Marilyn Monroe visited the American troops stationed in Korea in 1954 and she is seen here with one with a broken back and had to heal facing down.

Marilyn Monroe visited the American troops stationed in Korea in 1954 and she is seen here with one with a broken back and had to heal facing down.

The budding model hit a tight spot financially as she had recently lost her contract with Fox. She was three months behind on rent living at Hollywood Studio Club, an apartment building for promising show business girls. 

She was desperate for money. She posed anonymously using variations of her name, like Jeane Baker, for now-famous calendar images.

It was 1949 when Marilyn called up Tom Kelly, a photographer who had previously offered her an adult-only shoot, and said she was ready to take that job

Tom Kelly happily photographed the unearthly beauty of the 19-year-old. He paid her $50 for the shoot. It was a simple job. She commented later that it is a lot quicker to undress than to dress for the camera. Kelly sold two of the photographs to the calendar publisher. One named “Golden Dreams” went for $500, and another called, “A New Wrinkle” sold for $250.

The publisher raked in $750,000, selling calendars at 25 cents each. In Marilyn's humble opinion, nudity and physical contact were the most natural things in the world (...) No one spoke of the exploitation of women in those days, but she did. She also broke the silence in the pages of her unfinished autobiography, “My Story”, referring to those old-fashioned men behaving in a disrespectful manner.

Sitting for Earl Moran

Photographer and illustrator Earl Moran’s work was a big hit in the forties and fifties (...) She worked for him from 1946 to 1950. Hiring her through the Blue Book modeling company, Moran paid his models $10 per hour. As a struggling actress, she willingly took the pay. One of the most famous works he did of her is titled “Bus Stop.”

In her short time with the agency, Marilyn appeared on over 30 magazine covers. But it was her cover shot on “Laff” magazine in 1946 that turned the head of a very influential man. Wealthy aircraft maven Howard Hughes was head of the film company RKO at the time and asked Blue Book modeling for a screen test with the new face. Blue Book was quick to act on such attention.

The agency promptly called up 20th Century Fox. By using Hughes’ call as leverage to pique the interest of the movie company, they secured the attention of movie executive Ben Lyon who served as 20th Century Fox’s casting director.

Ben Lyon was quick to offer Marilyn a contract as he wanted to get her signed before RKO had the chance to screen her. Cinematographer Leon Shamroy filmed her screen test for Fox. The cinematographer was dumbfounded. He said he had not seen film capture a woman so stunningly since the silent pictures.

He even said that her presence gave him a cold chill. Her mystique radiated effects visually, he explained, and she did not need a soundtrack to create special effects. She could “sell emotions in pictures,” like a new filmmaking invention.

20th Century Fox Did Not Renew Her Contract

After six months with Fox, Marilyn’s contract was not renewed. The experience was good, she received lessons and learned to sing, dance, and act to industry norms, yet she missed getting a film role. Top executives failed to see her potential and the future pop culture icon went back to modeling to pay rent.

Marilyn later (...) often complained about the industry taking advantage of people because of their power (...) Marilyn met Joe Schenck who would be very influential in forming her career.

As soon as she was hired as a model, Monroe jumped into modeling classes. She studied movement and poise. She relished in taking voice lessons. Eventually, she would sign up at the Actor’s Studio for classes, even after she had made several films.

Marilyn read up on powerful women who held fame ferociously. She was riveted by women like Joséphine Bonaparte, Eleanora Duse, Marie Antoinette and Lady Emma Hamilton. Monroe would read these women’s biographies, delving into the lives of such figures who had uniquely defined their image and lived significantly.

(...) Marilyn signed [with Columbia Pictures] the deal in March of 1948. She made just one film with the studio, “Ladies of the Chorus”, in which she was the second actress on the billing. The song “Anyone Can Tell I Love You,” that she sang in the movie, stuck with her. She would perform it often over the years.

Marilyn met Fred Karger, musical director for “Ladies of the Chorus,” while at Columbia Pictures and fell in love with him. He was her singing coach for “Anyone Can See I Love You.” The two dated and Marilyn yearned to marry (...) 

