Marilyn Monroe by

1. 1945: Norma Jeane Mortenson

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in the Spring of 1945, Ronald Reagan sent Photographer David Conover to the Radioplane Corporation to capture pictures of Women in War Work. He spotted a girl with ash-blonde hair and smudged dirt on her face, working on a propellor. Nineteen year old Norma's beauty took his breath away. He asked to photograph her during her lunchbreak and she agreed. As a result of these photographs, she began to get small roles in films.

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2. 1946: The creation of Marilyn Monroe

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Norma signed her first film contract with twentieth-century Fox. Shortly after, she dyed her hair platinum blonde and changes her name to Marilyn Monroe, inspired by her mother’s maiden name and Broadway star Marilyn Miller. This is the beginning of Monroe’s iconic star image.

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Monroe photographed by Andre de Dienes, 1946

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3. 1947: Monroe's contract ends

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In August 1947, Monroe was assigned a small part in Dangerous Years, a drama exploiting the rising concern of post-war juvenile delinquency in America. She was given a close-up within the film, an important feature to establish an actor's image. Despite her growing career, Fox failed to renew her Monroe's contract and she was dropped from the agency. Despite never confirming this decision, it can be speculated that Marilyn was dropped due to her lack of show-business experience.

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4. 1948: Monroe signs with Columbia Pictures

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Monroe was signed by Columbia Pictures in 1948, however, only starred in one film whilst under their management. She was given the starring role as a chorus girl in Ladies of The Chorus, which was ultimately unsuccessful. Monroe's contract was not renewed in September 1948. Monroe's Columbia Pictures contract was put up for sale for £25k in 2023.

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6. 1953: Monroe features in Playboy Magazine

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Monroe featured in the first edition of Hugh Hefner's Playboy Magazine, making her the first Covergirl. Hefner shared his though process on his choice to feature Marilyn, "Tie it in with Marilyn Monroe and the birth of the sexual revolution." This reinforced how Monroe was viewed predominantly as a sexual object, Hefner's dream Covergirl for male pleasure. Contrary to popular belief, Marilyn never posed nude for Playboy. However, Hefner sourced nude images of Monroe from a nude calendar she posed for in 1949, allowing him to profit from photos of her naked body. Once again, Monroe is painted as a sex symbol; the perfect woman.

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5. 1952: Life Magazine

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Marilyn featured on the cover of Life Magazine in 1952, with a sultry expressions and low cut dress. Marilyn's feature in the magazine placed a particular focus on her sexuality and how she is perceived by men. Monroe makes a sexually suggestive joke that the only thing she wears to sleep is Chanel No5 and shares that she dresses for men because they appreciate her outfits more than women. This reinforces the sex symbol persona that contributes significantly to her star image. There is a strong indication of Marilyn's star image catering to men.

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7. 1953: "Diamond's Are a Girls best Friend"

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Monroe featured in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes alongside co-star Jane Russell which released in theatres in 1953. Monroe was the only blonde in the film, drawing attention to her striking star image. Marilyn's role as Lorelai Lee worked to reiterate her 'Blonde Bombshell' archetype, with Monroe playing the flirtatious, bubbly gold-digger. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is also an ideal example of Monroe's stereotypical 'Dumb Blonde' character in which she is seen as materialistic and ditsy. Marilyn's performance of Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend has remained iconic to this day, with Monroe remaining as the image of glamour and femininity.

Theory

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Richard Dyer discussed the idea of a 'Star Vehicle' in which roles are created to fit a celebrity's star image. This is applicable here as Monroe even created some of her own dialogue for the film, including the iconic line, "I can be smart when it's important, but most men don't like it."

Richard Dyer and Paul McDonald (2019) Stars. London: British Film Institute. Available at: https://research-ebsco-com.liverpool.idm.oclc.org/linkprocessor/plink?id=8d09a838-761e-339c-bdaa-314e624009dc (Accessed: 27 October 2025).

