Marilyn Monroe, born 100 years ago, still dominates culture. Here’s why
- 2 hours ago
- 1 min read
Peter Howell
Movie Critic
Marilyn Monroe stares saucily from atop the city of Cannes, wearing the gold lamé halter gown that scandalized studio censors on the set of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” Her gaze is aimed, as if by design, toward the Palais des Festivals where today’s stars walk the red carpet.
The mural on the Hôtel Cannes Riviera captures her perfectly: forever young, eternally commanding our attention. Monroe would have turned 100 today, yet time has done nothing to dim her celestial wattage.
She remains the ultimate Hollywood star, the one whose charisma — a blend of vulnerability and seduction — is the golden blond standard of celebrity power, and the one most often imitated by those who came after. She made her mark, despite dying in her bedroom at age 36 in 1962 from an overdose of sedatives.
Monroe completed just 29 feature films in her 16-year acting career, depending on how you count. That’s about 10 films fewer than current screen queen Scarlett Johansson, who is still going strong.
On screen, Monroe possessed the rare ability to make the camera lean in. Her every glance and every hesitation exposed a character’s longing without ever announcing it. Nevertheless, she struggled for industry respect. She never walked the red carpet at Cannes or received an Oscar nomination, although she did win a Golden Globe for “Some Like It Hot.”
Yet her dominance in popular culture is almost without equal and continues to grow.
