Marilyn Monroe, the most renowned actress was born on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles as Norma Jean Mortenson. Throughout her life, her father’s identity remains a mystery for her. The only information with her is that before her birth he has deserted the family in Los Angeles. What further added to her mystification about her father’s identity was her mother several relationships.
The third member of their small family whose identity is known is Poverty and it is this poverty only which remains a true companion to both Marilyn and her mother, Gladys. Marilyn had to spend her major childhood in orphanages and later in foster homes; the reason was her mother’s mental illness. Her mother was awfully gorgeous and used to work as a film cutter for RKO studios. Then in 1942, sixteen years young Marilyn got married to a 21-year-old aircraft plant worker, James Dougherty. The marriage hardly blossomed for four years and the couple finally separated in 1946. Here Miss. Monroe decided to model swimsuits and also bleached her hair blonde.
Now her only motive was to launch herself before public eyes. She was privileged with number of opportunities. She chose 20th Century-Fox and rejected the offer of a screen test by RKO Pictures head Howard Hughes. This is because the former is a much superior and more esteemed studio. “The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947)”, her first film was not a big hit. Her next production Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948) put her across non-hit experience. Later that same year she was featured in Dangerous Years (1947) as Evie.
She signed a deal at $125 per week, a contract that is for a six-month period. Another commitment was that with the extension of her contract, there will be an increase by $25 per week. However, when her expectations for upgrading of her contract were shattered, she moved back to modeling and acting school. In Ladies of the Chorus (1948) she played Peggy Martin and sang two numbers. After making an appearance in United Artists' Love Happy (1949), she decided to appear nude for the now famous calendar shot which appeared later in Playboy magazine in 1953 and in this way she finally marked her career.
Marilyn got an opportunity in Bus Stop (1956) to explain to critics that she has the talent to prove herself in a straight dramatic role. The same year she married playwright, Arthur Miller (they divorced in 1960). In 1960 Marilyn materialized in George Cukor's Let's Make Love (1960), with Tony Randall and Yves Montand. The film was well-liked by critics and the public alike.
In 1962 Marilyn was chosen to be the ideal star in Fox's Something's Got to Give (1962). Again, her absence caused holdups in production. She was seen in bonfire from the production in June of that year. On August 5, 1962, she was found dead, nude and lying face down on her bed, seems to be the victim of an overdose of sedatives. She was only 36.
