Marilyn Monroe
Giant statue of Marilyn Monroe designed by Seward Johnson, first displayed in 2011.
Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson in Los Angeles in 1926, became one of the most iconic sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, embodying the era’s sexual revolution through her comic "blonde bombshell" roles. Her childhood was marked by instability: she spent most of it in foster homes and an orphanage, and her mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia when Monroe was seven, leading to her mother’s long-term institutionalization. At sixteen, Monroe married James Dougherty. During World War II, while working in a factory, she was discovered by a photographer from the First Motion Picture Unit, launching a successful pin-up modeling career. This led to brief film contracts with 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures, and after freelancing, she secured a longer contract with Fox in 1951. She gained popularity in comedies like *As Young as You Feel* and *Monkey Business*, as well as dramas such as *Clash by Night*. A scandal over pre-fame nude photographs paradoxically increased interest in her films.
By 1953, Monroe was one of Hollywood’s most marketable stars, with leading roles in *Niagara*, which relied on her sex appeal, and the comedies *Gentlemen Prefer Blondes* and *How to Marry a Millionaire*, which cemented her "dumb blonde" image. That year, her nude images appeared in the first issue of *Playboy*. Frustrated by typecasting and low pay, she was briefly suspended in 1954 for refusing a project, but returned for *The Seven Year Itch* (1955), a major box office success. In 1954, she co-founded her own production company with Milton Greene, dedicating 1955 to building it and studying method acting under Lee Strasberg. Fox then awarded her a new contract with greater control and salary. Her subsequent work included a critically acclaimed performance in *Bus Stop* (1956) and *The Prince and the Showgirl* (1957), which earned her a BAFTA nomination and a David di Donatello Award. She won a Golden Globe for *Some Like It Hot* (1959), and her final completed film was *The Misfits* (1961). Her private life, including marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller, was highly publicized. Monroe died at age 36 in 1962 from a barbiturate overdose, ruled a probable suicide. She remains a pop culture icon, ranked by the American Film Institute as the sixth-greatest female screen legend from Hollywood’s Golden Age.
- born
- June 1, 1926, Los Angeles, California
- died
- August 4, 1962, Los Angeles, California (age 36)
- field
- Actress, model
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Playing comic 'Blonde bombshell' characters; sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The 26-foot-tall (7.9 m) 34,000-pound (15,000 kg) sculpture, manufactured of painted stainless steel and aluminium, is a super-sized tribute to Marilyn Monroe's scene from Billy Wilder's 1955 infidelity comedy, The Seven-Year Itch, with the figure capturing the instant a blast of air from a NYC subway grate raises her white dress. The statue was displayed at Pioneer Court part of the Magnificent Mile section of Chicago, Illinois. In August and September 2011 the statue was vandalized three times, including being splashed with red paint. According to the executive director of the Chicago Public Arts Group, 'In our society, we have little room for sexually expressive images ... The social contract doesn't work, because it is itself laden with political meaning, and provocative meaning and sexual meaning.' It was moved in 2012 to the corner of Palm Canyon Drive and Tahquitz Canyon Way in Palm Springs, California. It was given a farewell sendoff during the Palm Springs Village Fest on March 27, 2014, and was then relocated to the Grounds for Sculpture (GFS) in Hamilton, New Jersey as part of a 2014 retrospective honoring Seward Johnson. Due to its popularity, the statue remained on display at the GFS until September 2015, after the official end of the retrospective. The statue was displayed in 2016 in Rosalind Park in the Australian city of Bendigo in connection with the Bendigo Art Gallery's Marilyn Monroe exhibition. In 2018 the statue was displayed at Latham Park in Stamford, Connecticut, as part of a large public art exhibition honoring the works of Seward Johnson. Thirty-six sculptures were placed throughout streets and parks in Downtown Stamford, with Forever Marilyn being the highlight of the exhibit. The statue sparked controversy when it was placed in Stamford with complaints arising due to her appearing to flash her underwear at the nearby First Congregational Church. In September 2019, Palm Springs mayor Robert Moon announced the statue's return to Palm Springs as a permanent fixture after being stored in a dismantled state in New Jersey. On February 3, 2021 it was announced that the statue would be erected on Museum Way just east of the Palm Springs Art Museum with an unveiling date of April 18, 2021. According to the announcement, Forever Marilyn was set to remain in Palm Springs for up to three years: in two years' time the statue's local economic impact was scheduled to be reviewed and its future decided. Litigation seeking to block the erection of Forever Marilyn was filed in the California courts. The statue was unveiled on June 20, 2021, with the Riverside County Superior Court dismissing four of the Committee to Relocate Marilyn's purported causes of action on July 18, 2021, with the committee's remaining two purported causes being dismissed by the Riverside County Superior Court on September 9, 2021. The city council voted in 2023 to amend the Palm Springs Specific Plan to keep the statue in its current location by vacating a small portion of public right of way to create a parcel for the statue. The mayor announced in July 2024 that the statue would be moved out of the Museum Way view corridor to Downtown Park under an agreement that would avoid future litigation.
