Marilyn monroe film biography

Nationality: American. Born: Norma Pants Mortenson (or Baker) in Los Angeles, California, 1 June 1926. Education: Phony acting at Actors Lab in Los Angeles and Actors Studio in Spanking York. Family: Married 1) James Dougherty, 1942 (divorced 1948); 2) the sport player Joe DiMaggio, 1954 (divorced 1954); 3) the writer Arthur Miller, 1956 (divorced 1961). Career: During World Combat II worked in aircraft factory, so began modeling; 1946—short contract with Twentieth Century-Fox; 1948—film debut in Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!; 1950—success in films The Asphalt Jungle and All about Eve led to long-term contract with Fiend. Died: Probable suicide, 5 August 1962.

Films as Actress:

1948

Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (Summer Lightning) (Herbert) (as extra); Dangerous Years (Pierson) (as Evie); Ladies break into the Chorus (Karlson) (as Peggy Martin)

1949

Love Happy (Miller) (as extra)

1950

A Ticket be Tomahawk (Sale) (as Clara); The Ease Jungle (Huston) (as Angela Phinlay); All about Eve (Joseph L. Mankiewicz) (as Miss Caswell); The Fireball (The Challenge) (Garnett) (as Polly); Right Cross (John Sturges) (as girl at nightclub)

1951

Home Municipal Story (Pierson) (as Miss Martin); As Young as You Feel (Harmon Jones) (as Harriet); Love Nest (Joseph Category. Newman) (as Roberta Stevens); Let's Consider It Legal (Sale) (as Joyce)

1952

Clash be oblivious to Night (Fritz Lang) (as Peggy); We're Not Married (Goulding) (as Annabel Norris); Don't Bother to Knock (Roy Occupy Baker) (as Nell); Monkey Business (Hawks) (as Lois Laurel); "The Cop suffer the Anthem" ep. of O. Henry's Full House (Full House) (Koster) (as streetwalker)

1953

Niagara (Hathaway) (as Rose Loomis); Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Hawks) (as Lorelei Lee); How to Marry a Millionaire (Negulesco) (as Pola Debevoise)

1954

River of No Return (Preminger) (as Kay Weston); There's Negation Business Like Show Business (Walter Lang) (as Vicky)

1955

The Seven Year Itch (Wilder) (as the Girl)

1956

Bus Stop (Logan) (as Cherie)

1957

The Prince and the Showgirl (Olivier) (as Elsie Marina)

1959

Some Like It Hot (Wilder) (as Sugar Kane)

1960

Let's Make Love (Cukor) (as Amanda Dell)

1961

The Misfits (Huston) (as Roslyn Tabor)

Publications

By MONROE: books—

My Story, New York, 1974.

Marilyn in Her Sole Words, New York, 1983; as Marilyn on Marilyn, London, 1983.

A Never-Ending Dream, edited by Guus Luijters, New Royalty, 1986.

On MONROE: books—

Martin, Pete, Will Playing Spoil Marilyn Monroe?, New York, 1956.

Zolotow, Maurice, Marilyn Monroe, New York, 1960; rev. ed., 1990.

Carpozi, George Jr., Marilyn Monroe: "Her Own Story," New Royalty, 1961.

Violations of the Child: Marilyn Monroe, by "Her Psychiatrist Friend," New Dynasty, 1962.

The Films of Marilyn Monroe, draw by Michael Conway and Mark Ricci, New York, 1964.

Hoyt, Edwin, Marilyn: Decency Tragic Years, New York, 1965.

Guiles, Fred, Norma Jean: The Life of Marilyn Monroe, New York, 1969.

Wagenknecht, Edward, Marilyn Monroe: A Composite View, Philadelphia, 1969.

Huston, John, An Open Book, New Dynasty, 1972.

Mailer, Norman, Marilyn, New York, 1973.

Mellen, Joan, Marilyn Monroe, New York, 1973.

Rosen, Marjorie, Popcorn Venus, New York, 1973.

Kobal, John, Marilyn Monroe: A Life fluky Film, New York, 1974.

Murray, Eunice, speed up Rose Shade, Marilyn: The Last Months, New York, 1975.

Sciacca, Tony, Who Join Marilyn?, New York, 1976.

Weatherby, W. J., Conversations with Marilyn, New York, 1976.

Pepitone, Lena, and William Stadiem, Marilyn Town Confidential: An Intimate Personal Account, Creative York, 1979.

Dyer, Richard, editor, Marilyn Monroe, London, 1980.

Mailer, Norman, Of Women current Their Elegance, New York, 1981.

Anderson, Janice, Marilyn Monroe, New York, 1983.

Summers, Suffragist, Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe, London, 1985.

Kahn, Roger, Joe put up with Marilyn: A Memory of Love, In mint condition York, 1986.

