Marilyn Monroe biography, happy birthday, jfk, real name, age and cause of death

Marilyn Monroe Biography

Marilyn Monroe – America's legendary sex appeal icon of the 1950s who drove everyone wild, from blue-collar workers to presidents alike. Her film roles, never recognized by the Academy (the Hollywood icon was never nominated for an Oscar), are known worldwide: "The Seven Year Itch" (director Billy Wilder), "Bus Stop" (Joshua Logan), "The Prince and the Showgirl" (Laurence Olivier), "Some Like It Hot" (Billy Wilder)... The life, career, and mysterious death of the era's most incomparable blonde still fascinate her countless fans today.

Childhood and Family

If any Hollywood star had a childhood she'd rather forget, it was Marilyn Monroe. Born June 1, 1926, in a Los Angeles hospital charity ward, she never learned who her real father was. Her new mother, Gladys Pearl Monroe, named her daughter Norma Jean and listed her second husband – Martin Mortensen – as the father, though she'd already left him before discovering her pregnancy.

Some sources list Gladys's first husband – John Nathan Baker – as the parent, but by then the mother had been divorced from him for years. At baptism, Norma took his surname. Later, another paternity theory emerged, repeatedly mentioned by Norma's mother. She claimed she'd conceived her daughter with Charles Stanley Gifford during a brief affair while working at Consolidated Film Industries.

But nobody took these claims seriously, since Gladys was developing a hereditary mental illness that landed her in Norwalk State Hospital more and more frequently. The woman feared for her mental health, believing she'd inherited "bad genes" from her father, Otis Monroe. When her father died, her mother Della Monroe declared him mentally ill. In reality, the man died from syphilis of the brain, which he'd contracted while working in unsanitary conditions in Mexico.

After her husband's death, Della led a rather loose life and neglected her parental duties. Gladys inherited a similar attitude toward family life and parenthood. She married her first husband at 14 (he was 26), became a mother twice in the next two years, but quickly grew cold toward both her spouse and children, who stayed with their father.

Gladys moved to Hollywood and landed a job at a film studio as an assistant editor, working under Grace McKee. The two became friends and shared an apartment together. Gladys married Martin Mortensen, who, as mentioned earlier, was most likely Marilyn's biological father, but filed for divorce just four months later and moved back in with Grace.

So on the morning of June 1, 1926, a baby girl was born who was destined to become the brightest movie star of the 20th century. Once again, Gladys wasn't about to take on the heavy burden of motherhood. In those days, it was common practice in the US for poor families to place their children with well-off families. The foster parents received social payments from the government, while the children grew up warm and well-fed. Della advised Gladys to place newborn Norma with Ida and Albert Bolender, who were already raising two biological children and one foster child.

Albert and Ida Bolender, Marilyn Monroe's foster family

The Bolenders weren't wealthy, but they weren't struggling either. Receiving $25 a week for Norma, the couple honestly fulfilled their duties as guardians. Gladys would sometimes visit the little girl, take her for walks, buy her ice cream, then return her to the Bolenders – devoutly religious and strict people who banned any form of entertainment in their home. More than anything, Norma looked forward to her mother's visits – at least she let her say "mama," unlike the pointedly cold Aunt Ida.

Little Norma's only escape was a stray dog named Tippy. The Bolenders let the girl keep the pet when she promised she'd take care of him herself. But shortly after Norma's 7th birthday, an enraged neighbor shot Tippy because of his loud barking. After this incident, Gladys took Norma to live with her in a rented apartment.

It would be naive to think this incident would make Gladys become a good mother. Norma was left to fend for herself, went to school, but quickly fell behind. Soon enough, Gladys lost a big chunk of her monthly income – her great-grandfather died, and the old man had been regularly sending her money since they had a good relationship. Gladys's own salary was tiny, and now her daughter needed food... The woman fell into hopeless depression and after several suicide attempts was committed to the "Cedars of Lebanon" psychiatric hospital, from which she never emerged.

Marilyn Monroe's mother outlived her daughter and died at a very old age

Little Norma was saved from the orphanage by Grace McKee, Gladys's friend from the film studio. She became Norma's guardian, and a bright period began in the girl's life. Grace showered Norma with gifts, bought her beautiful dresses, and never tired of telling her how beautiful she was. But the fairy tale ended when Grace married Erwin Goddard, and her chosen one brought his daughter from his first marriage into the house. Grace insisted that Norma stay and live with them, but her new husband earned so little that they couldn't support two children. There was no longer room for the adopted daughter in their home.

