MARILYN MONROE
Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962) was an American actress and model. She became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s, emblematic of the era’s attitudes towards sexuality. By 1953, Monroe was one of the most bankable Hollywood stars, with leading roles in three films: the noir Niagara, which focused on her sex appeal, and the comedies Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire, which established her star image as a “dumb blonde”. Although she played a significant role in the creation and management of her public image throughout her career, she was disappointed at being typecast and underpaid by the studio. Monroe founded a film production company in late 1954, Marilyn Monroe Productions (MMP). Although she was a top-billed actress for only a decade, her films grossed $200 million by the time of her unexpected death in 1962. She continues to be considered a major popular culture icon. (More from Wikipedia)
Melissa Etheridge’s male counterpart in the rock world, Elton John has been openly gay for many years and is the largest selling recording artist of all time. His tribute to Princess Diana, “Candle in the Wind 1997” alone has sold 33 million copies, more than any other single in history. This song opens with the words “Goodbye English Rose” and is a rewrite of a song called “Candle in the Wind” from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) that was in honor of Marilyn Monroe.
(January 2014)
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We have been bombarded with important anniversaries this year. In music, they all seem to go back to 1962. In the larger world, 1962 was the year of the Cuban missile crisis. Also, James Meredith became the first black student to enroll at Ole Miss that year; and a handful of students decided to mark the occasion by staging unseemly protests against the recent reelection of President Barack Obama. The first James Bond film, Dr. No also came out in 1962; and the tag line for the seminal film American Graffiti was, “Where Were You in ’62?”. And then there is the unexpected death of the icon to end all Hollywood icons, Marilyn Monroe, which also happened in 1962.
(Year 3 Review)
