Which Gone With the Wind star did Monroe idolize, and later get to work with?
Monroe grew up fatherless and often fantasized that Clark Gable, star of Gone With the Wind, was her father, so she was thrilled to meet him on the set of The Misfits in 1961. Sadly, the film would be his final screen appearance. He died in 1960, before the film was realized, and Monroe reported that she cried for two days when she heard the news.
What is the name of the song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin in 1973 in honor of Monroe?
The 1973 hit “Candle in the Wind” begins with the lyrics “Goodbye Norma Jean,” referring to Monroe’s birth name. In 1997, John rewrote the song to pay tribute to Princess Diana after her death, and that version broke all kinds of records for sales. Though they seem to have little in common, they were both figures whose sudden ends proved heartbreaking for scores of fans.
Which “elusive chanteuse” (AKA popstar) bought Monroe’s white baby grand piano at a 1999 auction?
Mariah Carey bought the piano for $662,500. It was Monroe’s mother’s piano, which she had sold after her nervous breakdown, but Monroe had tracked it down once she became a star and bought it back, keeping it with her until her death.
Who played Monroe in the 2011 biopic My Week With Marilyn?
The film My Week With Marilyn follows the making of the 1957 film The Prince and the Showgirl, which starred Monroe and Laurence Olivier. My Week With Marilyn starred Michelle Williams as Monroe and Kenneth Branagh as Olivier. Williams was the subject of much fanfare for her performance as the vulnerable actor.
What magazine impresario who died in 2017 bought a burial vault next to Monroe’s?
Hugh Hefner, creator of Playboy magazine, which featured Monroe on its debut cover, bought the spot beside hers in 1992 for £50,000. Did he outbid Joe DiMaggio or something?
Which of Monroe’s paramours continued to send roses to her crypt long after she died?
Joe DiMaggio never married again after Monroe died, and always made sure that she had red roses next to her crypt. When he passed away, 36 years after he death, his last words were apparently “I’ll finally get to see Marilyn.”
Where was Monroe found upon her death?
Monroe’s body was found in bed, at her home in Brentwood, CA. After her death, a Life Magazine photojournalist bribed the coroner’s staff with a bottle of whiskey to let him into Monroe’s bed, where he took photographs just hours after her death.
What was the cause of Monroe’s death?
Despite many conspiracy theories pointing towards murder, the coroner found that Monroe had died by suicide via an overdose of barbiturates—acute barbiturate poisoning. The amount of medication in her body was several times over the lethal limit, which is why it was decided to have been intentional.
In what year did Monroe die?
Monroe was found dead on the morning of August 6, 1962, although an autopsy stated that she’d actually passed the night before. Her housekeeper had begun to suspect something bad when Monroe would not answer her that morning, and called Monroe’s psychiatrist to come help. He broke through her bedroom window and found her dead.
Which film featured the iconic subway grate scene?
The Seven Year Itch was the film to feature the, where Monroe’s pleated white dress is blown up by air from a subway grate that she’s passing over top of. Considering that part of the film involves Monroe hanging out with her downstairs neighbor just to enjoy his air conditioning, her reaction to the light breeze makes total sense to anyone who’s even lived through summer in the city.
What’s the name of the pop artist who made the iconic painting featuring Monroe’s face?
Andy Warhol first painted Monroe’s visage in the ‘60s, and her face is a popular subject when it comes to screenprints and other reproductions of his work.
What’s the name of the film that Monroe was fired from shortly before her death?
As soon as Something’s Got to Give began filming, it was already a disaster. Monroe hadn’t appeared in a fail in over a year and refused to show up for the first two weeks of shooting.
Which of her paramours was Monroe reportedly about to remarry before her death?
After the failure of their first marriage, Joe DiMaggio had quit drinking and attended therapy for his problems. He began to try to be more intellectual for her as well, and they rekindled their romance. Tragically, their reunion would meet a dark end.
What song did Monroe (in)famously sing to John F. Kennedy in 1962?
Ten days before the President’s actual birthday, Monroe performed a variation of “Happy Birthday” in his honor, all the while sewn into a nearly transparent gown covered in rhinestones. Unsurprisingly, the First Lady was not in attendance.
What famous actors were Monroe’s costars in Some Like It Hot?
Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon starred in Some Like It Hot as a jazz musician and his friend who accidentally the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre and find it necessary to get out of Chicago as quickly as possible. On a train, they meet jazz musician Sugar (Monroe) and join her band. As they say, hijinks ensue.
What was Marilyn Monroe’s birth name?
While Monroe might have used the names Faye Miller and Zelda Zonk to hide out when she became famous, her real name from her birth certificate was listed as Norma Jeane Mortenson, named for her mother’s ex-husband. Norma Rae, is, of course, the name of the 1979 film starring Sally Field.
What was the profession of Monroe’s character Sugar in the comedy Some Like It Hot?
The beloved comedy Some Like It Hot featured Marilyn Monroe as the jazz singer Sugar, who the two main characters find themselves on a train with after they go on the run. Even today, the comedy holds up, and it’s one of Monroe’s funniest roles—give it a try!
Which US president was rumored to have had an affair with Monroe?
President John F. Kennedy certainly had to face his fair share of rumors of infidelity before his tragic death, and people loved to speculate about his relationship with Monroe, especially after her death. While many claim the two had a rendez-vous after meeting at a party at Bing Crosby’s house, overall, there is little evidence that the two were actually paramours.