Norma ended up in an orphanage. Grace visited her regularly every Saturday. When the girl turned 11, McKee took her out of the orphanage. One evening, while Grace was at work, Erwin got drunk and tried to rape Norma. Grace returned just as he was pinning the girl down with his body and trying to remove her clothes. A scandal erupted, and Norma got it too – Grace was jealous of her husband. The victim was left with a stutter as a reminder of this incident.

Norma's situation took a sharp turn for the worse. She tracked down a distant relative, Ida Martin, who was the future actress's great-aunt. Grace easily let Norma go to her relatives and even threw Ida a dollar or two for maintaining the "problem" teenager, since the woman was already raising three grandchildren. And problems really did appear soon enough: Ida caught Norma in "forbidden pleasures" with another grandson.

That's how Norma ended up with Anna Lower, Grace's aunt. The woman had no children of her own, so she poured all her unused love onto Norma. Anna wasn't bothered by her ward's poor grades – she believed it was enough for a girl to learn to read and write, and that beauty and charm would definitely help her get by in life. Norma's passion was cinema – she spent all her pocket money on movie tickets.

Marilyn Monroe as a teenager (circa 1940)

Unfortunately, Anna was seriously ill, and by her 15th birthday, Norma had to return to Grace and her rapist husband's family. But her troubles ended there: Erwin ignored his stepdaughter and didn't bring up that incident, Norma grew close to his daughter Bebe, and also began working on eliminating her stutter, which took her three years.

Youth

The poverty and loneliness that followed the girl from birth left their mark on her entire future.

Not from great love, but from the melancholy that had settled in her soul, sixteen-year-old Norma accepted the proposal of 20-year-old James (Jim) Dougherty (sources vary on whether he was an aircraft factory worker or an undertaker), hoping to find the desperately needed stability and care in married life.

Her new husband gave her neither, and soon left to sea with the merchant marine. America was at war, and Norma, never finishing school, got a job at an aircraft factory, mainly because it was close to home.

James Dougherty, Marilyn Monroe's first husband

In 1944, military photographer David Conover came to the factory, shooting a series of inspiring shots for a military magazine. And he completely changed the gray life of the orphan.

Struck by the sexual magnetism of the charming "girl-next-door," the photographer paid her $5 for an hour of posing. He sent the photographs to modeling agencies, and soon Norma was gracing the covers of numerous magazines.

Photos that turned Norma Jean's life upside down

1946 brought her first contract with 20th Century Fox studio, divorce from Dougherty, a complete makeover, and a new name: Norma became Marilyn. From her past life, only her mother's maiden name remained – Monroe.

Film Career

The stunning platinum blonde with her inimitable smile and alluring gaze started out in minor episodic roles. The films were frankly weak and forgettable, but the budding actress cherished every opportunity to learn the craft of acting. Monroe dreamed of playing real, dramatically rich roles and took private lessons with émigré Mikhail Chekhov, a Russian actor who had previously served at the Moscow Art Theatre. She also studied at Lee Strasberg's acting studio in New York and, on Chekhov's advice, read Russian classics.

Marilyn Monroe - a gorgeous blonde with an inimitable smile and alluring look

Unfortunately, directors ruthlessly exploited her image as a ditzy but irresistible sex bomb, and Marilyn appeared in "Love Nest" (1951), "Clash by Night" (1952), and "Niagara" (1953). Universal acclaim and skyrocketing popularity came with her roles in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "How to Marry a Millionaire" (both made in 1953). Despite unprecedented success, crowds of fans, and daily declarations of love, Marilyn remained internally lonely - still the vulnerable young Norma, afraid of disappointment.

Marilyn Monroe in the movie How to Marry a Millionaire

In 1956, Monroe starred opposite Don Murray in the melodramatic comedy "Bus Stop" and received her first Golden Globe nomination of her acting career. The actress then worked on the joint British-American project "The Prince and the Showgirl" (1957), with Laurence Olivier as both her co-star and the film's director.

Marilyn Monroe - I Wanna Be Loved By You

Once again Monroe was among the nominees (this time at the British Academy), as Best Foreign Actress, but... the prize went to Simone Signoret. Only after "Some Like It Hot" did American film critics finally recognize her as the best comedic actress, and Marilyn won her first-ever film award in 1960 - the Golden Globe for her role as Sugar Kane.

Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable in the movie The Misfits

Monroe finally got that dramatic role she'd dreamed of for so long. The actress was essentially playing herself: a desperate, disillusioned divorcée traveling with two cowboy friends hoping to find work. She starred in "The Misfits" (1961) alongside the striking Montgomery Clift and the still-charismatic Clark Gable, for whom this work, like for Marilyn, would be his last film.