[Joe] Schenck, the founder of 20th Century Pictures, took Marilyn under his wing and introduced her to Hollywood and its parties (...) He was one of the wealthiest men in show business and he spoiled Marilyn at his mansion. 

Schenck was also instrumental in getting the starlet her second contract at 20th Century Fox. He adored the up-and-coming actress, and she returned his adoration (...) 

In [1948 musical comedy] “Ladies of the Chorus,” Monroe played Peggy Martin, a burlesque chorus dancer (...) All the reviews of her performance were positive (...) Harry Cohn was at the helm of Columbia Pictures, and he ruled like a tyrant (...) He pointed to a picture of his yacht and asked if she’d join him for a nautical party to Catalina Island, just him and her. Marilyn quipped, “I’d love to join you and your wife on the yacht, Mr. Cohn”. The hot-headed exec shot back and asked to leave his wife out of the picture. Colombia Pictures did not renew her contract (...) He charged her with being a little overweight in “Ladies of the Chorus” and he claimed she lacked any acting talent (...) 

So, in 1948, instead of being awarded another six months with Columbia Pictures, she was given the boot. His willful obstinance to recognize Monroe’s genius would gradually eat away at his respect in the industry.

Monroe’s time at Columbia Pictures produced a relationship with Natasha Lytess, the head drama coach for the studio. She was impressed with the young actress’ determination and hard work in making “Ladies of the Chorus.” Natasha instructed Monroe for seven years, finally quitting her post at Columbia to be Monroe’s personal acting teacher in 1950.

(...) Monroe’s first role as a dumb blonde was very short but exceedingly memorable. Lasting barely 60 seconds, the gorgeous blonde’s part was to walk up to Groucho Marx 

On set, Marx noted that heads turned whenever she walked. Marilyn was paid $100 for the snippet. Lester Cowan, the producer of “Love Happy”, noticed her too and sent her off on the five-week publicity tour for the movie (...) Beauty has more value in Hollywood than anything else. Marilyn said (...) “Hollywood’s a place where they’ll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss, and fifty cents for your soul (...) I know because I turned down the first offer often enough and held out for the fifty cents”. Fox, of course, canceled her contract after the budding actress refused Cohn’s “thousand-dollar” boating excursion.

(...)

Marilyn met Johnny Hyde at a Palm Springs racket club (...) Hyde showcased her at all the poshest parties. He acted as her publicist getting her commercials and small parts.

The man, understandably, fell in love with her (...) Hyde divorced his wife and asked Marilyn to marry him. Knowing he had only months to live, she could not marry him for his money (...) He had invited her out to Palm Springs for the weekend, but she declined. He passed away there from a heart attack at age 55. [Johnny Hyde’s passing hit Marilyn hard. She felt alone in the world, felt guilty and blamed herself for Johnny’s life-ending.] The day after Hyde’s funeral, Marilyn swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills [It marked her first illegal substance experience.] Mourning her loss, she could hardly perform her parts in “As Young as You Feel”. She hid her sobs in the back room but couldn’t hide her red and swollen eyes. [She was fortunately saved by Natasha Lytess who was her roommate at the time].

Marilyn got another chance with 20th Century Fox. In her autobiography (...) she described it like this: “My first contract with Fox was like my first vaccination- it didn’t take”. The man responsible for the second one “taking” was her devoted benefactor, Johnny Hyde.

He negotiated a $500 per week contract with the studio just days before his life ended. He also stirred up notice of Marilyn Monroe by procuring her a role in the films “The Asphalt Jungle” and “All About Eve” (...) [In the first one] she played Angela, an “easy-living green-eyed blonde”. It was a small role but one of the most rewarding films she made.

Oscar-winning director John Huston recalls her work in his film noir with tenderness. It was her breakout role. The heist movie won four Academy Awards. Huston would work with her again in “The Misfits”, making him the director of both her first and last movie.

Marilyn was a hard worker. She showed up for all PR events that were offered. She loved her fans and credited them with her success. Monroe appeared at movie promotions, film premiers, sporting events, and anything that would put her image in the public eye.