Reader's Guide
Marilyn Monroe’s career and public persona made her a central figure in the sexual revolution of the 1950s and early 1960s, as she became one of the most popular sex symbols of that era. Her on-screen image as a comic "blonde bombshell" and "dumb blonde" was carefully cultivated, yet she felt frustrated by being typecast and underpaid by her studio. She played an active role in shaping her own public image, and her nude photographs, which first appeared as the centerfold and cover of the inaugural issue of *Playboy*, only increased interest in her films. Monroe’s films grossed $200 million by the time of her death, and she was a top-billed actress for a decade. Her private life was heavily scrutinized, particularly her marriages to baseball star Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller, both of which ended in divorce. Her death at age 36 from a barbiturate overdose, ruled a probable suicide, cemented her status as a pop culture icon. The American Film Institute later ranked her the sixth-greatest female screen legend from Hollywood’s Golden Age, underscoring her lasting significance in film history and popular culture.
Did You Know?
- The statue is 26 feet tall (7.9 m) and weighs 34,000 pounds (15,000 kg).
- It was vandalized three times in Chicago in August and September 2011, including being splashed with red paint.
- A similar but taller replica (26.8 feet) was made in China and later photographed in a Guigang garbage dump in June 2014.
- The statue appears twice in the 2017 Chinese drama film Angels Wear White.
- Palm Springs mayor Robert Moon announced in September 2019 that the statue would return as a permanent fixture after being stored dismantled in New Jersey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Marilyn Monroe?
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress and model who became one of Hollywood's most iconic figures during the 1950s and early 1960s. Born Norma Jeane Mortenson in Los Angeles in 1926, she built a career defined by her comic 'blonde bombshell' roles and her status as a cultural sex symbol.
What role did Marilyn Monroe play in film history?
She held top billing on her productions for a full decade, proving that a performer typecast as a glamorous comic could anchor major studio pictures. Her films collectively grossed roughly $200 million by 1962, making her one of the highest-earning stars of her generation.
How did Marilyn Monroe's life end?
Monroe died in Los Angeles on August 4, 1962, at the age of 36. Her untimely death cemented her legacy as a tragic figure in popular culture and remains one of the most frequently discussed events in Hollywood history.
Why is Marilyn Monroe considered a pioneering woman in film?
Despite being pigeonholed into a narrow 'blonde bombshell' archetype, she used that platform to command top-billing status and enormous box-office returns for a decade. Her career showed that a woman could be both a commercial powerhouse and a symbol of the era's shifting attitudes toward sexuality.
What was Marilyn Monroe's real name?
She was born Norma Jeane Mortenson in Los Angeles, California, on June 1, 1926. The stage name Marilyn Monroe was adopted as she transitioned from modeling work into her acting career.
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