Editing Marilyn Monroe (section)

=== 1949–1952: Breakthrough years ===
[[File:Marilyn Monroe Asphalt Jungle.jpg|thumb|left|alt= Monroe in ''The Asphalt Jungle''. She is wearing a black dress and stands in a doorway, facing a man wearing a trench coat and a fedora|Monroe in ''[[The Asphalt Jungle]]'' (1950), one of her earliest performances to gain attention from film critics]]
When her contract at Columbia ended, Monroe returned again to modeling. She shot a commercial for [[Pabst Brewing Company|Pabst]] beer and posed for artistic nude photographs by [[Tom Kelley (photographer)|Tom Kelley]] for John Baumgarth<ref name="issuemagazine-goddesses">{{cite news |last1=Ortner |first1=Jon |title=Sex Goddesses & Pin-Up Queens |url=https://www.issuemagazine.com/sex-goddesses-pin-up-queens/ |access-date=July 19, 2022 |work=issue magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121111642/http://issuemagazine.com/sex-goddesses-pin-up-queens/ |archive-date=January 21, 2022 |url-status=dead }}</ref> calendars, using the name 'Mona Monroe'.{{sfn|Spoto|2001|pp=151–153}} Monroe had previously posed topless or clad in a bikini for other artists including [[Earl Moran]], and felt comfortable with nudity.{{sfnm|1a1=Spoto|1y=2001|1pp=151–153|2a1=Banner|2y=2012|2pp=140–149}}{{efn|Baumgarth was initially not happy with the photos, but published one of them in 1950; Monroe was not publicly identified as the model until 1952. Although she then contained the resulting scandal by claiming she had reluctantly posed nude due to an urgent need for cash, biographers Spoto and Banner have stated that she was not pressured (although according to Banner, she was initially hesitant due to her aspirations of movie stardom) and regarded the shoot as simply another work assignment.{{sfnm|1a1=Spoto|1y=2001|1pp=151–153|2a1=Banner|2y=2012|2pp=140–149}}}} Shortly after leaving Columbia, she also met and became the protégée and mistress of [[Johnny Hyde]], the vice president of the [[William Morris Agency]].{{sfnm|1a1=Spoto|1y=2001|1pp=145–146|2a1=Banner|2y=2012|2pp=149, 157}}

Through Hyde, Monroe landed small roles in several films,{{efn|In addition to ''All About Eve'' and ''The Asphalt Jungle'', Monroe's 1950 films were ''[[Love Happy]]'', ''[[A Ticket to Tomahawk]]'', ''[[Right Cross]]'' and ''[[The Fireball]]''. Monroe also had a role in ''[[Home Town Story]]'', released in 1951.}} including two critically acclaimed works. The first was [[Joseph Mankiewicz]]'s drama ''[[All About Eve]]'' (1950), which received 14 Academy Award nominations.{{sfn|Churchwell|2004|pp=59–60}} The film's star [[Bette Davis]] later praised Monroe's performance, saying, "Definitely, no question, I knew she was going to make it. She was a very ambitious girl, [and] knew what she wanted [and was] very serious about it{{nbsp}}... I thought she had talent."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Musnicky |first=Sarah |date=2022-10-01 |title=Bette Davis Had Kind Words About Working With Marilyn Monroe On All About Eve |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1024772/bette-davis-had-kind-words-about-working-with-marilyn-monroe-on-all-about-eve/ |access-date=2024-11-14 |website=SlashFilm |language=en-US}}</ref> The second film was [[John Huston]]'s noir ''[[The Asphalt Jungle]]'' (1950).{{sfn|Churchwell|2004|pp=59–60}} Despite her screen time being only a few minutes, Monroe gained a mention in ''[[Photoplay]]'' and according to biographer Donald Spoto "moved effectively from movie model to serious actress".{{sfn|Spoto|2001|pp=159–162}}

In December 1950, Hyde negotiated a seven-year contract for Monroe with 20th Century-Fox.{{sfnm|1a1=Riese|1a2=Hitchens|1y=1988|1p=228|2a1=Spoto|2y=2001|2p=182}} According to its terms, Fox could opt not to renew the contract after each year.{{sfn|Spoto|2001|p=182}} Hyde died of a heart attack only days later, which left Monroe devastated.{{sfnm|1a1=Spoto|1y=2001|1pp=175–177|2a1=Banner|2y=2012|2p=157}} In 1951, Monroe had supporting roles in three moderately successful Fox comedies: ''[[As Young as You Feel]]'', ''[[Love Nest]]'', and ''[[Let's Make It Legal]]''.{{sfn|Churchwell|2004|p=60}} According to Spoto all three films featured her "essentially [as] a sexy ornament", but she received some praise from critics: [[Bosley Crowther]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' described her as "superb" in ''As Young As You Feel'' and Ezra Goodman of the ''[[Los Angeles Daily News (historic)|Los Angeles Daily News]]'' called her "one of the brightest up-and-coming [actresses]" for ''Love Nest''.{{sfnm|1a1=Spoto|1y=2001|1pp=179–187|2a1=Churchwell|2y=2004|2p=60}}