Once, she showed up at a parade at an Atlantic City beauty contest. She wore a dress that featured a very low V-cut, nearly to her navel. Her dress personally offended the parade’s Grand Marshall, creating a local scandal. She did it intentionally. And she wore stage makeup, she said, to give her adoring fans the best possible view of Marilyn Monroe.

Under contract with 20th Century Fox, Marilyn was scheduled to appear in “The Girl in Pink Tights”, a musical starring Frank Sinatra. It was another dumb blonde role, and she did not want it. Aghast, she complained, “That’s the cheapest character I ever read in a script. What’s the use of being a star if you have to play something you’re ashamed of?”

Turning her back on Fox, she abruptly married Joe DiMaggio and fled to the other side of the world, honeymooning and entertaining the troops in Asia.

She was also rebelling against her pay for the film, compared with Sinatra’s. He was getting $5,000 per week for “Pink Tights” while she got a paltry $1,500. She refused to show up for rehearsals and the studio suspended her, but Marilyn’s protests did not fall on deaf ears.

In fact, she was able to negotiate a significantly higher paycheck with meaningful perks, like director approval. Up next, her newly negotiated, $100,000 per year, seven-year contract would include making the seminal movie of her career, “The Seven Year Itch”.

Contingent to Monroe’s cushy deal she inked with 20th Century Fox, she agreed to appear in “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” costarring with headliners Ethel Merman and Dan Dailey. In return, the studio promised she would take the top billing in “The Seven Year Itch”.

Marilyn’s performance in Walter Lang’s 1954 musical comedy seemed uninspired. “No Business Like Show Business” did not do well at the box office and an expansive budget did not help. It lost $950,000.

Joe DiMaggio may be the greatest ball player who ever played in MLB, but Monroe said he was the “moodiest man” she ever met. After they got married, which seemed to everyone like the perfect match, the nuptials turned sour, and it all ended in nine months. In love, she used to hang on the phone for hours with him at the movie set, waving off her stage cues.

But his jealous and controlling nature drove her away. The famous white dress image was the harbinger of the end. He couldn’t tolerate seeing so many cameras focusing on her body as the iconic dress flared around her. That evening he blew up at her, enraged.

Marilyn performed to 100,000 American troops in South Korea. It was a 4-day tour in 1954 and it was the most rewarding gig she ever did. It proved that the piles of fan mail were real and it proved her fame existed. The pop icon’s presence fomented a near-riot. Singing “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” from her set, the cheers exploded in booms.

She interrupted her honeymoon with Joe DiMaggio to do it. She said, “You never heard such cheering!” The home run slugger cut her down quipping, “Yes, I have”.

Marilyn wore the world-famous white cocktail dress in “The Seven Year Itch”. Captured in New York City, the legendary photo of her skirt blowing up above the subway as the train passed beneath took 14 takes on the street but ultimately had to be reshot at the studio.

The world-famous image that was used for the movie’s promotion was taken at the Fox lot in Los Angeles. The images of Marilyn wearing the instantly iconic dress drove her husband Joe DiMaggio mad and ultimately ended their marriage. To her account, he was mistreating her anyway.

The second fight about the white dress was out of control and it would be their last. She said he was obsessed with jealousy and wanted her to give up her career. Marilyn’s reasons for terminating the marriage cited his treatment. DiMaggio was desperate to apologize and save the marriage but was left bereft.

(...) Joshua Logan, who directed Monroe in “Bus Stop” (1956), said her acting was extraordinary. He found her to be a mix of Greta Garbo and Charlie Chaplin. In his estimation, Marilyn had the same profound mysteriousness as Garbo and the same comedic sense as Chaplin.

Logan said Marilyn was as close to genius as any actress he knew and described her as an artist beyond artistry. She taught him, for the first time in his life, that intelligence and brilliance have little to do with education.

Monroe was dedicated and determined as an actress. She had ambitions to be the best actress in the business and Lee Strasberg, creator-director of the studio said she indeed was. Strasberg claimed Monroe was the second-best actor he worked with, the first being Marlon Brando.

