Norma Jeane Mortenson (June 1, 1926, to August 4, 1962) turns 100 on Monday. That would make her famous alter ego, Marilyn Monroe, chortle and repeat what she'd said in 1954 to magazine: "I defy gravity."
Rewind to 1953 for, where Marilyn's glamorous, sexy showgirl Lorelei Lee left the post-war Baby Boomer generation smitten. The Howard Hawks musical paired the Marilyn with "sensible brunette" Dorothy played by Jane Russell. Lorelei ticks every dumb blonde stereotype - gold-digger with amazing clothes and make-up, fluttering eyelashes, breathy voice, wiggling hips.
And yet, Marilyn/Lorelei says something that flips the script: "I can be smart when it matters, but most men don't like it."
Marilyn sang the movie's iconic song, , with witty lyrics by Leo Robin and lively music with classic jazz rhythm by Jule Styne. Ghost singer Marni Nixon stood in for some of the song's high notes, uncredited, as was the standard Hollywood practice of the time. But Marilyn also does a fabulous job in her sultry, expressive voice, bringing the lyrics to life.
It's 2026 and women can buy their own diamonds if they want to. But you have to love the cheek of the lyrics.
And then comes the pragmatism: .
For its time, the song was quite an advertisement for diamonds, and specific brands no less, like Tiffany's, Cartier and others. It's what modern marketing honchos call "product placement". The sale of diamonds in the US soared with the song's popularity.
Diamonds are A Girl's Best Friend debuted on Broadway in 1949, performed by the legendary Carol Channing, but Marilyn immortalised it on the big screen in a satin pink gown designed by William Travilla.
In just nine more years, Marilyn would be found dead at home from an overdose of barbiturates, holding a telephone receiver, sparking shockwaves and conspiracy theories across the world.
In her 36 years, Marilyn lived countless lives. Born in Los Angeles, she had a miserable childhood with an unstable mother and an absent father. She'd known poverty, abuse, foster home and orphanage stays, but through sheer pluck, she aced the Hollywood game. Her dumb blonde, lovelorn act was a smart career move. In real life, Marilyn read books, was politically engaged and took on the highly male dominated studio system with her own production house.
In 1954, when racial segregation was still huge, Black American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald was booked at the exclusive Hollywood nightclub Mocambo only because Marilyn insisted. "I owe Marilyn Monroe a real debt.... She personally called the owner of the Mocambo, Charlie Morrison, and told him she wanted me booked immediately, and if he would do it, she would take a front table every night. She told him - and it was true, due to Marilyn's superstar status - that the press would go wild. The owner said yes, and Marilyn was there, front table, every night," Ella told magazine in 1972.
Take a bow, Marilyn.