyn (trailer)

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Interesting facts from the life of a star

Facts about Merlin:

Norma was adopted 11 times and was constantly returned to the shelter.
While working at the factory, the girl was engaged in painting airplanes and checking parachutes.
The star is naturally brown-haired. She was advised to become a blonde at the agency where she began her career.
The celebrity often quarreled with directors because of her frequent tardiness. Problems also arose during filming, as Marilyn often forgot the text.
The intelligence level of the gorgeous blonde is 168 points. The woman always loved to read.
Favorite writers: Freud and Leo Tolstoy.
Norma was never thin, although she ate little and could go hungry all day, drinking only juice.
Marilyn was catastrophically unlucky in her personal life. She married 3 times, but all marriages were unsuccessful.
The actress died due to an overdose of psychotropic medications at the age of 36.
All her life the woman suffered from severe depression, so she constantly took medication. In the morning - antidepressants to improve mood, and in the evening barbiturates - for sleep.
Marilyn's mood often changed, and she could experience unreasonable fear.

A colleague on stage considers the star a victim of sensations and inflated scandals, but to this day people remember her, honor her and try to imitate her.