Her popularity with audiences was also growing: she received several thousand fan letters a week, and was declared "Miss [[pin-up|Cheesecake]] of 1951" by the army newspaper ''[[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars and Stripes]]'', reflecting the preferences of soldiers in the [[Korean War]].{{sfn|Spoto|2001|p=192}} In February 1952, the [[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]] named Monroe the "best young box office personality".<ref name=gg>{{cite web|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/articles/marilyn-globes-golden-girl|title=Marilyn: The Globes' Golden Girl|publisher=[[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]] (HFPA)|access-date=September 11, 2015|first=Yoram|last=Kahana|date=January 30, 2014}}</ref> In her private life, Monroe had a short relationship with director [[Elia Kazan]] and also briefly dated several other men, including director [[Nicholas Ray]] and actors [[Yul Brynner]] and [[Peter Lawford]].{{sfnm|1a1=Spoto|1y=2001|1pp=180–181|2a1=Banner|2y=2012|2pp=163–167, 181–182 for Kazan and others}} In early 1952, she began a highly publicized romance with retired [[New York Yankees]] baseball star [[Joe DiMaggio]], one of the most famous sports personalities of the era.{{sfnm|1a1=Spoto|1y=2001|1p=201|2a1=Banner|2y=2012|2p=192}}

[[File:Monroe and Andes in Clash By Night.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Monroe with [[Keith Andes]] in ''[[Clash by Night]]'' (1952). The film allowed Monroe to display more of her acting range in a dramatic role]]
Monroe found herself at the center of a scandal in March 1952, when she revealed publicly that she had posed for a nude calendar in 1949.{{sfnm|1a1=Summers|1y=1985|1p=58|2a1=Spoto|2y=2001|2pp=210–213}} The studio had learned about the photos and that she was publicly rumored to be the model some weeks prior, and together with Monroe decided that to prevent damaging her career it was best to admit to them while stressing that she had been broke at the time.{{sfnm|1a1=Spoto|1y=2001|1pp=210–213|2a1=Churchwell|2y=2004|2pp=224–226|3a1=Banner|3y=2012|3pp=194–195}} The strategy gained her public sympathy and increased interest in her films, for which she was now receiving top [[billing (filmmaking)|billing]]. In the wake of the scandal, Monroe was featured on the cover of [[Life (magazine)|''Life'' magazine]] as the "Talk of Hollywood", and gossip columnist [[Hedda Hopper]] declared her the "cheesecake queen" turned "box office smash".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1952/05/04/page/103/article/they-call-her-the-blowtorch-blonde|title=They Call Her The Blowtorch Blonde|work=Chicago Tribune|date=May 4, 1952|access-date=October 18, 2015|first=Hedda|last=Hopper|author-link=Hedda Hopper|archive-date=November 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121135919/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1952/05/04/page/103/article/they-call-her-the-blowtorch-blonde/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Three of Monroe's films—''[[Clash by Night]]'', ''[[Don't Bother to Knock]]'' and ''[[We're Not Married!]]''—were released soon after to capitalize on the public interest.{{sfnm|1a1=Spoto|1y=2001|1pp=210–213|2a1=Churchwell|2y=2004|2pp=61–62, 224–226|3a1=Banner|3y=2012|3pp=194–195}}

