Everyone knows that name: Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe was one of Hollywood’s most famous celebs of all time and a timeless beauty that fans adored during her time, and still do today. But her life wasn’t always glitz and glamor. The small town she was born in as Norma Jean Baker (she would change her name later) with a single mother, was rough on the young girl. Because Gladys had mental health issues and was a single mother, taking care of Marilyn was too much for her and she had a mental breakdown. Marilyn was sent to live in foster care and she became institutionalized. As Marily got older she learned how to look after herself and joined the army during World War II and worked assembling drones. A photographer found her here and her whole life changed…
Going Under The Knife
Naturally, the world wanted to find out every single detail of Marilyn Monroe’s personal life, and the desire only increased as she passed away prematurely. But Marilyn managed to keep some intimate details out of the public sphere.
Plastic surgery wasn’t new to Marilyn – she had a nose job and a chin implant to alter her face. The fact is, plastic surgery in the 50’s wasn’t anywhere near as advanced as it is today, and yet Marilyn was actually brave to undergo the knife.
The Einstein Affair
Of course, Marilyn always played a brainless blonde bombshell in her films (a role she hated) but, in fact, she was the exact opposite.
It is reported that she had an IQ of 160+ – although there isn’t any proof that she had actually took the standardized IQ test. Still, that score is classified as a genius! There were also rumors of Monroe getting intimate with Einstein, although it is hard to tell if these rumors had any basis to them.
Working With Explosives
During the war, Marilyn worked in an explosives factory, and interestingly enough, these photos of her are what initially set her career in motion.
David Conover, an army photographer, was sent to her base to take pictures of Women in War Work. He moved down the assembly line taking shots of the most attractive employees when he came upon a girl putting on propellers. Loving Marilyn’s ‘plain Jane’ look so much, Conover sent her straight to Hollywood.
Nonstop Disappointment
Marilyn’s mother, Gladys, attempted at a normal life – trying to piece her life back together, her mother gathered what little money she had and bought a house just for the two of them.
Sadly, little Marilyn was just too much to handle and Gladys, having enough on her plate, felt overwhelmed as she tried to support and take care of both herself and her daughter. Unfortunately, a few months afterwards she had a mental breakdown and had to be institutionalized.
Reaching For The Stars
One of her first modeling gigs was for Douglas Airlines, back when she was still Norma Jeane. Her curly hair, innocent smile and curious spark in her eyes made her seem like a complete natural whenever she was facing a camera.
She also appeared in magazine shoots, but when photographer Raphael Wolff hired her for a shampoo advertisement and Marilyn bleached and straightened her hair, was when she truly started booking more and more modeling gigs.
They Never Had A Chance
James Dougherty, a retired Los Angeles police detective, earned a niche in Hollywood history when he married a pretty teenager named Norma Jean Baker in the early 1940’s.
Although he was the first of three husbands, few know how much he’s changed Marilyn’s life – having married Marilyn when she was only 15-years-old. After their short marriage ended, James revealed that – “I never knew Marilyn Monroe, and I don’t claim to have any insights to her to this day. I knew and loved Norma Jean.”
Dying Young
Naturally born a brunette, Marilyn did not look like her iconic self at all when she was younger. When she signed her first modeling contact, the producer brought up a suggestion he felt strongly about – Marilyn should dye her hair blonde.
Still not entirely convinced, Marilyn wasn’t sure that she was ready to part from her naturally colored hair, but then the producer explained it would appear to be much more alluring than her current brown hair. That was all Marilyn needed to hear.
Hairy Face
Known widely as extremely photogenic, Marilyn sought out different ways to maintain her good looks – and she was willing to try many off-putting, bizarre techniques to do just that.
On one occasion, Marilyn revealed one of her secrets by admitting she would apply thick hormone cream to her face multiple times a day. The cream caused a sort of peach-fuzz to grow on her face, which she claimed gave her an intense radiance evident in all her photos.
Disruption Of Her Career
The Seven Year Itch was the most controversial topic discussed back in 1955, particularly the scene where Marilyn Monroe and co-star Tom Ewell exit a movie theater and a breeze from the subway passing below lifts Marilyn’s skirt.
Instead of rushing to cover her legs, as any decent woman of that era would have, Marilyn exclaims, ×´Isn’t it delicious?×´ Rumor has it that second husband and baseball legend Joe DiMaggio became enraged at the director, claiming he had shot this particular scene far too many times.