Marilyn Monroe: The Early Days

[ClassyCo]

As many of you can tell, I've been in a Marilyn Monroe kick for the past little while. For years, she was my sole interest and she served as my gateway to classical Hollywood and its galaxy of stars. There's already a fairly healthy thread going about Marilyn's final years, so I figured I'd reverse the spectrum here and talk about her earliest days.

My definition of "early days" here is very broad. Sure, we can talk about her childhood and her first marriage, but I'm primarily gearing this discussion toward her earlier professional career. I'm thinking of discussing her earliest modeling and acting work, up until she made it big in films Niagara, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and How to Marry a Millionaire.

So we're talking about that pre-1953 era where she often struggled to find credible film work, but had ample modeling opportunities.

Let's get this ball rolling.

 

[ClassyCo]

In 1946, Marilyn Monroe had been working successfully as model for the Blue Book Modeling Agency for close to three years. That year, she persuaded the agency to arrange a screen test for her at 20th Century-Fox. When studio chief, Darryl F. Zanuck, saw the footage, her offered the twenty-two-year-old model a one-year contract, starting at seventy five dollars a week. The official Variety magazine announcement stated she officially signed to the studio in November 1946.

She was first assigned a small role in Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!, a country comedy starring one of the studio's biggest stars, June Haver. Her part initially consisted of three short scenes, but during post-production, two of those three scenes ending up on the cutting room floor. She was left visible in one scene. June Haver and Natalie Wood, who was then a child, are standing outside of a church having conversation. Congregates are coming of from behind them. One of the congregates is a young girl with long blonde hair, wearing a blue pinafore and white blouse. She says "Hi, Rad" to Haver, and Haver turns and greets her with "Oh, hi, Betty".

Rumors circulate that there's a long distance shot of Monroe paddling a canoe that remains in the film, but haven't not seen Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! myself, I couldn't verify that. There are publicity stills of Marilyn (and another young woman in some cases) photographed in a canoe, supposedly on the set of said film. Filming was completed in late 1947, but the film itself was not released until March 11, 1948, after Marilyn had already had a small role in Dangerous Years, and subsequently been dropped by 20th Century-Fox in August 1947.

 

[ClassyCo]

Around the time Marilyn was named "Miss Flame Thrower" in 1945. She was working steadily with the Blue Book Modeling Agency, but she hadn't yet bleached her hair.

 

[ClassyCo]

An elegant photo still of Marilyn, probably taken in 1947. This was probably close to the time she had her hair dyed for the first time. While working with the Blue Book Modeling Agency, she was urged by the agency's founder, Emmeline Snively, to lighten the color of her hair. Snively's opinion was that models with lighter hair with more easily employable and therefore more successful.

Theories seem to vary on whether or not Norma Jeane Dougherty (her real-life and working name at the time) wanted to bleach her hair. Some side that she was initially reluctant, feeling it would not look natural, while others seem to side with the theory that she was considerably eager to change what ever she needed to do in order to progress her professional career.

Personally, I think her feelings were probably a combination of both. She was perhaps hesitant to bleaching her hair, probably for various reasons, but I'm fairly certain she was perfectly on board with making some adjustments to her "look" to make her more appealing to those in her desired field. Of course, we all know her goal was to be a movie actress, and she was more than likely complied to any tweaks to her persona.

 

[ClassyCo]

Below is a pasted pictures of a young Norma Jeane posing for Yank magazine. This was her first professional modeling gig. She was spotted while working for the Radioplane Company making parachutes while her husband, James Dougherty, was overseas.

​

 

[ClassyCo]

During her first tenure with 20th Century-Fox in 1946─47, a young and starry-eyed Marilyn Monroe anxiously pursued stardom. She submitted to countless of singing, dancing, and acting classes. She even underwent cosmetic surgery to slim her nose and chin. All such changes made to her appearance were done at the suggestion of studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck, who, as legend tells it, did not find the young Marilyn particularly attractive or photogenic.

