Sunday, August 5, 2007

Good-bye, Norma Jean...

It's kind of trippy to realize that on this day, 45 years ago, Marilyn Monroe died. She was found by her housekeeper in her Brentwood, CA home on August 5, 1962. Maybe it was an accident, maybe it was suicide--maybe it was murder as many conspiracy theorist suggest. But whatever it was, it was a sad and tragic end to a life that was filled with drama well before she even became a "movie star."

From her breakout in Gentleman Prefer Blondes to the classic skirt-blowing-up scene in The Seven Year Itch to her Golden Globe winning performance in Some Like it Hot to her final completed role in The Misfits, she epitomized the whole "movie star" thing--gossip and glamour, fan mags and flashbulbs.

Iconic enough to inspire Elton John's Candle in the Wind--as well as a legion of image homage by the likes of Madonna, Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera to name a few...

And all this from a woman whose career apex lasted a mere nine years or so. Like the song says:

"Your candle burned out long before
your legend ever did..."

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