Why was Marilyn Monroe so famous?

The Gary SheenThe Gary Sheen Posts: 227
Forum Member
Her personal life from a young age to her death seem terrible.
«13456

Comments

  • brillopadbrillopad Posts: 3,226
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Famous writer husband, famous President lover, famous film partners.

    She was wonderful in 'some like it hot' with Jack Lemmon & Tony Curtis.
  • The Gary SheenThe Gary Sheen Posts: 227
    Forum Member
    1960's seem so long ago... didn't she die in her bed?
  • karapote monkeykarapote monkey Posts: 3,688
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    1960's seem so long ago... didn't she die in her bed?

    yeah suicide/murder
  • AddisonianAddisonian Posts: 16,377
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    yeah suicide/murder
    She was addicted to a barbiturate drug called Nembutal. Her doctor had also given her chloral hydrate to try and wean her off the Nembutal - apparantly the two shouldn't be taken together but it was found that Marilyn did, leading to her death.

    If I recall correctly, her doctor at the time, Dr Hyman Engelberg testified that he had never written her a prescription for chloral hydrate, which has now been revealed as a lie.
    Therefore, her death was due to medical negligence leading to an accidental overdose.

    The rumours that she was murdered by the Kennedys are nonsense.
  • grumpyscotgrumpyscot Posts: 11,343
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Big breasts and flashed her knickers!
  • gingerjackgingerjack Posts: 1,917
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Nice full arse !
  • shackfanshackfan Posts: 15,461
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Her personal life from a young age to her death seem terrible.

    Not sure why you are connecting her fame to how terrible her life was :confused:
  • Doctor_WibbleDoctor_Wibble Posts: 26,580
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    She owed everything to her starring role in that beer advert on the train 'I like a man with glasses' 'this could be your lucky day'...
  • alan29alan29 Posts: 34,612
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Just watch Some Like it Hot.
  • Miss XYZMiss XYZ Posts: 14,023
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    1960's seem so long ago... didn't she die in her bed?

    Channel 5's Autopsy programme that was on a couple of nights ago was about Marilyn's death. Each episode looks at the death of a celebrity. I should think it'll be available to watch online.
  • cas1977cas1977 Posts: 6,399
    Forum Member
    As much as there have been and always will be fabulous looking famous women, the fact that she still remains famous to this day, and even people that aren't interested in the 50s and 60s, it still seems that everyone will know who Marylin Monroe was.

    I don't think she was a great actress or was particularly intelligent, or was a wonderful person, but I think she exuded such mystery and her photos are some of the best I've seen.

    When I was growing up, I loved the 50s idols, like her and James Dean, and there is something really special about them, about their faces, that go beyond just sexiness and beauty.

    Hence why their names is still around today.
  • PictoPicto Posts: 24,270
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Miss XYZ wrote: »
    Channel 5's Autopsy programme that was on a couple of nights ago was about Marilyn's death. Each episode looks at the death of a celebrity. I should think it'll be available to watch online.

    I watched that, on and off.

    I've also seen the Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson episodes. All three causes of death were very similar.
  • SaturnVSaturnV Posts: 11,519
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    She was a great comic actress and of course there were her remarkable good looks.
  • Doctor_WibbleDoctor_Wibble Posts: 26,580
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    cas1977 wrote: »
    ... and there is something really special about them, about their faces, that go beyond just sexiness and beauty. ...
    I think that the je-ne-sais-quoi 'something special' is probably "marketing" rather than necessarily some kind of ethereal heavenliness...
  • An ThropologistAn Thropologist Posts: 39,844
    Forum Member
    cas1977 wrote: »
    As much as there have been and always will be fabulous looking famous women, the fact that she still remains famous to this day, and even people that aren't interested in the 50s and 60s, it still seems that everyone will know who Marylin Monroe was.

    I don't think she was a great actress or was particularly intelligent, or was a wonderful person, but I think she exuded such mystery and her photos are some of the best I've seen.

