Pin-up girl: Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe

There's nothing more to say in relation to this famous blonde haired actress and model who became the mainest sex-symbol during 50's decade and died before her time.

When she was 16 and after an unhappy childhood, Norma Jeane Mortensen, real Marilyn's name, married James E. Dougherty in 1942 but she divorced him a few years later in 1946. Then she began her work as a model with Blue Book Agency and she changed her original hair colour by her agent's advice.

In 1949 she appeared completely naked in a photography taken by the photograph Tom Kelley for a calendar's edition that helped her to be known by the general public in the beginning of her artistic career. In 1952 she was at the main cover of "Life" magazine and a year later in "Playboy's" first number.

After her intervention in films such as "Love Happy" (1949), directed by David Miller and played by The Marx Brothers, or "The Ladies of The Chorus" (1949) by Phil Karlson performing small roles, she acted in "The Asfalt Jungle" (1950) by John Huston, and "All About Eve" (1950) by Joseph L. Mankiewich. Thanks to these performances she played secondary roles in "Fireball" (1950) by Tay Garnett, "Let's Make it Legal" (1951) by Richard Sale, "Love Nest" (1951) by Joseph Newman, "Clash by Night" (1952) by Fritz Lang, "Monkey Business" (1952) by Howard Hawks, or "We're not Married" (1952) by Edmund Goulding.

Lately she played first roles in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953) by Howard Hawks and "How to Marry a Millionaire" (1953) by Jean Negulesco, films in which she was by the side of other beauties as Jane Russel, Betty Grable, or Lauren Bacall.

In the film "Niagara" (1953) directed by Henry Hathaway she showed her big sensuality becoming a big star.

In 1954 Marilyn married her second husband Joe DiMaggio but their marriage only lasted a few months because he was too jealous of her. In 1956 she married the playwright Arthur Miller but she also divorced him in 1961.

Further on she acted in films such as "River of No Return" (1954) directed by Otto Preminger, "The Seven Year Itch" (1955) by Billy Wilder, "Bus Stop" (1956) by Joshua Logan or "The Prince and The Showgirl" (1957) by Laurence Olivier. Two years later she played in the film "Some Like It Hot" (1959) by Billy Wilder showing great faculties for comedy. Later she acted in "Let's Make Love" (1960) by George Cukor and "The Misfits" (1961) directed by John Huston and scripted by Arthur Miller by the side of Clark Gable and Montgomery Cliff.

Finally in 1962 she was found dead at her house because of a barbiturates overdose although most people believed she was murdered by the Kennedy family because they didn't like the relationship which existed between the president and the actress: it was said they had a passionate love affair. She was 36 and had a lot of personal troubles because of her frequent depressive crisis. She was acting then in the unfinished film "Something's Got To Give" (1962) directed by George Cukor.