movies about marilyn monroe biography

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The Best Movies About Marilyn Monroe, Ranked

From documentary films to biopics, we're ranking the best movies about Marilyn Monroe. The American actress and Hollywood icon has been depicted numerous times in film and TV, but this list only features movies where Marilyn Monroe is the central character based on her real life. What is the best Marilyn Monroe movie?

Awarded the Golden Globe for Best Actress, Michelle Williams portrayed Marilyn Monroe in  My Week with Marilyn . Some good Marilyn Monroe documentaries and biography films include Blonde , Norma Jean & Marilyn , The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe,  and Love, Marilyn .

Vote up the best movies about Marilyn Monroe, you might even be able to watch them on Netflix or other streaming service.

We Remember Marilyn

We Remember Marilyn is a heartwarming tribute to the legendary Marilyn Monroe, commemorating the actress through poignant personal stories, unforgettable anecdotes, and cherished memories from her loved ones. This tender film not only humanizes the larger-than-life screen siren but also reinforces the lasting impact her undeniable charisma, unmatched talent, and vivacious personality continue to have on her adoring fans worldwide.

Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days

Marilyn Monroe: The Final Day s serves as a compelling documentary that delves deep into the last moments of the iconic actress's life, unraveling the enigmatic persona of the legendary Marilyn Monroe. The film showcases an array of captivating interviews, archival footage, and previously unseen materials that shed light on the final days of Monroe's life. With its unparalleled access and a poignant narration, this gripping documentary stands as a testament to Monroe's indomitable spirit and enduring impact on the world of cinema.

Eve and Marilyn

Eve and Marilyn is an absorbing film that delves into the parallel lives of two of Hollywood's most celebrated actresses, immortalizing the story of ambition, rivalry, and camaraderie that Marilyn Monroe and Eve Arnold shared. Seamlessly interweaving the personal and professional aspects of this extraordinary relationship, the film offers a mesmerizing portrayal of the indomitable spirit and charm of Monroe, with captivating performances that truly do justice to her timeless allure.

Marilyn is a captivating film that showcases the fascinating journey of Marilyn Monroe from her humble beginnings as Norma Jeane to her meteoric rise to stardom, capturing the essence of the iconic actress with riveting performances and spellbinding visuals. The film's stellar cast masterfully portrays the complex facets of Monroe's personality, her troubled relationships, and her quest for love and acceptance, thereby immortalizing the timeless beauty and her enduring impact on the world of cinema.

Love, Marilyn

Love, Marilyn is an exquisite tribute to the life and legacy of Marilyn Monroe, featuring a star-studded cast of Hollywood's finest actors and actresses who bring life to the words penned by Monroe herself. Based on her personal letters, diaries, and poems, the film paints a vivid picture of the inner world of the enigmatic actress, allowing audiences a rare glimpse into her thoughts, fears, and desires. A true celebration of the timeless beauty and extraordinary talent that Marilyn embodied, Love, Marilyn stands as a testimony to her everlasting allure and influence.

Marilyn: The Untold Story

Marilyn: The Untold Story offers a meticulously crafted dramatization of the life and career of Marilyn Monroe, peeling back the layers of her enigmatic persona to reveal the vulnerable, complex woman beneath the glamorous façade. The film explores the myriad struggles and triumphs of Monroe's personal and professional life, with remarkable performances by its talented ensemble cast. This compelling narrative rightfully cements the iconic actress's status as a formidable force and a pervasive cultural influence.

The Private Life of Marilyn Monroe

The Private Life of Marilyn Monroe is an enthralling portrayal of the legendary actress's life beyond the spotlight, exploring her relationships, aspirations, and demons with startling candor and sensitivity. The stellar cast deftly captures the essence of the complex woman that Monroe was, offering audiences a rare glimpse into the world of this unforgettable icon. The evocative performances and masterful storytelling ensure that the legacy of Marilyn Monroe continues to shine, illuminating the hearts and minds of her ardent admirers.

The Legend of Marilyn Monroe

The Legend of Marilyn Monroe is a powerful and moving study of the life and the enigmatic persona of Marilyn Monroe, widely considered the epitome of beauty and charisma. The film chronicles the actress's meteoric rise and fall, delving deep into her dreams, desires, and struggles, with remarkable performances from its celebrated cast. This poignant portrayal cements Monroe's status as a cultural icon, and an everlasting force in the annals of film history.

Norma Jean & Marilyn

Norma Jean & Marilyn is a spellbinding tale of transformation, depicting the life and times of Norma Jeane Baker as she metamorphoses into the enigmatic Marilyn Monroe. The dual roles, brilliantly portrayed by Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino, peel back the layers of Monroe's complex personality, capturing her vulnerability, resilience, and irresistible allure. This captivating film pays fitting tribute to the indomitable spirit of the timeless beauty that was Marilyn Monroe.

My Week with Marilyn

My Week with Marilyn offers an enchanting glimpse into the life of Marilyn Monroe during her brief sojourn in England, capturing her ethereal beauty, vulnerability, and indomitable spirit. The incomparable Michelle Williams delivers a mesmerizing performance, effortlessly embodying the complex blend of charisma and fragility that has come to define Monroe. The film is an achingly beautiful testament to the timeless allure of the enigmatic actress, her profound impact, and the spell she continues to weave.

Goodnight, Sweet Marilyn

Goodnight, Sweet Marilyn is a poignant portrayal of the life and career of Marilyn Monroe, interwoven with a fictional tale that adds a touch of intrigue to the legendary screen siren's story. The film succeeds in capturing the essence of the charismatic actress, her tumultuous relationships, and her tragic demise. Goodnight, Sweet Marilyn stands as a fitting homage to the everlasting allure of the invincible Marilyn Monroe.

Blonde is a riveting adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates' fictional account of the life of Marilyn Monroe, offering a sensational reimagination of the actress's journey from her humble origins to worldwide stardom. This captivating film captures the essence of the complicated life and myriad personas of Monroe, embodying her struggle, indomitable spirit, and lasting influence with gripping performances and masterful storytelling.

Marilyn & Me

Marilyn & Me is an engaging biographical film that highlights the extraordinary relationship between Marilyn Monroe and Robert F. Kennedy, offering a fresh perspective on the life of the icon. The superior performances from the cast make this film a gripping narrative, which honors Monroe's electrifying charisma and lasting cultural impact.

Marilyn & Bobby: Her Final Affair

Marilyn & Bobby: Her Final Affair is an enthralling film that delves into the controversial relationship between Marilyn Monroe and Robert F. Kennedy, offering a gripping insight into the mesmerizing yet tumultuous life of the legendary actress. The film's evocative performances and haunting narrative stand as a fitting tribute to the indelible mark that Monroe left on the world.

The Goddess

The Goddess is a captivating portrayal of the enigmatic charm and complexity of Marilyn Monroe, following her as she navigates the pitfalls of fame, love, and self-discovery. The film's talented ensemble cast expertly embodies Monroe's magnetism and vulnerability, shedding light on the immortal allure of the Hollywood icon.

This Year's Blonde

This Year's Blonde is a compelling look at the life of Marilyn Monroe, charting her meteoric rise and struggles in the limelight of stardom. The film deftly weaves a captivating narrative, showcasing the actress's meteoric rise to fame, complex relationships, and enduring impact on cinema . This Year's Blonde offers a captivating tribute to the enduring allure of the legendary Marilyn Monroe.

Goodbye, Norma Jean

Goodbye, Norma Jean narrates the fascinating journey of Norma Jeane Baker, the woman who would transform herself into the indomitable Marilyn Monroe. This evocative film captures the meteoric rise and the tragic fall of its enigmatic protagonist, immortalizing the impact of her indefatigable charm and her iconic status. Goodbye, Norma Jean serves as a reminder of the lasting power and influence of Marilyn Monroe, a testament to her immutable place in the annals of cinema.

Marilyn Monroe: Beauty is Pain

Marilyn Monroe: Beauty is Pain is a riveting documentary, exploring the dark side of Marilyn Monroe's glamorous life. The film showcases the heart-wrenching anguish that lay hidden beneath the surface of her magnetic beauty. Marilyn Monroe: Beauty is Pain is both an honest portrayal of the struggles endured by Monroe and a poignant reminder of the woman behind the icon.

Blonde , released in 2022, is a riveting American psychological drama film, written and directed by the visionary Andrew Dominik. Inspired by the fictional novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates, this film offers a captivating reimagining of the life and career of the legendary American actress, Marilyn Monroe, portrayed by the mesmerizing Ana de Armas. The cast is further enriched by stellar performances from Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Xavier Samuel, and Julianne Nicholson. Although the film sparked polarized reactions from both critics and audiences, de Armas's portrayal of Monroe received unanimous acclaim, leading to a string of high-profile nominations for the actress, including the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Award, and SAG Award for Best Actress.

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Lists about the blonde bombshell actress, model, and singer who took America's breath away throughout the 1950s but tragically passed in 1962 at age 36.

Marilyn Monroe

(1926-1962)

Who Was Marilyn Monroe?

Early life and education.

Monroe was born on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California. Monroe was named Norma Jeane Mortenson at birth (later baptized as Norma Jeane Baker). Growing up, Monroe spent much of her time in foster care and in an orphanage.

In 1937, a family friend and her husband, Grace and Doc Goddard, took care of Monroe for a few years. The Goddards were paid $25 weekly by Monroe's mother to raise her.

The couple was deeply religious and followed fundamentalist doctrines; among other prohibited activities, Monroe was not allowed to go to the movies. But when Doc's job was transferred to the East Coast, the couple could not afford to bring Monroe with them.

At seven years old, Monroe returned to a life in foster homes, where she endured sexual assault on several occasions; she later said that she had been raped when she was 11 years old. She dropped out of high school by age 15.

Monroe had a way out through marriage, and she wed her boyfriend and merchant marine Jimmy Dougherty in 1942, at the age of 16.

Monroe never knew her father. She once thought Clark Gable to be her father — a story repeated often enough for a version of it to gain some currency. However, there's no evidence that Gable ever met or knew Monroe's mother, Gladys, who developed psychiatric problems and was eventually placed in a mental institution.

As an adult, Monroe would maintain that one of her earliest memories was of her mother trying to smother her in her crib with a pillow. Monroe had a half-sister, to whom she was not close; they met only a half-dozen times.

READ MORE: How Marilyn Monroe's Childhood Was Disrupted by Her Mother's Paranoid Schizophrenia

Career in Acting

Monroe dreamt of becoming an actress like Jean Harlow and Lana Turner. When her husband was sent to the South Pacific, she began working in a munitions factory in Van Nuys, California. It was there that she was first discovered by a photographer.

By the time Dougherty returned in 1946, Monroe had a successful career as a model. That year, she signed her first movie contract. With the contract came a new name and image; she began calling herself "Marilyn Monroe" and dyed her hair blonde.

At first, Monroe wasn't initially considered to be star acting material. Her acting career didn't really take off until a few years later. With her breathy voice and hourglass figure, she would soon become one of Hollywood's most famous actresses. She proved her skill by winning various honors and attracting large audiences to her films.

Monroe became a much-admired international star despite chronic insecurities regarding her acting abilities. She suffered from pre-performance anxiety that sometimes made her physically ill and was often the root cause of her legendary tardiness on film sets, which was so extreme that it often infuriated her co-stars and crew.

"She would be the greatest if she ran like a watch," director Billy Wilder once said of her. "I have an aunt Minnie who's very punctual, but who would pay to see Aunt Minnie?"

Throughout her career, Monroe was signed and released from several contracts with film studios.

In the mid-1950s Monroe grew tired of bubbly, dumb blonde roles and moved to New York City to study acting with Lee Strasberg at the Actors' Studio.

By the early 1960s, however, Monroe's professional and personal life seemed to be in turmoil following unsuccessful relationships. Her last two films, Let's Make Love (1960) and The Misfits (1961), were box office disappointments.

During her career, Monroe's films grossed more than $200 million. Monroe's most notable films include:

'The Asphalt Jungle' (1950)

Monroe's small part in John Huston's crime drama The Asphalt Jungle (1950) was her first movie to garner her a lot of attention.

'All About Eve' (1950)

In 1950, Monroe impressed audiences and critics alike with her performance as Claudia Caswell in All About Eve , starring Bette Davis .

'Niagara' (1953)

In 1953, Monroe delivered a star-making turn in Niagara , as a young married woman out to kill her husband with help from her lover.

'Gentleman Prefer Blondes' (1953)

The emerging sex symbol was paired with another bombshell, Jane Russell , for the hit musical comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes . In the film, two showgirls travel to Paris and are pursued by a private detective, hired by the father of Monroe's fiancé, along with many other admirers.

'How to Marry a Millionaire' (1954)

Monroe continued to find success in a string of light comedic fares, such as How to Marry a Millionaire, with Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall . The three women set out to find millionaires to marry in the film, but they find true love instead.

'There's No Business Like Show Business' (1954)

In 1954, Monroe starred alongside Ethel Merman and Donald O'Connor in another romantic comedy, There's No Business Like Show Business , about a couple whose marriage starts to unravel when the husband (O'Connor) meets a hat-check girl (Monroe).

