Marlyin Monroe

2 Pages 606 Words

Marilyn Monroe is a true Hollywood legend. At a young age she rose to stardom and is remembered in such movies as “A Gentlemen prefer Blondes”, “The Seven Year Itch”, and “Niagara”. She dominated the age of movies to become the most famous woman of the 20th Century.

Born Norma Jean Mortenson on the 1st June, 1926 in Los Angeles, California to Gladys Baker. The identity of her farther is unknown. Due to Gladys Baker’s psychological problems Norma Jean only spent a few short years with her mother and was then placed in fosters homes for most of her childhood years until 1934, when she moved in with a family friend Grace McKee Goddard. Grace loved and adored her and often told Norma Jean “You're going to be a beautiful girl when you get big...an important woman, a movie star." Unfortunately due to financial problems, Norma Jean was again placed in an orphanage from September 1935 to June 1937. Although Grace frequently visited her, taking her to the movies, buying clothes, and teaching her how to put on makeup.

In September 1941, Norma Jean met Jim Dougherty. Grace had found out that her husband was transferred to the East Coast and couldn’t afford to take the 16 year-old with her so she quickly made plans for Norma Jean to marry Jim Dougherty on the 19th June, 1942. Dougherty had soon joined the Marines and was sent overseas. While working in a factory inspecting parachutes, Norma Jean was photographed by the Army to show women on the assembly line contributing to the war. By the spring of 1945, Norma Jean was quickly becoming known as a “photographers dream” and had already appeared on 33 national magazine covers. In the fall of 1946, Norma Jean had divorced her husband.

Now free and on her own, Norma Jean signed a contract with 20th Century Fox Studios. From this point on she would be known by her fans as Marilyn Monroe. After a few minor parts in movies, Marilyn’s first serious acting job came in 1950, ...