Marilyn Monroe

Born: 1926-06-01

Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 – 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic "blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as well as an emblem of the era's sexual revolution. She was a top-billed actress for a decade, and her films grossed $200 million (equivalent to $2 billion in 2021) by the time of her death in 1962. Long after her death, Monroe remains a major icon of pop culture. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked her sixth on their list of the greatest female screen legends from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Multiple film critics and media outlets have cited Monroe as one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Monroe spent most of her childhood in a total of 12 foster homes and an orphanage; she married at age sixteen. She was working in a factory during World War II when she met a photographer from the First Motion Picture Unit and began a successful pin-up modeling career, which led to short-lived film contracts with 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures. After a series of minor film roles, she signed a new contract with Fox in late 1950. Over the next two years, she became a popular actress with roles in several comedies, including As Young as You Feel and Monkey Business, and in the dramas Clash by Night and Don't Bother to Knock. She faced a scandal when it was revealed that she had posed for nude photographs prior to becoming a star, but the story did not damage her career and instead resulted in increased interest in her films. By 1953, Monroe was one of the most marketable Hollywood stars; she had leading roles in the film noir Niagara, which overtly relied on her sex appeal, and the comedies Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire, which established her star image as a "dumb blonde". The same year, her nude images were used as the centerfold and on the cover of the first issue of Playboy. She played a significant role in the creation and management of her public image throughout her career, but she was disappointed when she was typecast and underpaid by the studio. She was briefly suspended in early 1954 for refusing a film project but returned to star in The Seven Year Itch (1955), one of the biggest box office successes of her career. When the studio was still reluctant to change Monroe's contract, she founded her own film production company in 1954. She dedicated 1955 to building the company and began studying method acting under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. Later that year, Fox awarded her a new contract, which gave her more control and a larger salary. Her subsequent roles included a critically acclaimed performance in Bus Stop (1956) and her first independent production in The Prince and the Showgirl (1957). She won a Golden Globe for Best Actress for her role in Some Like It Hot (1959), a critical and commercial success. Her last completed film was the drama The Misfits (1961).


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Some Like It Hot

as Sugar Kane Kowalczyk
Released: 1959-03-19

Two musicians witness a mob hit and struggle to find a way out of the city before they are found...

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Niagara

as Rose Loomis
Released: 1953-01-26

Rose Loomis and her older, gloomier husband, George, are vacationing at a cabin in Niagara...

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Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

as Lorelei Lee
Released: 1953-07-14

Lorelei Lee is a beautiful showgirl engaged to be married to the wealthy Gus Esmond, much to the...

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There's No Business Like Show Business

as Vicky
Released: 1954-12-16

Molly and Terry Donahue, plus their three children, are The Five Donahues. Youngest son Tim...

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How to Marry a Millionaire

as Pola Debevoise
Released: 1953-10-29

Three women set out to find eligible millionaires to marry, but find true love in the process.

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River of No Return

as Kay Weston
Released: 1954-04-30

An itinerant farmer and his young son help a heart-of-gold saloon singer search for her...

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The Seven Year Itch

as The Girl
Released: 1955-06-03

With his family away for their annual summer holiday, a publishing executive decides to live a...

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The Misfits

as Roslyn Taber
Released: 1961-02-01

While filing for a divorce, beautiful ex-stripper Roslyn Taber ends up meeting aging...

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Bus Stop

as Cherie
Released: 1956-08-31

Cowboys Beauregard Decker and Virgil Blessing attend a rodeo in Phoenix, where Decker falls in...

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All About Eve

as Miss Caswell
Released: 1950-11-09

From the moment she glimpses her idol at the stage door, Eve Harrington is determined to take...

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Let's Make Love

as Amanda Dell
Released: 1960-09-08

When billionaire Jean-Marc Clement learns that he is to be satirized in an off-Broadway revue,...

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Love, Marilyn

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2013-05-30

Using the book 'Fragments', which collects Marilyn Monroe's poems, notes and letters, and with...