'The Seven Year Itch' (1955)

Monroe again played the other woman in the 1955 film The Seven-Year Itch , about a faithful husband who's tempted to cheat when his family goes away for the summer.

'Bus Stop' (1956)

Following her stint in New York at Strasberg's acting school, Monroe returned to the screen in the dramatic comedy Bus Stop (1956). She received mostly praise for her performance as a saloon singer kidnapped by a rancher who has fallen in love with her.

'The Prince and the Showgirl' (1957)

In 1957, Monroe starred in The Prince and the Showgirl with Laurence Olivier , who also directed and produced the film. She often didn't show up for filming and her erratic behavior on set created a tense relationship with her co-stars, the crew and Olivier.

The film received mixed reviews and was a box office hit in Britain, but not as popular in the United States. The troubled production was the backdrop for the 2011 film My Week with Marilyn , starring Michelle Williams as Monroe.

'Some Like It Hot' (1959)

In 1959, Monroe returned to familiar territory with the wildly popular comedy Some Like It Hot , with Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis . She played Sugar Kane Kowalczyk, a singer who hopes to marry a millionaire in this humorous film, in which Lemmon and Curtis pretend to be women. The men, on the run from the mob after witnessing the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, hide out with an all-girl orchestra featuring Monroe.

Monroe's work on the film earned her the honor of "Best Actress in a Comedy" at the 1959 Golden Globe Awards.

'The Misfits' (1961)

The Misfits was Monroe's last completed film. Set in Nevada, this adventure drama reunited Monroe with Huston ( The Asphalt Jungle ); Monroe starred opposite Gable and Montgomery Clift . In the film, Monroe falls for Gable's cowboy but battles him over the fate of some wild mustangs.

'Something's Got to Give' (1962)

In 1962, Monroe was dismissed from Something's Got to Give — co-starring Dean Martin — for missing so many days of filming. According to an article in The New York Times , the actress claimed that the absences were due to illness. Martin declined to make the film without her, so the studio shelved the picture.

DOWNLOAD BIOGRAPHY'S MARILYN MONROE FACT CARD

Spouses and Lovers

Monroe had three husbands in her lifetime: James Dougherty (1942-1946); Joe DiMaggio (1954) and Arthur Miller (1956-1961). She is also remembered for her romantic relationships with Marlon Brando , Frank Sinatra , Yves Montand and director Elia Kazan .

On June 19, 1942, 16-year-old Monroe wed Dougherty, a 20-year-old merchant marine. Dougherty lived next door to a friend of Monroe's mother; he suggested he could marry Monroe so she wouldn't be sent to an orphanage or another foster home. When they wed, Monroe had just turned 16 and the couple had been dating for just a few months. After Monroe's career began to take off, she sought a quickie divorce in September 1946.

“I never knew Marilyn Monroe, and I don’t claim to have any insights to her to this day. I knew and loved Norma Jean,” Dougherty later said.

In 1954, Monroe was married to baseball great DiMaggio for nine months. Following her death, DiMaggio famously had red roses delivered to her crypt for the next 20 years.

Monroe's longest marriage was with playwright Miller . They first met in 1950 at a party and later began exchanging letters. They met again when Monroe moved to New York in 1955, and they began an affair while she was still married to DiMaggio. They married on June 29, 1956.

Right away, the couple began having problems. Monroe experienced two miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy. After Miller and Monroe had begun working together on what would have been her last film, The Misfits, they divorced on January 20, 1961.

READ MORE: Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller Had an Instant Connection, But Quickly Grew Apart Once Married

Marilyn Monroe and JFK

There have also been rumors that Monroe was involved with President John F. Kennedy and/or his brother Robert Kennedy around the time of her death.

On May 19, 1962, Monroe made her now-famous performance at John F. Kennedy 's birthday celebration, singing "Happy Birthday, Mr. President."

Moments later, President Kennedy appeared on stage, saying, "I can now retire from politics after having had 'Happy Birthday' sung to me in such a sweet, wholesome way."

READ MORE: The Story Behind Marilyn Monroe’s 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President'

Monroe died at her Los Angeles home on August 5, 1962, at only 36 years old. An empty bottle of sleeping pills was found by her bed.

There has been some speculation over the years that she may have been murdered, but the cause of her death was officially ruled as a drug overdose.

Monroe was buried in her favorite Emilio Pucci dress, in what was known as a "Cadillac casket"—the most high-end casket available, made of heavy-gauge solid bronze and lined with champagne-colored silk.

Strasberg delivered a eulogy before a small group of friends and family. Hugh Hefner bought the crypt directly next to Monroe's.

Monroe did not own a house until the last year of her life and had surprisingly few possessions. One that she prized was an autographed photo of Albert Einstein , which included an inscription: "To Marilyn, with respect and love and thanks."

READ MORE: Inside Her Final Days and Fragile State of Mind

Monroe has been imitated over the years by a number of celebrities, including Madonna , Lady Gaga and Gwen Stefani .

In 2011, several rare photos of Monroe were published in a book of photographs by famed photographer Sam Shaw.

In 2017, another book of little-seen treasures made it to shelves in The Essential Marilyn Monroe , with Joshua Greene retouching old photos taken by his dad, Milton Greene, in the 1950s.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Marilyn Monroe
• Birth Year: 1926
• Birth date: June 1, 1926
• Birth State: California
• Birth City: Los Angeles
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Female
• Best Known For: Actress Marilyn Monroe overcame a difficult childhood to become one of the world's biggest and most enduring sex symbols. She died of a drug overdose in 1962 at the age of 36.
• Astrological Sign: Gemini
• Death Year: 1962
• Death date: August 5, 1962
• Death State: California
• Death City: Los Angeles
• Death Country: United States

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Marilyn Monroe Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/marilyn-monroe
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: August 13, 2020
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014
• Being a sex symbol is a heavy load to carry, especially when one is tired, hurt and bewildered.
• I don't want to make money, I just want to be wonderful.
• A career is wonderful, but you can't curl up with it on a cold night.
• Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a $1,000 for a kiss and 50¢ for your soul.
• If I close my eyes and think of Hollywood, all I see is one big varicose vein.

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15 Best Marilyn Monroe Movies to Stream Now

Just in time for the new biopic chronicling the icon's life.

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Now more than ever, there has been a keen interest in Monroe's legacy, with several actresses portraying her on screen and a new biopic called Blonde starring Ana de Armas coming to Netflix on September 28 . Just in time for the upcoming film, we rounded up 15 of Monroe's best films and how to watch them online.

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

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In one of her earliest roles, Monroe plays a young mistress to a crooked lawyer in this noir heist film about a $1 million jewel robbery in a mid-western city.

All About Eve (1950)

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Shortly after The Asphalt Jungle , a then young and unknown Monroe landed herself another small gig in this hit movie starring Bette Davis and Anne Baxter. It tells the story of an aspiring actress who pushes her way into a Broadway star's inner circle.

As Young As You Feel (1951)

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Monroe has a small appearance as a foxy secretary in this small-budget 1951 comedy about a 65-year-old printer who devises an elaborate scheme to avoid forced retirement.

Clash by Night (1952)

Monroe's first major leading role in this film noir drama was overshadowed when her infamous nude calendar photos surfaced publicly. Nevertheless, it makes the list of one of her most remembered parts: She plays a supporting actress in this Barbara Stanwyck-led movie about an embittered love triangle.

Don't Bother to Knock (1952)

For one of her first serious leading roles, the then-rising star plays a disturbed babysitter who looks after a child at a hotel, where she encounters a cynical pilot (Richar Widmark). Shortly after meeting, it doesn't take long for him to realize Monroe's character shouldn't be taking care of the kid.

Monkey Business (1952)

Monroe shares the screen with Carey Grant and Ginger Rogers in this classic comedy about a chemist whose life gets turned upside down when his chimp discovers the fountain of youth.

Niagara (1953)

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Monroe's sex symbol star power takes center stage in the 1953 thriller set in Niagara Falls, where marital issues come to the surface for a honeymooning couple.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

In perhaps her most iconic flick, Monroe stars alongside Jane Russell as a man-hungry showgirl who boards a cruise ship to Paris and gets tangled up with millionaires, a private detective, and other shenanigans.

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

Monroe shares the screen with fellow Hollywood darlings Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable in this comedy about three women who set out to find, you guessed it, eligible bachelors who are millionaires to marry, only to find true love along the way.

There's No Business Like Show Business (1954)

This 1954 musical chronicles the careers of a vaudeville act husband-and-wife duo played by Ethel Merman and Dan Daily, and their three performer children. When their son (Donald O'Connor) falls in love with a hatcheck girl, played by none other than Monroe, the family begins to fall apart.

The Seven Year Itch (1955)

The Seven Year Itch tells the story of a married man who becomes infatuated and smitten with his blonde bombshell neighbor.

Bus Stop (1956)

Monroe shows off her impressive acting chops in this rom-com drama, where she plays a saloon singer who becomes the romantic object of a naive yet stubborn cowboy's affections.

The Prince and the Show Girl (1957)

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In this 1957 drama, the plot centers on an American showgirl (Monroe) who becomes entangled in international intrigue after a Prince Regent of a foreign country (Laurence Olivier) tries to seduce her.

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Monroe's role in this laugh-out-loud flick, which revolves around two male musicians who disguise themselves as women and join an all-girl band, earned her a Golden Globe Award.

The Misfits (1961)

Monroe moved away from her typecast role of a dumb blonde in what would become her and Clark Gable's last released film. Written by Monroe’s then-husband, Arthur Miller, the western drama follows a newly divorced woman (Monroe) who falls in love with an old-school cowboy (Gable) and gets mixed up in his world of misfits.

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Every Marilyn Monroe Movie, Ranked

This list was originally published in 2017. We have republished it with Blonde in theaters .

Hollywood has been creating a mythology around blonde bombshells since its beginnings. But no blonde sex symbol has had a deeper and more long-lasting impact on film and American culture than Marilyn Monroe. You probably had an image of Monroe in your mind long before you ever saw her on film. The dumb blonde. The white-hot sex symbol. The foolish girl-woman. The picture of mid-century femininity — wasp-waisted, platinum blonde, and buxom. The tragic victim. These warring images have lasted long after Monroe’s death in 1962 at 36 years old, and they’re easy to twist into caricature. She’s been flattened onto dorm-room posters, mugs, T-shirts, artist renderings. She’s been linked to falsely attributed quotes, conspiracy theories, and lurid rumors. But Monroe was more complex than her legacy suggests, as both an actress and a woman. This ranking of Monroe’s 29 films — based on her performance in each — gives a sense of what a supremely talented comedian and dramatic actress she was, with a keen understanding of the camera that few actors can replicate.

29. The Fireball (1950)

One important aspect of classic Hollywood’s studio system, which was in its twilight as Monroe rose to stardom, is the sheer breadth of work actors were forced to do by the demanding contracts their studios locked them into. A lot of stars, even the greatest among them, have a lot of minor appearances in forgettable work, particularly at the very beginning of their careers. That’s why it isn’t surprising just how many middling to outright-bad films Monroe appeared very briefly in. The Fireball, starring an exceedingly over-the-top and loudmouth Mickey Rooney as a hot-shot competitive roller-skater, is one of the best examples of this. Monroe appears in two scenes, and not even her natural charm makes it worth watching. Monroe diehards shouldn’t waste their time tracking this down.

28. Love Happy (1949)

Love Happy is generally (and rightly, I might add) considered the weakest of the Marx Brothers films . Monroe has a tiny walk-on role — she isn’t onscreen long enough to leave much of an impression beyond her beauty. Years later when asked about Monroe, Groucho Marx said of her audition , “The whole room revolved when she walked.”

27. Right Cross (1950)

Another small, uncredited role for Monroe, this time in a film directed by John Sturges, starring Dick Powell and Ricardo Montalban. Monroe appears for less than a minute as a woman Powell ditches on a date to deal with more pressing matters. It’s such a small role, it doesn’t give her enough time to make an impression. This is one of those roles that’s more notable for offering a glimpse of an unpolished version of Monroe than anything else.

26. A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950)

Calling Monroe’s role in this ridiculous, chintzy Western small is an understatement. She has one line (“Mhm, honey”) and a song-dance number as part of a traveling group. It’s cute, she looks good, and that’s the extent of its impact. But the song-dance number is adorable enough that this performance edges out her other blink-and-you-miss-it appearances on this list.

25. Dangerous Years (1947)

Monroe’s first released movie, in which she plays a bit part as a waitress in a restaurant in this emotionally convoluted drama. She’s spunky and fun to watch, but the role doesn’t exactly showcase any of the “It” factor that signaled to audiences they were witnessing a star in the making. Still, it is fascinating as a study of Monroe’s evolution from the fresh-faced, downright adorable girl in Dangerous Years to the pillow-lipped blonde vixen she’d establish herself as later.

24. Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948)

Filmed before Dangerous Years but released after, Monroe’s part is inconsequential, so much so that her role is uncredited. The only reason why this film leaves a mark is that it’s a way to see Monroe when she still used her natural voice.

