The legacy of Marilyn Monroe, icon of Hollywood, gains new perspective on the eve of his 100th birthday. Confidentes and colleagues reflect on the woman behind the public persona, revealing a lesser-known face of the star: that of a loyal and empathetic friend. The centenary of his birth is the starting point for a new radio documentary, promising to demystify the image built over the decades.
Monroe’s life, marked by 36 intense years, was surprisingly rich in friendships. The ability to find living people for interviews, more than six decades after their death, already indicates the depth of these relationships. Embora her image as a sex symbol and immortal cinema goddess suggested a life surrounded only by pathetic admirers, the reality pointed to genuine and deep connections.
Amizades females beyond the sex symbol image
Marilyn Monroe was known among her inner circles as a “girl’s girl”, contrary to public perception. Amy Greene, former model and widow of photographer Milton Greene, with whom Monroe founded Marilyn Monroe Productions (MMP) in 1955, shared her home with the star for several years. The coexistence generated strangeness among other women, who questioned Greene’s sanity in sheltering the celebrity.
Greene, however, has always defended the purity of the relationship, initially focused on a business partnership and which evolved into a true friendship. Ela recalled that there was never any concern about Monroe “staying with Milton”, demonstrating mutual trust. Female friendships also stood out in his films, such as in “How to Marry a Millionaire”, from 1953, where Monroe formed a trio with Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable, and in “Bus Stop”, MMP’s first co-production with Eileen Heckart.
- Amizades and featured female collaborations:
* Amy Greene (confidant and colleague in MMP)
* Lauren Bacall (co-star in “How to Marry to Millionaire”)
* Betty Grable (co-star in “How to Marry to Millionaire”)
* Eileen Heckart (co-star in “Bus Stop”)
*Jane Russell (co-star in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”)
Relação with Jane Russell and other actresses from Hollywood
Monroe’s friendship with Jane Russell in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” is a striking example. Apesar and Monroe received only a fraction of Russell’s compensation, who earned 200,000 pounds, a lasting affection was born between the two. Russell, in his 1985 autobiography, “My Path and My Detours”, recalled a day at the beach with friends. Ela thought of Marilyn, wishing for his presence in that moment of laughter and sharing of problems. The next day brought the news of Monroe’s passing.
Marilyn also had more complex relationships with Hollywood’s contemporaries. Mamie Van Doren, now 95 years old, was hired by Universal in 1953 as a “response to Marilyn Monroe”. Van Doren described Monroe as a “lovely person with no evil in his body”, but also revealed aspects of rivalry. Ela shared in his book “You Thought I Was Dead” that despite appearances, style copying often came from Monroe. Van Doren, however, emphasized the solidarity between the two, facing together the expectations and pressures of a male-dominated studio system, especially regarding what was expected of them to get roles.
Conexões male platonic and artistic visions
Embora Although Monroe’s relationships with figures such as John F Kennedy have been widely publicized, her confidants indicate that platonic men and artistic collaborators had a deeper meaning in her life. Photographer Lawrence Schiller, with whom Monroe worked on one of his most daring photo shoots, remembers Monroe’s understanding of light and photography. The star devised the 1962 session on the set of his final film, “Something’s Got to Give,” as a strategy to reaffirm his star power. Schiller described her as unsurpassed in understanding photography for herself.
Outro’s longtime friend was Sam Shaw, the photographer behind the iconic image of Monroe with her white dress billowing over a subway grate. In his posthumous book “Dear Marilyn”, Shaw credited the photo’s success to the actress’s “elegance and pure sense of fun”. Their letters reveal a warm, supportive friendship rooted in shared artistic passions and difficult childhoods. Para Monroe, the Shaw family has become a “chosen family”. Shaw’s daughter, Edie, born on the same day as Monroe, recalled a trip to the circus with the star. Ela described Marilyn as a complex person, capable of adapting his language.
Legado and demystification of the public figure
Apesar’s common narrative that Monroe’s frustrated desire to be a mother was central to her tragedy, Amy Greene, based on intimate conversations, believed her feelings were more nuanced. Monroe loved the idea of having children, but Greene saw it as a fantasy, considering that the actress would not have handled motherhood well as she was not “the housewife type.”
However, Monroe had children in her life and opportunities to express motherly love. On the day of her death, she consoled her former stepson Joe DiMaggio Jr. for a recent outburst. His friends’ memories paint a different picture than the sensationalist fable. The Monroe that her confidants remember was a cheerful, funny and intellectually curious woman. The new documentary “Bombshell: Five Faces of Marilyn Monroe” will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Reino Unido from June 1st at 1:45pm BST.