MARILYN MONROE: What you may not have known



As I've said before I am an avid collector of books based on Marilyn Monroe.

Each author has a different angle, a different take on who Marilyn was. In my opinion some of these authors tend to be a bit biased. They focus more on the sensational stories of her life. Unfortunately, her portrayal in these books only scrape the tip of the iceberg. No one will ever really know who Marilyn was, not even those who knew her. She was a changeling in one body. That was the brilliance of this woman. Monroe was a character, one that she could turn on and off. The glamour and sexuality of Marilyn Monroe was created by Ms. Norma Jean herself. While many myths and bios of Marilyn paint her as a schizophrenic, manic, vapid, ditzy,broken and loose mess she was the complete opposite. Marilyn was intelligent, She loved diving into books and writing poetry. She had a deep passion for politics and civil rights. She also created the "dumb blonde" persona many believed to be real.

There are few golden era actors who had publicized friendships with African Americans. When thinking off the top of my head only Frank Sinatra comes to mind. Marilyn can now be added to that list. Her friendship knew no color and she felt the prerogative to befriend ANYONE in her life.Dorothy Dandridge, an African American actress, was a close friend of hers. Fox ridiculed Marilyn for flaunting their friendship so freely. In order to keep this interracial friendship from tarnishing her image any publicity that was gathered faced restriction. Marilyn refused to drop Dorothy's friendship for "the good" of her image. It was her life and she did as she pleased. The relationship existed, just not before the eyes of the world.

Ella Fitzgerald & Marilyn Monroe

Dorothy and Marilyn often visited each other while simultaneously filming Some Like it Hot & Porgy & Bess. Both movies were filmed on the same lot allowing both casts to intergrate and mix.

Marilyn also was a huge fan of Ella Fitzgerald and actively offered assistance to break down doors in Hollywood.

“I owe Marilyn Monroe a real debt…it was because of her that I played the Mocambo, a very popular nightclub in the ’50s. She personally called the owner of the Mocambo, and told him she wanted me booked immediately, and if he would do it, she would take a front table every night. She told him - and it was true, due to Marilyn’s superstar status - that the press would go wild. The owner said yes, and Marilyn was there, front table, every night. The press went overboard. After that, I never had to play a small jazz club again. She was an unusual woman - a little ahead of her times. And she didn’t know it.”  - Ella Fitzgerald

Sounds like a stand up girl to me! These facts made me love her all the more. Marilyn should be remembered for the good in her character as well as her tenacity and strength. Many bypass the talent and magic of this woman because of the controversy of her life. It's unfortunate that it all overshadows all of her postivity.

Marilyn was one in a million, and in the words of Ella Fitzgerald, ahead of her time.

XOXO,

Tia

quote courtesy of All about Marilyn Monroe tumblr.com