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The Prince and the Showgirl

as Elsie
Released: 1957-06-13

An American showgirl becomes entangled in political intrigue when the Prince Regent of a foreign...

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Don't Bother to Knock

as Nell Forbes
Released: 1952-07-18

An airline pilot pursues a live-in babysitter at his hotel and gradually realizes she is not as...

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Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen

as (archive footage)
Released: 2012-02-04

A film where anything can happen - the hero and the heroine changes their faces, age, look,...

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Clash by Night

as Peggy
Released: 1952-05-30

An embittered woman seeks escape in marriage, only to fall for her husband’s best friend.

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The Asphalt Jungle

as Angela Phinlay
Released: 1950-05-12

Recently paroled from prison, legendary burglar "Doc" Riedenschneider, with funding from Alonzo...

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Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes

as Self (archive photo)
Released: 2024-05-16

Newly discovered interviews with Elizabeth Taylor and unprecedented access to the star’s...

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Always at The Carlyle

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2018-05-11

The iconic Carlyle hotel has been an international destination for a particular jet set as well...

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Monkey Business

as Lois Laurel
Released: 1952-09-03

Research chemist Barnaby Fulton works on a fountain of youth pill for a chemical company. One of...

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Volunteers

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: 1985-08-16

After his rich father refuses to pay his debt, compulsive gambler Lawrence Bourne III joins the...

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O. Henry's Full House

as Streetwalker (segment "The Cop and the Anthem")
Released: 1952-08-07

Five O. Henry stories, each separate. The primary one from the critics' acclaim was "The Cop and...

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Sex at 24 Frames Per Second

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2003-09-23

Directed by Kevin Burns, this documentary from Playboy Home Video examines the oftentimes tense...

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Smash His Camera

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2010-07-30

A film centering on the life and work of Ron Galella that examines the nature and effect of...

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Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1995-09-29

"Trinity and Beyond" is an unsettling yet visually fascinating documentary presenting the...

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We're Not Married!

as Annabel Jones
Released: 1952-07-11

A Justice of the Peace performed weddings a few days before his license was valid. A few years...

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John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1988-10-24

Biography of risk-taker and raconteur John Huston from his childhood to become one of the most...

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A Ticket to Tomahawk

as Clara
Released: 1950-05-19

A cowboy is hired by a stagecoach boss to stop the railroad reaching his territory and putting...

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That's Entertainment! III

as (archive footage)
Released: 1994-07-01

Some of MGM'S musical stars review the studios history of musicals. From The Hollywood Revue of...

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Ladies of the Chorus

as Peggy Martin
Released: 1948-12-30

Former burlesque star May and her daughter Peggy dance in the chorus. When May has a fight with...

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Love Happy

as Grunion's Client
Released: 1949-10-12

The Marx Brothers help young Broadway hopefuls when they get mixed up with gangsters due to a...

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Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2001-06-01

Marilyn Monroe's final project, "Something's Got to Give", has become one of the most talked...

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Home Town Story

as Iris Martin
Released: 1951-05-18

Blake Washburn blames manufacturer MacFarland for his defeat in the race for re-election to the...

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Green Grass of Wyoming

as Extra at Square Dance (uncredited)
Released: 1948-06-03

The romance of a rancher's niece and a rival rancher's son parallels that of a stallion and a mare.

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Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2010-05-05

In 2001 Jack Cardiff (1914-2009) became the first director of photography in the history of the...

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Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2001-04-03

Documentary about the making of 20th Century Fox's 1963 film "Cleopatra," then the most...

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All Governments Lie: Truth, Deception, and the Spirit of I.F. Stone

as The Girl (archive footage)
Released: 2016-11-04

Vancouver-based filmmaker and TV news veteran Fred Peabody explores the life and legacy of the...

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Cher: In Her Own Words

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: 2021-05-04

Cher, the star who refused to be boxed in, stood up to conformity, and championed female...

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Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1991-07-15

Actress Sally Field looks at the dramatic life and successful career of the superb actress...