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Key aspects of Monroe's Star Image

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Platinum blonde hair
red lipstick
beauty mark
fitted glamorous gowns
hourglass figure
seductive gaze
exaggerated hip sway

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8. 1954- Monroe's most iconic photograph

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Arguably one of Monroe's most iconic photograph's, this image represents the ingenious marketing of Monroe as a commodity. The image was taken by Sam Shaw, Monroe's personal photographer. The iconic photos were taken on two separate occasions in which Monroe stood above a subway grate, with the dress blowing up in the wind. The photo was a carefully crafted publicity stunt, aiming to express Monroe's charismatic and flirty tendencies. This iconic photo reiterates Monroe's star image as a 'Blonde Bombshell' as we see her playfully using the camera to her advantage.

Statue of Monroe from 'The Seven Year Itch' in Chicago

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9. 1955: 'The Seven Year Itch' premiers

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Despite the success of the movie, rumours circulated that Monroe's mental health caused tension on the set on The Seven Year Itch. Monroe struggled with depression and was well known for self-sabotage. This subsequently became part of her star image. Monroe was the only choice for the role of the girl in the film, once again supporting Richard Dyer's theory of a 'star vehicle'.

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10. 1959: Monroe wins 'Best Actress'

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Following her performance in Some Like It Hot (1959) Monroe was awarded with 'Best Actress' at the Golden Globes.

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11. 1960: Hollywood Walk of Fame

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Monroe's success in The Seven Year Itch and Some Like It Hot ultimately led to her being given a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

12. 1960: Monroe's mental health spirals

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After years of struggling with substance abuse and bipolar disorder, Monroe checked into the Payne Whitney psychiatric ward in New York in 1960. By this point, she had a reputation for being difficult to work with and prolonging filming during The Seven Year Itch. Monroe described her time in the Payne Whitney as 'harrowing' and shared that she felt as if she had been imprisoned.

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13. March 1962: World Film Favourite

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Monroe was awarded with a Golden Globe for World Film Favourite in 1962, reiterating her iconic star image and success as Marilyn.

14. May 1962: JFK Birthday song

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Monroe gave a sultry performance of Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy in May 1962, sparking rumours of an affair between the two. Journalist Dorothy Kilgallen described Monroe's performance as, "making love to the president in direct view of forty million Americans." This performance reinforced Monroe's flirty and seductive star image, keeping her in the spotlight with the controversial affair rumour.

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15. August 1962: Monroe's death

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After a life-long mental health battle, Marilyn was found dead in her home aged 36 in August 1962. The circumstances of her death have never been confirmed. The starlet was found naked and face down in her bed with an autopsy revealing evidence of barbiturate poisoning. Her death was ultimately deemed as a suicide.

How was Monroe's death reported?

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The press were particularly distasteful when reporting Monroe's death. Almost every news outlet focused on the fact that Marilyn was naked when she was found dead, a reflection of her sex symbol status- even in death.

The Sun reports on Monroe's death (1962)

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16. Marilyn Monroe's crypt

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Even after her death, Monroe was still idolised and viewed as a sex symbol. Businessman Richard Poncher's dying request was to be buried in the crypt above Monroe's. However, the request became sinister as he told his wife he wanted to be buried face down, sharing, "If i croak, if you don't put me upside down over Marilyn, I'll haunt you the rest of my life." Poncher's insidious dying wish was granted and his crypt remains above Marilyn's to this day. This highlights how Monroe, even in death, continued to be viewed as a sexual object, something that fulfills the male fantasy.

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Theory

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Scheibel (2013) explored the concept of Monroe as a 'sex symbol text', due to the exploitation of her body as a sexual object within film, however, herself awareness and use of contradiction and irony often subverted stereotypes of her 'blonde bombshell' archetype. Monroe was able to successfully appeal to a male audience whilst offering depth to her characters.