He noted her range was “infinite”, being able to call up emotionally any situation from her painful past. She attended classes twice a week and studied there for most of the year in 1955, right before starring in “Bus Stop”. Paula Strasberg, the wife of Lee, took over Natasha Lytess’ role as her loyal acting coach.

“Some Like It Hot” is an amazing film and one of Monroe’s most successful ones, but making a movie about cross-dressing guys was a nightmare for all involved. Marilyn, who trusted acting coach Paula Strasberg over anyone else, would take direction from her rather than Billy Wilder, the movie's director. This enraged him, but it wasn’t his only beef with the diva.

She was consuming illegal substances and was struggling to deliver lines (...) The blonde bombshell captured the attention of Hugh Hefner. He purchased the original all-natural photos by Tom Kelly — those calendar pinups she did as a young model. Hefner said she defined the innocence and passion he longed for. She became the first-ever playmate when he acquired the photos for $500. She did not pose for the cover.

Marilyn Monroe said more than once that everyone made more money off her photos than she ever did. In a creepy and morbid move, Hefner purchased the grave next to Marilyn’s, making her his immortal neighbor. He spent $75,000 for the opportunity, saying it was “too sweet to pass up”.

Monroe was adept at exposing the exploitative nature of show business (...) She did not want to be a thing.

She walked the line, promoting and embracing her sexuality while deflecting objectification. She famously concluded her commentary about being a bombshell by facetiously predicting how she’ll be remembered: “Here lies Marilyn Monroe, 34, 24, 36”.

20th Century Fox studio was plagued with setbacks. Monroe going on sick leave for illnesses caused more setbacks. Fox was sinking into $20 million worth of debt due to Elizabeth Taylor’s health delays and scandals while making “Cleopatra”. So, the studio dumped Monroe and fined her $750,000 for “unjustifiable absences”. It did not help that she was able to perform at Madison Square Garden for the president.

Eventually, Fox regretted dropping a huge audience magnet and took her back. Production was restarted on the set of “Something’s Got to Give”. And sadly, something did give. Two months later she took her own life.

In 1955, Marilyn took a stance against Hollywood. Fed up with dumb blonde roles and lesser pay, she formed Marilyn Monroe Productions. In a statement, the actress said she launched the production company to make high-quality movies. She said she hoped to “secure” her income and help others “make good pictures”. It was a smart move.

By the end of that year in September, Fox negotiated her latest contract. Though slightly acknowledged at the time, it was a considerable win for the pop icon. She would have control over the films made and get to work with other production companies, including her own.

Marilyn suffered from terrible stage fright. It affected her during classes at the Actors Studio and it froze her up from making films. She would hide in her room until she got through it. She had a reputation for being tardy and not showing up until she was finally ready, but the attacks of stage fright were uncontrollable.

It made her physically ill. She would break out in a rash or it made her throw up. Her nervousness fueled the attacks and there was not much anyone could do.

Execs at 20th Century Fox were bracing themselves for another leading lady scandal. It was 1952. Monroe learned ahead of time that the all-natural calendar photos she did anonymously had surfaced. She dreaded facing the public and fretted about it for weeks. Everyone at the studio was in a complete frenzy, yet Marilyn had a way with the media.

When asked about the photos, she told the truth. She needed the money. The public had a soft spot for her gentle voice, sincere demeanor, and underdog story. One reporter asked her if she had anything on. She charmed him by pausing confidently and murmuring, “I had the radio on”.

As soon as Marilyn landed at Columbia Pictures, she opened a credit line at a local Hollywood bookstore. A roommate at the Studio Club apartments recalls the young Marilyn checking out works of literature and a study of the bone structure called, “De Humani Corporis Fabrica” by Andreas Vesalius.

She read James Joyce’s tome “Ulysses”. Her personal library included works of literature by Milton, Dostoevsky, Kerouac, Tolstoy, and Whitman, 400 books in all. She then married an author — Arthur Miller. In “The Legend of Marilyn Monroe” narrated by John Huston, Shelley Winters said it aptly: “If she was dumber, she would’ve been happier”.

