10 little-known facts about Marilyn Monroe that explain a lot about her

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Marilyn Monroe was born on June 1, 1926. She lived only 36 years, but during this time she managed to win fans around the world. And although it sometimes seems that everything is known about her, every now and then unexpected and very interesting facts from her life emerge.

1. The first marriage of Norma Jean Baker was negotiated

For most of her childhood, Norma Jean Baker (this is Marilyn's real name) lived in foster families, in government shelters and under the care of various family friends. She never knew her father, and her mother was admitted to a mental hospital. Baker, 15, lived with girlfriend Grace Goddard, but when the Goddard couple decided to move to West Virginia, it turned out that they could not take Baker with them. If the girl had not got married, she would have been returned to the orphanage again.

So they asked 20-year-old James Dougherty, who lived next door, to marry Norma. "I thought she was too young," Dougherty later said, "but we talked and got along very well." They got married just 18 days after Norma turned 16.

2. She often mentioned the name "Marilyn Monroe" in the third person

Actor Eli Wallach once recalled that Monroe seemed to "turn Marilyn on and off at will." One evening he walked with her on Broadway, and no one recognized the actress. But literally a minute later, a whole crowd of fans gathered around her. “I just wanted to be a minute of Marilyn,” Wallach recalls her words. Photographer Sam Shaw has often heard Norma criticize Marilyn's performances in films or at photo shoots, commenting it like this: “She wouldn't do it. Marilyn would say that."

3. Truman Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe to play Holly Golightly

Truman Capote wanted Monroe to be featured in the film adaptation of his novel Breakfast at Tiffany's, claiming she was perfect for the role. In the end, Marilyn refused (she was dissuaded by Paula Strasberg, who believed that Marilyn should not play such a role). In any case, Capote was not happy with Audrey Hepburn, which the studio chose.

4. "Monroe" is her mother's maiden name

When Norma Jeane Baker started filming, she took on her mother's maiden name. In her autobiography, Monroe said she was told she had something to do with President James Monroe, but no evidence was found to support this. The name "Marilyn" was suggested by a studio manager who thought Norma was similar to Marilyn Miller, an actress who died at the age of 37 (interestingly, Monroe herself was 36 when she died).

5. Marilyn Monroe had a fad about smart people

Her marriage to writer Arthur Miller probably suggests this already, but there is actually other evidence. Monroe once shared a room with actress Shelley Winters, who said that, for fun, they made lists of men they would like to sleep with. “There was no one under 50 on her list,” Winters later said. “I never asked her how many candidates on her list she had managed to scowl, but among the people who attracted her the most was Albert Einstein.”

6. Monroe couldn't cook

Winters revealed that she once asked the actress to wash the salad for lunch. When she entered the kitchen, she found that Monroe washes each leaf of lettuce with a dish sponge.

7. But still I learned

Some of Monroe's recipes were discovered only after her death. In 2010, journalists from The New York Times tried to make her minced meat recipe, which the actress was preparing for Thanksgiving. They found the recipe surprisingly complex and suggested that "Monroe not only cooked, but did it pretty well."

8. Marilyn Monroe loved to read

Monroe's collection of books was extremely impressive. At the time of her death, she owned over 400 volumes, including several unique first editions of various books. Among the many thousands of her photographs, the actress was especially fond of those in which she was depicted reading.

9. Marilyn Monroe helped Ella Fitzgerald get a job at the Mocambo club

It has long been rumored that Ella Fitzgerald was initially refused to perform at Mocambo due to being black. Marilyn Monroe, who was her fan, arranged with the owner of the nightclub, Charlie Morrison, to sign a contract with Ella, promising to visit the establishment every night in return, thereby guaranteeing a huge number of journalists in the club. Morrison agreed, and Monroe kept her word.

10. Marilyn Monroe found it difficult to memorize lyrics

“The irony was that she couldn't link the two sentences,” said Don Murray, the actor who co-starred with Monroe in the 1956 film Bus Stop. While some attributed this to a lack of professionalism, others, including Murray, believed it was due to nerves.

11. Marilyn Monroe's wardrobe was worth crazy money

The sequined dress that Monroe wore to sing "Happy Birthday" in 1962 cost $ 1,267,500 and set the world record for the most expensive clothing in the world. It was acquired by a collection company. The famous dress from Seven Years Itch also set a record - it was sold in 2011 for $ 4.6 million.

12. Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were married for only 8 months

Although their romance became infamous, Monroe was married to second husband Joe DiMaggio for just 274 days. While many reasons contributed to their divorce, it was believed that the last straw was the famous "subway scene" in "Seven Years Itch" (with the soaring hem of Marilyn's white dress). The scene was filmed in front of a large crowd of journalists and onlookers, and DiMaggio became angry about it. Shortly thereafter, Monroe filed for divorce on the grounds of "psychological cruelty." And the most ironic thing was that the scene was deemed unsuitable due to the noise of the crowd and had to be re-filmed in a closed studio.

13. Despite the divorce, Di Maggio remained faithful to Marilyn

Di Maggio continued to stay close to Marilyn and always helped her. Shortly before her death, DiMaggio told friends that they were going to get married again. When Marilyn died, he organized her funeral, leaving almost no one to attend. After that, he brought roses to her grave twice a week for 20 years.

14. Monroe's grave

Monroe was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. The crypt in which she was buried was originally owned by DiMaggio, but he sold it when they divorced. The buyer was Richard Poncher, a fan who asked to be buried face down over Monroe's sarcophagus so he could "stare at her for ages." In 2009, Ponter's widow put the site up for sale on eBay for a whopping $ 4.6 million.

And the neighboring plot was purchased for $ 75,000 in 1992 by Hugh Hefner.