Despite her newfound popularity as a sex symbol, Monroe also wished to showcase more of her acting range. She had begun taking acting classes with [[Michael Chekhov]] and mime [[Lotte Goslar]] soon after beginning the Fox contract,{{sfnm|1a1=Spoto|1y=2001|1pp=188–189|2a1=Banner|2y=2012|2pp=170–171, 178 for not wanting to be solely a sex symbol}} and ''Clash by Night'' and ''Don't Bother to Knock'' showed her in different roles.{{sfnm|1a1=Churchwell|1y=2004|1p=61 for being commercially successful|2a1=Banner|2y=2012|2p=178 for wishes not to be solely a sex symbol}} In the former, a drama starring [[Barbara Stanwyck]] and directed by [[Fritz Lang]], she played a fish cannery worker; to prepare, she spent time in a fish cannery in [[Monterey]].{{sfnm|1a1=Spoto|1y=2001|1pp=194–195|2a1=Churchwell|2y=2004|2pp=60–61}} She received positive reviews for her performance: ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' stated that "she deserves starring status with her excellent interpretation", and ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote that she "has an ease of delivery which makes her a cinch for popularity".{{sfn|Spoto|2001|pp=194–195}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/50452|title=Clash By Night|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]|access-date=August 8, 2015}}</ref> The latter was a thriller in which Monroe starred as a mentally disturbed babysitter and which Zanuck used to test her abilities in a heavier dramatic role.{{sfn|Spoto|2001|pp=196–197}} It received mixed reviews from critics, with Crowther deeming her too inexperienced for the difficult role,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9400E7DA153AE23BBC4152DFB1668389649EDE|title=Don't Bother to Knock|date=July 19, 1952|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 8, 2015|first=Bosley|last=Crowther|author-link=Bosley Crowther}}</ref> and ''Variety'' blaming the script for the film's problems.{{sfnm|1a1=Churchwell|1y=2004|1p=61|2a1=Banner|2y=2012|2p=180}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/1951/film/reviews/don-t-bother-to-knock-1200417267/|title=Review: Don't Bother to Knock|date=December 31, 1951|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=August 8, 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Monroe in Don't Bother to Knock (1952).jpg|thumb|left|alt= Monroe, wearing a transparent lace robe and diamond earrings, sitting at a dressing table and looking off-camera with a shocked expression|Monroe in ''[[Don't Bother to Knock]]'' (1952)]]
Monroe's three other films in 1952 continued with her typecasting in comedic roles that highlighted her sex appeal. In ''We're Not Married!'', her role as a beauty pageant contestant was created solely to "present Marilyn in two bathing suits", according to its writer [[Nunnally Johnson]].{{sfn|Spoto|2001|p=200}} In [[Howard Hawks]]'s ''[[Monkey Business (1952 film)|Monkey Business]]'', in which she acted opposite [[Cary Grant]], she played a secretary who is a "dumb, childish blonde, innocently unaware of the havoc her sexiness causes around her".{{sfn|Churchwell|2004|p=62}} In ''[[O. Henry's Full House]]'', with [[Charles Laughton]] she appeared in a passing vignette as a nineteenth-century street walker.{{sfn|Churchwell|2004|p=61}} Monroe added to her reputation as a new sex symbol with publicity stunts that year: she wore a revealing dress when acting as Grand Marshal at the [[Miss America Pageant]] parade, and told gossip columnist [[Earl Wilson (columnist)|Earl Wilson]] that she usually wore no underwear.{{sfn|Spoto|2001|pp=224–225}} By the end of the year, gossip columnist [[Florabel Muir]] named Monroe the "[[it girl]]" of 1952.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1952/10/19/page/103/article/marilyn-monroe-tells  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121143131/http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1952/10/19/page/103/article/marilyn-monroe-tells |archive-date=November 21, 2015 |title=Marilyn Monroe Tells: How to Deal With Wolves|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=October 19, 1952|access-date=October 18, 2015|first=Florabel|last=Muir}}<!-- https://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/search/#query=Marilyn+Monroe+Florabel+Muir&ymd-start=1952-09-01&ymd-end=1952-10-31 --></ref><ref name="MotionPicture1953">{{cite news |author1=Marilyn Monroe as told to Florabel Muir |title=Wolves I Have Known |url=http://es-blog-images.everlasting-star.net.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Motion_Picture__january_1953__b.jpg |access-date=January 31, 2022 |work=Motion Picture |date=January 1953 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310220531/http://es-blog-images.everlasting-star.net.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Motion_Picture__january_1953__b.jpg |archive-date=March 10, 2021 |page=41}}</ref>

During this period, Monroe gained a reputation for being difficult to work with, which would worsen as her career progressed. She was often late or did not show up at all, did not remember her lines, and would demand several re-takes before she was satisfied with her performance.{{sfn|Churchwell|2004|p=238}} Her dependence on her acting coaches—Natasha Lytess and then [[Paula Strasberg]]—also irritated directors.{{sfn|Spoto|2001|pp=139, 195, 233–234, 241, 244, 372}} Monroe's problems have been attributed to a combination of perfectionism, low self-esteem, and stage fright.{{sfnm|1a1=Spoto|1y=2001|1pp=328–329|3a1=Banner|3y=2012|3pp= 188–189, 211–214|2a1=Churchwell|2y=2004|2pp=51–56, 238}} She disliked her lack of control on film sets and never experienced similar problems during photo shoots, in which she had more say over her performance and could be more spontaneous instead of following a script.{{sfnm|1a1=Spoto|1y=2001|1pp=328–329|3a1=Banner|3y=2012|3pp= 188–189, 211–214|2a1=Churchwell|2y=2004|2pp=51–56, 238}}<ref name=levin/> To alleviate her anxiety and chronic [[insomnia]], she began to use [[barbiturate]]s, [[amphetamines]], and alcohol, which also exacerbated her problems, although she did not become severely addicted until 1956.{{sfnm|1a1=Spoto|1y=2001|1pp=328–329|3a1=Banner|3y=2012|3pp=211–214, 311|2a1=Churchwell|2y=2004|2p=238}} According to [[Sarah Churchwell]], some of Monroe's behavior, especially later in her career, was also in response to the condescension and sexism of her male co-stars and directors.{{sfn|Churchwell|2004|pp= 257–264}} Biographer [[Lois Banner]] said that she was bullied by many of her directors.{{sfn|Banner|2012|pp= 189–190, 210–211}}