Marilyn was shy and introspective. Her poetry expressed private longings to be “absolutely nonexistent,” but loving the Brooklyn Bridge too much to step off it. She pondered finding an ugly bridge with no view and then concluded she’d never seen an ugly bridge.

She dabbled philosophically considering, “Only parts of us will ever touch only parts of others”. She expressed her love of Arthur Miller. Monroe was a complex being who explored the dark side and paradox with lines such as, “Help I feel life coming closer / When all I want is to die”.

(...)

She wore little jewelry (...) Her natural complexion was the base of her beauty and she protected it from the sun diligently.

As soon as Marilyn Monroe began making money, she gave it away. Even after her life ended, 25% of her money was willed to help with psychiatric causes. She headlined a benefit event for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital at the Hollywood Bowl in 1953.

Monroe generously gave to many children’s causes. Once, while on a trip to Mexico, Marilyn visited an orphanage. She wrote them a check for $1,000 but later rewrote it for $10,000. In 1958, Monroe took part in a March of Dimes fashion show at the Waldorf-Astoria in NYC to benefit children with disabilities. She also donated to The Milk Fund for Babies, WAIF, and animal causes.

An Artist Too

Painting her face with a savvy application was not the only artistic expression of Marilyn Monroe. The pop icon also left after her passing drawings and at least one painting. It was a delicate watercolor composition of a rose.

Getty Images Photo by Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times

She composed it for President Kennedy in 1962. It never made it to his hands and on her birthday in 1962, she inscribed it to herself with, “Happy Birthday Marilyn”. It sold at auction for $78,000 in 2005 to an art collector in Rhode Island.

The Happy Birthday Dress

Late, and out of breath, Monroe scampered up to the podium in quick, high-heeled steps to sing the famous “Happy Birthday” song to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden. Removing a fur coat, she revealed one of the most famous dresses ever worn.

Getty Images Photo by Liliane Lathan

The long, slinking gown by French designer Jean Louis had to be sewn onto her frame and was covered in crystals. She wore little underneath to allow the fit of the golden gown. It cost her $1,440 in 1962 and it sold for a record of $4.8 at auction in 2016. Her life ended two months after that famous appearance. 

Standing Up for Ella Fitzgerald

Monroe had a great admiration for jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. She listened to her early records and tried to imitate her voice. Monroe respected the singer so much that she made her a star. When Marilyn got word that the Mocambo club would not allow the jazz performer to play because of her color, she called the club directly.

Getty Images Photo by Bettmann

She told them she would sit at the front table every night if they booked her. After that, Fitzgerald remarked, she never had to play a small club again. “I owe Marilyn Monroe a real debt”, the jazz queen said.

Marriage to Arthur Miller

Marilyn fell in love at first sight with Arthur Miller, who was married at the time. They wrote romantic letters to each other and she found him a gentleman. In one, he confessed he couldn't live without her. He divorced his wife and married Marilyn in a Jewish ceremony just two days later.

Getty Images Photo by Bettmann/Corbis

Longing to have a baby with the playwright, Marilyn endured several miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies. She wanted to be a mother for years but acknowledged her miscarriages may have been caused by all the substances she was putting into her body.

Marrying Playwright Arthur Miller Inspired Marilyn Politically

Monroe had a deep fondness for the intellect of her last husband, Arthur Miller. She loved him dearly. The marriage lasted four years. During that time, Arthur Miller wrote the western “The Misfits” for her. It was his first screenplay and she starred in its film production. Through him, Marilyn developed a political side.

Getty Images Photo by Jack Clarity/NY Daily News Archive

In 1960, she became a founding member of the Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy in Hollywood. She, of course, supported the Civil Rights Movement. She openly supported her husband from the Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) when they called Miller to testify.

‘The Misfits’

Marilyn was not satisfied with Arthur Miller’s first screenplay and she flatly resented it. Complaining, she said, “Arthur could have written anything for me, and he comes up with this, cowboys and horses.” She hated it and she didn’t want the part. She took so many pills she could hardly wake up in the morning. This was out of control and the stylists had no option but to apply makeup while she yet slept.