Marilyn Monroe Screen Test - Something's Got To Give (1962)

Marilyn Monroe's Personal Life

After avoiding serious relationships for years, the actress finally took the plunge and married for the second time in 1954. Her choice was Sicilian immigrant and Major League Baseball player Joe DiMaggio. Self-absorbed and used to fan worship himself, DiMaggio couldn't handle his wife's incredible popularity. The marriage didn't last a year. Joe's destructive jealousy, especially after Monroe's filming of "The Seven Year Itch" (1955) – the movie everyone remembers for that billowing dress scene – led to a violent scandal and subsequent divorce.

Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch

In 1956, the actress married for the third time, this time to playwright and recognized American intellectual Arthur Miller. Their mutual interest had sparked much earlier, but serious romance only developed after Marilyn divorced DiMaggio and Miller's own marriage was falling apart. The wedding ceremony was modest, with only relatives and close friends in attendance.

Marilyn Monroe and her ex-husbands: James Dougherty (left) and Joe DiMaggio (right)

Despite her professional success, some kind of curse seemed to hang over America's most glamorous blonde when it came to family life, which crashed and burned for the third time. All the men Marilyn Monroe officially decided to tie her fate to practically worshipped their chosen one before the wedding. But once they became husbands, they seemed to forget what kind of woman they were living with and tried their hardest to remake her in their image, to turn Marilyn into an ordinary, earthbound woman.

Marilyn Monroe and third husband Arthur Miller

Her third divorce in 1961 plunged Marilyn into desperate depression. She couldn't create the strong, happy family she'd dreamed of since childhood. What remained were movies, public adoration, fleeting romances and... alcohol, which she used to wash down sleeping pills.

Death

On May 29, 1962, America celebrated the 45th birthday of its youngest president, John Kennedy. The gala reception at Madison Square Garden echoed with the sultry "Happy Birthday, Mr. President, Happy Birthday to you." A beautiful woman sang from the stage to her beloved and, as she believed, loving man. Soon her most cherished dream would come true – she'd have the most wonderful family and become the most unforgettable First Lady of the United States!

Marilyn Monroe sings Happy Birthday to the US President

...Such thoughts and even statements were attributed to Marilyn Monroe, whose charm, sexuality, and sincerity captivated even the country's president. What really happened, the direct participants in that unfolding drama can no longer tell us. We can only imagine what storms raged in the soul of Jacqueline Kennedy, the president's official wife, what role the president's brother Robert played in the swift resolution, and what John Kennedy himself kept silent about. That cherished dream was never meant to come true.

Marilyn Monroe - the sex appeal of 1950s America

Two months passed after the birthday celebration. On August 5, Marilyn's housekeeper called police because she found it unusual to see lights in her employer's windows at such an odd hour. Police found the actress in her bedroom, with a telephone receiver in her hand, and recorded her death. The doctor's conclusion, which later sparked countless theories about Marilyn Monroe's demise, read: "Probable suicide." But the personality of the presumed suicide victim was such that neither journalists nor her fans could believe the official version.

Rumors emerged about the Kennedy clan's involvement in the beloved star's death, as well as the mafia and intelligence services, or that Monroe's personal psychologist had driven her to suicide. The actress's mysterious death haunted researchers of all kinds – books were written, films were made. At just 36 years old, the talented and beautiful Marilyn Monroe left this world with her final words from an interview with Richard Meryman: "Please don't make me a joke."

Marilyn Monroe is buried in a crypt at Westwood Cemetery in Los Angeles

P.S. An Unforgettable Legacy

Marilyn Monroe's image began being exploited almost immediately after her death. Thousands of women around the world still try to resemble her, at least outwardly, since few manage to understand the actress's inner world – not even Hollywood imitators, from Jayne Mansfield to Scarlett Johansson.

Documentarian Patrick Jeudy created the 2008 film "Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days." The investigation continues in the documentary "The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe" (2017). Numerous feature films have been made, including "My Week with Marilyn" (2011), where the iconic blonde is played by Michelle Williams. For this role, the actress won a Golden Globe and received an Oscar nomination.

Wanda Schultz

I don`t understand what is attractive about Monroe`s appearance. Maybe before people had another view of beauty.

2021-04-20 22:34:01
Ruby Peterson

Not everybody knew that Monroe was working very seriously on her vocal and she used to sing in many places.

2021-03-25 14:27:58
Linda Davis

She song very great, but as an actress to be honest she is not so good.

2021-03-23 13:50:48
Barbara Edwards

I would like to see modern Monroe, I think she was really an angel.

2021-03-16 20:30:28
Carla Fox

I can`t wait when they will release the movie about Marilyn and there is a nice actress.

2021-02-20 11:21:59

Photos: Marilyn Monroe