01/06/2026
Beautiful, glamorous, tragic - Marilyn Monroe was born 100 years ago today as Norma Jeane Mortenson.
Torn between her famous image of naive s*x symbol and her wish to be taken seriously as a method actor, "MM" continues to dazzle in her pictures - not least because of her tragic and mysterious early death at only 36. Behind the shiny surface of beauty and stardom is the story of a life that was often troubled by childhood trauma, chronic illness, miscarriages, addictions and abuse by Hollywood and men in positions of power.
Read more on Marilyn Monroe's life in the non-fiction books (pictured on the right and bottom) or the fictionalised accounts (on the right) in our collection, especially in Joyce Carol Oates' novel "Blonde", a fictionalised retelling of Monroe's life that was made into the biopic of the same name in 2022.
Users of our library have free access to 2 2015 documentaries on Kanopy featuring the "blonde bombshell": "Icons Of Our Time: Marilyn Monroe" and "Women He's Undressed", the latter about Hollywood costume designer Orry-Kelly, who designed (among other things) the dresses worn by Marilyn Monroe and her co-stars in Billy Wilder's classic blockbuster, "Some Like It Hot".
