The Hollywood Icon – Marilyn Monroe

As a Hollywood and pop culture icon, transcending generations and history, Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most recognisable women of the twentieth century.

Born Norma Jean Mortenson, she started her career as a model shortly after the Second World War before signing a contract with 20th Century Fox in 1946.

She quickly became one of Hollywood’s most celebrated stars, winning multiple awards for acting and becoming an emblem of sexual liberation. 

One of Monroe’s most iconic publicity shots occurred in 1953 when she stood above a subway grate in the romantic comedy ‘The Seven Year Itch’. This still (above) captures Monroe holding her ivory cocktail dress as a gush of air blows from beneath. 

Instead of rushing to cover her legs, the actress flirtatiously turned and asked her co-star Tom Ewell ‘Ooh, do you feel the breeze from the subway?’. That moment has since became one of the most memorable scenes in film history. 

In 1953 Monroe starred in ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ as Lorelei Lee, a showgirl who sets herself the task of marrying a wealthy man for financial comfort. Her debut as the platinum blonde gold-digger is considered legendary by critics.

Whilst her performance of songs such as ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ stole the show, her outfits were equally attention-grabbing. One of her most famous looks was a sumptuous gold dress designed by William Travilla, which incorporated a ravaging neckline and accentuated waist. The gown was deemed inappropriate by the production team so it was only made visible for a few moments, making this publicity shot (above) even more remarkable. 

Directed by Joshua Logan, ‘Bus Stop’ marked a turning point in Monroe’s career. Under a new contract, she set out to reinvent herself as a respected actress rather than a simplified sex symbol.

The American romantic comedy followed a loud-mouth cowboy (played by Don Murray) winning a rodeo and marrying an Arizonian woman (played by Monroe). Keen to assert herself as a serious actress, Monroe adopted a convincing Ozark accent for her role and chose costumes and makeup that lacked the glamour of her earlier films.

This advertisement poster (above), designed by British illustrator Tom Chantrell, depicts Monroe with her lips puckered and eyes glistening.

In 1960 Monroe was awarded a Golden Globe for Best Actress in ‘Some Like it Hot’. The black and white romantic comedy directed by Billy Wilder achieved great commercial success, despite being produced without approval from Motion Pictures due to the fact it explored ideas of homosexuality, which was illegal in America until 1962. 

This advertisement poster (above) was illustrated by Macario Gómez Quibus, a Spanish artist responsible for creating artwork for some of Hollywood’s best-known films of the twentieth century. The design features Monroe playfully held up by her two co-stars, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, reflecting the tongue-in-cheek humour of the classic comedy.

Monroe’s private life has always been a source of fascination. Even during her lifetime, the media were obsessed with her romantic entanglements and fragile health.

Taking a new stance, Andrew Dominik’s new film ‘Blonde’ blurs the lines between fact and fiction to explore the widening split between Monroe’s public and private self.

These portrait publicity stills (below) were taken at Monroe’s home in Palm Springs. According to American photojournalist Eve Arnold, the actress enjoyed looser, more intimate photographs, rather than the posed, Hollywood studio portraits most of America was so accustomed to seeing her in.

This black and white portrait features Monroe with her third husband, the playwright Arthur Miller. The photo was taken by leading American photographer Ken Heyman and features Monroe looking in awe at her husband in the grounds of a luxury home in Englefield Green, Surrey. Monroe and Miller rented the home whilst she filmed ‘The Prince and the Showgirl’.

When the couple first became acquainted in 1950, they described experiencing an immediate spark. Remembering the day they first met and shook hands, Miller described how ‘the shock of her body’s motion sped through me’.