Marilyn Monroe

DENNIA:
Marilyn Monroe was born on June 1, 1926, in the Los Angeles County Hospital as Norma Jeane Mortenson the third child born to Gladys Pearl. Monroe's birth certificate names the father asMartin Edward Mortensen with his residence stated as "unknown". The name Mortenson is listed as her surname on the birth certificate, although Gladys immediately had it changed to Baker, the surname ofher first husband and which she still used. Martin's surname was misspelled on the birth certificate leading to more confusion on who her actual father was. Marilyn Monroe was an American actress,singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s. After spending much of her childhood in foster homes, Monroebegan a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946 with 20th Century Fox. Her early film appearances were minor, but her performances in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve drew attention toher—by now her hair was dyed blonde. By 1953, Monroe had progressed to a leading role in Niagara, a melodramatic film noir that dwelled on her seductiveness. Her "dumb blonde" persona was used tocomic effect in subsequent films such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) and The Seven Year Itch (1955). Limited by typecasting, Monroe studied at the Actors Studio tobroaden her range. Her dramatic performance in Bus Stop (1956) was hailed by critics, and she received a Golden Globenomination. Her production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, released The Princeand the Showgirl (1957), for which she received aBAFTA Award nomination and won a David di Donatello award.

KARLA:
Monroe became one of Blue Book's most successful models; she appeared on dozensof magazine covers. Her successful modeling career brought her to the attention of Ben Lyon, a 20th Century Fox executive, who arranged a screen test for her. Lyon was impressed and commented, "It's...