Interpretation Of "We Wear A Mask"

Bibliography

(Spoto)Spoto, Donald. Marilyn Monroe: The Biography. New York, New York: Cooper Square Press, 2001.

CMG Worldwide. 26 Jan. 2006 .

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Marilyn Monroe. 11 Feb. 2006 .

Marilyn Monroe

By: Emily Beene

Marilyn Monroe is perhaps the most famous movie star and sex symbol that has ever lived. She started off with small roles but soon became known for her comedic skills and remarkable presence on screen. Monroe had an image as a dumb blonde, but was said to be quite intelligent. She was a poet and regretted not finishing high school. She worked hard to have serious acting roles. Monroe has a reputation as Hollywood's most legendary actress.

Early Life

Marilyn Monroe was born on June 1, 1926 at the Los Angeles County Hospital in the charity ward. Her legal name was Norma Jeane Mortenson. Later her grandmother, Della Monroe Grainger, had her baptized Norma Jeane Baker. Her mother was Gladys Baker. Her birth certificate lists Norwegian Martin Edward Mortenson as her father. Most biographers believe her biological father was Charles Stanley Gifford. He was a salesman for the studio where Monroe's mother worked.

Gladys worked at RKO studios, but could not keep her job. She had psychological problems and was later committed to a mental institution. Therefore, Norma Jeane spent the majority of her childhood in orphanages ad foster homes. In 1937 she moved in with a family friend names Grace McKee Goddard. Grace loved and adored Norma Jeane. Grace was captivated by actress Jean Harlow. Marilyn would later say "and so Jean Harlow was my idol." She stayed there until 1942 when Grace and her husband were transferred to the East Coast. They could not afford to take 16-year-old Norma Jeane with them. This left Norma Jeane with only two options: go back to the orphanage or get married.

On June19, 1942 she married Jimmy Dougherty, a 21-year-old she had been dating for 6 months. They lived happily together until he joined the Merchant Marines and was sent to the South Pacific in 1944. Norma Jeane began working on an assembly line that sprayed airplane parts with fire retardant. She was soon spotted by David Conover, a young army photographer. He saw great potential in Norma Jeane and she was soon signed by The Blue Book modeling agencies. The camera loved Norma Jeane and she became a very successful model. On April 26, 1946 Monroe appeared on her first magazine "Family Stone." She was on hundreds of magazine covers.

Career

She enrolled in drama classes and studied the work of legendary actresses like Jean Harlow and Lana Turner. A talent scout named Ben Lyon noticed her in 1946 and arranged a screen test for her with 20th Century Fox. She was offered and passed a standard six-month contract with a starting salary of $75 per week. Monroe later went on to earn $200,000 plus a 10% gross over $4 million. Jimmy returned which left Norma Jean with another choice, her marriage or career. She of course chose her career. She dyed her hair blonde and changed her name to Marilyn Monroe.

After working on several projects, Monroe signed on with on of Hollywood's top agents, Johnny Hyde. He became her mentor and lover in 1949. Also in 1949, she posed nude for a calendar which later caused controversy. She was in many successful films over a span of sixteen years. Monroe appeared in comedies, dramas and musicals. Some of her famous movies were All about Eve, the Asphalt Jungle, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, and The Seven Year Itch. Her last movie, Somethings Gotta Give wasn't finished due to her untimely death. Marilyn Monroe had such on screen charisma that most film critics forgot about plot and concentrated on Monroe's look in front of the camera.

Though she was not known for her acting ability, Marilyn Monroe was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in Bus Stop. Monroe made herself not look glamorous for this role. She played a saloon bar singer who fell in love with a cowboy. A lot of people thought she should have been nominated for an Academy Award, but wasn't because of her reputation. In 1959 she was in her biggest hit, Some like It Hot. After being nominated twice before, she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. Two years later she won another Golden Globe. This one was for World Film Favorite Female.

Much controversy followed Monroe throughout her career. She had a reputation for her difficult behavior on the sets of movies. She asked for many retakes and was hard to get along with. In some films she became angry when some of what she thought were her best scenes were cut out of the films. She was often tardy. Many say this was due to her dependency on drugs. Gossip columnists often commented on her physical and mental health. In 1960 she began seeing Dr. Ralph Greenson, a prominent psychoanalyst to Hollywood stars. He used drug therapy. Barbiturates and tranquilizers were prescribed to Marilyn. She was checked into a psychiatric clinic in 1961 and called Joe DiMaggio to check her out.

In 1953, nude photos of Monroe were surfacing. These photos were published in Hugh Hefner's new magazine, Playboy. Her movie theater thought this might damage her career, but Monroe publicly admitted it was her in these photos. When asked by a journalist what she had on during the photo shoot, she replied: "The radio."

Marilyn Monroe was reported to have and affairs several men including President John F. Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, and Marlon Brando. On May 19, 1962, Marilyn sang her now famous "Happy Birthday" to the President at his gala birthday celebration in Madison Square Garden. The dress she wore was a sheer body stocking dress embroidered with sequins and nothing underneath. This event was televised. Her rendition of the song was said to have left many breathless. Kennedy commented, "Miss Monroe left a picture to come all the way East, and I can now retire after having had 'Happy Birthday' sung to me in such a sweet, wholesome way." She also was reported to have had an affair with his Kennedy's brother, Bobby Kennedy, shortly before her death. He was Attorney General at the time.

In a lengthy interview with Life Magazine, Monroe expressed how bitter she was about Hollywood labeling her as a dumb blonde