Around 1946 or so, Monroe was also up for a contract with RKO Radio Pictures, after an apparent meeting with the studio's then-head, multimillionaire filmmaker Howard Hughes. I'm not sure if ever Marilyn did a screen test for RKO or not, but history suggests that the more lucrative 20th Century-Fox contract got her signature at the end of the day.

She spent the majority of her 20th Century-Fox contract in 1947 working herself to obtain some form of theatrical training. She was only offered a couple of minor film roles, although she did act in off-Broadway productions of Stage Door and Glamour Preferred during here down time. These plays did not achieve any noteworthy attention for the beautiful young hopeful, and when her contract with Fox was up that August, she was kindly shown the door.

Owing to Marilyn Monroe's status as an icon in today's popular culture, there are often rumors circulating that she appeared as an extra in a handful of films during the late 1940s. Such accusations are generally hard to verify, but many biographies list The Shocking Miss Pilgrim, You Were Meant for Me, and Green Grass of Wyoming as a part of her filmography. If Marilyn did appear in these films, it is easy to agree that her contribution was small, and in some cases cut out of the released product. I have never seen any of these films, so I cannot personally say I've spotted her in any of them. What little research I've done concerning these movies have not necessarily convinced me that she had any involvement with them whatsoever.

​

 

[ginnyfan]

This is a very interesting topic since Marilyn's superstardom did not come overnight, in fact it took her good 6 years of work in many movies before Niagara catapulted her to the top. I'm interested in seeing more of these, pre 1953 MM movies since it's always fascinating to see an icon playing a supporting part of just appearing as a random extra. Looking through her filmography, I realize that I have seen quite a few of her early films so here's a short review.

The Asphalt Jungle (1950), from MGM, is of course her first truly noticeable performance and her first major movie. It was a great chance to do some acting, for the first time, even though the role seems like a typical, blonde bimbo that would go on to haunt her, but MM did solid work here and got some good reviews. The movie itself is one of my favorite crime pictures, a masterpiece that's still equally interesting, exciting and tragic today.



All About Eve (1950), from FOX, is another great supporting part for Marilyn, proving that 1950 is indeed her breakthrough year. Playing a wannabe actress trying to achieve fandom at any cost, must have felt a bit too familiar to her at this point but still it was a great chance to work with industry's finest. She showed some early comedy talent as well, setting up the ground for her future trademark dumb blond character. I wonder if she was intimidated by Bette on set, especially considering her confidence issues. The party staircase scene is one of my all time favorites so just being part of that moment must have been quite an experience for MM.



As Young As You Feel (1951), from FOX, is a funny little comedy that I've seen several times and always enjoyed it a lot. It has a great comedic cast with Monty Woolley and Thelma Ritter at the front, along with other FOX regulars like Jean Peters and David Wayne. Marilyn has a small role as a secretary and does the best she can with it.



Love Nest (1951), from FOX, is a charming movie that I've seen once and loved it. It stars June Haver and William Lundigan as a newly-wed couple moving into a new apartment and dealing with many problems they encounter there. One of those problems is a blond bombshell moving into the building and causing a commotion. This role feels like preparation for what Marilyn will do later in Seven Year Itch. I really want to rewatch Love Nest.



Clash By Night (1952), from RKO, is a noir melodrama that I always enjoy watching. Barbara Stanwyck is great as usual and delivers some inspiring lines as a bitter, washed out woman returning to her small town and dealing with all sorts of issues. MM has quite a few scenes, playing Barbara's brother's girlfriend, sharing many scenes with Stanwyck and having great banter with her. I love their scenes together, Stanwyck was known as a good colleague and I'm sure MM enjoyed working with her and learning from her.



Don't Bother To Knock (1952), from FOX, is Marilyn's first starring role and a unique film in her opus. Some in fact think it's her best work, playing a mentally unstable nanny. She goes back to brunette for this one, the last time in fact.