23. Let’s Make It Legal (1951)

“Honey, your father’s been so divine with me that sometimes even I feel like calling him daddy!” is an actual line Monroe says in her supporting role as gold-digger Joyce Mannering to the fully grown daughter of Hugh (Macdonald Carey). There’s some interesting talent involved in the film, namely Claudette Colbert and Monroe herself. But the film is definitely below their pay grade. Monroe does her best with the material, and it’s a bigger part than her previous bit roles. That said, I’m not sure it’s worth sitting through.

22. Let’s Make Love (1960)

There’s no way around it: Let’s Make Love is a mess. The film’s t roubled production history is evident onscreen. It’s a shame, since putting together director George Cukor (known for films like The Women and A Star is Born ) and Monroe should have been a good pairing, considering how adept he was at charting and respecting the emotional realities of women. Cukor is unenthusiastic about the material, Yves Montand is gravely miscast, the script (which apparently had uncredited help from Monroe’s then-husband Arthur Miller) definitely doesn’t help. To make matters worse, it’s clear Monroe is unengaged in her character — she’s a bit listless, lacking the typical incandescent energy that can easily pull your focus, making this one of the most miscalculated starring roles of her career.

21. Home Town Story (1951)

Home Town Story is another forgettable, early film that Monroe barely figures into. But she actually makes an impression in her few scenes, giving her secretary character a sharp wit and simmering annoyance whenever men look her way.

20. As Young As You Feel (1951)

Yes, Monroe plays another supporting role in this film as a not-so-bright secretary who gets caught up in the machinations of others. But her expert comedic timing is on display here. I’m particularly fond of a moment when she sticks her tongue out in innocent annoyance at her boss in one scene. Filmmakers may have underestimated Monroe’s abilities, and her films may have carried a somewhat condescending tone toward her characters, but she brought more to her work than it often deserved.

19. Love Nest (1951)

Watching Monroe’s career develop, it’s easy to get the distinct feeling that she was the right actress, at the right time, at the wrong studio. Fox obviously realized they had an actress on their hands with that elusive “It” factor, but they didn’t know what to do with it at all. That’s abundantly clear with Love Nest . Monroe plays Roberta “Bobbie” Stevens, an old war buddy of writer Jim Scott (William Lundigan), whose well-meaning but slightly insipid wife grows increasingly jealous now that Bobbie is back in his life. Love Nest falls into a not-so-small category of films in Monroe’s career where she is defined by being an object of lust for men and jealousy for women. It’s a testament to Monroe’s skills that she never becomes a punch line and elevates every scene she appears in, despite the obvious aim of the filmmakers.

18. We’re Not Married! (1952)

We’re Not Married! is one of those weird classic Hollywood films that makes me wonder about the attitudes and practices of those behind the scenes. Weird isn’t quite the right word, at least when it comes to the segment Monroe appears in in this anthology film about five couples who find out they actually aren’t legally married and the (theoretically) hilarious comedy that ensues. Monroe plays a beauty queen who wins the Mrs. Mississippi pageant, while her husband is pissed that he has to handle domestic duties and take care of their child. Of course, he takes every opportunity to undermine her career, relishing each moment with a disturbing smile. To make matters worse, the filmmakers are thoroughly on his side. Sure, there’s a happy ending eventually, but it’s such a strangely bitter story. Monroe’s actually quite good — luminescent, open — but she’s fighting against a story that doesn’t respect her. Noticing a trend? It’s a problem that snakes through far too much of Monroe’s work.

17. O. Henry’s Full House (1952)

O. Henry’s Full House is an anthology film curiously narrated by and featuring author John Steinbeck. Monroe plays a prostitute/streetwalker in scenes against the great Charles Laughton. She lends the role a surprising weight and even uses her natural voice, not the breathy and babyish tone she eventually became known for.

16. Ladies of the Chorus (1948)

Monroe doesn’t have a lot of range as a singer, but her voice is so distinctive and brims with such personality, you can’t help but warm to it. Her role as Peggy Martin, a burlesque chorus girl who works with her mother, was Monroe’s first major part. It allowed her to sing, dance, and hint at how much wattage could be packed into her smile. She’s a pure confection and dramatically less curated than she’d come to be. It’s definitely a fun, worthwhile performance to track down. Despite her success in the role, Monroe’s contract with Columbia wasn’t renewed, but of course far greater success was to come.

15. There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954)

There’s No Business Like Show Business typifies a kind of glitzy mid-century comedy-musical that no longer gets made. It’s an ensemble through and through, including heavyweights like Donald O’Connor, who considered this his best work. Monroe understandably balked at having to place her enchanting but not technically proficient skills as a singer-dancer against such legends of the field. Still, there’s something compelling about Monroe that immediately draws your eye. By this point, she had firmly established the baby-voiced, platinum sexpot image that has come to define her image. Monroe is great in the role, bringing a particular blend of sexiness and innocence that is downright spellbinding.

14. The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Monroe has, you guessed it, another minor supporting role in this 1950 noir directed by John Huston, as the mistress to Alonzo Emmerich (Louis Calhern). In other hands, this role would be forgettable, but Monroe grants the character a twinge of vulnerability underneath the more obvious sex appeal, making the character distinct enough to stand against men like Sterling Hayden, who have meatier material.

13. Clash by Night (1952)

Marilyn Monroe has a minor supporting role — although definitely not as fleeting as her early work — in this blistering 1952 domestic noir directed by Fritz Lang. But she makes the most of her scenes, often wrestling the focus away from her more established co-stars whenever she appears. The film revolves around the story of Mae Doyle (Barbara Stanwyck), a former femme fatale of sorts who returns to her fishing-village hometown, becoming embroiled in lust and loss thanks to two very different men who enter her life. Monroe plays the girlfriend of Mae’s younger brother. There is crackling energy in the few scenes Monroe shares with Stanwyck, demonstrating how dramatically different these women are. Monroe’s performance in the film blends the wounded and sweet naïveté qualities that have become her hallmark. In just a few scenes, she leaves her mark.

12. All About Eve (1950)

At this point on the list, you’re probably wondering how exactly Marilyn Monroe became the classic Hollywood actress who remains most iconic and famous to modern audiences. Was it just the tragic circumstances of her death? Was it that her beauty is so evocative of a time and place that she’s become synonymous with 1950s Hollywood? Definitely not. Monroe was in fact a talented actress, even if she didn’t have faith in her own abilities. She also featured in outright classics that not only represent the height of Hollywood filmmaking, but are some of the most wondrous stories ever told in film. Case in point: All About Eve. The film charts how a young theater upstart (Anne Baxter) insinuates herself into the life of her older idol (Bette Davis) in order to usurp her. Monroe plays Claudia Caswell, a young actress taken under the wing of George Sanders’s devious critic. Her true talents lie not in acting on the stage, but how she acts in real life. This is the earliest and most dynamic example of a specific archetype Monroe perfected: the dumb blonde who is smarter than she first appears. Come for the deliciously sharp bon mots, stay for the actresses, including Monroe.

11. Monkey Business (1952)

The premise of Monkey Business is fantastical to the point of being ludicrous. Cary Grant plays a chemist who figures out an elixir for youth that makes anyone who drinks it start acting like a daffy adolescent. Once it gets into the water cooler at work, things get weird. It’s obvious director Howard Hawks isn’t too keen on the material, but the scenes between Grant and Monroe sing. She’s hilarious, electric, and quick-witted. It’s a shame that she isn’t the lead here, since her work easily trumps Ginger Rogers’s, who is granted the more important role.

10. The Seven Year Itch (1955)

The first time writer-director Billy Wilder worked with Marilyn Monroe, he created one of the indelible images of her career that has gone on to be the stuff of legend. Walking out of the theater with Tom Ewell’s Richard Sherman — an executive whose imagination hits overdrive when his family leaves town — Monroe stops atop the subway grates, letting her iconic, cream-colored dress billow around her. She seems utterly naive about her own sexual charge or how Richard leers at her. While the behind-the-scenes images of the shooting of this moment have rightfully become the stuff of legend, the film is exceedingly bitter. She’s not so much a character but an object, to the point where she has no name and is referred to as “The Girl” in the credits. Wilder is often considered cynical, but outside of this film, I’ve usually found him rather realistic and honest about the human condition. Monroe is good though. She’s a ray of sunshine cutting through the fog of the film. She’s bubbly, gorgeous, and captivating. The Seven Year Itch tries to turn Monroe into a punch line, but fails thanks to the strength of her presence, comedic timing, and supernova-bright charisma. In doing so, Monroe reveals herself to not only understand the particulars of comedy in film, but to be a comedic genius.

9. River of No Return (1954)

The behind-the-scenes turmoil of River of No Return — director Otto Preminger’s issues with Monroe’s acting coach, Robert Mitchum’s drinking, Monroe almost drowning — are all more engaging than the story that ends up onscreen. The film is the picture of politically troubling but visually tantalizing Westerns the 1950s excelled at — its narrative is undercut by immense racism and sexism. But Monroe is a wonder. She also has a great musical number I find irresistible, “File My Claim.” Warm and utterly beguiling, she communicates many emotions — yearning, a touching loneliness, joy, lust — with a single glance.

8. How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

There’s something to be said about a film so overcome with color, New York City iconography, smart editing, and great cast chemistry that you can rewatch it countless times and still feel like you’re watching it anew. How to Marry a Millionaire is not Monroe’s best comedy, but it’s one I find myself revisiting very often. The way Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable, and Monroe play off each other as three best friends trying to manipulate their way into a marriage of riches is exceedingly fun to watch. The film crackles with energy, wit, and heightened humor, which Monroe excels at. Even better, Monroe’s gold digger isn’t condescended to. Her bubbly effervescence and surprising timidity are treated as utterly adorable qualities that the film plays into.

7. The Prince and the Showgirl (1957)

Years after this film’s tumultuous production, director-producer-star Laurence Olivier said that his co-star was a troubled girl who probably should have stuck to being a model instead of acting. To Olivier, Hollywood dimmed the natural charm Monroe had on camera, making her more fearful than expressive. Olivier may not be wrong about how Monroe was affected by Hollywood’s machinery, but film would be far poorer without her presence. Director Billy Wilder (who worked with Monroe on The Seven Year Itch and Some Like It Hot ) once said that Monroe had “flesh impact”: an exceedingly rare quality in which she had “flesh which photographs like flesh. You feel you can reach out and touch it.” That is on full display here. She’s open, vulnerable, and utterly delightful in a way that is hard not to fall in love with. There’s something oddly tangible about Monroe in The Prince and the Showgirl and, despite the period trappings, rather modern too.

6. Bus Stop (1956)

Monroe had a strange, nearly antagonistic relationship with the camera and the male gaze. Few actors seem to have such an understanding of the camera on a primal level. But Monroe deeply doubted her abilities and intelligence, leading her to take a break from acting in the mid-’50s in order to sharpen her skills at the Actor’s Studio with Lee Strasberg (a.k.a. the architect of American method acting) and his wife, Paula, as her acting coach. I have complicated thoughts about this dynamic, but I’ll stick to discussing the results of their tutelage in Bus Stop. In the film , Monroe stretches her skills, speaking with a Southern twang, wearing exceedingly pale makeup to comment on the nocturnal life of the untalented chanteuse she plays, and fleshing out a complex emotional landscape. There is something haunting about her character. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t examine how the male lead, a socially inept cowboy (Don Murray), is an obsessive stalker rather than a potential romance. In more capable hands this could have been a cutting film, meta-textually even, commenting on how Monroe herself was treated in Hollywood because of her brand of beauty. Instead, her singular performance, which is one of the best of her career, communicates the emotional possibilities the filmmakers couldn’t imagine.

5. Niagara (1953)

I’ve always felt that Monroe should have done more noirs. Her screen presence naturally blends a vulnerability, sexual charge, and, at times, melancholy that makes her a natural marriage between the more blistering femme fatales and morally upright good girls of the genre. As Rose Loomis, the selfish wife stepping out on her controlling husband, played by Joseph Cotten, Monroe is a marvel. The way she moves expresses intense longing, desire, and a flash of loneliness, which together communicate the reasons why Rose acts the way she does. Niagara also demonstrates how Monroe’s sexiness always had texture to it. In gorgeous Technicolor, the contradictions of Monroe’s screen presence and what made her a great star are on full display. She seduces as much as she draws away from the world.

4. Don’t Bother to Knock (1952)

Whenever I hear someone disparage Monroe as an actress, I point them in the direction of her seldom-spoken-of but evocative performance in the 1952 noir Don’t Bother to Knock. Monroe plays a mentally ill babysitter caring for the daughter of guests at a New York hotel where all the action takes place. She perfectly renders the emotional unraveling of a woman with seemingly no allies, whose depression tips into suicidal impulses. There is a startling mix of tenderness, luminescent charisma, and fragility that defines Monroe’s performance in Don’t Bother to Knock. Each time I watch it, I feel like I find something new to admire about her work. The film itself doesn’t live up to her performance, but she has a gravitas here that she seldom got to express elsewhere, an avenue I wish she had the opportunity to travel more in her career.

