More Than You Need To Know - Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe was once asked, “What do [you] wear in bed?” Her reply simply was “Why, Chanel No. 5, of course.” Marilyn Monroe’s life and afterlife has always interested me and I have researched her several times in the past. Today I will inform you about her.

The Life

Marilyn Monroe original name was Norma Jeane Morteson and was then later changed to Norma Jeane Baker. Norma Jeane according to Biography.com “overcame a difficult childhood to become of the worlds biggest and most enduring sex symbols” (A&E Biography, 2007). Norma Jeane was born June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles, California. No one knew that she was to become, according to marilynmonroe.com, “a personified Hollywood glamour with an unparalleled glow and energy that enamored the world” (2006).

Norma Jeane never knew her father and her mother became psychotic and was swiftly sent to a mental institution. Norma Jeane spent most of her early life in foster care and in an orphanage. Norma Jeane knew the only way out of the orphanage was to get married. So that is exactly what she did to her boyfriend at the time. Unfortuanly he had to go serve in the war in the South Pacific in 1942.

While he was away Norma Jeane did play! She went to work in a munitions factory where she was later discovered by photographer David Conover who classified her as a “photographer’s dream” (marilynmonroe.com, 2006). When her husband returned in 1946, Norma Jeane was already a successful model. That same year, Norma Jeane obtained her first movie contract and divorced her husband to pursue her career.

Biography.com states that with Norma Jeane’s first movie contract “she began calling herself ‘Marilyn Monroe’ and dyed her hair blonde.” (A&E Biography, 2007) However, it wasn’t until the 1950’s that Marilyn Monroe’s career took flight with the movies The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve. She later sealed her acting career with a kiss with the movies Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), How to Marry a Millionaire, There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954), and The Seven Year Itch (1955).

However Marilyn Monroe grew tired of these bubbly blonde movies and later went on to take more dramatic roles which she gained mostly acclaim for. However, she went back to comedy in Some Like It Hot with Jack Lemmon. She won a Golden Globe Award and Best Actress in a Comedy.

Her last three films mirrored the downfall of Marilyn Monroe. The first two were Let’s Make Love (1960) and her last completed film The Misfits (1961). Her third film was supposed to be Something’s Got to Give (1962) opposite of Dean Martin. She was fired from the production because of excessive absences and the movie was put on the shelf.

The Love

Now let's get seedy. Marilyn Monroe's love story starts as Norma Jeane Baker when she marries her boyfriend Jimmy Daughtry to get out of the orphanage life style. Marilynmonroe.com states that Daughtry described Norma Jeane as “a sweet, generous, and religious girl…who liked to be cuddled” (2006). While overseas, Daughtry heard about a hot new model that all of his bunkmates were ogling and decided to take a peek himself. Imagine his surprise when he found out that it was his wife! Their marriage only lasted 4 years from 1942-1946.

On January 14, 1954, Marilyn got married to baseball star Joe DiMaggio. They were happily married until Joe grew insanely jealous as Marilyn went overseas to entertain “the boys”. Joe didn’t feel comfortable having thousands of men ogling his girl. Their marriage lasted about nine months. They dubbed their marriage ended because of “conflict of careers”.

On June 29, 1956, Marilyn married playwright Arthur Miller. According to Biography.com, Arthur Miller “wrote the part of Roslyn Taber in 1961's The Misfits especially for Marilyn” (2007). Unfortunately it wasn’t her greatest movie role and her marriage had already ended. However, she managed to win the female World Film Favorite in 1962.


Her greatest romance was more of a love affair with the President of the United States John F. Kennedy. No one truly knows the extent of their affair, but it was clearly evident that there was one. There was several steamy phone calls between both brothers, letters, and Monroe’s disillusioned fantasy of becoming First Lady according to trutv.com (2008). During JFK’s 45th birthday, Marilyn Monroe was chosen to sing the traditional birthday song. But she changed the lyrics to “Happy Birthday Mr. President” and she sung it as sultry as she could in a skin colored, skin tight dress that had to be sewn onto her body. One clear indication of their affair is stated in the book Conspiracy. It offers the evidence of “the Rolex watch given to JFK by Marilyn Monroe, inscribed with the ‘Heartfelt Plea’: ‘Let Me Love or Let Me Die’ ” (Charlotte Greig, 2006). Some even believe that Marilyn Monroe was double dipping with Robert Kennedy, but there is no clear proof.

The Death

On August 5, 1962, the world was stunned with shocking news. Marilyn Monroe, age 36, was found dead in her bedroom with pills in one hand a phone in the other. But there are several questions that still remain. Did Marilyn Monroe OD on Nembutal capsules, or die from a rectally-administered barbiturate enema, or was she murdered? According to trutv.com, “The actual events that surrounded Marilyn's death will probably never be known” (2008).

Marilyn Monroe was known to be suicidal and have serious mood swings. So the committing suicide angle is highly reasonable. The question is why did she commit suicide? There have been many reports, even by cops, that Robert Kennedy was last seen leaving Monroe’s home the night before she was found dead. Some say that he broke the news to her that his brother wanted nothing to do with her anymore. While others believe that Robert killed her because she was threatening his family’s reputation by knowing too much. It has also been said the CIA, Mafia, and the FBI also had it out for Monroe.

Many believe that there is proof that Monroe was murdered. It has been said that miles and miles of wiretaps were found in Monroe’s home in the ceiling. In one of the tapes, a “little red” diary is mentioned that supposedly holds the truth why the Kennedy’s would want to kill Monroe. The “little red” diary was never found. Many say these claims are true while other’s do not. It depends on if you believe in the conspiracy or not. What everyone does know for a fact is that Marilyn Monroe’s death was a shock to everyone.

I shall now end with a quote that I believe sums up Marilyn Monroe’s life. “Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul”.



photos provided by:
www.howstuffworks.com
www.marilynmonroe.com
www.marisolecitosuiteofmarilynmonroe.com
www.ncu.edu.tw