Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) Model, actress, singer and arguably one of the most famous women of the twentieth century. Monroe has become an iconic representative of fame and female beauty. She is widely regarded as one of most influential figures in American culture.
Monroe was born, Norma Jeane Mortenson, in June 1926. Her mother was
Gladys Pearl Baker (née Monroe, 1902-84) Her father was unknown and she
was baptised as Norma Jeane Baker. Her mother Gladys had a turbulent
mental state and struggled to cope with bringing up her children. For
the first six years, Marilyn was brought up by foster parents, Albert
and Ida Bolender in the town of Hawthorne, California. Her mother then
tried to take back Marilyn, but she suffered a mental breakdown and
Marilyn was moved between different orphanages and foster homes. The
traumatic childhood made her shy and reserved.
After her 16th birthday, in 1942, Monroe married her 21 years old, next-door neighbour Jimmy Dougherty. Marilyn became a housewife, but the couple were not close, and Monroe reports being bored. In 1943, her husband left to join the Merchant Marines to participate in America’s War effort. They split up shortly after.
1946 was a pivotal year for Marilyn, she divorced her young husband and
changed her name from, the boring, Norma Baker to the more glamorous
Marilyn Monroe (after her grandma). She took drama lessons and got her
first movie contract with Twentieth Century Fox. Her first few films
were low key, but from these beginnings, it gained her more prominent
roles in films such as
All About Eve,
Niagara and later
Gentleman Prefer Blondes and
How To Marry A Millionaire.
In 1954, she married baseball star Joe DiMaggio, a friend of over two
years. Monroe was now one of biggest box-office draws of Hollywood, but
her contract, negotiated in 1950, left her paid less than other stars.
Also, Monroe didn’t wish to be typecast as a ‘blonde bombshell’ just
playing simple roles in comedies and musicals. In a dispute over pay and
choice of acting, she was temporarily suspended by 20th Century Fox,
but eventually, they acceded to some of Monroe’s demands and gave her
higher pay. In September 1954, she starred in The Seven Year Itch
, which was released to widespread media interest after a successful media stunt on Lexington Avenue, New York.
In
1955, she sought greater independence from Fox, and began her own movie
production and began studying method acting. Despite the media often
being dismissive of Monroe’s potential, her efforts to improve acting
paid off, and later films received critical acclaim for her wider scope
of acting. She was nominated for Golden Globe Best Actress Award for
Bus Stop . In 1959, she won a Golden Globe for her role in ‘
Some L
Her relationship with Joe DiMaggio was quickly strained, due to his
jealous and controlling nature. Monroe soon filed for divorce, though
the couple retained a friendship despite the divorce. Monroe began
dating playwright Arthur Miller and in 1956 married. To get married,
Monroe converted to Judaism. The marriage received significant media
interest for the combination of Miller the left-wing intellectual and
Monroe, the perceived ‘dumb blonde’. The marriage was sometimes
referred to, rather unkindly, as “Egghead Weds Hourglass”.
To complicate matters, Miller was under investigation for his alleged
“Communist sympathies”, and media bosses encouraged Monroe to end the
relationship, but Monroe was unmoved. The FBI opened a file on her,
worried about the political views of her husband.
In the late 1950s, and early 1960, her health began to deteriorate.
She suffered from a Barbiturate addiction and experienced periods of
depression. Her marriage to Miller broke down, and she had affairs with
Yves Montand, Frank Sinatra and others. During the 1960s, her ill health
made shooting films challenging, and production was often delayed. She
was still in great demand and often appeared on the front cover of
glossy magazines. In 1962, she was invited to the White House to sing
for
J.F. Kennedy’s birthday.
Tragically, she died early from an overdose of barbiturates in 1962 aged just 36.
Although Monroe cultivated an image of the ‘dumb blonde’ – in fact,
her image and persona was something she took care to cultivate and
develop – through the media and the strength of her acting. Although
many were dismissive at the time, she took on the powerful Hollywood
studio system and, against expectations, developed her acting career
with her own intentions. However, behind her confident public persona,
she struggled with relationships and resorted to a heavy drug use, which
had a damaging impact on both her mental and physical health. In one
sense, Monroe lived the American dream – rising from anonymity to become
a famous actress, but it was a dream tinged with sadness for fame did
not bring peace of mind or happiness.
The Eiffel Tower is a wrought iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France(48°51′29.6″N 2°17′40.2″E). It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
The tower has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second levels. The top level's upper platform is 276 m above the ground the highest observation deck accessible to the public in the European Union. Tickets can be purchased to ascend by stairs or lift to the first and second levels. The climb from ground level to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the climb from the first level to the second. Although there is a staircase to the top level, it is usually accessible only by lift.
