She's the definition of old Hollywood glamour. A world-famous movie star still beloved, adored and obsessed over decades after her death. Her blonde hair, red lips, wiggle and breathy giggle are instantly recognizable even to someone who has never seen one of her films. She is examined through many different lenses: actress, sex symbol, tragic figure, muse. The woman herself - the flesh and personality behind the myth - was born 90 years ago on June 1, 1926 so for this Throwback Thursday, let's take a look at Marilyn Monroe.
Joyce Carol Oates examines the inner life and outer fame of one woman, from her beginnings as Norma Jean to her days as Marilyn, the camera's favorite subject. Oates is the perfect writer to take on this dark and mythologized life in Blonde.
Because there is always such high demand for her story, there are many sources on Marilyn: books of rare photos, tell-all biographies, behind-the-scenes glimpses into her real life and even accounts of her final days. Lois Banner has written an authoritative and credible look in 2012's Marilyn
My Week With Marilyn is the story of a very young man on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl, who spent a week accompanying the star when she needed to get away from the pressures of her work and needy entourage. Michelle Williams in brilliant as Marilyn.
If you'd like to see Marilyn herself, watch Some Like It Hot and The Misfits and you'll know exactly why her star still burns so brightly.
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