What was the name of the song Monroe performed wearing the pink gown in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes?
The song “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” was written for the original Broadway production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1949. One tidbit that I always enjoyed? The author of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Anita Loos, penned a followup called But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes in 1927.
What color was Monroe’s iconic gown from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes?
While other dresses may have fetched more at auction, the shocking pink dress that Monroe wears during a famous musical scene in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is the one we’re referring to here. It was famously imitated by Madonna in her “Material Girl” video.
What was the name of Monroe’s baseball player husband?
After two years of dating, Monroe and Joe DiMaggio married on January 14, 1954. Their union was torrid, and lasted only nine months. He was terribly jealous, and one of Monroe’s racy publicity stunts enraged him. Even though she announced their divorce in October, 1954, the two continued to see each other.
Which 1955 film about a man bored with his marriage became one of the biggest successes of Monroe’s career?
That film, starring Tom Ewell as a man desperately trying (and failing) to capture the attention of his blonde bombshell of an upstairs neighbor? The classic The Seven Year Itch. Directed by Billy Wilder, it was a hit, although in retrospect, it seems a bit tame, thanks to strict rules about showing adultery on screen. What can we say, it was a different time!
At what famous institution run by the Strasbergs did Monroe study method acting in 1955?
Famous acting coach Lee Strasberg began serving as director of the famous Actors Studio in 1951. His wife, Paula, was one of Monroe’s favorite acting teachers, but it was under Lee that she studied at the Actors Studio in 1955. You may know the name from Inside the Actors Studio.
What was the name of Monroe’s playwright husband?
In the mid-‘50s, Monroe and playwright Arthur Miller began a relationship, ultimately marrying in 1956. Miller is best known for plays like Death of a Salesman, A View From the Bridge, and The Crucible.
In what animal-centric comedy did Monroe appear in 1952?
Monkey Business was the 1952 comedy which starred Cary Grant, a whole bunch of chimpanzees, and Marilyn Monroe. It showcases her as a classic ditzy blonde character, and was directed by the famous Howard Hawks.
Why did Monroe marry her first husband at just 16?
Monroe’s first marriage, to Jack Dougherty, took place before she was famous. Her foster family (in name only) was leaving the state, and so, instead of going back to the orphanage where she’d already spent a year when she was nine, she married the neighbor’s son and became a housewife.
What happened to Monroe’s mother, leading to her hospitalization on and off for the rest of her life?
Monroe’s mother Gladys suffered a nervous breakdown which led to a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. She was institutionalized and later spent most of her life in and out of the hospital. Sadly, there was little contact with her daughter from this point on.
Monroe was the cover girl for the first issue of a now-iconic magazine. What’s the name of the magazine?
Monroe became Playboy’s very first cover girl and centerfold for their premiere issue in December 1953. The photo set even featured a scandalous nude photo of Monroe, taken before she was famous, in 1949.
What did Monroe do before she began acting?
That’s right, all of the above! At the age of 16, Monroe married her neighbor at the time, James Dougherty. She became a homemaker for awhile, but ended up working at the Radioplane Munitions Factory in Van Nuys in during WWII. That’s where she was spotted by photographer David Conover, who helped jump start her pin-up modeling career.
Where was Monroe born?
Monroe almost seemed destined to be a Hollywood star from the moment she was born—after all, she was born and raised in Los Angeles, California! With that proximity to Hollywood from such a young age, can you blame her for her career choice?
Your Results
Casual Fan
While you may have had a print of Monroe’s face on a poster at some point, you’re not quite as serious as all the other types of superfans—like the ones who’ve managed to see every movie, or the conspiracy theorists. Either way, your knowledge of the star’s life shows you know a lot about Hollywood in general, and you’d certainly clear the board on a Jeopardy! Marilyn Monroe category if it came up.
Die Hard Fan
You’ve definitely seen Some Like It Hot more than once, and you know all the words to “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” This quiz was a tough one, and you’ve more than shown your prowess at knowing all about Monroe’s early life, Hollywood years, and her continuing influence on pop culture. Way to go!
Blonde Bombshell
Your knowledge of Marilyn Monroe’s life is so extensive, you may as well be a reincarnation of the original Blonde Bombshell herself! Either you’ve read her biography… or you’re the one who wrote it. Lots of people know about the marriages and scandals, but few know about her heartbreaking childhood or her relationships with costars behind the scenes—and you’re among them. So, enjoy your reign as Hollywood’s ultimate historian—just don’t get too deep into the conspiracy theories!
Happy With Your Test Score? This video can help you do better on any quiz... even if you know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the topic.
Quiz
When you think of the phrase “Hollywood glamor,” what face pops up? It is a platinum-blonde bombshell with a delicately placed beauty mark, an hourglass figure, and red lips? And if you think of “Hollywood tragedy,” does the same face pop up? Few personalities have come to embody the duality of those two ideas like Marilyn Monroe. She was a star who arrived suddenly, burned brightly, and had her flame snuffed out all too soon. While she struggled to be appreciated for her talents during her life, she’s found immortal fame since her tragic death. While the image of her beautiful face is nearly inescapable, how much do you actually know about the woman behind the icon?
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