The 1st of June 2026 marks the centenary of the birth of Marilyn Monroe. More than six decades after her untimely death, like her contemporaries James Dean and JFK, together with Princess Diana, she continues to fascinate, cut off in her prime and attracting conspiracy theories.
Dying young is insufficient in itself to be remembered but, like the others, she’s instantly recognisable, an icon, and let’s not forget her considerable talent.
She was largely “manufactured” and her public persona is well demonstrated in the contrast between her character and Jane Russell’s in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; Jane’s Dorothy is somewhat streetwise whereas Marilyn’s Lorelei is more vulnerable, and that’s probably how she’s best remembered.
The camera loved her, and her comedic timing, singing and dancing made her the No.1 female star of the 1950s with her movies grossing $200m ($2bn today).
To describe her childhood and upbringing as difficult would be a gross understatement. We now know that long before #MeToo Tinseltown had a very dark side and, like many, Marilyn was undoubtedly a victim; she was also not unique in needing pills to sleep, wake up, etc. Shooting could be an ordeal but the results were worth it and 1959’s Some Like It Hot is considered one of the greatest films of all time.
There are still disputes about her death, although she was clearly a wreck and in need of support. She was nearer to 40 than 30 in a business where the cult of the young predominated and, to some extent, still does.
She wasn’t a dumb blond and wanted to move beyond the light, romantic comedy roles that had made her. Had she lived, what could her future have been?
The career of Doris Daym, four years older (although she claimed to have been born in 1924 not 1922), is instructive. From 1960-1964, with a series of romantic comedies, she ranked No. 1 at the box office four times, but tastes changed, some called her “The World’s Oldest Virgin”, and she had to reinvent herself.
JFK’s 1960 election represented a generational shift, coinciding with the sexual revolution and contraceptive pill, there was Civil Rights, the Space Race and Cuban Missile Crisis were manifestations of the Cold War and, as the decade progressed, Vietnam became more prominent.
By 1967 the sexy Lorelei Lee of 1953 had become the sexual Mrs Robinson, ironically a part turned down by Doris Day.
Production of Marilyn’s films often overran so she probably wouldn’t have survived in television with its tighter timescales and budgets, and cabaret relies upon the star turning up regularly and punctually.
Much of her work doesn’t pretend to have deep significance or meaning, it’s a Technicolor fantasy on a giant screen, but she had phenomenal talent and style!
Ancient Egyptian tombs sometimes entreated visitors to “speak my name so that I might live again” and although frequently mistreated in life, Marilyn Monroe will live forever!