3. The Misfits (1961)

For many actors whose onscreen work has become the stuff of legend, you can point to a type, a specific skill set, or a style they cleverly excelled at. For me, Monroe is evocative more of a mood and a time than just the dumb blonde sexpot she’s become known for. Through this lens, her startling, heartfelt, gorgeous work in The Misfits, the last film before her death, feels strangely like an elegy for the “dumb blonde” she never truly was, and the Hollywood she existed within. The film was directed by John Huston and written by Monroe’s then-husband Arthur Miller. It centers on Monroe as a recent divorcée who spends time with an aging cowboy (Clark Gable in his final film) and his friend (Montgomery Clift). Monroe’s work with the other actors creates a portrait of the ways people yearn. It’s powerful work. The photography Eve Arnold shot on set , along with the film itself, captures what draws me to Monroe, and why this performance shows how much more she had to offer — she explores and brings to life the cloying weight of loneliness the way few actors can.

2. Some Like It Hot (1959)

Some Like It Hot is one of the few films I’d call perfect. It’s firing on all cylinders — sharp direction, expert cinematography, crackling cast chemistry. I have seen the film so many times I’ve lost track, and each time I discover something new to love, especially when it comes to Monroe’s performance as Sugar “Kane” Kowalczyk, a ukulele player and singer who gets swept up with two men pretending to be women (played with comedic ingenuity by Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis) in order to hide out from a mob boss whose hit they witnessed back in Chicago. The 1929 setting makes this an obvious riff on the Valentine’s Day Massacre. Who knew murder could bring such hilarity?

Some Like It Hot has everything I love about Monroe, and film itself, really — it spotlights her entrancing charisma, sensuality, melancholic undertow, and beguiling physicality, which is an unparalleled concoction of sensuality and nervous vulnerability. The blonde bombshells to come in her wake often mimicked the sexuality part, heightening it to ridiculous levels, but missed these other attributes that made Monroe feel startlingly real, not just a studio product to be packaged and sold.

1. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

No one can watch Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and still make the claim that Monroe’s draw was only photographic. If she’d stuck to being a model, she wouldn’t be half the legend she is today. That’s because the gravitational pull of her charisma is most evident when she’s in motion, like the song-dance numbers “Two Girls From Little Rock” and the iconic “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” As Truman Capote once wrote of Monroe, “What she has […] could never surface on the stage. It’s so fragile and subtle, it can only be caught by the camera.” Howard Hawks creates a film that sparkles with energy and brims with hilarity. It follows Lorelei Lee (Monroe) and Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell), two best friends and American showgirls whose lives go haywire when Lorelei’s potential future father-in-law hires a detective to track her, believing her to be an unrepentant gold digger. Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe are a study in contrasts that perfectly complement each other. Russell is the cynical, sharp-tongued half. Monroe is bubbly, passionate, and utterly obsessed with diamonds. Her grace, comedic timing, and kinetic chemistry with Russell make this her best and most delightful performance. While her legend may not reckon with her skill, all you have to do is fire up this film to witness firsthand what it means to be truly starstruck.

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Marilyn Monroe movies: 15 greatest films ranked worst to best

• Zach Laws , Chris Beachum
• May 27, 2023 8:52AM

Marilyn Monroe ‘s star burned brightly and briefly before her untimely death in 1962 at age 36. Yet she managed to enter the pop culture lexicon with just a handful of films, becoming Hollywood’s most memorable sex symbol. In honor of her birthday, let’s take a look back at 15 of her greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1926, Monroe started off as a model before moving into acting with a series of bit parts, most notably in “All About Eve” and “The Asphalt Jungle,” both released in 1950. She became a leading lady with a trio of 1953 titles: the noir “Niagara,” the musical “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and the romantic comedy “How to Marry a Millionaire.”

She became iconic thanks to Billy Wilder ‘s “The Seven Year Itch” (1955), in which she played a young woman tantalizing her married neighbor ( Tom Ewell ). Her image was forever burned into our memories thanks to the scene where she stands over a subway grate and a passing train blows her billowing white dress upwards.

Tired of being cast as the blonde bombshell, Monroe decided to take classes from Lee Strasberg at the Actor’s Studio. She stretched herself in the cinematic adaptation of William Inge ‘s play “Bus Stop” (1956), which earned her a Golden Globe nomination as Best Comedy/Musical Actress. Three years later, she won that category for Wilder’s “Some Like It Hot” (1959), which cast her as a sultry singer who runs into two crossdressing musicians ( Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis ) evading the mob. Despite her box office prowess and Globes success, Monroe never earned an Oscar nomination, and sadly, the Academy never got a chance to recognize her.

Monroe’s bubbly onscreen persona masked a troubled offscreen life marked by depression, drug addition, and rocky marriages, including to baseball player Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller . After appearing in John Huston ‘s moody 1961 drama “The Misfits” (written by Miller), she died from a drug overdose that was ruled a probable suicide.

Tour our photo gallery of Monroe’s 15 greatest films, including the titles listed above, as well as “Clash by Night,” “River of No Return,” “The Prince and the Showgirl” and more.

15. THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS (1954)

Directed by Walter Lang. Screenplay by Phoebe Ephron and Henry Ephron, story by Lamar Trotti. Starring Ethel Merman, Donald O’Connor, Marilyn Monroe, Dan Dailey, Johnnie Ray, Mitzi Gaynor.

Monroe was well on her way to becoming a major star by the time she took a supporting role in this high-gloss musical comedy. “There’s No Business Like Show Business” casts Ethel Merman and Dan Dailey as a husband and wife song-and-dance team who, along with their three kids (Donald O’Connor, Johnnie Ray, Mitzi Gaynor), are known as the The Five Donahues. When O’Connor falls in love with a gorgeous hat-check girl (Monroe), the family starts to fall apart. It’s not hard to understand why to boy would fall for Marilyn, especially when she croons some of her numbers, including the steamy “Heat Wave.” An Oscar nominee for its writing, costumes, and music.

14. THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL (1957)

Directed by Laurence Olivier. Screenplay by Terence Rattigan, based on his play ‘The Sleeping Prince.’ Starring Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier, Sybil Thorndike, Richard Wattis.

“The Prince and the Showgirl” found a second life with the biographical drama “My Week with Marilyn” (2011), which depicts the relationship Monroe (played by Michelle Williams) sparked with a young assistant (Eddie Redmayne) during the filming of Laurence Olivier’s lavish romance. The film itself is a pretty typical Cinderella tale about an American showgirl (Monroe) who is seduced by the Prince Regent of a foreign country (Olivier), causing international intrigue. While there’s not much originality here, there’s an undeniable chemistry between the two leads that crackles whenever they’re onscreen together. Monroe competed at the BAFTAs for the role, but was overlooked at the Academy.

13. CLASH BY NIGHT (1952)

Directed by Fritz Lang. Screenplay by Alfred Hayes, based on the play by Clifford Odets. Starring Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Douglas, Robert Ryan, Marilyn Monroe, Keith Andes, Silvio Minciotti, J. Carrol Naish.

Although she was fourth billed, Monroe had her juiciest supporting role yet in this hard-edged noir from German master Fritz Lang. Based on the play by Clifford Odets, “Clash by Night” centers on a cynical city woman (Barbara Stanwyck) who returns to her hometown, a fishing village in Monterey, CA. She starts dating a sweet-natured, working class fisherman (Paul Douglas), but an equally bitter projectionist (Robert Ryan) seduces her. Monroe costars as Peggy, the long-suffering girlfriend of Stanwyck’s abusive brother, Joe (Keith Anders). In a handful of scenes, the young ingenue holds her own against the film’s veteran cast.

12. MONKEY BUSINESS (1952)

Directed by Howard Hawks. Screenplay by Ben Hecht, Charles Lederer, and I.A.L. Diamond, story by Harry Siegel. Starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn, Hugh Marlowe, Henri Letondal, Robert Cornthwaite, Larry Keating, Douglas Spencer, Esther Dale, George Winslow.

“Monkey Business” was Howard Hawks’s attempt to recapture the madcap madness of his classic “Bringing Up Baby,” with Cary Grant once again playing a befuddled professor dealing with professional and romantic mishaps. While it can’t hold a candle to that screwball masterpiece, it’s still uproariously funny and wonderfully entertaining in its own right. Grant plays Dr. Barnaby Fulton, a chemist whose lab chimp discovers a youth potion, causing complications for himself, his wife (Ginger Rogers), his secretary (Monroe), and his boss (Charles Coburn). Listen up for Hawks’s voice off-camera during the opening credits.

11. RIVER OF NO RETURN (1954)

Directed by Otto Preminger. Screenplay by Frank Fenton, story by Louis Lantz. Starring Robert Mitchum, Marilyn Monroe, Tommy Rettig, Rory Calhoun, Douglas Spencer, Murvyn Vye.

“River of No Return” is a typically odd, glossy melodrama from Otto Preminger, that most flamboyant of envelope-pushing filmmakers. Set in the American Northwest during the gold rush, it centers on a farmer (Robert Mitchum) who rescues a gambler (Rory Calhoun) and his saloon girl wife (Monroe) from a leaky raft. To return the favor, Calhoun steals Mitchum’s only rifle and horse and leaves his bride behind. With Indians on the warpath, Mitchum, Monroe, and his young son (Tommy Rettig) set sail down the treacherous river to safety. The gorgeous Cinemascope cinematography beautifully captures the landscape, providing Monroe with a giant landscape on which to appear gorgeous.

10. THE ASPHALT JUNGLE (1950)

Directed by John Huston. Screenplay by Ben Maddow and John Huston, based on the novel by W.R. Burnett. Starring Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen, James Whitmore, Sam Jaffe, John McIntire, Anthony Caruso, Marilyn Monroe.

John Huston’s noir classic provided Monroe with her big breakout role, which, coupled with “All About Eve” that same year, turned her into a bonafide movie star. “The Asphalt Jungle” centers on an aging criminal (Sam Jaffe) who decides to pull off one more heist with the help of a seedy lawyer (Louis Calhern) and three other felons (Sterling Hayden, James Whitmore, Anthony Caruso). Monroe steals the show with a brief appearance as the lawyer’s sexy mistress. Huston shoots in a gritty naturalism that influenced countless crime movies to come. The film earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Jaffe), and Best Screenplay (Huston and Ben Maddow).

9. DON’T BOTHER TO KNOCK (1952)

Directed by Roy Ward Baker. Screenplay by Daniel Taradash, based on the novel ‘Mischief’ by Charlotte Armstrong. Starring Richard Widmark, Marilyn Monroe, Anne Bancroft, Donna Corcoran, Jeanne Cagney, Lurene Tuttle, Elisha Cook Jr., Jim Backus, Verna Felton, Willis Bouchey, Don Beddoe.

“Don’t Bother to Knock” would be yet another largely forgotten noir cheapie were it not for Monroe’s electrifying performance as a deeply disturbed woman given the absolute worst job imaginable. She plays Nell Forbes, a suicidal babysitter recently released from a mental institution. When a jet pilot (Richard Widmark) who’s reeling from a recent breakup falls in love with her, he soon realizes that she might be a little unstable. Though the melodramatic material could provide an invitation for overacting, Monroe makes Nell more sad than scary, breaking our hearts while causing us to bite our fingernails. Notable for being Anne Bancroft’s film debut.

8. NIAGARA (1953)

Directed by Henry Hathaway. Written by Charles Brackett, Richard L. Breen, and Walter Reisch. Starring Marilyn Monroe, Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters, Max Showalter, Dennis O’Dea, Don Wilson, Lurene Tuttle, Russell Collins, Will Wright.

This pitch-black film noir helped put Monroe on the map, although it’s antithetical to everything she’d become famous for thereafter. It casts her as a dissatisfied housewife vacationing with her husband, a traumatized war veteran (Joseph Cotten), in Niagara Falls. A newlywed couple (Jean Peters and Max Showalter) staying nearby become entangled in Monroe’s plot to have Cotten murdered. The blonde bombshell proves a perfect femme fatale with her smoldering sexuality tinged with a hint of virtuous innocence, which, when twisted just the right way, makes for an alluring bad girl.

7. ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)

Written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, based on the short story ‘The Wisdom of Eve’ by Mary Orr. Starring Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, Hugh Marlowe, Thelma Ritter, Gregory Ratoff, Marilyn Monroe.

With “All About Eve” and “The Asphalt Jungle” earlier that same year, Marilyn Monroe gained the notice of movie audiences everywhere. Although she has only a brief role in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s Oscar-winning diva fest, you can’t take your eyes off of her, and she almost manages to steal the show from Bette Davis (and that’s saying something). The film centers on up-and-coming actress Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), who ingratiates herself into the inner circle of aging Broadway star Margo Channing (Davis), hoping to climb her way to the top. Monroe shows up at a party thrown in Margo’s home as the date of acid-tongued drama critic Addison DeWitt (George Sanders), and when he encourages her to cozy up with a prominent producer (Gregory Ratoff), she famously remarks, “Why do they always looks like unhappy rabbits?” The film earned a record 14 Oscar nominations (tied later by “Titanic” and “La La Land”), winning six prizes including Best Picture.

6. HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953)

Directed by Jean Negulesco. Screenplay by Nunnally Johnson, based on the plays ‘The Greeks Had a Word for It’ by Zoe Akins and ‘Loco’ by Dale Eunson and Katherine Albert. Starring Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable, William Powell.

