Background:

Marilyn Monroe:

• was born Norma Jean Mortensen on June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles, CA.
• was named after film star Norma Talmadge.
• was said to have been a descendent from President Monroe by way of her maternal grandfather.
• coincidentally had a mother with the same first name as another famous actor/signer's mother, Elvis Presley
• was raised in foster homes after her mother was committed to an asylum in 1934.
• fantasized that Clark Gable was her real father.
• was married at sixteen to Jim Dougherty in 1942.
• had her 1st professional photo shoot in 1944 at the defense plant where she was employed packing parachutes.
• had her first screen appearance in the movie "Dangerous Years" in 1947.
• was paid $50 in 1949 for the famous nude calendar shots.
• changed her name to Marilyn Monroe on the advice of Fox studio's head of casting.
• had a love affair with the camera and made 29 films.
• won critical praise for her work in "Asphalt Jungle" and "All About Eve".
• was also married to Joe DiMaggio (1954) and Arthur Miller (1956-1961).
• was not nominated for an Oscar for her outstanding performance in "Bus Stop".
• died August 6, 1962 under mysterious circumstances with some suggesting foul play.

Thumbnail History:

Some not so well known events in Marilyn's life.

Marilyn's grandmother and mother were both diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

Marilyn's mother Gladys had witnessed violent behavior between her parents.

Marilyn's grandfather, Mr. Monroe (first name is not known) once took a pet kitten out of daughter Gladys' hand and flung it against a brick fireplace.

Delia Monroe, Marilyn's grandmother, was prone to rages and outbursts. It was said that a newspaper boy was afraid to knock on her door. Though she appeared to love her granddaughter, once when Marilyn (at 4-5 months of age) threw a bowl of food on the floor, Delia repeatedly spanked her.

Another episode occurred shortly before Delia was committed to a state hospital in the summer of 1927. Delia had taken 13 month old Norma Jean for the afternoon. Marilyn, later told her third husband, Arthur Miller, that she awoke from her nap and could hardly breath because something was pressed against her, perhaps a pillow. It has been said that an infant that young could not remember such an episode, but people close to Marilyn believe it happened.

Gladys' first husband (Baker) had permanent possession of her other two children, Jack and Berneice. When admitted to the hospital to give birth to Marilyn, Gladys would state that her other two children were "dead".

Gladys would have long periods of depression where she would feel lonely and rejected. She was given to outbursts of uncontrollable laughter and crying. In 1934, she became hysterical and suffered a nervous breakdown. She was carried away, strapped in a stretcher and was later committed to the State Asylum in Norfolk. Marilyn would suffer her own nervous breakdown in 1960.

Marilyn claimed that she had been raped at 7 or 8 years of age.

Marilyn was devastated that she could not have a child. She suffered two miscarriages and was rumored to have had a child when she was a teenager (note: this is contested by some who claim this never happened) and had given it up for adoption.

The long delays in the shooting in the hot Nevada sun of "The Misfits" contributed to the death of her co-star Clark Gable, who Marilyn had secretly pretended was her father.

Marilyn was upset to learn that while she was earning $100,000 a picture, Elizabeth Taylor was being paid $1,000,000 for "Cleopatra". However, shortly before her death Marilyn was thrilled to know that the publishing of her nude photos would push Liz off the front pages.

Towards the end of her life, Marilyn was so dependent on drugs and alcohol that it would take the whole day to complete one scene of film footage.

The preceding information was researched by Rosa Silvestri.