BLONDE AMBITION: A truly one-of-a-kind cache, representing the brilliance, radiance and life that Monroe so naturally exuded
“Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world.”
- Marilyn Monroe
The original blonde-bombshell. A cultural icon. The quintessential sex symbol of our time. All of these descriptions aptly describe the woman who would become Marilyn Monroe, but there was so much more behind the glitz, glamour and platinum curls. Monroe’s was a true Cinderella story, rising from the ashes of a disjointed and abusive childhood to become one of Hollywood’s most beloved and desirable starlets.
Born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926, Monroe would spend the first part of her life bouncing between the homes of family members, friends and foster parents due to the mental instability of her mother, Gladys Baker. This resulted in an arranged marriage at the age of 16; a move that would actually land Monroe in the right place at the right time. While her young husband was away in the Merchant Marine, she took a job at the Radioplane Munitions Factory, and it was here, in June of 1945, that a photographer snapped the pictures that would change the trajectory of her life forever.
From her beginnings as a model to her evolution as an actress, Monroe left an indelible mark on Hollywood. In 1947, after 20th Century Fox executive, Ben Lyon, arranged her first screen test and commented, "It's Jean Harlow all over again,” he offered the new model her first contract. But this was just the beginning - through a number of alliances, coaching classes, low-budget films and magazine appearances (including appearing in the first issue of Playboy in 1953), Monroe found herself the center of attention and, as described in the April 1952 edition of Life Magazine, “The Talk of Hollywood.”
Over the next decade, Monroe would star in 30 films, from her first leading role in the 1952 thriller, “Don’t Bother to Knock,” to some of her most famed films, including “Niagara” (1953), “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953), “How to Marry a Millionaire” (1953), “The Seven-Year Itch” (1955), “Bus Stop” (1956), “Some Like it Hot” (1959), and her final film, the 1961 drama, “The Misfits,” in which she starred alongside Clark Gable.
But success wouldn’t come without a price. After three failed marriages (police officer James Dougherty; New York Yankee great, Joe DiMaggio and famed playwright, Arthur Miller) and a growing substance abuse problem, the actress became completely unreliable; she was constantly sick and late for filming. She was difficult to work with and as a result, began losing roles. After a number of surgeries and hospital stays, in 1962, Monroe was found dead in her Brentwood, California home, the cause of death cited as an “overdose” and a “probable suicide.” It’s almost as if the resounding echoes of the tragic star’s confession, “Being a sex symbol is a heavy load to carry, especially when one is tired, hurt and bewildered,” were finally ringing, loud and clear.
About Our Collection:
Contained within the items of this collection is a photographic lineage, tracing Monroe’s earliest days in the industry all the way through her final Hollywood production; included are stills from her first credited speaking role in “Dangerous Years,” as well as a gorgeous image from the 1950 drama, “The Asphalt Jungle,” one of her earlier films that triggered Hollywood’s attention. Two dramatic images from her breakthrough leading role in the 1952 thriller, “Don’t Bother to Knock,” are featured, as well as some classic shots from one of her most well-known appearances in the 1955 romantic comedy, “The Seven-Year Itch,” the movie that would produce what is widely considered one of Monroe’s most infamous poses - the blonde bombshell, standing over a subway grate, her signature white dress billowing around her before a crowd of enthusiastic onlookers. A handful of photographs featuring Monroe, Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable from the 1953 smash hit, “How to Marry a Millionaire” add to this already sensational assortment, along with a nostalgic behind-the-scenes shot of Monroe and Clark Gable from the film that would come to be the last production of both their iconic careers, the 1961 drama, “The Misfits.”
Additionally featured is a spectacular full-sized, vintage promotional poster for “The Seven-Year Itch,” as welll as a flawless check, bearing Monroe’s exquisite signature as President of Marilyn Monroe Productions, Inc.