Monkey Business (1952), from FOX, MM's last film before she's off to superstardom. A wacky, screwball comedy with a great cast, including Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers and Charles Coburn is always an enjoyable watch. Marilyn plays another secretary but has a good amount of screen time, sharing a crazy drive with Cary, being chased around by man acting as children, having to deal with crazy monkeys and all kinds of shenanigans.

 

[ClassyCo]

@ginnyfan

I love your little insights on these early Marilyn Monroe movies you have seen. She was actually in quite a number of popular films before being a stand alone star herself. Once I have the time, I'm going to come back and give my two cents on the ones you have referenced. I might even re-watch some of them so my opinions can be fresh.

 

[ClassyCo]

Marilyn Monroe, who was a steadily rising as a star on the 20th Century-Fox lot, was cast in a series of films during the 1951─52 period. These films all came after she signed her second contract with the studio in December 1950, this time with a commitment for seven years, starting at $500 a week.

One biography referred to this era as the following:

"Now cast in a series of lightweight and often forgettable films, Marilyn
continued to play the shapely, and usually light-headed blonde."
​

Some time in 1950, she had to have had a brief contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where she made The Asphalt Jungle. She made two other films with the studio at the same time, namely Right Cross and Home Town Story. In the former, she played a woman whom Dick Powell tries to woo and invite her to his apartment, where he will cook her an exquisite pot of spaghetti. As the cigarette-smoking Miss Ledoux, she has five or six lines, and is on-camera for my sixty seconds in total. She didn't even get a screen credit for her work here.

The latter, entitled Home Town Story, casts her as Iris, a secretary to a small-town politician. She gets some on-screen billing this time, and even shows up in a few scenes, especially earlier in the film. This movie has long entered the public domain, and it perhaps the most widely issued of Monroe's films. Almost all the bargain retailers that issue this film present Monroe as the star, when that could not be further from the truth. The DVD version I have of this movie bills it like this: "Marilyn Monroe in Home Town Story," and it lists the actual stars, such as Jeffery Lynn and Marjorie Reynolds, at the bottom. Talk about completely inaccurate advertising.

BELOW: A publicity photo of Monroe in Right Cross.

​

 

[ginnyfan]

Interesting about Marilyn's MGM movies, as you've said she clearly had some sort of a short contract there in 1950. After reading your description I realized I've also seen Right Cross (1950) and remember MM's very brief scene with Dick Powell. Marilyn looks like she just came from The Asphalt Jungle set in that restaurant scene.

Makes me wonder what kind of career she would have if she got a 7 year MGM contract?? Would they know how to use her? Would she become the icon she became? Somehow I think not. I can't really see her fitting into their musical departments where they didn't have such sexy stars. At the same time I doubt she would get many big dramatic role.

 

[ClassyCo]

Interesting about Marilyn's MGM movies, as you've said she clearly had some sort of a short contract there in 1950. After reading your description I realized I've also seen Right Cross (1950) and remember MM's very brief scene with Dick Powell. Marilyn looks like she just came from The Asphalt Jungle set in that restaurant scene.

Makes me wonder what kind of career she would have if she got a 7 year MGM contract?? Would they know how to use her? Would she become the icon she became? Somehow I think not. I can't really see her fitting into their musical departments where they didn't have such sexy stars. At the same time I doubt she would get many big dramatic role.

Yes, she might have been working on The Asphalt Jungle, and her agent may have heard about a small role being available in Right Cross, June Allyson's latest vehicle, and sent her over to audition. But maybe she was on the lot and the director or someone saw her and thought she was attractive and would look good opposite Dick Powell, or maybe she sought the part merely to get another movie under her belt.