Need tips on how to land a sugar daddy? Look no further than Jean Negulesco’s splashy romantic comedy about three gold diggers (Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Betty Grable) looking for their perfect millionaire match. Yet wouldn’t you know it, they actually find true love along the way. While Bacall and Grable shine brightly in their respective roles, all eyes are on Monroe as blonde bombshell Pola Debevoise. Interestingly enough, this was the first film shot using CinemaScope, making it both frothy and epic. (Though it was the first one shot using the technology, the Biblical epic “The Robe” beat it to screens earlier in 1953.)

5. BUS STOP (1956)

Directed by Joshua Logan. Screenplay by George Axelrod and William Inge, based on the play by Inge. Starring Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray, Arthur O’Connell, Betty Field, Eileen Heckart.

After years of musicals and light comedies, Monroe proved herself a capable dramatic actress with this adaptation of William Inge’s Broadway play. In a lot of ways, her performance is better than the film itself, which casts her as a saloon singer who catches the eye of a naive rodeo performer (Don Murray). He pursues her relentlessly, trying to force her to marry him and live on his ranch in Montana. Director Joshua Logan never fully delves into the obsessive and unhealthy behavior driving Murray’s character, causing this once-taboo story to feel terribly dated. But Monroe shows she was more than just a sexpot in a role that brought her a Golden Globe nomination as Best Comedy/Musical Actress (she was snubbed at the Oscars).

4. GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953)

Directed by Howard Hawks. Screenplay by Charles Lederer, based on the stage musical by Anita Loos and Joseph Fields. Starring Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn, Elliott Reid, Tommy Noonan, Taylor Holmes.

There’s perhaps no more tantalizing duo than Monroe and Jane Russell, paired together in Howard Hawks’s delightful adaptation of Anita Loos’s Broadway classic. “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” centers on two showgirls who set sail for Paris, where Monroe is scheduled to marry a young millionaire (Tommy Noonan). On the way, they encounter a private detective (Elliott Reid) hired to investigate whether or not she’s just another gold digger. Russell, meanwhile, finds herself flirting with a wealthy diamond merchant (Charles Coburn). Perhaps best known for Monroe’s signature number, “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” in which she breathily explains why it’s important to find a man of means.

3. THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH (1955)

Directed by Billy Wilder. Screenplay by George Axelrod and Billy Wilder, based on the play by Axelrod. Starring Marilyn Monroe, Tom Ewell, Sonny Tufts, Robert Strauss.

Billy Wilder’s “The Seven Year Itch” might not be a great movie, but it did provide Monroe with the image that would come to define her: as a subway passes underground, the gust from the sidewalk gate blows her white dress upward, creating an iconic bombshell sex symbol for the ages. A heavily-censored version of George Axelrod’s hit play, the film centers on a faithful husband (Tom Ewell) whose eye starts to wander towards his smoking hot upstairs neighbor (Monroe) when his wife and kids are out of town. Wilder makes up for what he can’t explicitly say with innuendo, allowing Monroe to help fill in the gaps in our dirty minds. The role brought her a BAFTA nomination, though the Academy ignored her.

2. THE MISFITS (1961)

Directed by John Huston. Written by Arthur Miller. Starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, Thelma Ritter, Eli Wallach.

John Huston’s “The Misfits” occupies a sad place in cinema history due to the fate of its three stars: Clark Gable died before it’s release, Monroe shortly thereafter, while Montgomery Clift would make only three more movies before his own untimely demise in 1966. Written by Monroe’s then-husband, Arthur Miller, it revolves around a beautiful divorcee (Monroe) in love with a past-his-prime cowboy (Gable) who, along with his partners (Clift and Eli Wallach), grinds up “misfit” horses into dog food. A flop in its time, the film has found a second life as a minor masterpiece, thanks in large part to its tragic significance. Monroe is particularly good in a role that cast her against type, playing a wounded woman who seeks solace in other deeply damaged people. It’s especially hard to watch given her own life’s story, which perhaps gave her something to draw on for the performance.

1. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)

Directed by Billy Wilder. Screenplay by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond, based on the story by Robert Thoeren and Michael Logan. Starring Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, George Raft, Joe E. Brown, Pat O’Brien.

Monroe was never more tantalizing than she was in “Some Like It Hot,” which provided her with the perfect role for her unique charm and charisma. The film has a premise of almost Olympian silliness that’s executed with wit, sex, and style by Billy Wilder. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis star as Chicago musicians who have to go on the run after witnessing a mob hit. Desperate to not draw attention to themselves, they decide to don dresses and join an all-women’s band, led by the alluring Sugar Kane (Monroe). While Curtis tries to romance Monroe by also playing a Cary Grant lookalike, Lemmon finds himself being chased by a wealthy bachelor (Joe E. Brown), leading to one of the all-time greatest final lines (“Well, nobody’s perfect” says Brown when he finds out his beloved is actually a man). Monroe won the Golden Globe as Best Comedy/Musical Actress, but was ignored at the Oscars, despite the film earning nine nominations including Best Director and Best Actor (Lemmon).

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12 Best Marilyn Monroe Movies You Must See

One of the greatest American cultural icons of the 20th century, Marilyn Monroe was much more than a movie star. Her popularity and cultural impact can only be compared to Elvis Presley and Mickey Mouse. Monroe defined what a sex symbol means and to this day is considered one of the most beautiful women to ever grace the silver screen. From high-profile marriages with Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller to substance abuse, depression and anxiety, she went through everything in her short life of 36 years. Here is the list of top Marilyn Manroe movies you can’t miss.

12. Bus Stop (1956)

This 1956 musical comedy-drama starring Marilyn Monroe and Don Murray was directed by Joshua Fox. It tells the story of a naïve cowboy who falls in love with a beautiful singer (played by Monroe) who he wants to marry against her will. It was the first movie Monroe was a part of after studying at the Actors Studio, her performance being highly praised by critics. This movie was based on a play of the same title by William Inge.

11. Don’t Bother To Knock (1952)

Roy Ward Baker directed this film noir thriller based on the 1951 novel Mischief by Charlotte Armstrong. Monroe here plays the role of a babysitter whose suspicious behaviour makes a pilot (Richard Widmark) wonder if she is fit for the job. He is staying at the same hotel where Monroe is doing her job and he notices her from the opposite room. What follows makes up this amazing movie rated 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

10. Monkey Business (1952)

Boasting of an enviable star cast, Monkey Business is a 1952 romantic comedy film directed by the legendary Howard Hawks. It stars Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, and Charles Coburn in major roles. Dr Barnaby (Grant) is a scientist who has managed to make the elixir of youth, a potion which can turn adults into children. Consumption of such a potion gives rise to hilarious situations in this critically acclaimed screwball comedy.

9. River of No Return (1954)

In this Western adventure film by Otto Preminger. Marilyn Monroe stars with Robert Mitchum who plays a recently released prisoner who comes to a bar looking for his son. He had left his son in the care of a barroom singer (Monroe) whose boyfriend turns out a rogue gambler who would not hesitate to leave her within a few seconds if need be. The movie was well-received by both critics and audiences, also being showered with praises by all the famous American magazines.

8. The Prince And The Showgirl (1957)

Originally called ‘The Sleeping Princess’, this 1957 British-American comedy stars the great Lawrence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe in leading roles. Sir Olivier plays the role of a Hungarian prince who arrives at London to attend the wedding of King George V, where he is smitten by a musical performer Elsie Marina (Monroe) with whom he falls in love and invites her over for a private dinner. The movie was Monroe’s first production and was directed by Olivier himself.

7. The Misfits (1961)

Armed with a story and screenplay by the revered playwright Arthur Miller (Monroe’s then-husband), the legendary John Huston directed this 1961 drama starring Monroe, Clark Gable, Elli Wallach and Montgomery Clift. This would be the last film of both Monroe and Gable as they would pass away a month and a week later respectively after the shooting of the film ended. At the time of its release, The Misfits was a commercial failure, but as time has passed, the film has gathered positive reviews for its script and performances.

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6. Niagra (1953)

This 1953 noir directed by Henry Hathaway was one of the highest-grossing films of that year. It stars Monroe, Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters and Max Showalter. The movie is about two couples who meet at a resort near the Niagara Falls. Geroge and Rose (Cotton and Monroe) are one of the couples and they share quite a volatile and loveless relationship, with Rose’s lover already in the vicinity. What George doesn’t know however is that Rose and her lover are willing to murder him. Newspapers like The New York Times were impressed by the film and it boasts of an 83% Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

5. The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

This highly rated noir and heist film is among the best in its genre and is directed by John Huston from the novel of the same name by W.R. Burnett. Monroe stars in this film along with Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, and Jean Hagen. Hayden plays the role of a criminal mastermind who plans to rob jewels worth a million dollars and is successful until one of his teammates gets killed by a stray bullet. This film was well-received from all quarters and is popularly considered one of the best films of its genre.

4. All About Eve (1950)

The only film in Oscar history to receive four female acting nominations, All About Eve is an iconic movie in the history of American cinema. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz from the short story ’The Wisdom of Eve’, the film stars Bette Davis, George Sanders, Anne Baxter and Marilyn Monroe. Bette Davis plays the role of Margo Channing, a highly regarded but ageing Broadway star who appoints Eve as her personal secretary without realising that Eve wants to take over her career. Nominated for 14 Academy Awards, All About Eve won 6. It has been voted the 16th greatest American film of all time by the American Film Institute.

3. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

When the showgirl Lorelei and her friend decide to go visit Paris before her wedding, most unbeknown to her, her father in law sends in a private detective to keep an eye on the duo. Directed by the great Howard Hawkes, and starring Charles Coburn and Jane Russel along with Monroe, this film was both a commercial and critical darling. Monroe’s performance is what the movie is most remembered for, her performance of “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend’and a pink dress she wore became pop culture icons, to be emulated later by numerous others.

2. Some Like It Hot (1959)

Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon star in this iconic film along with Monroe. Directed by Billy Wilder, the story revolves around two musicians who witness a mob hit and thus decide to flee town dressed as two women in an all-girls band. It is here they meet the singer Sugar Kane (Monroe) and hilarious situations follow. This movie is considered one of the best movies of all time and has been voted the best American comedy ever by AFI. Roger Ebert called this film “one of the enduring treasures of the movies, a film of inspiration and meticulous craft.”

1. The Seven Year Itch (1955)

Based on a play of the same name by Geroge Axelrod, this 1955 romantic comedy was co-written and directed by Billy Wilder. One of the most iconic stills of the 20th century, the picture above, is from this movie. The title refers to the staleness that comes into a monogamous marriage after seven years. Tom Ewell stars as Richard Sherman, a publishing executive who meets an actress (Monroe) and gets attracted to her while his son and wife are at Maine spending the summer. The movie was praised widely and its name is so a part of popular culture that the phrase ‘The Seven Year Itch’ is used by psychologists as well.

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Screen Rant

Every marilyn monroe movie, ranked from worst to best.

From extravagant musicals and dark film noirs to one of the best comedies of all time, here is every single Marilyn Monroe movie ranked.

This article contains mentions of sexual assault.

Marilyn Monroe is not only one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, but one of the biggest icons in cinematic history; while some of her films live up to her legendary status, others prove how much of a star she was through their relative mediocrity. Born as Norma Jeane Mortenson in 1926, Marilyn Monroe went on to become the most definitive sex symbol in perhaps the entire history of Hollywood. After her death at the tragically young age of 36 in 1962, Monroe became an everlasting icon of pop culture, immortalized in not only her own filmography but also in artwork such as Andy Warhol's Marilyn Diptych . Artists and filmmakers, to this day, still explore the icon that was Marilyn Monroe, with a recent example being Andrew Dominick's incredibly divisive Blonde , which depicts a fictionalized version of her career with an outstanding performance from Ana De Armas as Monroe.

Marilyn Monroe's talents as an actor are often, unfortunately, eclipsed by the blonde bombshell image she typified. Her greatest performances showcase just how talented she was as a performer, with a surprisingly large range as an actor. Throughout her career, she shined in comedies and musicals, where her sex appeal was often exaggerated for comedic effect, but Marilyn Monroe also excelled in more dramatic roles in the few thrillers and film noirs she appeared in. Not all of her films are as legendary as she is, however. Marilyn Monroe was a product of her time and thus often had to languish in low-budget B movies , especially towards the start of her career, while under contract to various studios. With that being said, here are all of Marilyn Monroe's 29 movies, ranked from worst to best:

Related: How Old Marilyn Monroe Was When She Died

Home Town Story (1951)

Marilyn Monroe barely makes an appearance in this thoroughly dull B movie about a failed Senator who comes home to take over the local newspaper. Monroe plays a secretary at the paper with only a couple of scenes in the entire film. Unfortunately for Home Town Story , Monroe is by far the most engaging part of the movie. The rest of the film’s story is also just a bizarre piece of pro-corporation grandstanding. Home Town Story is by far the most skippable film in Marilyn Monroe’s filmography.

Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948)

While the title Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! may be memorable, Marilyn Monroe's appearance in the film is anything but. In a truly blink-and-you'll-miss-it manner, Marilyn Monroe briefly walks behind star June Haver as their characters leave a church. Marilyn Monroe manages to get a single line in as her character leaves the frame, greeting June Haver's character.

Right Cross (1950)

Marilyn Monroe makes her final uncredited appearance in this boxing drama from The Great Escape director John Sturges and co-starring Khan himself, Ricardo Montalban. Monroe plays model Dusty Ledoux, who has a date during the film with star Dick Powell. Unfortunately for Monroe and viewers alike, the date lasts less than a minute before Powell is called away so she does not get to make much of an impression on the audience.

The Fireball (1950)

Marilyn Monroe has a very small supporting role in the Mickey Rooney starring roller derby movie, The Fireball . There are very few reasons to attempt to track down this obscure film. One of which is to see a truly offbeat lead performance from a 30-year-old Mickey Rooney trying to play a teenager. The other is to hear Marilyn Monroe use a more natural voice than the breathy, girly one she is known for.

Related: Blonde: Who Really Was Marilyn Monroe's Father?

Dangerous Years (1947)

Dangerous Years has Marilyn Monroe’s first credited role, as a waitress called Evie at the roadside restaurant, The Gopher Hole. Monroe’s scenes are over early in the film and the rest of Dangerous Years ’ runtime is dedicated to the trial of gang leader Danny Jones, who is accused of murdering teacher Jeff Carter. Dangerous Years is a relatively average 1940s B movie that, while it is not bad, is not really worth watching aside from seeing a young Marilyn Monroe.

Love Happy (1949)

Love Happy's issues largely center around the great Groucho Marx . Unlike the Marx Brothers' better, earlier work, such as Duck Soup or A Night at the Opera , Groucho, Harpo, and Chico never share the screen together as a trio. Groucho Marx, unfortunately, has little more than a cameo appearance that’s almost literally phoned in. However, one of his brief scenes includes him interacting with a blonde bombshell played by Marilyn Monroe. Her brief scene is one of the funniest in the film as Monroe and Groucho Marx play off each other hilariously.

A Ticket To Tomahawk (1950)

For such a scant amount of screen time, Marilyn Monroe does get the opportunity to (briefly) show off her performance skills in A Ticket To Tomahawk . She, alongside several other actresses, performs a fun little dance number. While she is onscreen, Marilyn Monroe steals the spotlight as the dancer in the yellow dress with her signature blonde hair . It's hardly the meatiest of the roles Marilyn Monroe ever had, but it's among the best of the B movies she did early in her career.

We’re Not Married (1952)

We're Not Married is an anthology comedy centered around five different couples who learn, due to unforeseen circumstances, that their marriages have become technically null and void. Marilyn Monroe stars alongside David Wayne as Annabel and Jeff Norris, the second couple of the film. Annabel Norris is the winner of the Mrs. Mississippi beauty pageant, which seems like an easy excuse to put Marilyn Monroe in a swimsuit for a scene. Marilyn Monroe doesn't have much to do in the film, save for walking on stage in the pageants, as her segment largely focuses on a bitter David Wayne.

Related: Did Marilyn Monroe Have Kids? Fact-Checking Blonde's Pregnancy Stories

Let’s Make It Legal (1951)

Let's Make It Legal was co-written by comedy legend I.A.L Diamond, whose other work, including Monkey Business, which has Cary Grant co-starring alongside Monroe, and Some Like It Hot , places much higher on this list. Unfortunately, Let's Make It Legal does not match the quality of those other two Diamond-Monroe collaborations, even if Monroe has a slightly larger role here than most of her work before this movie. Monroe has some awkward lines here about calling men "daddy" and it feels as if Blonde filmmaker Andrew Dominick took these lines and ran with them by having his Marilyn call all of her husbands "daddy" as well. The comedy in Let's Make It Legal has not particularly aged well and, as such, is only really worth watching for Monroe completionists.

As Young As You Feel (1951)

As Young As You Feel is a fine, if slight, comedy about an old man who impersonates the boss of a motor company in an attempt to avoid forced retirement. It once again sidelines Marilyn Monroe into a small role as a secretary. Unlike some of her earliest roles, she does get a chance to display some of her comedic talents, especially when she sticks her tongue out at her boss, behind his back.

O. Henry’s Full House (1952)

Marilyn Monroe has a brief appearance as a streetwalker, opposite Charles Laughton, in the anthology comedy O. Henry's Full House . She plays off his advances well, even using her natural voice rather than her typical sensuous, breathy tone. Upon realizing her occupation, Laughton awkwardly, in a typically British manner, gifts her his final possession, a cane, and calls her a lady. Monroe's shock at his use of the term is heartbreaking in its earnestness.

Love Nest (1951)

Love Nest is a comedy about a man called Jim Scott who discovers that his wife, Connie, has invested their money in a rundown apartment building after he returns to New York from Paris. This black-and-white comedy co-stars Marilyn Monroe as an old army buddy of Jim's, Bobbie, who moves into the building's empty apartment. Troubles begin when Connie discovers that Bobbie is a woman. Love Nest is a fine, if dated, comedy filled with misunderstandings and Hays Code-approved innuendos. Monroe is fun in her role as WAC-turned-model Bobbie, though she is really only there for Connie to get jealous. It's hardly the best comedy that Marilyn Monroe was in, but it's far from the worst.

Related: Ana De Armas' Marilyn Monroe Accent Backlash In Blonde Is Absurd

Let’s Make Love (1960)

Marilyn Monroe shines during the musical sequences in her penultimate performance as actress Amanda Dell in Let's Make Love . However, much of the rest of the film makes it clear that Let's Make Love was little more than a contractual obligation for Monroe. She is clearly uninterested in most of the material she's given, although her aforementioned musical numbers are still great. The best aspects of the film are the cameos from Gene Kelly and Bing Crosby, playing themselves. Public controversies that occurred during the production of Let's Make Love, namely her highly-publicized affair with co-star Yves Montaud, meant that Marilyn Monroe lost out on the role of Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's , despite author Truman Capote lobbying for her to play the role.

Ladies Of The Chorus (1948)

Marilyn Monroe makes a confident and fun debut as a lead performer in this charming, if slight, B movie. Monroe’s role as a young Burlesque performer in Ladies of the Chorus set the precedent for many of her future roles in other movies. That’s not particularly surprising, as she completely owns the screen whenever she’s performing onstage in Ladies of the Chorus . The rest of the movie just does not quite live up to the few song-and-dance sequences but Ladies of the Chorus never outstays its welcome, at only 61 minutes long. It’s by far the best of Marilyn Monroe’s early B movies .

River of No Return (1954)

River of No Return is the most straight-laced western that Marilyn Monroe ever made; A Ticket To Tomahawk was explicitly comedic, and Monroe is barely in it. The picture has quite the outstanding cast and crew, with Robert Mitchum playing the male lead opposite Monroe and the legendary director of Anatomy of a Murder , Otto Preminger, at the helm. However, River of No Return only lives up to that promise of quality in its gorgeous Cinemascope photography. Preminger truly captures vast American vistas in a way only John Ford did before him. However, the rest of the film does not live up to that level of quality due to the film's dull, episodic plotting and an abundance of sexism and racism. The depictions of Native Americans as violent savages are among the worst that the Western genre has to offer. Robert Mitchum's character also nearly sexually assaults Marilyn Monroe's . These aspects leave a sour aftertaste that overshadows the rest of River of No Return .

There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954)

Marilyn Monroe numbers among the impressive ensemble cast of the musical comedy There's No Business Like Show Business . It's an extravagant picture, filled to the brim with musical numbers and lavish CinemaScope photography. There's No Business Like Show Business typifies the kind of spectacle that many '50s movies possessed, in an attempt to compete with the rising popularity of television. However, it does allow the spectacle to take priority over characterization and plot, with much of the film seeming to exist as an excuse for lavish musical numbers. While Monroe is good in There's No Business Like Show Business , she's a wonderful performer, after all, it's Singin' In The Rain's Donald O'Connor who steals the show.

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The Seven Year Itch (1955)

Billy Wilder, the director of The Seven Year Itch , created the most iconic image of Marilyn Monroe in her entire film career: the shot of her white dress being blown up by a subway grate. While this image might be the most memorable of Monroe, it is an exemplar of the problem with The Seven Year Itch : Marilyn Monroe's character is treated like an object rather than a person. She isn't even given the dignity of a name, Monroe is only credited as playing 'The Girl'. However, Monroe's excellent performance does try to lift the character above mere objectification; she has an extraordinary monologue toward the end, done in one take, explaining why she likes the shy but imaginative executive Richard Sherman (Tom Ewell). Unfortunately, these moments in The Seven Year Itch are rare and much of the film's jokes have aged poorly, especially compared to many of Billy Wilder's other comedies.

The Prince and the Showgirl (1957)

The story of The Prince and the Showgirl brings to mind old-school romantic comedies like My Fair Lady and Pygmalion with a lower-class woman introduced to high society. Monroe plays the titular showgirl, Elsie Marina, while the highly-respected Shakespearian actor Laurence Olivier plays the Prince, on top of helming the picture as director. The Prince and the Showgirl features truly opulent production design and rich Technicolor cinematography from famed DoP Jack Cardiff but suffered from production issues stemming from conflicts between Monroe and Olivier. Nevertheless, Monroe is charming to watch as she struggles to wrap her head around the strange rituals and glamour of regency. In comparison, Olivier comes across as rather hammy, perhaps due to him originating the role onstage, complete with a monocle and outrageous Germanic accent.

Bus Stop (1956)

Bus Stop represents a shift in Marilyn Monroe’s career ; it is the first movie she made after attending the Actors Studio, as well as the first movie she made as a producer. Bus Stop is at its best when it’s a showcase of Marilyn Monroe’s acting abilities and performance skills. Monroe uses an Ozark accent and abandons her usual glamorous costumes and make-up so that her portrayal of the character Cherie is more authentic than any performance she’s given before. Marilyn Monroe also successfully completes the surprisingly difficult tasks of purposefully singing and dancing badly to make Cherie more real than her usual roles.

Unfortunately, Bus Stop suffers whenever focus is taken away from Monroe, which it frequently is. Monroe’s love interest, a socially-inept cowboy by the name of Beauregard Decker (Don Murray), is incredibly annoying as a character, and many of his sexist rants and antics have aged poorly, dragging much of Bus Stop down as well. The Academy Awards made one of the worst decisions in their history when they decided to give a Best Supporting Actor nomination to Murray over Monroe.

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Clash By Night (1952)

Clash By Night unites Marilyn Monroe with the renowned director Fritz Lang and the legendary classic Hollywood actress Barbara Stanwyck for a domestic drama dripping with film noir sensibilities. It also was the first time that Marilyn Monroe's name appeared before the title on a major motion picture. As a woman working in an industrial fish processing factory, Marilyn Monroe is far from the glitz and glamour that would go on to define her career, but she does get to show off more of her acting range in an atypical dramatic role. Production on Clash By Night, however, became difficult when the now-famous nude photos of Monroe came to light, causing the set to be flooded with press and paparazzi. Despite these troubles, Marilyn Monroe delivers one of the most natural performances of her career.

Monkey Business (1952)

Before Monkey Business , Cary Grant and director Howard Hawks had previously collaborated on several screwball comedies, including the legendary Bringing Up Baby and His Girl Friday . The introduction of Marilyn Monroe to their formula in Monkey Business should have resulted in another classic of the subgenre, but a preposterous premise and, relatively, uninterested directing from Hawks ends up with a film that is merely alright. Cary Grant is charming as usual, and his chemistry with Monroe is positively electric. It's just a shame that she has a relatively small role. However, in that time she does get to take part in some fantastic gags involving stockings, roller skates, and Ginger Rogers threatening to pull her blonde hair out from the roots. Monkey Business isn't the best Cary Grant movie , but it's still a fun time.

Don't Bother To Knock (1952)

Don't Bother To Knock , helmed by future Hammer horror director Roy Ward Baker, features an unusually dark turn from Marilyn Monroe as a psychologically disturbed babysitter. Set entirely within a New York City hotel, Don't Bother To Knock has an incredibly claustrophobic atmosphere that feels like a dry run for many of Baker's future horror films, like Quatermass and the Pit . Don't Bother To Knock makes interesting use of Monroe's public image as a naive and innocent girl by initially playing it straight, before subverting it when the film reveals the true depth of Marilyn Monroe's character's troubled personality . The best scene of the film sees Monroe's disturbed and self-destructive character, Nell, almost push the little girl she's looking after out of their hotel room window. Don't Bother To Knock displays just how much range Marilyn Monroe had as an actor with a role that's such a dark departure from her usual fare.

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Although Marilyn Monroe only has a small supporting role as the mistress of lawyer-turned-fixer Alonzo Emmerich, she is a highlight in an already fantastic heist film. Her best scene occurs near the end when the cops terrorize her into admitting that she had previously provided a false alibi for Emmerich by threatening to send her to jail. It's a gripping scene that is anchored by an incredibly vulnerable performance from Monroe that transforms what could have been a one-note character into someone with more depth. The film around her is also fantastic with brilliant direction from John Huston , inspired by Italian Neo-Realism. The Asphalt Jungle 's heist sequence would go on to inspire plenty of crime films across the 1950s trying to best it.

