Brandi Lalanne
Marilyn Monroe
Norma Jean Baker was born in 1926 in Los Angeles where she was raised in an orphanage and was passed from foster home to foster home. At age 16, her current foster parents could no longer care for her and she was thus given an ultimatum: either she was to wed or return to the orphanage. On June 19, 1942 she wed her 21-year-old neighbor Jimmy Dougherty, whom she had been dating for six months. "She was a sweet, generous and religious girl," Jimmy said. "She liked to be cuddled." By all accounts Norma Jean loved Jimmy, and they were happy together until he joined the Merchant Marines and was sent to the South Pacific in 1944.
Once her husband left, Norma Jean became a part of women and the war effort. A photographer spotted her while shooting pictures and couldn't believe his luck, feeling that Norma was a photographers dream. He immediately brought her in front of the lens and began to line up modeling jobs for her. However, when her husband Jimmy returned, she was yet again forced to make another decision-this time between either her marriage or her career. She chose her career.
The same year she divorced Jimmy, she signed a studio contract with Twentieth Century Fox where she earned $125 weekly. Shortly after, she dyed her hair blonde and changed her name to Marilyn Monroe, borrowing her grandmother's last name. From then on, with her new contract, she played in many movies. Her most substantial role that launched her into stardom however, was in 1953's Niagara.
In January of 1954, Monroe married Joe DiMaggio. Sadly, their marriage barely lasted 9 months. Once Monroe was recognized as a sex symbol, it seemed to haunt her marriage and thus Joe could not handle men ogling his wife. After the split, Monroe decided to take her career on a new path and strived to show her diversity as an actress.
Monroe pursued serious acting and even built her own motion pictures studio, Marilyn Monroe Productions. Her first two films received much praise and later she won a golden globe for best actress in a comedy. Before long, Monroe was once again married, this time, it lasting for a few years. During her career, she made 30 movies but was unable to complete her last project due to her passing away. The 36 year olds death shocked the world but her memory lives on as the glamour queen that she was.