Alamy Stock Photo

Director John Huston had to send her to the hospital for a week to detox halfway through the shoot. And the film location was absolutely miserable, shot outside Reno in the middle of the summer when temperatures can get into the 100s. She hated making the film and complained bitterly.

Secret Movie Scandal

Just when Monroe’s movie career began picking up steam, another scandal loomed. An adult-only movie featuring a woman who looked like Norma Jeane surfaced. The movie is known as “The Apple-Knockers and the Coke” and it starred Arline Hunter.

Alamy Stock Photo

Some thought it was a young Marilyn, but the truth of which actress cleared up without much negative press. A perceptive Marilyn was quoted talking about people looking at her as if she was a mirror instead of another human. She said, “They didn’t see me, they saw their own lewd thoughts”, and then called her the lewd one.

Supported Civil Rights

Marilyn Monroe, assumed by many in her time as being a dumb blonde, was actually contemplative and introspective. She identified with President Abraham Lincoln and imagined him as sort of a father figure. With no real father, her fantasies were limitless.

Getty Images Photo by Hulton Archive

She believed Lincoln was “kind and good.” Her views, from communism to feminism, were progressive and ahead of her time. Feminism was not even a thing until after she was gone. Growing up in the LA area, she developed an awareness and appreciation for all nationalities and colors.

Dreams of a Father

Marilyn never knew her dad. He was an absent figure, and she could only dream of him. Her mother showed her a photo of a man that struck her imagination. Pictured in a gold frame was a man who resembled Clark Gable. Her mother said he was her father. Given that her mother worked as an editor at a Hollywood film company, young Marilyn grew up dreaming her father was a famous movie star.

Alamy Stock Photo

She idolized Clark Gable longing to know if he was her father or not. In her last film, “The Misfits”, she would star with Gable. All she knew about her real father is that he bought a motorcycle right before she was born and took off.

Tracking Down Dad

Marilyn's biological father was Charles Stanley Gifford. Over the years she tried to track him down twice, however, he wanted nothing to do with her. According to “The Unabridged Marilyn” by Randall Riese and Neal Hitchens, in 1951, someone helped in directing her to Gifford's lawyer.

Instagram/@bookmama_marcia

On her first try, as Norma Jeane, he hung up on her. It was a crushing experience, and she never got to meet him. Then, one day, on his deathbed from a heart attack (he ended up surviving), he reached out to her. The movie star responded by saying that she was sorry, but it was too late.

Marilyn’s Estate Paid for Her Mother’s Care

Gladys desperately wanted to raise her daughter, but a health crisis precluded that plan. Later, when Norma Jeane’s modeling was taking off, and she was able to afford it, she had her mother come live with her in Hollywood. She stayed there barely three months, but Gladys kept wandering off.

Getty Images Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive

It got to the point that she had to be relocated to a care facility. Monroe wanted to take care of her mother even as a young up-and-coming, and she did, paying for her mother’s care facility. After Marilyn passed away, her trust paid for her mom’s home.

Still the Blonde

“Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953) was a huge hit, and it ignited a flame under Marilyn Monroe’s name that would never be extinguished. It also cemented her as the dumb blonde who movie studios wanted more, and more, and more of. With the popularity of the production, she was once informed that she was not the star of the film.

Alamy Stock Photo

She responded, “Well, whatever I am, I’m still the blonde”. The movie is called “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”, after all. Her rendition of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”, is yet iconic. To prepare for the role of Lorelei, she attended the Broadway production every single night for a month.

The Day the Headlines Screamed

Headlines around the nation screeched, “Marilyn Monroe Dies.” The shock reverberated with desperate questions demanding to know how and why. The actress was found on August 5, 1962, in her new Brentwood home, a property purchased six months earlier. Monroe’s body was found in bed with one hand on her telephone. Her nightstand was littered with various substances and sleeping pills.

Alamy Stock Photo

This time, nobody was there to save her. Joe DiMaggio stepped up to the plate to manage her funeral. He ordered a half dozen red roses to her grave three times per week for the rest of his life.

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