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How To Marry A Millionaire (1953)

How To Marry A Millionaire may not be the best of Marilyn Monroe's comedies, but it is one of the most fun. The film has a light and breezy tone, some of the most gorgeous and colorful CinemaScope photography around, and three fantastic central performances from Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall, and Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe sparkles with some hilarious physical comedy as a woman with astigmatism, who refuses to wear glasses, and thus spends much of the film bumping into things. Her energy is incredibly well-complimented by Bacall's wit and wisecracks. The plot, concerning three women attempting to woo millionaires, is fun to watch and ripe for great jokes.

All About Eve (1950)

Marilyn Monroe has a role in the Best Picture-winning All About Eve that mirrors her public persona perfectly. While she only has a small part in the film, she steals her scenes as a young actress that initially seems like a typical 'dumb blonde', only to reveal herself as far more clever and ambitious than she first appears. It's a fitting supporting role in a film about a protégé who inserts herself into the life of an aging star, with massive consequences. Unfortunately, Marilyn Monroe had some issues behind the scenes of All About Eve , that would go on to plague the rest of her film career. One of her scenes took ten takes to shoot, due to Monroe forgetting her lines because she was nervous in the presence of the legendary actress, Bette Davis. This caused tensions to arise between Monroe and the famously volatile Bette Davis , who eventually snapped at the young actress.

Niagara (1953)

Given the upbeat and playful roles that Marilyn Monroe is typically known for, it’s surprising that her star-making performance was as a femme fatale in a Hitchcockian thriller. However, Monroe proves in Niagara that she is absolutely deserving of her first top billing in a big feature film; her performance as the duplicitous yet vulnerable Rose Loomis is utterly spellbinding. Monroe’s brilliant breakthrough is supported by some of the most gorgeous three-strip Technicolor cinematography the genre has to offer. Niagara Falls could only look better in real life.

The Misfits (1961)

The Misfits is a fitting title for a film plagued by so many production issues. Stars Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift suffered from health issues stemming from alcohol and other drugs, necessitating a doctor to be on call 24 hours a day during production. Their co-star Clark Gable died less than two weeks after the filming of The Misfits wrapped and the director, John Huston, also had a gambling problem during filming. Monroe’s marriage to the film’s writer, Arthur Miller, also collapsed while filming. Finally, The Misfits was the last completed movie in both Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe’s careers.

Related: Every Movie George Lucas Directed, Ranked From Worst To Best

The Misfits ' production issues reflect the troubled characters that inhabit the story. The Misfits is about a group of outcasts, including a recent divorcee, an aging cowboy, an injured bull rider, and a war veteran that come together in a desperate bid to find freedom out in the desert, only for it to slip away due to unforeseen consequences and misunderstandings. Marilyn Monroe gives perhaps her most mature performance in the film, and her sex appeal is used by John Huston to make a comment on the men surrounding her rather than as mere objectification of her body. Monroe had a project lined up after The Misfits , the George Cukor film Something's Got To Give, but unfortunately, it was never completed due to her untimely death in 1962. The Misfits has a tragic, yet hopeful, tone that feels incredibly fitting as the swansong for both Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes has perhaps the best scene in any Marilyn Monroe movie with the "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" sequence. She doesn't just own the screen in her iconic, gorgeous pink dress and sparkling diamond necklace, but also with her cheeky delivery and expressive dance moves, that feel like the prototype for voguing. If there's any one single scene that should serve as an introduction to Marilyn Monroe, it's not the subway grate in The Seven Year Itch , it's, in fact, "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend". It's no wonder that Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" sequence has been immortalized by parodies and homages, such as in Birds of Prey ; the scene is an encapsulation of Marilyn Monroe's entire screen persona.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes proves that Marilyn Monroe's strengths do not just lie in her looks, but also in her talents and charm as a performer. Anytime she's onscreen, it's impossible to look at anything else. Even Jane Russell, who is a brilliant performer in her own right , cannot hold a candle to Monroe here. Marilyn Monroe is not just an image, but a performer and actress with boundless charisma and energy in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes . If The Misfits represents Monroe at her dramatic best, then Gentlemen Prefer Blondes shows her at her best as a performer.

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Some Like It Hot , the second collaboration between Marilyn Monroe and Billy Wilder, makes up for the disappointment that is The Seven Year Itch as it's the perfect showcase for Monroe's impeccable comedic talents. Starring alongside legendary comedians like Tony Curtis, father of scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis , and Jack Lemmon, who spend much of the film in drag, could threaten to eclipse any other actor, but Marilyn Monroe truly displays her best comedic skills as singer, and ukulele player, Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk. Not only is she not overshadowed by Lemmon and Curtis, but she's also arguably even funnier in her delivery of Some Like It Hot 's constant barrage of hilarious jokes and wit. Tony Curtis does get to show off his fantastic impression of Monroe's Monkey Business co-star Cary Grant when he impersonates the heir to the Shell Oil fortune. The chemistry he has with Monroe in these scenes is similarly charming to that movie as well.

Related: Every Baz Luhrmann Movie Ranked From Worst To Best (Including Elvis)

Some Like It Hot is not only one of the greatest comedies in Hollywood history, but it was also one of the final nails in the coffin of the Hays Code , a set of censorship guidelines enforced by the MPAA between 1934 and 1968. Some Like It Hot severely weakened the authority of the code as it was released without its approval, due to its LGBTQ+ characters and themes, and became a box office smash anyway. In Some Like It Hot , Marilyn Monroe not only delivered her finest comedic performance but also helped to do away with archaic and problematic censorship laws.

Next: Every Robert Zemeckis Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

Hollywoodtainment

All about Hollywood Entertainment

All 25 Marilyn Monroe Movies in order: Thrill and Romance

TRIDIP BOR BORUAH

September 9, 2023

Marilyn Monroe remains one of Hollywood’s iconic figures, captivating audiences with her timeless beauty and undeniable talent. If you’re curious about Marilyn’s filmography, look no further – in this article we will cover all her movies chronologically as they were made, taking you along her extraordinary journey from promising actress to legendary star!

All the movies of Marilyn Monroe in Chronological order –

Table of Contents

Check out 15 Best Movies Like Flipped That Will Melt Your Heart or 15 Hilarious Movies Like White Chicks: Laugh Till You Drop

Early Years and Breakthrough (1947-1950)

The transformation of norma jeane mortenson.

Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson on May 6, 1926 . Though her early life was full of challenges, her perseverance saw her sign her first studio contract with Twentieth Century-Fox Studios in 1946.

Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948)

Monroe made her acting debut in this comedy-drama; although not an overwhelming success, this role nonetheless marked an important step in her career development.

Ladies of the Chorus (1948)

In this musical film, Marilyn played Peggy Martin, an ambitious young woman looking forward to making it big on Broadway. While not breaking headlines at first glance, this film gave Marilyn an opportunity to showcase both her singing and dancing talents.

Love Happy (1949)

In her debut role alongside the Marx Brothers, Marilyn’s star began to ascend rapidly as she established a lasting association.

Rising Stardom (1951-1954)

Clash by night (1952).

Marks Marilyn’s debut dramatic role as Peggy; critics were highly complimentary of her performance, underscoring her versatility as an actress.

We’re Not Married! (1952)

Marilyn shared the screen with many other stars in We’re Not Married!, where her comedic timing and on-screen presence continued to shine brightly.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Marilyn made history when she played Lorelei Lee – an iconic role which brought fame and celebrity. Marilyn made the rendition of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” an instantaneous classic.

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

Another smash hit featuring Marilyn alongside Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall made this classic film an enduring classic. Their chemistry and comedy made this timeless work of cinema.

Iconic Roles and Personal Struggles (1955-1961)

The seven year itch (1955).

Her most iconic moment – standing atop a subway grate to complete “The Seven Year Itch”- cemented Marilyn as a sexual symbol, making the romantic comedy an eternal classic. It remains celebrated to this day.

Bus Stop (1956)

Marilyn played Cherie, a saloon singer with aspirations for fame who moved away from her native Boston for Hollywood fame. Her dramatic and poignant performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination.

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Marilyn’s comic genius once more shone through in this classic comedy film starring Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. Once more she proved her acting chops.

The Misfits (1961)

Marilyn would ultimately come to regret The Misfits. Here she shared the screen with Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift in a film which depicted their struggles as it paralleled her own.

Legacy and Enduring Appeal

Marilyn’s Timeless Legacy. Marilyn Monroe remains beloved to audiences today through her movies and live performances that continue to bring them joy. Her legacy lives on in those movies.

Influence on Popular Culture

Her iconic image has left an indelible imprint on contemporary popular culture, inspiring tributes in music videos, films and fashion lines alike.

Marilyn Icon

Since Marilyn’s life and tragic end have inspired countless documentaries and books , cementing her status as an iconic figure.

Marilyn Monroe in Retrospect

While Marilyn’s career may have been brief, her impactful influence remains immeasurable on Hollywood and the world at large.

Marilyn Monroe remains one of cinema’s enduring symbols, symbolized by beauty, talent and allure of Hollywood. Her movies remain timeless works of art that continue to mesmerize and intrigue audiences worldwide.

What was Marilyn Monroe’s first film?

Marilyn’s first credited role was in “Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!” (1948).

Did Marilyn win any major awards during her career?

While she received critical acclaim, Marilyn Monroe never won an Oscar, but she did earn several Golden Globe nominations.

How many films did Marilyn Monroe make in total?

Marilyn appeared in 30 films during her career.

What is Marilyn Monroe’s most famous movie scene?

The subway grate scene from “The Seven Year Itch” (1955) is undoubtedly her most iconic moment.

Where can I watch Marilyn Monroe’s movies today?

Many of her films are available on streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.

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Marilyn Monroe

• Overview ↓
• Filmography ↓
• Other Appearances ↓
• Awards ↓

Biography by AllMovie

The most endlessly talked-about and mythologized figure in Hollywood history, Marilyn Monroe remains the ultimate superstar, her rise and fall the stuff that both dreams and nightmares are made of. Innocent, vulnerable, and impossibly alluring, she defined the very essence of screen sexuality. Rising from pin-up girl to international superstar, she was a gifted comedienne whom the camera adored, a luminous and incomparably magnetic screen presence. In short, she had it all, yet her career and life came crashing to a tragic halt, a Cinderella story gone horribly wrong; dead before her time -- her fragile beauty trapped in amber, impervious to the ravages of age -- Monroe endures as the movies' greatest and most beloved icon, a legend eclipsing all others.

Born Norma Jean Mortensen (later Baker) on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, she was seemingly destined for a life of tragedy: Her mother spent the majority of her life institutionalized, she was raised in an endless succession of orphanages and foster homes, and she was raped at the age of eight. By 1942, she was married to one Jim Dougherty, subsequently dropping out of school to work in an aircraft production plant; within a year she attempted suicide. When Dougherty entered the military, Baker bleached her hair and began modeling. By 1946, the year of the couple's divorce, she was accredited to a top agency, and her image regularly appeared in national publications. Her photos piqued the interest of the eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, who scheduled her for a screen test at RKO; however, 20th Century Fox beat him to the punch, and soon she was on their payroll at 125 dollars a week.

Rechristened Marilyn Monroe, she began studying at the Actors' Lab in Hollywood; however, when virtually nothing but a bit role in the juvenile delinquent picture The Dangerous Years came of her Fox contract, she signed to Columbia in 1948, where she was tutored by drama coach Natasha Lytess. There she starred in Ladies of the Chorus before they too dropped her. After briefly appearing in the 1949 Marx Brothers comedy Love Happy, she earned her first real recognition for her turn as a crooked lawyer's mistress in the 1950 John Huston thriller The Asphalt Jungle. Good notices helped Monroe win a small role in the classic All About Eve, but she otherwise continued to languish relatively unnoticed in bit parts. While she was now back in the Fox stable, studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck failed to recognize her potential, and simply mandated that she appear in any picture in need of a sexy, dumb blonde.

In 1952, RKO borrowed Monroe for a lead role in the Barbara Stanwyck picture Clash by Night. The performance brought her significant exposure, which was followed by the publication of a series of nude photos she had posed for two years prior. The resulting scandal made her a celebrity, and seemingly overnight she was the talk of Hollywood. Zanuck quickly cast her as a psychotic babysitter in a quickie project titled Don't Bother to Knock, and after a series of minor roles in other similarly ill-suited vehicles, Monroe starred in 1953's Niagara, which took full advantage of her sexuality to portray her as a sultry femme fatale. However, lighter, more comedic fare was Monroe's strong suit, as evidenced by her breakout performance in the Howard Hawks musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Like its follow-up How to Marry a Millionaire (just the second film shot in the new CinemaScope process), the picture was among the year's top-grossing ventures, and her newfound stardom was cemented.

