A Personality of Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe is name that almost anyone can recognize. All around the world, this actress is mostly known for her good looks and wonderful personality. She was beautiful inside and out. Marilyn Monroe has influenced our world to this day because she was one of America's greatest actresses, she is a part of many pop culture references, and she has left an impact on people and the world. At the time Marilyn was an actress, the Cold War and the Korean War had happened. During the 50's, when Marilyn was first starting out her career, McCarthyism took place. McCarthyism is the act of accusing someone of espionage without any actual evidence. During this time, people were being accused of being communists. Many famous figures, such as Lucille Ball and Charlie Chaplin, were accused of being communist; Marilyn was not accused.

Marilyn Monroe was born on June 1, 1926 and she was originally named Norma Jean Mortenson at birth. Her mother, Gladys Pearl Mortenson, had put Norma into a foster home soon after her birth. Norma lived in a foster home with strict rules and religious foster parents. Later, Gladys took Norma away from the foster home and the two lived in a home near Hollywood. Gladys and her friend, Grace, were both in love with movies and the Hollywood fame, as it states here, Gladys and her friend Grace were avid moviegoers, and had a deep fascination with film stars and the celebrity lifestyle (Peterson, Marilyn Monroe). Later, Gladys grandma had committed suicide and Gladys faced grief. Grace took over and cared for Norma. Norma then became in love with the Hollywood lifestyle as well, Grace McKee, Gladys' dear friend, assumed care of Norma Jean. McKee set out to mold Norma Jean into the kind of Hollywood starlet so idolized by the elder woman. She spent long hours curling her hair and filling her head with stories of Hollywood fame and glamour (Peterson, Marilyn Monroe).

   Norma later signed a contract with Twentieth Century Fox, during that time, she changed her name to the name we all know, Marilyn Monroe. After that, she starred in movies. At first, she didn't get very much lead roles until she got her first lead role in the film Niagara. In 1953 she got her first starring role in a low-budget film called "Niagara." She also landed the lead roles in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "How to Marry a Millionaire (Peterson, Marilyn Monroe). Marilyn later married a famous baseball player, Joe DiMaggio in the San Francisco city hall. Joltin' Joe Di Maggio wedded the girl of his and many other men's dreams yesterday afternoon in the San Francisco City Hall. Marilyn Monroe, who packs no mean jolt herself, said she was very happy. Di Maggio said he was also very happy (Hoppe, Joe DiMaggio Weds Marilyn Monroe). Soon after the two got married, they went off to a trip to Japan. Marilyn then went off to Korea alone. This was also during the Korean War. On February 1954, Marilyn performed in front of 100,000 troops. During the filming of The Seven Year Itch, Marilyn had filed for divorce with DiMaggio and then married Arthur Miller, who, he, wrote plays.  After that Marilyn starred in a couple more movies until she took a break due to exhaustion. After a couple of more events, Marilyn was found dead, laying face down on her bed along with prescribed sleeping pills. An empty bottle of sleeping pills were found by her bed. There has been some speculation over the years that she may have been murdered, but it was officially ruled as a drug overdose (Friedman, Marilyn Monroe Timeline). 

   Some of Marilyn's movies are still known today. This actress has starred in about 27 seven films. One movie that she has starred in is The Seven Year Itch. This movie is about a man who send his wife and son away to Maine, leaving him to work alone. Later, a model, who is named The Girl'  and was played by Marilyn Monroe, has moved upstairs in his apartment. This movie was based off of a broadway play, with the same name. This movie had won Golden Globes Award for Best Actor and Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.  Niagara is another film with Marilyn Monroe. Made in 1953, the film was intended to be a thriller, and it was one of Marilyn's first leading roles. The plot includes a couple, Polly and Ray, going off to stay in a cabin by Niagara Falls and them meeting another couple, Rose and George. Polly later sees Rose kissing another man, and Polly gets suspicious. After that, dark things happen between Rose and George. This thriller has not won any awards.

   Even though Marilyn has passed on, people still remember her and love her. To this day she is part of many iconic pop culture references. In Hollywood, there are sights to see and find out about Marilyn Monroe. While walking around, you may come across her star on the Walk of Fame, or find her handprint in cement at the Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. Marilyn is also widely known for her scene in the 1955 film, The Seven Year Itch. The scene shows Marilyn in a white dress standing over a vent with wind blowing up her dress and her holding her skirt down. The famous picture of Marilyn Monroe, laughing as her skirt is blown up by the blast from a subway vent, is shot on this day in 1954 during the filming of The Seven Year Itch (Harris, Marilyn Monroe Timeline). In the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Marilyn sings a song that is a part of pop culture references, Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend. The song talks about how women would rather prefer jewelry, hence the title. In Glee, an 2009 American TV show, there is a scene where they sing this song and the girls are wearing dresses similar to Marilyn's.

At the start of Marilyn's career, she was barely known. Marilyn has starred in movies without any noticing roles. For the Oscars in 1951, Marilyn Monroe was presenting for best sound recording. When she went on stage, barely any one clapped. When she first started out in her career, she didn't have very much impact until later (Credit: Marilyn Monroe Presents Sound Recording: 1951 Oscars by Oscars on YouTube). Marilyn also had an impact to many other famous figures. French Actress, Brigitte Bardot, had met Marilyn Monroe once, I rushed to one of the dressing rooms, the ladies' dressing room, to check if my make-up was all right. And who do I see? Marilyn  I really saw her close up. She was ravishing, as cute as anything in that little dressing room in Buckingham Palace  It was the only time I saw Marilyn and I will always remember it. said by Brigitte Bardot, a French actress (Credit: Brigitte Bardot about Marilyn Monroe by Milibbardot on YouTube). Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe's co-star, on Marilyn's death, I had no idea. I was at the beach in Malibu, at our beach house. And I had a lot of my girlfriends there and each one have had a problem bigger than the last one, and we were all really laughing about it because it was like, Oh man, nothing could be that bad.' And the guys came home from hunting and they heard it on the air, and I just said, Oh god, if Marilyn had only been here, we could've all we would've been laughing about all our problems  said by Jane Russell on Larry King Live in 2001 (Credit: Marilyn Monroe - When Jane Russell Heard About Death Of  by Marilyn Monroe Video Archives on YouTube). Guilt was probably what Jane felt when she heard about Marilyn's death.

Marilyn is widely known for good looks and personality. Her iconic scenes is what people remember her from as well. In The Seven Year Itch Marilyn takes place in a scene where her white skirt is lifted up by wind and she holds it down. It's something that is iconic of Marilyn and something that we remember. Marilyn Monroe, and to this day, influences the word because she was one of the greatest actresses in America, she takes part in many pop culture references, and the great or little impact she has on others. To just think about it, people were devastated to hear Marilyn's death. Many famous figures remember Marilyn, whether they were co-stars, such as Jane Russell, or just meeting her once, much like Brigitte Bardot. Many people believe that Marilyn was murdered because of her affair with John F. Kennedy, but Marilyn's death has been proven to be an overdose on sleeping pills. Even though people have other beliefs about her death, it was still horrible to hear that she died and how she died. Being murdered is just as bad as committing suicide. Many, including myself, wish to have her alive again and bringing joy to others.     

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