    When I was growing up, I loved the 50s idols, like her and James Dean, and there is something really special about them, about their faces, that go beyond just sexiness and beauty.

    Hence why their names is still around today.


    Yes I agree. She died before I was born but I can completely understand why she became so iconic. Her circumstances I think are after the fact and have ensured a certain immortality. But to do that she had to become famous in the first place. She was a better actress I think than people often give her credit for. However her fame came, I believe, from an intangible allure or charisma that just shone out of her.
  • Pisces CloudPisces Cloud Posts: 30,239
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    She was also one of those rare people who others found it hard to dislike. Both male and female.
  • An ThropologistAn Thropologist Posts: 39,844
    Forum Member
    I think that the je-ne-sais-quoi 'something special' is probably "marketing" rather than necessarily some kind of ethereal heavenliness...

    Could be.

    I once read that she had an almost innate understanding of cameras and how lighting worked, such that she would instinctively turn to get herself in the most photogenic position and lighting even for say press photographs. Photographers, I understand, said it was impossible to take a bad picture of her.
  • Deb ArkleDeb Arkle Posts: 12,584
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    ^^^ Agree with the above - this picture illustrates it well IMO, look at the difference between MM's pose and Jane Russell's. She makes JR look lumpish in comparison.
  • An ThropologistAn Thropologist Posts: 39,844
    Forum Member
    Deb Arkle wrote: »
    ^^^ Agree with the above - this picture illustrates it well IMO, look at the difference between MM's pose and Jane Russell's. She makes JR look lumpish in comparison.

    Yes indeed. One leg bent and the stance make her look flexible and lith. The hat used to create a frame for her face and a backdrop to highlight her hair. The arm straight onto the camera - no bingo wings here fellas! head slightly down, peering up at the camera, cheeky and yet demure. Plus just the right amount of smile. ( Jane seems to have overdone it)

    Could have just been chance of course! :)
  • Doctor_WibbleDoctor_Wibble Posts: 26,580
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Agree with the above remarks - some people do have the knack for getting themselves in the best angle, and that picture has me wondering if it's a perfect example of this or whether the photographer was taking a picture of MM that just happened to have JR in it.
    The fact that I am uncertain as to which it is might be proof of this!
  • cas1977cas1977 Posts: 6,399
    Forum Member
    Yes I agree. She died before I was born but I can completely understand why she became so iconic. Her circumstances I think are after the fact and have ensured a certain immortality. But to do that she had to become famous in the first place. She was a better actress I think than people often give her credit for. However her fame came, I believe, from an intangible allure or charisma that just shone out of her.

    BIB - very well put! That was really what I wanted to put as well.

    There is a restaurant I go to that is named after her, and is filled with pictures of MM. I don't know if it is because I'm a fan, or if everyone will be affected the same way, but I can never go there without staring at all the pictures, even though I've seen them many times now!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 425
    Forum Member
    im a cynic and think because she was mistress to a lot of high profile men, lots of equally/more talented women of the era didn't get the level of adoration she did so me thinks the gyal' put out, in that era women would have been less likely to be so openly/willingly promiscuous. *ducks and hidea*
  • cas1977cas1977 Posts: 6,399
    Forum Member
    I think that the je-ne-sais-quoi 'something special' is probably "marketing" rather than necessarily some kind of ethereal heavenliness...
    Not sure I completely agree with you. I think there are some things that marketing cannot do, and I think in many ways, she had something that you either have or don't have. (I imagine that whatever it was, is rare, hence her being so iconic)....Camera tricks and lighting and marketing all help of course, but the ethereal heavenliness has to be naturally present!

    Also she was lucky enough to be alive in that by gone era which people sometimes refer to as the "golden age". Not sure if it is because it's so long ago, or if that era really was golden....
  • Deb ArkleDeb Arkle Posts: 12,584
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I think a large part of it is that we didn't see her grow old, so according to t'internet she's forever young and beautiful.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 425
    Forum Member
    good point there deb.
Sign In or Register to comment.