After starring in the 1954 Western River of No Return, Monroe continued to make headlines by marrying New York Yankees baseball great Joe DiMaggio. She also made a much-publicized appearance singing for American troops in Korea, and -- in a telling sign of things to come -- created a flap by failing to show up on the set of the movie The Girl in Pink Tights. As far back as 1952, Monroe had earned a reputation for her late on-set arrivals, but The Girl in Pink Tights was the first project she boycotted outright on the weakness of the material. The studio suspended her, and only after agreeing to instead star in the musical There's No Business Like Show Business did she return to work. After starring in the 1955 Billy Wilder comedy The Seven Year Itch, Monroe again caused a stir, this time for refusing the lead in How to Be Very, Very Popular. In response, she fled to New York to study under Lee Strasburg at the Actors' Studio in an attempt to forever rid herself of the dumb blonde stereotype.

In New York, Monroe met playwright Arthur Miller, whom she wed following the disintegration of her marriage to DiMaggio. In the meantime, her relationship with Fox executives continued to sour, but after pressure from stockholders -- and in light of her own financial difficulties -- she was signed to a new, non-exclusive seven-year deal which not only bumped her salary to 100,000 dollars per film, but also allowed her approval of directors. For her first film under the new contract, Monroe delivered her most accomplished performance to date in Joshua Logan's 1956 adaptation of the William Inge Broadway hit Bus Stop. She then starred opposite Laurence Olivier in 1957's The Prince and the Showgirl. Two years later, she co-starred in Wilder's classic Some Like It Hot, her most popular film yet. However, despite her success, Monroe's life was in disarray -- her marriage to Miller was crumbling, and her long-standing reliance on alcohol and drugs continued to grow more and more serious.

After starring in George Cukor's Let's Make Love with Yves Montand, Monroe began work on the Miller-penned The Misfits; the film was her final completed project, as she frequently clashed with director John Huston and co-stars Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift, often failed to appear on-set, and was hospitalized several times for depression. In light of her erratic behavior on the set of the follow-up, the ironically titled Something's Got to Give, she was fired 32 days into production and slapped with a lawsuit. Just two months later, on August 5, 1962, Monroe was dead. The official cause was an overdose of barbiturates, although the truth will likely never be revealed. Her alleged affairs with President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Robert, have been the focus of much speculation regarding the events leading to her demise, but many decades later fact and fantasy are virtually impossible to separate. In death, as in life, the legend of Marilyn Monroe continues to grow beyond all expectation.

Movie Highlights

• Spent most of her childhood bouncing between foster homes and orphanages.
• Monroe was her mother's maiden name.
• Appeared on the cover of the first issue of Playboy, in December 1953.
• Her production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, produced only two films: Bus Stop and The Prince and the Showgirl .
• Converted to Judaism in order to marry Arthur Miller.
• Her last film, The Misfits , was also Clark Gable's last movie.
• Buried in the Corridor of Memories #24 at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, CA.
• Lee Strasberg delivered the eulogy at her funeral.
• Elton John's 1974 song "Candle in the Wind" was written for her.

Marilyn Monroe

Filmography

Life events.

• Photos & Videos

Family & Companions

Bibliography, photos & videos.

"Her on-screen persona was basically sexless. In her most famous films, she was a cartoon, a parody of femininity. Paired with sexless leading men like David Wayne, Tommy Noonan, Tom Ewell, or as in 'Some Like It Hot,' men who were in drag and/or pretending to be impotent, Monroe was all display and no action. Her on-screen relations with the opposite sex were infantile and tentative . . . The legend of Monroe's screen sexuality is more accurately a myth. She was the perfect, pliable non-threatening female figure for the frightened '50s: no anger, no inner life, no control of her own sensuality." --Denis Ferrara writing in Talk magazine's special issue "An Oscar Odyssey, March 2001.

On the morning of Aug. 5, 1962, Monroe was discovered lifeless by her housekeeper. Her death was subsequently declared a suicide by barbiturate overdose. A devastated DiMaggio claimed the body and arranged for a private funeral, which was attended by just 25 mourners, including Lee Strasberg, who delivered her eulogy. In fact anyone who DiMaggio felt contributed to Monroe's downward spiral - including members of the Rat Pack, etc. - were banned from attending. She was interred in a crypt at Westwood Memorial Cemetery, which received a dozen red roses from DiMaggio three times a week for over 20 years. Hollywood and the public at large grieved over her early passing, but in the decades following her death, the respectful attitude towards Monroe's demise gradually transformed into an obsessive hunt for clues and theories that would explain her death as homicide. Monroe had allegedly carried on affairs with President Kennedy and his brother Robert, and rumors swirled that she had been eliminated by political powers in order to keep the dalliances secret, or even to prevent her from leaking important secrets In fact, DiMaggio was among the more vocal supporters of this theory and refused anything to do with a Kennedy ever after. Others suggested that the Mafia was the culprit, or that she had been killed to cover up mistakes made by her psychiatrist. Lack of evidence - as well as a missing diary - prevented the incident from being reported as more than just "probable suicide," but such facts were unable to stem a virtual tide of tell-all biographies and publications that focused on the sordid details of her life and what may or may not have done in the doomed beauty. Equally distasteful were searches to uncover pornographic films allegedly shot by Monroe during her lean years. For decades, a short titled "Apple Knockers and Coke" was described as proof positive that she had made a stag film, but subsequent research revealed that the actress in the film was in fact one-time Playmate Arline Hunter, whose resemblance to Monroe had been her chief selling point. In 2008, Monroe collector Keya Morgan purportedly purchased a pornographic film with Monroe from a former FBI informant, but the validity of the item was quickly dismissed. While conspiracy theorists spun their webs around Monroe's demise, the brighter aspects of her short life - her films and her iconic image - continued to serve as inspiration for generations of fans and admirers. Monroe's open and honest sexuality served as a touchstone for countless actresses who followed in her footsteps, many of whom took deliberate pages from her life and career to draw attention to their own. As late as 2008, actress Lindsay Lohan was featured semi-nude in a layout shot by Bert Stern that copied his session for Monroe in exacting detail. Images of Monroe also became among the most popular and best-selling Hollywood memorabilia, which resulted in Monroe being named the only female on a list of "top-earning" dead celebrities by Forbes magazine. The brisk trade in Monroe-related items eventually led to serious court battles between corporate entities who held rights to Monroe's likeness and image, the photographers who captured her on film during her career, and the Strasberg family, who were the recipients of 75 percent of her estate after her death. Monroe's life also served as source material for several films, including the 1980 TV-movie "Marilyn: The Untold Story," with Catherine Hickland as Monroe; "Norma Jean and Marilyn" (HBO, 1996), with Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino essaying her pre- and post-fame life; and "Blonde" (2001), with Poppy Montgomery in an adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates' novel about her life. Monroe was also featured in numerous features and TV productions about the Kennedys and the Rat Pack, and could be counted on to represent the spirit of old Tinseltown glamour in all manner of productions. In fact, of all the Hollywood icons - save Chaplin, Bogart and Elvis - Monroe's appeal - her unique look, her tragic life, her legend - stood the test of time like no other twentieth century entertainers also struggling with depression and seeing her psychiatrist almost daily; she was also consuming a regular diet of prescription pills to contend with physical and mental exhaustion, mixing those with alcohol. Miller attempted to halt the downward slide of their relationship by penning a drama titled "The Misfits" for her, about the relationship between a depressed divorcee (Monroe) and an aging cowhand, played by Clark Gable. But by the time the film had gone into production, the marriage had unraveled beyond repair, and the production itself became plagued by her undeniable mental health problems. Director John Huston shut down the production in August of 1960 to send her to a rehabilitation program, but Monroe's problems continued unabated after her return. Then even more tragedy struck. Only three days after production wrapped, the man who a young Norma Jean had gone to sleep in foster homes dreaming was her real father, Clark Gable, died of a heart attack three days after production concluded in November of 1960. Tabloids made hay from statements by the actor's widow that his death had been brought on by his insistence on doing his own stunts as a means of dealing with Monroe's constant tardiness on the set. For Monroe, this helped send her over the edge. By the time the film premiered in 1961, her emotional problems and addictions had landed her in the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic, from which she was unable to secure a release. In desperation, she reached out to DiMaggio, who still carried a torch for her despite their divorce five years earlier, and he arranged for her discharge. Monroe later joined him in Florida where he was working as a batting coach for the Yankees, and rumors began swirling that the couple was intending to remarry. But the reunion was short-lived, and Monroe began joining such hard-living types as Frank Sinatra on the party circuit. According to sports biographer Maury Allen, DiMaggio asked for Monroe's hand again as a means of rescuing her from her apparent downward spiral, but Monroe was caught up with a new crowd - one that DiMaggio would ultimately blame for her demise. She returned to Hollywood to begin work on a new picture, "Something's Got to Give," a comedy for George Cukor about a woman, believed dead, who reappears in her husband's life on the day he planned to remarry. But by the first day of production in April of 1962, it was clear to all involved, including co-star Dean Martin, that Monroe's participation in the film would be sporadic at best; with various "illnesses" forcing her absence for weeks on end. Surprisingly - the same week she was unable to work on set - she found the fortitude to fly to NYC to perform at a birthday party for President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden in May of that year. Her sultry rendition of "Happy Birthday" for Kennedy would be her last notable public appearance and would later come to mean much, much more, after her tawdry, tragic affair with the president - as well as his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy - came to light years later. Monroe returned to Hollywood with a novel and daring idea to publicize the film; she would be the first major film actress to appear nude on screen, and the pool frolic was covered extensively by photographers, particularly LIFE magazine which ran the naked pictures on its cover. But less than a month later, Monroe's consistent absence resulted in her being fired from the film - a great public humiliation for the fragile actress. She retreated to her home to give several interviews in which she expressed bitterness over the direction that her career had taken. She also participated in two photo sessions, including one for photographer Bert Stern that featured Monroe in a semi-nude state. It would subsequently be known as "The Last Sitting.""

Cast (Feature Film)

Music (feature film), cast (special), music (special).

Became model at Blue Book Agency

Screen test at 20th Century-Fox; signed contract that was dropped the following year

Signed contract with Columbia; dropped after one film

Signed seven-year contract with Fox

Fired by 20th Century-Fox

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Marilyn Monroe Bios and Films

• Movies or TV
• IMDb Rating
• In Theaters
• Release Year

1. Marilyn: The Untold Story (1980 TV Movie)

156 min | Biography, Drama

The story of the life and times of the legendary Hollywood blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe, from her meteoric rise to stardom, to her marriages and untimely death.

Directors: Jack Arnold , John Flynn , Lawrence Schiller | Stars: Catherine Hicks , Richard Basehart , Frank Converse , John Ireland

2. This Year's Blonde (1980 TV Movie)

100 min | Drama

Follows the early career of Marilyn Monroe and her relationship with Hollywood agent Johnny Hyde.

Director: John Erman | Stars: Lloyd Bridges , Constance Forslund , Norman Fell , Vic Tayback

3. Marilyn & Sinatra (2021 TV Movie)

This is a filmed version of the hit play which performed to sold out houses in London and New York. Filmed at Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills, just steps from where Marilyn and Frank first met.

Director: Sandro Monetti | Stars: Jeff Bratz , Erin Gavin

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When Marilyn Monroe called Jackie to speak about her affair with John F Kennedy

Christopher andersen's 2013 biography alleges that monroe and jackie kennedy shared an acrimonious phone call before the famous actress's death..

A biography, "In These Few Precious Days: The Final Year of Jack with Jackie", claims that Hollywood superstar Marilyn Monroe once called Jackie Kennedy to tell her that President John F. Kennedy had promised to marry her. 

"In These Few Precious Days: The Final Year of Jack with Jackie " published in 2013 by Christopher Andersen examines the relationship between the former President and his wife in the years before his assassination, scrutinizing the alleged affair between Kennedy and Monroe. 

Kennedy allegedly cheated on his wife with several women, but his affair with Monroe stood out from the rest. 

Andersen's biography not only claims that the affair happened but that Monroe rang Jackie Kennedy to inform her that JFK had promised to marry her. 

Jackie, however, had the perfect response. 

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"Marilyn, you’ll marry Jack, that’s great," Jackie replied, according to Andersen. "And you’ll move into the White House, and you’ll assume the responsibilities of the first lady. And I’ll move out, and you’ll have all the problems."

Andersen said that Marilyn Monroe bothered Jackie more than any other woman because of the potential that the affair would go public and cause a scandal. 

"Marilyn was a loose cannon who could go public at any time, causing a scandal that would obliterate her husband’s reputation, destroy her marriage, and hold her up to public ridicule," Andersen said in the biography. 

Jackie was reportedly aware of her husband's affairs but was willing to tolerate them so long as they didn't become public knowledge, Andersen writes. His claims are backed up by Jackie's personal letters from just before her marriage. 

She wrote that she knew her husband-to-be would have extra-marital affairs once they were married, claiming that he was similar to her father. 

"He’s like my father in a way," she wrote in the letters. "Loves the chase and is bored with the conquest. And once married needs proof he’s still attractive, so flirts with other women and resents you.

"I think he was as much in love with me as he could be with anyone," she continued. "And now maybe he will want to get married because a Senator needs a wife. But if he ever does ask me to marry him, it will be for rather practical reasons – because his career is this driving thing with him." 

* Originally published in January 2021. Updated in March 2024.

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