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Love Nest

as Roberta 'Bobbie' Stevens
Released: 1951-10-10

Jim and Connie's postwar New York building troubles keep Jim from working on his novel. Ex-WAC...

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Hollywood Uncensored

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1987-12-01

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Peter Fonda host an examination of the history of decency standards...

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Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!

as Betty (uncredited)
Released: 1948-03-10

Light-hearted, old-style romance about a farm-hand who arranges to buy a pair of mules from his...

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As Young as You Feel

as Harriet
Released: 1951-06-15

Sixty-five-year-old John Hodges must retire from Acme Printing. He later impersonates the...

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Rat Pack

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2022-01-11

In the 1950s, a small group of artists monopolized the attention of the cameras and the public....

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Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths

as (archive footage)
Released: 1990-01-01

Welcome behind the closed doors of a Hollywood that only a select few will ever get to see -- a...

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I Am Jackie O

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2020-11-26

Jackie Kennedy Onassis was the most famous woman in the world, impossibly glamourous and...

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Let's Make It Legal

as Joyce Mannering
Released: 1951-10-31

A woman divorces her husband of 20 years because he gambles too much.

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Robert Mitchum: The Reluctant Star

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1991-03-10

A retrospective on the career of Robert Mitchum through interviews with friends and co-workers,...

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Dangerous Years

as Evie
Released: 1947-12-07

Jeff Carter has put an end to the town's delinquency with a boys' club. Young hoodlum Danny...

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Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: 1983-02-25

Out-takes (mostly from Warner Bros.), promotional shorts, movie premieres, public service pleas,...

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Marilyn Monroe: The Mortal Goddess

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1994-10-17

An account of the life and career of Marilyn Monroe, one of Hollywood's most famous and...

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Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1986-04-19

Her story is well-known — the lonely child who yearned for affection and approval which she...

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The Kennedy Detail

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2010-12-02

Based on the book by Gerald S. Blaine With Lisa McCubbin "The Kennedy Detail", this documentary...

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Arthur Miller: Writer

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2017-12-08

One of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century, Arthur Miller created such celebrated works...

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Becoming Marilyn

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2022-10-18

Marilyn wasn't born Marilyn, she became it. This unique portrait reveals her in her own words: a...

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Making 'The Misfits'

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2002-10-02

A behind-the-scenes and in-depth look at the making of John Huston's The Misfits (1961).

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Playboy: Celebrity Centerfolds

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2006-02-24

What do Marilyn Monroe, Suzanne Somers, Pamela Anderson, Anna Nicole Smith, and Carmen Electra...

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Bert Stern: Original Madman

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2011-09-02

The untold and intimate life story of one of the greatest American photographers of all time,...

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Marilyn Monroe Declassified

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2015-07-12

Declassified FBI and CIA documents help director Paul Davids unravel the puzzle of Marilyn...

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The Fireball

as Polly
Released: 1950-11-09

Johnny Casar runs away from the orphanage to start a successful career as a roller skater and...

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Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1997-05-12

Born Ruby Stevens, she was orphaned when she was four. A chance audition led to a chorus job. By...

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Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1950s: The Golden Era of the Musical

as Self (archive)
Released: 2009-03-10

During the 1950s, musical masterpieces that have yet to be equaled were produced in Cinemascope...

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Playboy: 50 Years of Playmates

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2004-09-14

Every Playmate in Playboy's 50-Year history all in one collectors edition.

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Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2012-05-15

Marilyn Monroe is one of the most famous and adored icons of the 20th century. Like no other...

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Right Cross

as Dusky Ledoux (uncredited)
Released: 1950-10-06

A sportswriter forms a ring triangle with a fight manager's daughter and her Mexican-American...

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La Rabbia

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1963-04-13

Documentary footage (from the 1950s) and accompanying commentary to attempt to answer the...

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Hollywood, la vie rêvée de Lana Turner

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2019-05-22

Portrait of Julia Jean Turner, from her childhood to her rise of fame as Lana Turner, to her...

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The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1996-03-17

A documentary reflecting on women in film and the entertainment industry through the ages led...

