Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jean Baker, became a Hollywood legend.  She filmed twenty-nine films in her sixteen year career.  Through her actions and many of her movies, she proved to the world that blondes don’t have to be dumb.  Even though she suffered a horrible early life, she moved past that and rose to fame.  Her tragic death will always be remembered by he fans then and now.

            Norma Jean Baker, or Norma Jeane Mortenson, was born on June 1, 1926 in Los Angles, California.  Her mother, a film editor, went by Gladys Monroe Mortenson or Gladys Pearl Baker, and often had mental breakdowns.  Norma Jean would never know the identity of her father, though she had searched to find him.  When Gladys suffered a mental breakdown and was hospitalized, Norma Jean’s life was changed forever.  A series of foster homes and orphanages became her life and set her fate in motion. 

            Norma Jean went to twelve foster homes throughout her young life.  Her first seven years were spent in the foster home of Albert and Ida Bolender.  In reference to her years there, Norma Jean said that they raised her very strictly.  Her exact words were, “They were terribly strict… they didn’t mean any harm…it was their religion.  They brought me up harshly.” (http://www.ellensplace.net/mmbio3.html).  In the course of her life, when she was just eight years old, she was sexually mistreated by one of her foster parents. Later on, she would take an extremly drastic measure to escape the life of foster home after foster home.

            A family friend, Grace McKee, had a very big influence on the girl that would one day be a star.  Grace was the person that told Norma Jean that she would one day be a movie star.  Many people said that Grace absolutely loved and adored her.  Grace also loved the actress Jean Harlow.  Grace’s influence over Norma Jean was so strong that she would later say that Jean Harlow was her idol.(http://ellensplace.net/mmbio.html)

            On June 19, 1942, she became Mrs. Jim Dougherty, who was twenty- one at the time.  Norma Jean was only sixteen at the time that Grace McKee arranged the marriage, agiving Norma Jean no say in the matter.  In 1944, Jim was sent oversees a year after he joined the Merchant Marines.  Norma Jean was granted a divorce in 1946, just four years after their marriage.  She would later say that she had been dying of boredom in their marriage because they had nothing to say to each other.  (http://www.ellensplace.net/mmbio.html).

            During her first marriage, Norma Jean was discovered by photographers.    In 1944, to show women’s efforts towards the war, she was photographed in a factory that inspected parachutes.  The photographer David Conner asked to be able to take more pictures of her later on.  By 1945, she had appeared in thirty- three magazines.  Norma Jean signed a contract with Twentieth Century Fox Studios on July 23, 1946 for one hundred and twenty-five dollars a week. Ben Lyon suggested her name be changed, and so it was, to Marilyn Monroe.  Her long, brown hair was cut off and died blond to complete the transformation.  And so a star was then born. 

            Marilyn stared in several small roles early on in her career.  They included the films “Scudda- Hoo!  Scudda- Hay!”, “Ladies of the Chorus”, “The Asphalt Jungle”, “Clash by Night”, and “Don’t Bother to Knock”.   They all proved to be crucial later on in her career. “Don’t Bother to Knock” was her initial leading piece in a serious motion picture.   It was through these movies that she would later meet her second husband. 

            Marilyn was a rising star, America’s sweetheart.  Many men started to take notice of her on account of her beauty.  One such man was the former New York Yankee centerfielder, Joe DiMaggio.  Marilyn was 25 and Joe was 37 at the time.  Their romance bloomed after Joe expressed his aspiration to meet her, and such a meeting was latter arranged.  Joe and Marilyn married on January 14, 1954.  Their marriage was in trouble from the start, though.  Joe had the inclination to be very covetous, and Marilyn was very popular with her many male fans. Marilyn said later on, “I didn’t want to give up my career, and that’s what Joe wanted me to do most.”  (http://www.ellenspalce.net/mmbio3/html).  Marilyn filed for divorce nine months into their marriage, and that was granted on October 31, 1955.  After her death, Joe sent flowers to her grave for twenty years, just like Jean Harlow’s love had done for her. 

            In 1956, Marilyn married for the third time.  She was joined in holy matrimony to Arthur Miller, a playwright.  Three times during their marriage, they said Marilyn was pregnant.  Each and every time she eventually miscarried.  In 1961, the couple divorced, possibly because of rumors that Marilyn was having affairs with both of the Kennedy brothers .  In the years that would follow, Marilyn would often suffer from depression, which was her worst fear because of her mother’s condition.

            The film that established her stardom was her film “Niagara”.  Filmed in 1952 with Joseph Cotton, it was a box office sensation.  Her role in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” caused her to be able to put her hands and feet in the cement outside the Chinese Threatre located on Hollywood Boulevard.  That was the same place Gladys and Grace had taken her as a child.  In 1953 she was voted one of the top ten box- office draws.  Her other films included movies like “All About Eve”, “The Fireball”,  “Let’s Make it A Legal”, Love Nest”, “As Young as You Feel”, “Full House”, “We’re Not Married”, “Monkey Business”, “Seven Year Itch”, “Bus Stop”, “The Prince and the Showgirl”, “Some Like It Hot”, and her last film “The Misfits”, written for her by Arthur Miller. 

            Marilyn still exists in many forms.  Her movies, for example, but her pictures as well.  Marilyn was one of the most pictured stars, rivaled only by Elvis Presley.  Her image through her photographs still lives today.  Some of her films are better known for the pictures taken of her then the actual film.  She was photographed by Alfred Eisenstadt, Richard Avedon, Philippe Halsman, Eve Arnold, Milton H. Greene, Cecil Beaton, Bert Stern, Henri Cartier- Bresson, Elliot Erwith, as well as many other less noted photographers.

            On August 5, 1962, Marilyn was found dead.  An empty bottle of sleeping pills were found close to her body.  Her death was ruled as the consequence of a prescription drug overdose and (possibly) suicide by the coroner on the scene.  This is quite possibly a result of her depression, though there are many other theories for her death.  Some seem quite plausible, and others tremendously outlandish.

            The first theory is, of course, suicide.  Another theory suggests that the Mob was responsible, and that they killed her in retaliation against the Kennedy’s (it was suggested Marilyn had had affairs with the Kennedy brothers).  Yet another says the Communists were responsible, but there is no explanation as to the reason why they would kill her.  The final theory is that the doctor on the scene injected her with a substance and killed her before the coroner arrived.  Whatever the cause, her death deeply stunned and affected Americans everywhere.

            Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jean Baker, became a Hollywood legend through her many films and her photographs.  She filmed twenty-nine films in her sixteen-year career.  Through her actions and many of her movies, she proved to the world that blondes don’t have to be dumb, even forming her own studio, Marilyn Monroe productions.  Even though she suffered a horrible early life, she moved past that and rose to fame.  Her fans then and now will always remember her tragic death, which is still a mystery amidst many theories.