10 little-known facts about Marilyn Monroe that explain a lot about her
'01.10.2021'
Source: Culturology
Marilyn Monroe was born on 1 on June 1926 of the year. She lived only 36 years, but during this time managed to win fans around the world. And although sometimes it seems that everything is known about her, now and then unexpected and very interesting facts from her life come up.
1. Norma Jean Baker's first marriage was negotiable
For most of her childhood, Norma Jean Baker (this is Marilyn's real name) lived in foster care, in state shelters and under the care of various family friends. Culturology. She never knew her father, and her mother was placed in a psychiatric hospital. 15-year-old Baker lived with her friend Grace Goddard, but when the Goddard couple decided to move to West Virginia, it turned out that they could not bring Baker with them. If the girl had not married, then she would be returned to the orphanage.
So they suggested that 20-year-old James Dougherty, who lived next door, should 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 on it like this: “She wouldn't do it. Marilyn would say that. "
3. Truman Capote wanted Monroe to star in Breakfast at Tiffany's
Truman Capote wanted Monroe to be invited to play the lead role in the film adaptation of his novel Tiffany's Breakfast, claiming she was ideally suited to the role. In the end, Marilyn refused (she was dissuaded by Paul Strasberg, who believed that Marilyn should not play a similar role). In any case, Capote was not thrilled with Audrey Hepburn, which the studio chose.
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4. "Monroe" is her mother's maiden name
When Norma Jean Baker started acting, she took her mother's maiden name. In her autobiography, Monroe said that she was told that she was somehow connected with President James Monroe, but no evidence was found to support this. The name "Marilyn" was suggested by the head of the studio, who thought Norma was like Marilyn Miller, an actress who died at the age of 37 years (interestingly, Monroe herself was 36 years old 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 get ridiculous, but among the people who attracted her the most was Albert Einstein.”
6. Monroe did not know how to cook
Winters said that once she asked the actress to wash the salad for lunch. When she entered the kitchen, she found that Monroe washes every leaf of the salad with a sponge for dishes.
7. But still I learned
Some of Monroe's recipes were discovered only after her death. In 2010, The New York Times reporters tried to make her a mince recipe, which the actress was preparing for Thanksgiving. They found this recipe surprisingly complex and suggested that "Monroe not only cooked, but also did it pretty well."
8. Marilyn Monroe loved to read
Monroe's book collection was extremely impressive. At the time of her death, she owned more than 400 volumes, including several unique first editions of various books. Among the many thousands of her photographs, the actress especially loved those in which she was depicted reading.
9. Marilyn Monroe helped Ella Fitzgerald get into the club Mocambo
It has long been rumored that Ella Fitzgerald was initially refused to perform at Mocambo due to the fact that she was black. Marilyn Monroe, who was her fan, agreed with the owner of the nightclub, Charlie Morrison, to sign a contract with Ella, promising in return to visit the institution every night, thereby guaranteeing a huge number of journalists in the club. Morrison agreed, and Monroe kept her word.
10. Marilyn Monroe was hard to remember 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.
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11. Marilyn Monroe's wardrobe cost crazy money
The sequined dress Monroe wore to perform the song “Happy Birthday” in 1962 was worth 1 267 500 dollars and set a world record for the most expensive clothes in the world. It was acquired by a collection company. The famous dress from the "Seven Year Itch" also set a record - it was sold in 2011 for 4,6 million dollars.
12. Marilyn Monroe and Joe Di Maggio were married for only 8 months
Although their romance became notorious, Monroe was married to Joe Di Maggio's second husband for just 274 days. Although many reasons contributed to their divorce, it was believed that the last straw was the famous "metro scene" in the "Seven Years Itch" (with the hem of a white Marilyn dress gutting up). The scene was filmed in front of a large crowd of journalists and onlookers, and Di Maggio was angry because of this. Soon after, Monroe filed for divorce because of "psychological cruelty." And the most ironic was that the scene was declared unsuitable due to the noise of the crowd and had to be re-shot in a closed studio.
13. Despite the divorce, Di Maggio remained faithful to Marilyn
Di Maggio continued to stay next to Marilyn and always helped her. Shortly before her death, Di Maggio told his friends that they were going to get married again. When Marilyn died, he organized her funeral, not letting almost anyone go at them. After that, he brought roses to her grave twice a week for 20 years.
14. Tomb of monroe
Monroe was buried in the cemetery of Westwood Village Memorial Park in Los Angeles. Initially, the crypt in which she was buried was owned by Di Maggio, but he sold it when they divorced. The buyer was Richard Poncher, a fan who asked him to be buried face down over the Monroe sarcophagus so that he could “look at her for ages.” In 2009, the widow of Ponter put up a plot for sale on eBay for a whopping 4,6 million dollars. And the neighboring site acquired Hugh Hefner for 75 000 dollars in the 1992 year.