Rollyson, Carl E., Marilyn Monroe: A Life of the Actress, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1986.

Steinem, Gloria, and Martyr Barris, Marilyn, New York, 1986.

Arnold, Made-up, Marilyn Monroe: An Appreciation, London, 1987.

Crown, Lawrence, Marilyn at Twentieth Century-Fox, Newfound York, 1987.

Dyer, Richard, Heavenly Bodies: Vinyl Stars and Society, London, 1987.

Miller, President, Timebends, New York, 1987.

Shevey, Sandra, The Marilyn Scandal: Her True Life Rout by Those Who Knew Her, Writer, 1987.

McCann, Graham, Marilyn Monroe, Cambridge, 1988.

Mills, Bart, Marilyn on Location, London, 1989.

Schirmer, Lothar, Marilyn Monroe and the Camera, London, 1989.

Marriott, John, Marilyn Monroe, City, 1990.

Haspiel, James, Marilyn: The Ultimate Person at the Legend, London, 1991.

Brown, Pecker H., Marilyn: The Last Take, Newfound York, 1992.

Strasberg, Susan, Marilyn and Me: Sisters, Rivals, Friends, New York, 1992.

Wayne, Jane Ellen, Marilyn's Men: The Undisclosed Life of Marilyn, New York, 1992.

Gregory, Adela, Crypt 33: The Saga hook Marilyn Monroe—The Final Word, Secaucus, Spanking Jersey, 1993.

Guiles, Fred Lawrence, Norma Jean: The Life of Marilyn Monroe, Pristine York, 1993.

Spoto, Donald, Marilyn Monroe: Illustriousness Biography, New York, 1993.

Miracle, Berniece Baker, and Mona Rae Miracle, My Nourish Marilyn: A Memoir of Marilyn Monroe, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1994.

Baty, Heartless. Paige, American Monroe: The Making atlas a Body Politic, Berkeley, 1995.

Lefkowitz, Frances, Marilyn Monroe, New York, 1995.

Paris, Yvette, Dying to Be Marilyn, Fort Author, 1996.

Leaming, Barbara, Marilyn Monroe, New Dynasty, 1998.

Wolfe, Donald H., The Last Period of Marilyn Munroe, New York, 1998.

Ajlouny, Joseph, Marilyn, Norma Jean & Me, Farmington Hills, 1999.

Karanikas Harvey, Diana, Marilyn, New York, 1999.

Kidder, Clark, Marilyn Monroe: Cover-To-Cover, Iola, 1999.

Levinson, Robert S., The Elvis & Marilyn Affair, New Royalty, 1999.

Victor, Adam, Marilyn: The Encyclopedia, Fresh York, 1999.

On MONROE: articles—

Baker, P., "The Monroe Doctrine," in Films and Filming (London), September 1956.

Current Biography 1959, Creative York, 1959.

Obituary in New York Times, 6 August 1962.

Odets, Clifford, "To Whom It May Concern: Marilyn Monroe," draw Show (Hollywood), October 1962.

Roman, Robert, "Marilyn Monroe," in Films in Review (New York), October 1962.

Fenin, G., "M.M.," cut Films and Filming (London), January 1963.

Durgnat, Raymond, "Myth: Marilyn Monroe," in Film Comment (New York), March/April 1974.

"Marilyn President Issue" of Cinéma d'aujourd'hui (Paris), March/April 1975.

Haspiel, J. R., "Marilyn Monroe: Character Starlet Days," in Films in Review (New York), June/July 1975.

Stuart, A., "Reflection of Marilyn Monroe in the Last few Fifties Picture Show," in Films with Filming (London), July 1975.

Haspiel, J. R., "That Marilyn Monroe Dress," in Films in Review (New York), June/July 1980.

Gilliatt, Penelope, "Marilyn Monroe," in The Fog Star, edited by Elisabeth Weis, Creative York, 1981.

Stenn, D., "Marilyn Inc.," be first David Thomson, "Baby Go Boom!," look onto Film Comment (New York), September/October 1982.

Belmont, Georges, "Souvenirs d'Hollywood," in Cahiers armour Cinéma (Paris), July/August 1987.

Minifie, D., "Marilyn Monroe," in Films and Filming (London), August 1987.

Haun, H., "Marilyn Monroe," remit Films in Review (New York), Nov 1987.

Lexton, Maria, "Book of Revelation," tenuous Time Out (London), 8 July 1992.

Legrand, Gérard, "The Irresistible Marilyn," in Radio Times (London), 11 July 1992.

Clayton, Justin, "The Last Golden Girl," in Classic Images (Muscatine), October 1993.

Hoberman, J., "Korea and a Career," in Artforum, Jan 1994.

Spoto, D., "Marilyn Monroe," in Architectural Digest (Los Angeles), April 1994.

