How Did Norma Jeane Wa Over Marilyn Monroe's Impact On Hollywood

Formerly Known as Norma Jeane

What began as a brunette beauty by the name of Norma Jeane Baker born in LA, California, soon transformed into the blondest, biggest sex symbol Hollywood has yet to cross paths with. Marilyn Monroe belonged to the public from the moment she stepped onto the screen and the voluptuous, 50’s goddess knew it. In combination with Monroe’s fascinating personal life and alluring pout and sensuality, the bombshell left an ever-staying impact on Hollywood, still yet to be outshined by any sex icons to come.

Baptized Norma Jeane Baker, the soon to be starlet, spent most of her childhood migrating through foster homes after her mother, Gladys Baker, was instituted and her father’s identity remained unidentified. This was up until Norma Jeane
was taken under the care of a family friend, Grace McKee Goddard. Unfortunately, after Mr. Goddard was transferred to the east coast, the family could not afford to travel 16-year-old Norma Jeane along with them. When faced with choice to return to the orphanage or get married, Norma married her 21-year-old neighbor Jimmy Dougherty. They were wed in 1942 after dating for six months prior. It was smooth sailing until 1944 when he was transferred to the South Pacific with the marines. During his absence, Norma Jeane took a job on the assembly line at Radio Planes Munitions factory where she was discovered by photographer David Conover. Conover came across the “photographer’s dream” as put by David, while taking pictures of women contributing to the war effort for Yank magazine. Conover began her career by sending her modeling jobs and within two years she was a reputable model with plenty of covers to her credit. In 1946, Norma Jean divorced her husband Jimmy and signed with Twentieth Century Fox. It was at this point that she officially transformed into the blonde Hollywood babe known as Marilyn Monroe. Two marriages later, one to baseball player Joe DiMaggio and the third and final to playwright Arthur Miller, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Brentwood, California home on August 5, 1962. Although only age 36 when she died, Marilyn Monroe was a global sensation in her lifetime and will always remain that way.

Over Marilyn Monroe’s career span, the icon was nominated and won countless awards.
Among these, Monroe won the Golden Plate at the David di Donatello Awards for her acting in The Prince and the Showgirl, two Henrietta Awards for World Film Favorite-Female and a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture –Musical/Comedy for Some Like it Hot. She also won Most Popular Female Star and a special award at the Photoplay Awards and received a motion picture star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Along with these prestigious awards were her many, many nominations which she always came close in. Marilyn began her acting career with 1947’s The Shocking Miss Pilgrim but it was her performance in the 1953’s Niagara that grabbed the public’s eye. She was also one of the most photographed people in the world and has been recaptured in numerous paintings. Many of the best in visual art has had a shot at Marilyn Monroe. Even after her death, the bleach blonde has been subject to some 600 books, newspaper and magazine articles, musicals, a ballet, plays, an opera and a famous Elton John/Bernie Taupin song. All of this proves the impact of Marilyn Monroe and just how much the public still loves
her.

None can deny the influence Marilyn Monroe had on Hollywood and the public alike. Marilyn Monroe’s influence in Hollywood and on the public can be seen everywhere. During her lifetime it was exemplified through her numerous box-office successes and massive publicity. Monroe did much to make her influence everlasting while the provocative super starlet still graced the world with her presence. She notoriously negotiated a tough contract with her studio involving her artistic rights and was the first woman to set up her own production company. There was clearly more to Ms. Monroe than her seductive pout. Marilyn launched her close friend, Ella Fitzgerald’s career when she made a deal with the owners of a popular club that refused Ella the opportunity to perform due to her race. Monroe told the owners that if they were to let Ella perform, Marilyn herself would be at every performance. Marilyn broke down the norms for typical actresses and women in general within society. “Marilyn was one of the first women to be overly sexual and play sweet, naïve and innocent characters at the same time.” as put by Time Magazine. This was only one barrier Monroe’s influence knocked down. She was a widely accepted and adored sex symbol, making the 1950’s society more permissive of sex. This also contributed to the sexual freedom women have today. The Edmonton Journal in Canada wrote about the popular face piercing titled “The Monroe” after the world famous sex symbol. As written in the journal, “It’s a testament to Marilyn Monroe’s enduring coolness that the piercing is named about her, because her real mole was on her left cheek.” Part of the reason why Monroe’s influence is so strong is due to the manner that she came and left. After almost every actress prior to the 50’s being brunette and vampy or blonde and entirely lackluster and innocent, Marilyn was a breath of fresh air on the cinema screen. On the other hand, her departure seemed to showcase “the wonder and tragedy of Hollywood and the entertainment business.”(Glatzer,33). By dying at such a young age, Marilyn Monroe became a legend, ergo her gripping influence. It can be understood that the individuals who are remembered and beloved are “the tragic heroes and heroines who loose their lives in Hollywood.”(Glatzer,33). Among these are Kurt Cobain, Elvis Presley, James Dean and of course Marilyn Monroe. “They didn’t have the opportunity to bow out gracefully, they were ripped from our midst and society mourns them all the more.”(Glatzer,35).

Marilyn Monroe was undoubtedly the most famous and iconic actress of her generation. Many voluptuous blondes attempted to reinvent Monroe after her death but none had the right alchemy of “va-va-voom” and virtue. In a recent survey, Marilyn Monroe was ranked seventh in “The Highest Paid Dead Celebrities” and was the only woman in the top thirteen. In combination with Monroe’s fascinating personal life and alluring sensuality, the bombshell left an ever-staying impact on Hollywood, still yet to be outshined by any sex icons to come. Marilyn Monroe will never be forgotten, whether it’s her scandalous life or her incredible impact, we all just can’t seem to get that enticing pout out of our minds.