Had Monroe been an MGM contract star, I don't think she would have had the same career. MGM, the Golden Age's Tiffany Studio, was notorious for controlling its employees, with many of them rebelling against the ever-powerful Louis B. Mayer and his authority over their careers. While Marilyn played well in musical comedy, I don't know if she would have necessarily have fit into the style of musicals MGM put out during the same era. Comparing Fox's and MGM's musicals you can notice small differences in the execution of their stories. MGM's generally have a more "grand" feel, while Fox's product seem more flashy and cheesy.

She would been in the dumb blonde arena no matter what studio she worked for, I'm afraid. She started that image fairly early on for herself, a stereotype she only intensified with such works as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The Seven Year Itch. Monroe would have still been a big star, but an MGM star, and I don't know if her stardust would have lasted into the twenty-first century had she only done movies for them.

But I could be wrong.

​

 

[ClassyCo]

I just bought O. Henry's Full House on eBay, the 1952 anthology drama from 20th Century-Fox featuring an all-star consisting of Fred Allen, Anne Baxter, Jeanne Crain, Farley Granger, Charles Laughton, Oscar Levant, Jean Peters, Gregory Ratoff, Dale Robertson, David Wayne, and Richard Widmark. That's a mouth full. Oh, and I almost forgot, Marilyn Monroe shows in a brief bit, too.

Being the Monroe fan I've always been, I certainly knew about this movie many years ago. There was even one time that TCM aired it, and I recorded it on my DVR. I cannot remember if I watched all of it or not (I'm almost positive I didn't) and so I finally decided to order it, specifically to add it to my shrine of Monroe DVDs on my shelf.

Naturally, she isn't in this movie for more than a minute, but I still got to have it. So I got it.

​

 

[ClassyCo]

I've had some free time the past couple of days, so I decided to start re-visiting some of these films featuring Marilyn Monroe earlier in her career. I tossed around some ideas as to where exactly I wanted to start before settling on Don't Bother to Knock (1952) as the film to usher me into Monroe's earlier work. Of course, I have seen this movie before, a number of times in fact, but I figured a re-watch was definitely needed since I was going to do some in-depth detailing on my thoughts of the film and Monroe's work in it.

I remember a friend of my grandmother's being a diehard Marilyn Monroe fan. The only collectible she owned of hers, however, was a original copy of the 1953 issue of Playboy magazine featuring Marilyn on the cover. I spoke to this woman a couple of times on the phone (although I never actually met her in person), and she told me on more than one occasion that Don't Bother to Knock was her favorite film featuring Monroe... hands down. While she adored Marilyn, she never seemed to be particularly drawn to the more fluffy work she is perhaps best-known for in today's popular culture.

But I'll get to the movie itself now.

Don't Bother to Knock is based on a novel by Charlotte Armstrong and is directed by Roy Baker. It is a black-and-white noir thriller that was released on July 18, 1952, by Twentieth Century-Fox. It has a running time of just seventy-six minutes. Outside of Monroe, it stars Richard Widmark and Anne Bancroft (in her screen debut), and features a supporting cast consisting of Jim Backus, Lurene Tuttle, Elisha Cook Jr., Donna Corcoran, and Jeanne Cagney (James Cagney's sister). The assembled cast is certainly an impressive one of familiar Fox contract players, and of names that would become more famous for their work elsewhere in years to come.

SPOILER ALERT (if you don't want any, stop right here!)

The story all takes place during one night at the McKinley Hotel, a ritzy New York hotel. At the beginning of the film we learn that nightclub singer Lyn Lesley (Bancroft) and her boyfriend Jed Towers (Richard Widmark) are have relationship issues. She worries their romance is in a rut and she wants out, while he doesn't see any issue, and wishes the two stay together. Lyn tells Jed that he lacks the one thing that she desires deeply in a companion, namely a "understanding heart". Meanwhile, elevator operator Eddie (Cook) has gotten his young niece, Nell Forbes (Monroe), a job baby sitting for Peter and Ruth Jones (Backus and Tuttle) and their nine-year-old daughter, Bunny (Corcoran), who are guests in the hotel. The Jones couple go down to the lobby for a banquet, and after Nell puts Bunny to bed, Nell tries on Ruth's lingerie, perfume, and jewelry. When Eddie stops in to check on the two girls, he is startled at Nell's wearing Ruth's things. She tells him that she is going to take the clothes off, but instead invites a lonely Jed over to have a drink with her after flirting with him across the alley.

