Marilyn Monroe

As a Marilyn Monroe fan, it always grinds my gears when she isn’t given her due. Yes, she was uncommonly beautiful and certainly deserves to be remembered as one of the great beauties of all time. However, she was so much more than just beautiful. She was very bright and exceptionally well-read.

By all indications she had a great sense of humor, too.

Like all humans, she had her faults – don’t we all?! And her faults, seemingly, led to her leaving us far too soon. I don’t want to focus on any faults she may have had or personal demons she fought (all of these beloved stars fought their own demons in their own ways).

I’d much rather spend my time celebrating her wonderful talent, brains, and beauty. Sadly, Marilyn Monroe never gave herself the credit she deserved for her acting – she seemed to have been very insecure about her talent and it all but breaks my heart. I wish she could have seen the charisma and personality she brought to each role and each film.

I can’t think of one single Marilyn Monroe film that wasn’t better simply because she was in it. As far as that goes, there were quite a few that were ONLY good because of her! She is the only reason I’d recommend anyone watch The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) and she was my favorite part of How to Marry a Millionaire. She was adorable in each of these movies, and in so many others.

Each star (whether it was John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, or Elvis or Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, or Lucille Ball) was hired to play a particular type of character and to fulfill (literally) a particular type of role. When I hear people say that Elvis was “… no James Stewart” or that Marilyn was “… no Bette Davis,” I kind of want to snap, “THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO BE!” Generally, I point out to them (usually calmly… usually) that – on the other side of the coin – James Stewart was not Elvis and would have been particularly ill-suited to have starred in any of his films! For that matter, it is doubtful Bette Davis would have had the same presence Marilyn did in How to Marry a Millionaire or a few other films.

Each star should be celebrated and appreciated for who they were. Not who they weren’t.

Okay, I’m ranting now like a parrot without a cracker in sight and for this I apologize. I get very passionate about these wonderful stars. I’ve spent a lifetime respecting, appreciating, and adoring them and I get defensive for them. Heck, once I even came close to getting into an online argument over an actor I don’t even particularly like!

If you aren’t familiar with Marilyn Monroe’s films, I hope you’ll check them out. She was a wonderful actress – I only wish she had believed it.