Marilyn Monroe: Five Films for Newcomers
Today marks the fifty eighth anniversary of Norma Jeanne Mortenson’s tragic passing at the age of thirty six. Known better as her stage name Marilyn Monroe, she was the figurehead of a new wave of celebrity. On screen, Monroe possessed an indescribable allure, which largely clashed with the previous strategically constructed charm of other stars; it’s as if Monroe was naturally charismatic and mysterious. Off screen, Monroe was plagued by the media and the rise of publication hounding, which resulted in a published life that was greatly misunderstood (and continues to be in some ways). Now, Marilyn Monroe is one of the most recognizable faces of all time, even if you have never seen a film of hers. She continues to be misrepresented as naive, when Monroe was truly the persona of Mortenson. If anything, that makes her a one-of-a-kind actress to me. In remembrance of a game changing icon in pop culture, here are five films for newcomers to the works of Marilyn Monroe.
5. Niagara
This vibrant noir film places Monroe in a position that she isn’t greatly remembered for: that of a thriller. A couple’s trip meant to expunge marital toxicity heads in the opposite direction, and it gives us an opportunity to see a large range for Monroe which many naysayers today are quick to try and ignore. This was one of the first films to place Monroe as the star of the picture (after bit or supporting parts like All About Eve), and her career was never the same since.
4. The Misfits
From first top billed role to her final film completed while she was still alive, the next entry is The Misfits. This John Huston-Arthur Miller super project has a lot going for it, especially considering its stellar cast (Eli Wallach, Montgomery Clift, Thelma Ritter, and especially Clark Gable, who sadly also passed away before The Misfits was released). Concerning Monroe, this is a glimpse of the dramatic capabilities that were surely to come in her career. Now, The Misfits is attached to her sudden death, as accompaniment to a tragic loss of a star with so much more talent left to show.
3. The Seven Year Itch
The first time Billy Wilder worked with Marilyn Monroe, we got The Seven Year Itch. This film was one of the main works to play into Monroe’s persona, and it’s often the work that she is most remembered for in pop culture. Here is the kind of fun that Monroe was often linked to throughout her historical legacy, and it was an image that would combat the more negative press and corrosive media she would be attacked by.
2. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
While Niagara put Monroe at the top of the bill, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes placed her on the map. Starring in Howard Hawks’ screwball musical film proved that she was a scene stealer, particularly taking the film away from the then-better-known Jane Russell. Including some of Monroe’s finest moments (including the number “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”), this is the best place to start if you want to know more about Monroe’s pop culture legacy.
1. Some Like It Hot
The second time Monroe worked with Wilder resulted in her finest work in the screwball romance noir Some Like It Hot. Despite having more of a supporting role here, I consider this Monroe’s best work, particularly because of how magnetic she is. It’s like we got both sides of Monroe’s short filmography here: the works that played into Monroe’s ditzy character, and the roles that believed more in Mortenson as an untapped actress with talent for days. Whenever I think of Monroe, this is the first film I think of, because it represents the biggest what-if. Released a few years before The Misfits, Some Like It Hot was another plateau of Monroe’s, where we could only see how high up her ceiling was. We never got as far as was possible, but Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot was an indication of what was left for this beloved superstar.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.