The drama then ensues.

Jed comes over trying to forget his troubles with Lyn, who is constantly heard singing on the hotel's radio. Nell slips into a semi-psychic panic, believing that Jed is her dead lover Phillip, who we learn died a few years prior in a plane crash. Bunny overhears Jed and Nell in her parents' bedroom, and after confronting them both, she is returned to bed. During all this, a nosy couple downstairs, Mr. and Mrs. Bellow (Don Beddoe and Verna Felton), become concerned that the young Bunny is being mistreated by Nell and this man, Jed, she has invited over. Eventually the Bellows make their way to the apartment where Nell and Jed are together, but Jed sneaks out of Bunny's room, ushering the Bellows to call the hotel detective after Nell leads them to believe Jed forced himself into the room. Jed goes downstairs to tell Lyn about the encounter he's had with Nell, and suddenly remembers that Bunny was lying on the wrong bed when he was sneaking out of her room and that the child was not moving. He returns upstairs to find her gagged on the bed. About this time, Ruth comes upstairs to check on Bunny, and thereafter gets into a fuss with Nell over the mistreatment of her daughter.

We learn that Nell had spent some time in a sanitarium in Oregon, a place she was sent after a mental breakdown following the death of her lover, Phillip. She has attempted suicide by slicing her wrists, a fact the viewer learns while Nell's applying Ruth's lipstick at the mirror, and something Jed learns as he wrestles Nell off of him. All ends well, however, when Jed finally gets Nell to see that Phillip is really dead and she is taken away to another sanitarium.

END OF SPOILERS (come on back, now, ya hear?)

Good, now we have all that summary out of the way. There are many things I could discuss about Don't Bother to Knock. The first thing I noticed, considering it's thrown in your face right smack at the beginning of the film, is that Anne Bancroft is not a singer by any standard. She is playing a nightclub singer, but we all now Miss Bancroft isn't a singer. Her voice is noticeably dubbed, and she belts out some of the most gawd-awful tunes this era had to offer. Her on-screen gander with Richard Widmark is credible enough, but visually these two people don't seem like a couple to me. Judging them solely on what meets the eye, I can certainly see why the duo had problems. Maybe that's why Jed doesn't want to take those pictures with Lyn in the lounge. Who knows?

But I'm getting off topic. We're hear to discuss Marilyn Monroe. When her character, Nell, walks into the McKinley's Hotel, we instantly know we're being introduced to a tragic, yet beautiful young woman. She's dressed rather blandly, but yet her sexiness stills seems to seep through. I'm not sure if that's because she radiates sexiness despite her outfit, or if I come to that conclusion simply because I know she is sexy. Either way, she's lovely. Right from the start Monroe's acting different here. If you're familiar with any of her film work, you will know that the majority of her roles amp up the sex appeal and downplay the performance. As one biographer wrote it: "Many of her films owe little to the quality of her performance, but more to her presence." That pretty much sums up Monroe's contribution to the film industry, but only if you don't do any digging.

That isn't quite as easily said here. Marilyn's performance as Nell is quite good, but certainly not without error. It's fairly obvious that she hasn't had much ─ if any ─ significant experience with playing a character with this degree of depth prior to this, although it is just as easily visible that she seems starved for such a "meaty" role. Her voice delivery here takes it up a few notches from her familiar breathy talk, and she evens goes back brunette for the part. I'm willing to bet she dyed her hair back in an attempt to be taken more seriously in her performance in this film, although most advertisements and DVD issues of Don't Bother to Knock picture Marilyn with blonder hair. I'm not sure why that is, unless the studio system ─ then and now ─ were eager to exploit that sexy, platinum blonde image of her, no matter the product.

