Canadian Philatelist Philatéliste canadien - The Royal Philatelic ...

At the age of 11 Norma Jean moved into the home
of family friends named Goddard. Five years later,
Mr. Goddard was transferred to the East Coast and
Norma Jean was left with two options: go to an
orphanage or marry.
At the tender age of 16, she married her 21-
year-old neighbour, Jimmy Dougherty. In 1944,
Dougherty joined the Merchant Marines and was
sent to the South Pacific. The marriage lasted only
two years.
While Dougherty was away, Norma Jean worked
at a munitions factory and from time to time posed
as a photographer’s model.
Various photo shots of the
youngster made their way into
the public eye and in August
1946 she signed her first motion
picture studio contract with
20th Century Fox for $125 per
week.
It was not long after that that
she dyed her hair blonde and
changed her name. She took
her grandmother’s surname
and became Marilyn Monroe.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Monroe’s first film, in which
she had a bit part, entitled
The Shocking Miss Pilgrim,
was made in 1947. A run of
inconsequential film parts
filled her time until 1950 when
she got small but seminal roles
in The Asphalt Jungle and All
About Eve.
Figure 3.
After these two films Monroe worked steadily
until her performance in the 1953 film Niagara
catapulted her to stardom. Also boosting her career
was an earlier calendar shot that appeared in the
centrefold of the first issue of Playboy.
Following her lead roles in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
and How To Marry a Millionaire, Photoplay Magazine
voted Marilyn the “Best New Actress of 1953.” At
27 years of age, she had become a “Hollywood
Blonde Bombshell.”
Marilyn had been dating baseball superstar Joe
DiMaggio and on January 14, 1954, they were
married. During their honeymoon, Marilyn took
time out to perform for the troops stationed in
Korea. DiMaggio did not appreciate all these men
ogling his wife. It was a theme that haunted
their marriage and nine months later they were
divorced.
At about this time, Marilyn was ready to shed her
“Blonde Bombshell” image as she wanted to pursue
serious acting. In 1955 she took a break from studio
work and moved to New York City to study under
Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio.
A year later, Marilyn started her own motion
picture company named Marilyn Monroe
Productions. The company produced Bus Stop and
The Prince and the Showgirl. They were to showcase
her talent and versatility as an actress. This talent
"...if Marilyn Monroe
was nothing more
than an ample bosom,
curves and a head
of blonde hair, her
attractiveness and
legitimate talent
that inspired awe in
producers, directors
and fellow actors
would have evaporated
a long time ago."
- Sarah Churchwell, in her book
The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe
and versatility was recognized in 1959 with her
being awarded a Golden Globe for Best Actress in
a comedy for Some Like it Hot. It was also her only
film that year because she took time out to marry
playwright Arthur Miller. This marriage too did not
last and they were divorced in January 1961.
Monroe’s widespread appeal was further
demonstrated at the 1962 Golden Globes when she
was named “Female World Film Favorite.”
In a shocking turn of events, on the morning of
August 5, 1962, at the age of 36, Marilyn Monroe
was found dead in the bedroom of her Brentwood,
California, home. Her death shocked the world.
During her career, Monroe made 30 films. But she
was more than a movie star; she was a Hollywood
288 • the CP / le PC • SO06