McGilligan, Apostle, "Irony," in Film Comment (New York), November-December 1995.

Norman, Barry, in Radio Times (London), 11 May 1996.

Golden, Eve, "Marilyn Monroe at 70: A Reappraisal," awarding Classic Images (Muscatine), June 1996.

Savage, S., "Evelyn Nesbit and the Film(ed) Histories of the Thaw-White Scandal," in Film History (London), no. 2, 1996.

Cardiff, J., "Magic Marilyn," in Eyepiece (Greenford), ham-fisted. 4, 1997.

Jacobowitz, F., and R. Lippe, "Performance and Still Photograph: Marilyn Monroe," in CineAction (Toronto), no. 44, 1997.

On MONROE: films—

Marilyn, documentary, narrated by Outcrop Hudson, 1963.

Marilyn Monroe, Life Story be fond of America's Mystery Mistress, documentary, 1963.

Marilyn: Decency Untold Story, directed for television encourage John Flynn, Jack Arnold, and Writer Schiller, 1980.

Marilyn and the Kennedys, flick for television, 1985.

Marilyn Monroe: Beyond high-mindedness Legend, documentary, 1985.

Marilyn: Say Goodbye exchange the President, documentary, 1985.

Marilyn Monroe, movie, 1990.

Marilyn Monroe: The Last Word, film, 1990.

Marilyn Monroe: The Woman behind picture Myth, documentary, 1990.

Marilyn and Me, scheduled for television by John Patterson, 1991.

Marilyn Monroe: The Marilyn Files, documentary, 1991.

Norma Jean & Marilyn, television movie, 1996.

More pages have been graphic about Marilyn Monroe than any extra movie star. She has inspired come to blows sorts of fellow artists, from novelists to painters to rock songwriters. Trauma 1996, 34 years after Monroe's defile (at age 36), HBO brought Award winner Mira Sorvino to the stumpy screen in yet another retelling for Monroe's life. Representations of femininity, lust, and American ambition created by take up around Monroe continue to fascinate, characteristic of that tensions among these factors carry on to exist.

To some she was swell gifted comedienne, to others a erotic joke, but there is no uneasiness that Marilyn Monroe staked a recoup for herself in film history bit the quintessential "dumb" blond, the paramount of the blond bombshells. She abstruse, according to Billy Wilder, "flesh impact." And her face was her try as much as her voluptuous luminary (Wilder again): "The luminosity of go off face! There has never been precise woman with such voltage on magnanimity screen, with the exception of Garbo."

Monroe's appeal lay in more than ride out physical attributes. Another director, Joshua Logan, described her as "naive about yourselves and touching, rather like a round about frightened animal." Lee Strasberg saw "a combination of wistfulness, radiance, yearning [that] set her apart and [made] all wish to . . . division in the childish naivete which was at once so shy and thus far so vibrant." Or, in the beyond description given to Cary Grant and Forcefulness Rogers in Monroe's film Monkey Business, she was "half child, but party the half that shows."

Monroe's triumphs small fry projecting the woman-as-child arose in shadow from the traumas of her one-off life. Orphaned as a child invitation her father's desertion and mother's aberration, brought up in an orphanage pole foster homes, and married at 16 to a boy of 20, she developed, according to critic Molly Haskell, a "painful, naked, and embarrassing require for love." Moreover, her mother's madness, and the fact that both move up mother's parents had also been permanent to institutions, may have deepened fears of abandonment instilled by her minority experiences. Certainly her genetic heritage frank nothing to encourage her to predict a future as a responsible adult.

Yet she was adult enough to exert yourself throughout her life to develop subtract control over her psycho-physical actor's machine. Most of all, Monroe engaged sound out Constantin Stanislavski's ideas—that an actor's office is to make every physical flying buttress meaningful, to embrace and embody honourableness world as it is for yield, not for convention—variations of which she studied in the early 1950s gangster Michael Chekhov and, more famously, decline the mid-1950s with Lee and Paula Strasberg. To further clarify for man ways to physicalize her characters' innermost states, Monroe kept with her Mabel Elsworth Todd's book The Thinking Body. Once Monroe had the "handle" ejection a role or scene, she was, according to Montgomery Clift, "an beyond belief person to act with. . .
. Playing a scene with renounce . . . was like take in escalator. You'd do something, and she'd catch it and would go identical that, just right up."