Like I said, Monroe's overall performance here is good. Her expressions and mannerisms are not quite as artificial or flashy as they'd become, but yet natural and very effective for the story which revolves predominantly around her. The entire performance dives into the well of the raw talent that acting teacher Lee Strasberg expresses he saw in Marilyn after she started studying at his Actors Studio in 1955. During the time of Don't Bother to Knock in 1952, Monroe was working with drama coach Natasha Lytess, a mainstay for the young actress reaching back to her brief stint at Columbia Pictures in 1948. The rawness of Marilyn's performance here leads this viewer to the conclusion that had she been coached and properly cast, she could have turned out some impressive work in the more series realm. While I'd agree that her post-Actors Studio performances in movies like Bus Stop and The Misfits show a more crafted actress, I'd also side with my decision here that Monroe's rawness is certainly refreshing and not typical of an actress in the early 1950s known already as a sex symbol.

Don't Bother to Knock was a reasonable success at the box office, and achieved generally favorable reviews from critics. While many recognized that it was basically a B-movie film noir shot rather quickly, most took the time to shed some positive light on the outcome, with one modern-day critic expressing his thoughts that Marilyn "channels how her mentally troubled mom acted and gives a believable performance". The movie's original theatrical trailer, which swept through theaters back in 1952, also seem to build-up Monroe's performance. While starting off their description of her as being "every inch a woman", they conclude it with saying she's "every inch an actress". Now, I'm not entirely convinced Fox was pressuring the notion of Monroe as a serious actress, or if this was done merely for the "glamour girl does a psycho part" publicity gimmick.

I would certainly recommend this movie to most fans, especially Marilyn Monroe fans who might be eager to see her in something considerably stronger than what the majority of her filmography provided. Give it a look, it won't hurt anything. It's on Amazon and eBay for just a few dollars. Let me know what you think.

​

 

[ClassyCo]

@Snarky's Ghost, have you any thoughts on Marilyn's earlier work? I know we conversed considerably in the Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days thread, so I was wondering if you had any inputs for The Early Days discussion as well.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

@Snarky's Ghost, have you any thoughts on Marilyn's earlier work? I know we conversed considerably in the Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days thread, so I was wondering if you had any inputs for The Early Days discussion as well.

I think I've only seen ALL ABOUT EVE and CLASH BY NIGHT before NIAGRA. It's odd I haven't caught more of her early stuff.

 

[ClassyCo]

I think I've only seen ALL ABOUT EVE and CLASH BY NIGHT before NIAGRA. It's odd I haven't caught more of her early stuff.

That is quite surprising to me. I assumed you might have seen a good deal, and I was looking forward to some of your insights.

 

[ClassyCo]

I remember watching the Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days documentary years ago for the first time, and I remember beginning intrigued by this picture pasted below. It's from the 1950 western comedy called A Ticket to Tomahawk, which starred Dan Dailey and Anne Baxter. Marilyn has very small role as Clara, but she does show up in one (maybe two?) musical numbers. There was a time I searched diligently for this movie before finally giving up on it a long time ago. I do like Dan Dailey and Anne Baxter, and considered our Marilyn's there for a bit, I might eventually get this movie simply to toss it on my shelf.

I'm not entirely sure if it has an official release or not, but I do know bootleg copies clutter the web. At one time there was a copy of the DVD on Amazon, released through some archival setup or something.

 

[ClassyCo]

Nineteen-fifty-two was the year Marilyn was introduced to baseball star Joe DiMaggio. According to James Bacon, it was he that set Monroe and DiMaggio up on their first date. He says that, when talking to Marilyn the following day, he was the one that also told her who DiMaggio was because she did not know prior to their meeting he was a famous athlete. Marilyn reportedly told Bacon about the couple's first date: "We didn't talk baseball."

