The Mammoth Book of Hollywood Scandals by Michelle Morgan

Author:Michelle Morgan
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3, pdf
ISBN: 9781472100344
Publisher: Constable & Robinson

29

Marilyn Monroe’s Nude Calendar Scandal

In today’s era of semi-nude pop stars and paparazzi pictures of celebrity wardrobe “malfunctions”, it is strange to think that something as innocent as a picture of a nude woman (with lower parts hidden) would cause anything more than a halfraised eyebrow. However, in the 1950s, when nudity was meant for the bathroom only (if at all), a risqué calendar caused an absolute scandal and almost crushed the career of up-and-coming actress Marilyn Monroe before it had really begun.

Born in Los Angeles in 1926, Norma Jeane Baker was the daughter of Gladys Baker, an unwed mother who was volatile and suffered huge emotional problems. At just a few weeks old Norma Jeane was sent to live with a foster family, before an unsuccessful attempt at living with her mother ended with Gladys being taken to a mental hospital. Norma Jeane was then raised in a series of foster homes and an orphanage.

In an attempt to escape the foster system, Norma Jeane chose to wed a young man called James Dougherty when she was just sixteen, though she found marriage stifling and took solace in a new-found modelling career at the age of nineteen. Norma Jeane’s husband was away at war during this time and he insisted that, although he would tolerate her career while away, the moment the war was over he expected her to give everything up and become a full-time wife and raise a houseful of children.

Norma Jeane rejected this idea immediately. She had by this point become a successful model and enjoyed seeing her face on many magazine covers. Film studios were also knocking on her door and in 1946, after sending her husband a “Dear John” letter, she travelled to Nevada in order to obtain a divorce. Free at last, she then signed with Twentieth Century Fox, changed her name to Marilyn Monroe and launched full-steam into an acting and modelling career. Her photos ranged from the girl-next-door to classic glamour or “cheesecake” shots, and while her acting career was full of bit parts and walk-ons, her star quality nevertheless began to increase.

However, organizing her finances was never a strong point for Marilyn, and by early 1949 she had fallen behind not only with her rent, but also with the payments on the car she relied on to get to and from auditions. Threatened with repossession of the vehicle, Marilyn picked up the telephone and called Tom Kelley, a photographer who had asked her to pose nude for him several months before.

She had declined to take her clothes off at that time, but now, worried that she was about to lose her possessions, she changed her mind and arrived at his studio on 27 May 1949 in order to pose. There, in the company of Kelley’s partner Natalie Grasko, Marilyn removed her clothes, reclined on a red velvet blanket, and was paid $50 for her efforts. When asked years later what it felt like, Marilyn replied, “Very simple . . . And

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.