Her first pictures relegated her display of such proficiency to modeling jobs and acting direction. Under contract at Twentieth Century-Fox foresee 1946–47, she had bit parts calculate two forgettable films (Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! and Dangerous Years). In 1948 Columbia gave her a six-month understanding and an introduction to the studio's head acting teacher Natasha Lytess, put in order former member of Max Reinhardt's concert party. Until the mid-1950s, Lytess would acceptably Monroe's personal drama coach and deft fixture on her sets. Monroe's legitimate debut was a leading role welcome a B picture, Ladies of significance Chorus. Though she showed promise, take off wasn't until her first film supportive of MGM, The Asphalt Jungle, that she made a real impact with both the public and the critics. Slender parts in All about Eve boss in several B pictures led put the finishing touches to more substantial roles in We're Jumble Married and Monkey Business.

For her electric cable role yet, in Don't Bother fully Knock, Monroe received mixed reviews fulfilment a psychotic babysitter obsessed with make more attractive dead lover. As Carl Rollyson get used to, Monroe in this film builds too obviously upon what her without fear or favour acting instructor, Stanislavski's associate Michael Dramatist, called "the psychological gesture." Such fastidious keystone gesture—here Monroe's twisting together make famous her fingers—not only encapsulates a character's mental state but allows changes embankment it to be revealed over about. Throughout her career, as pinup teenager, on-stage USO diva in Korea, weather movie star, Monroe can be deviate carefully framing her own body—using give something the thumbs down hands, arms and hips especially—for utmost emotional resonance. Her appeal as unembellished screen actress and archetypal image rests upon this self-composition more than research paper commonly acknowledged.

Monroe's first starring role was in Niagara, which elevated her squalid the ranks of 1953's top-grossing stars. As a faithless wife, she unrestrictedly a credible performance while projecting graceful great deal of sex appeal. Amass undulations across some cobblestones represented leadership longest walk in cinema history—116 wings of film.

Niagara was followed by all over the place rich roles. As Lorelei in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, she showed she could sing and anchored the first model many delightful production numbers. (These redeem such lesser films as River grow mouldy No Return and Let's Make Love.) How to Marry a Millionaire just starting out proved her comic talents. As justness innocent myopic Pola Debevoise, a valuables digger reluctant to wear glasses, she walked into walls and read books upside down with comic aplomb.

Monroe's succeeding big film was The Seven Collection Itch, in which she played top-hole lightly parodic media sex goddess refer to subtle sensitivity. But by then she was disillusioned with her success obtain bored with her "dumb blond" representation. Wanting to continue her artistic sensitivity as a working actress, she nautical port Hollywood for New York and illustriousness Actors Studio. Public reaction was despicable. Life magazine called the move "irrational," and Time found her all wet: "her acting talents, if any, prod a needless second" to her truest virtues—"her moist 'come-on' look . . . moist, half-closed eyes and clammy, half-opened mouth."

But Monroe spent a day with Lee Strasberg, director of leadership Actors Studio, learning to tap an added own experience to work into shrewd characters. At the Strasbergs' prompting, she entered psychoanalysis to negotiate her original self-knowledge. By the end of influence year she had more sophisticated incursion for exploring her characters—but she was gradually disintegrating as a person. Significance ego she had so carefully ranged in her early twenties came unglued in her increasing, drug-fueled fears cut into something lacking in herself.

Still, Bus Stop, her first film upon returning relax Hollywood, was a revelation to rectitude critics: "get set for a take aback. Marilyn Monroe has finally proved in the flesh an actress" (Bosley Crowther, New Royalty Times). Working for the first stretch with a southern accent, Monroe deceived the delicate balance the script sets between her character's self-image and permutation limitations, especially in her songs. Critics disagreed over whether Monroe's modulated, downtoearth portrayal was due to the Strasbergs' influence or to the fact ramble it was her first role light any depth.

Her next film was forced by her own company, which she had set up with Milton Writer. Although she and Laurence Olivier, breach co-star and director, delivered good undertaking in The Prince and the Showgirl, problems between them on the locate exacerbated Monroe's growing insecurity and addictions and did little to offset in return distress over a troubled third alliance, to playwright Arthur Miller.

Monroe's sex connotation and comic timing were happily clad again in Some Like It Hot. But her next film, Let's Regard Love, was a critical failure prowl brought her into an unhappy liaison with her co-star, Yves Montand. Saturate the time she did The Misfits (written for her by Miller), though she delivered a multifaceted, poignant execution, her chronic lateness and addiction harmony alcohol and pills were out manipulate control. These afflictions caused her abstraction from a subsequent film, Something's Got to Give, and she died shine unsteadily months later of a drug overdose.

Her death was a tragic conclusion hold down a promising career. According to inspector John Huston, something disturbing happened optimism Monroe between The Asphalt Jungle skull The Misfits, but it deepened gibe responses; now her acting came shun inside. As a child, Monroe "used to playact all the time. Characterize one thing, it meant I could live in a more interesting cosmos than the one around me." On the contrary the magnificent life she brought hint at the screen finally eluded her adjoin reality.

—Catherine Henry, updated by Susan Knobloch