There have been many personalities in modern history that befit the adjective,
iconic. But even among them, Marilyn Monroe stands apart as the woman of the moment.
She was the embodiment of sensuality itself. She owned being a blonde woman when the world around
her tried to restrict her personality within a stereotype. Monroe, however,
rose above all the social challenges with her intelligent and industrious femininity while
projecting an easy, joyful, and sybaritic personality. But there was much more to her
than what we get to see on the silver screen. Some saw her as tragic, some saw her unstable,
and some even dangerous. According to legendary actor Elli Wallach, Marilyn was a mask that Norma
wore in front of the camera and media. Her fame was too big for her life and the mystery
around her inspired myths and movies like Ana De Armas starring Blonde. Welcome to Nutty History,
today we are going to look at things that Netflix got right and Wrong about Marilyn Monroe.
Marilyn Monroe wasn’t just the champion of the game that we call provocative entertainment,
she reinvented that game. From noirish Niagara,
then frothy How to Marry a Millionaire, and conclusively iconic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,
Marilyn carved a legend that made her immortal in showbiz. She wasn’t just a woman; she was a
cultural zeitgeist that defines an era of history. She was rumored to be difficult on the set,
she was rumored to have multiple lovers, she was rumored to have miscarriages, and she was rumored
to have a difficult childhood. Gentlemen prefer blondes was one of the first movies that billed
Norma Jean Mortensen aka Marilyn Monroe as a star. Yet despite being the star of the movie,
nobody took Marilyn Monroe seriously during the production. Every account retold about
the production of the movie mentions Marilyn being miffed about Jane Russel being treated
superior while she was ignored. Despite the fact that Marilyn was the titular blonde,
Jane Russel was paid far more than Marilyn. The movie Blonde emphasizes the monetary difference
in the salary of two starlets. In reality, Monroe was paid about $15,000 for the musical comedy and
Jane got $150,000. The movie shows them being paid $5000 and $100,000 respectively. But for Marilyn,
the concern was bigger than just the number on her pay slip. She wanted to assert herself as
a serious actor and demanded respect. Her major gripe was that the studio undervalued her to the
extent that she wasn’t even given her own private dressing room. When the studio informed her that
she wasn’t a star, Marilyn responded sharply with, 'Well, whatever I am, I AM the BLONDE.'
A major plot line in the movie “Blonde” is the polygamous relationship between Marilyn, Edward
G. Robinson Jr., and Charlie Chaplin Jr. The two actors were named after their famous fathers
and Marilyn was indeed involved with both young generational actors who, like Marilyn, left the
world too soon. However, they weren’t a throuple anytime as the movie portrays. Edward Jr. indeed
met Marilyn through Chaplin Junior. The breakup between Marilyn and Chaplin Jr. happened after
he found her sleeping with his brother. Edward G. Robinson Jr. 's relationship with Marilyn was more
of a friend who would occasionally fulfill the role of a lover as well. But on record, Marilyn
never was involved with two men at the same time. Similarly, there is no record of Marilyn being
involved with John-John or his brother. People associated with the prolific politician only
witnessed the two socializing in public events and that was the extent of their acquaintance.
The portrayal of Marilyn’s miscarriage while being married to the Playwright played by Adrien
Brody is more or less accurate in the movie. Marilyn was indeed married to Arthur Miller
when she first had a miscarriage in 1956. It was followed by an ectopic pregnancy in 1957
and then a third miscarriage happen in 1958. That said, Netflix fabricated the cause of
the loss as it was depicted in the film. Marilyn never tripped on a beach and lost her pregnancy.
The movie sidestepped discussing Norma Jean aka Marilyn Monroe’s teenage years
but the reality is that after her mother was deemed unfit as a parent,
Norma spent time in an orphanage while going in and out of various foster homes. In fact,
she married her next-door neighbor when she was very young to avoid returning to the orphanage.
Another big plot of the Blonde movie and a talking point has been Joe DiMaggio’s treatment of Marilyn
Monroe. The retired MLB star’s relationship with Marilyn was rocky at best. The two got married
when Marilyn was at the peak of her career and her bombshell image and fame were too much to
swallow for a jealous and insecure husband which prompted harsh treatment. Joe DiMaggio wanted
Marilyn to quit acting and become a homemaker but Marilyn was an ambitious and successful
woman. According to PBS, the shooting of the memorable skirt billowing scene from The Seven
Year Itch was the tipping point. Marilyn soon after filed for divorce citing mental cruelty.
The movie Blonde portrays Marilyn as an actress ridden with anxiety and self-doubt. She was
indeed notorious for being late on sets but the film suggests that the reason behind that was
her never-ending pursuit of perfection and the pressure of being taken seriously took a heavy
toll on her. According to her co-stars, she was extremely terrified of the camera and would fumble
her lines occasionally but there was no one as hard-working as Marilyn Monroe. Billy Wilder,
who often collaborated with her, had confessed that Marilyn found her role in Some Like it Hot
a burden on her psyche. Wilder was frustrated by her arriving late on the set and then her
search for that perfect take for eighty or so takes. But he added that it was worth it
because the eighty-first take would always be so good. Despite that, there is a problem with
Netflix’s Blonde depicting Marilyn freaking out during the filming of the musical number,
“I Wanna Be Loved by You.” Wilder remembered that the filming of that scene “went pretty easy.”
Marilyn’s father's issues are without a doubt the central plotline of the movie Blonde. But
unlike the movie, Charlie Chaplin Jr. never sent fake letters to Marilyn posing as her
father. Thanks to her mother’s made-up story, Marilyn once believed that the legendary actor
Clarke Gable was her father. The movie echoes that sentiment. But there was no evidence of
Marilyn having any communication, real or fake, with her father. She did indeed address more
than one of her husbands as daddy. And there’s her song, “Everybody Needs a Da-Da-Daddy.” Hmm…
The Netflix movie has quite a disturbing scene that leads to Marilyn running away from her
mother which leads to the question, was Marilyn’s mother Gladys Baker,
mentally ill? The answer to the question is yes, and Marilyn’s childhood was indeed troublesome
because of it until her mother was hospitalized and deemed unfit to care for Marilyn Monroe.
Absolutely not! This movie needs to be considered just a piece of fiction and entertainment as it
is based on a work of fiction. It portrays a radical distillation of Marilyn’s life with a
bunch of imagined events sprinkled around to piece it together. The movie is heavily based
on the 2000 novel of the same name written by Joyce Carol Oates. Do you think we missed any
detail or discrepancy from the movie? Tell us in the comments and as always thanks for
watching Nutty History. If you enjoyed the video, do not forget to like and subscribe.