Here's DiMaggio visiting Monroe and Cary Grant on the set of Howard Hawks' Monkey Business in 1952.

​

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

That is quite surprising to me. I assumed you might have seen a good deal, and I was looking forward to some of your insights.

The only insight I have is that the two stars seen as the peak of cinematic masculinity and femininity --- burlesqued in both cases -- were both Sun in Gemini/Leo Rising, despite seeming nothing alike because, y'know, gender. (Different moon signs, too).

 

[ClassyCo]

This Covid-19 pandemic that's thrown our country into a scare, and it's got us rotating shifts at the bank where I work. Anyway, during my days off, I've decided to dive back into some of Marilyn's earlier work to give you all some of my opinions here in this thread. This past Tuesday I watched All About Eve on blu-ray for the very first time, and it reignited a flame in me concerning the passion I've always had for this film.

I'm assuming that almost all of you have seen or at least heard about All About Eve and therefore have some idea of the story consists of, but I will give you a brief overview just the same. The story revolves around Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), a wannabe actress, who sleazes her way into the life of aging Broadway star Margo Channing (Bette Davis). Meanwhile, Eve tries to creep into the lives of playwright Lloyd Richards (Hugh Marlowe) and his wife Karen (Celeste Holm), and even Margo's director boyfriend Bill Sampson (Gary Merrill). Throughout it all, Margo's maid, Birdie (Thelma Ritter), is ever-suspicious of Eve, while the acid-tognued critic Addison Dewitt (George Sanders) eventually decides to aid Eve in her climb to the top.

Marilyn Monroe with "All About Eve" writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz

​

But let's get into discussing Marilyn's performance in this classic. She plays Miss Claudia Caswell, a young actress, who critic Addison Dewitt (George Sanders) has taken under his wing. When we first see, at the famous party scene, Addison describes her as having graduated of the fictional Copacabana School of Dramatic Art. Addison sets her to woo theatrical producer Max Fabian (Gregory Ratoff), who is at the party, and who eventually decides to give her audition for his play, which stars Margo. Marilyn appears in just a few brief scenes, all totaling maybe six minutes or so of screen time. She does the most with the part, and even if she didn't evolve into Marilyn Monroe the Legend, her presence here certainly stands out as memorable and noteworthy of a young actress desperately trying to make it as a movie star.

Marilyn's small role was pivotal in her career. Johnny Hyde, her agent at the time, had pulled whatever strings he could to get her a meeting with writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who eventually gave her the part. Monroe had been fired from Twentieth Century-Fox back in 1947, and studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck was initially weary of her casting, owing to his belief that Marilyn was better suited to comedy.

The cast of "All About Eve" photographed during the famous party scene.
​

All About Eve itself is a flawless masterpiece, and everyone gives a top performance. It's one of the few in Hollywood's history that is perfect in every possible aspect; the writing, the directing, the casting, the acting. It all works fabulously together. I often read into the movie's back story, merely for the enjoyment of reading about how this classic came to fruition. The film was originally conceived as a star vehicle for Claudette Colbert and Jeanne Crain, but that was not to be. Colbert injured her back while shooting on location, and Crain was dropped from considered by Mankiewicz, who felt she lacked the grit the part of Eve demanded. A host of actresses were considered to replace Colbert, among them Barbara Stanwyck, Susan Hayward, Marlene Dietrich, and Joan Crawford, before the role finally went to Bette Davis, the two-time Oscar winner who had just came off an eighteen-year stint as a contract star for Warner Brothers. The role of Eve would go to another Oscar winner, Anne Baxter.

Marilyn's performance here borders on self-parody, as she is basically playing her off-screen life of being a rising actress trying to rally powerful men to advance her career. Her appearance drew favorable reviews and got her plenty of attention from several Hollywood heavyweights, among them the big boys at Fox, who signed her to a seven-year contract in December 1950. She would go on, as we all know, to be one of the greatest movie stars of the twentieth century.