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The Shocking Miss Pilgrim

as Telephone Operator (voice) (uncredited)
Released: 1947-01-04

In the late 1800s, Miss Pilgrim, a young stenographer, or typewriter, becomes the first female...

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La Rabbia di Pasolini

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2008-09-05

An attempt to reconstruct the complete version of Pier Paolo Pasolini's segment of La rabbia.

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Marilyn

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1963-04-18

This 1963 documentary, released less than a year after Marilyn Monroe's death, showcases the...

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Andy Warhol, Fluorescent

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2016-12-31

A documentary on the legendary creator and victim of pop art. Warhol, revolutionary and...

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The Men Who Made the Movies: Howard Hawks

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1973-01-01

A documentary filmography of Howard Hawks, including lengthy footage of Hawks himself discussing...

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Grace Kelly: Destiny of a Princess

as Self - Actress (archive footage)
Released: 2006-09-16

In 1956, actress and Hollywood star Grace Kelly (1929-82), then at the height of her film...

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Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1982-01-01

A collection of bloopers and outtakes from an enormous selection of Hollywood classic...

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Dream Girl: The making of Marilyn Monroe

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2022-09-20

How did Marilyn Monroe become one of the greatest sex symbols of all time? What drove a prudish...

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Marilyn Monroe: Death of an Icon

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2010-02-10

Documentary about Marilyn Monroe: 1962: America loses its blonde icon. Marilyn Monroe dies under...

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Signoret et Montand, Monroe et Miller : Deux couples à Hollywood

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2020-12-07

In January 1960, Yves Montand and Simone Signoret, one of the most famous star couples of the...

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Tunnel to Freedom

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2021-07-22

13 August 1961: the GDR closes the sector borders in Berlin. The city is divided overnight....

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The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot'

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2006-06-25

A look back at the impact Billy Wilder's comedy classic "Some Like It Hot" has left since it's...

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Una foto de Marilyn

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2022-04-14

Ode to Marilyn Monroe, by Nerina de Leon Tonno crossed by Pier Paolo.

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Marilyn: Something's Got to Give

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1990-12-13

Documentary on Marilyn Monroe's final days and the production of "Something Got to Give."

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Marilyn Monroe: Beauty is Pain

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2021-06-01

Marilyn Monroe is easily the most iconic woman of 20th Century Hollywood. Born Norma Jeane...

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The Two Kennedys

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1969-11-18

Life, career and death of the two protagonists of American life sixties, John and Robert...

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Clara Bow: Discovering the It Girl

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1999-06-14

Clara Bow: Discovering the 'It' Girl features scenes from 25 of her films, as well as interviews...

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Marilyn in Manhattan

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1998-09-05

An exclusive look at Marilyn Monroe just before her tragic end. Set in New York City in the 50's...

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The Marilyn Monroe Story

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1963-06-01

A rare 1963 documentary on the life of Norma Jean Baker, who would soon and forever be...

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Marilyn on Marilyn

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2001-01-01

Documentary on Marilyn’s life told by herself from the taped interviews she gave to Life...

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Marilyn Monroe: Auction of a Lifetime

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2017-04-05

A chronicle of the life of Marilyn Monroe, told through some of her most personal possessions as...

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President Kennedy's Birthday Salute

as Self
Released: 1962-05-19

President Kennedy's birthday celebration was held at the third Madison Square Garden on May 19,...

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Footsteps on the Ceiling

as Miss Caswell (archive footage)
Released: 2013-01-01

A meditation on ambition and careerism utilizing altered footage from All About Eve, with a...

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Electric Blue Special: Nude Celebrity Special

as uncredited
Released: 1984-01-01

A compilation of nude celebrity scenes

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Mi Marilyn

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1975-01-02

A memory of Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), woman, actress, goddess, myth, in the words of the...

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Batmania: From Comics to Screen

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1989-01-01

This is the fully documented story of Batman—his genesis, his development, and his overall...

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Something's Got to Give

as Ellen Wagstaff Arden
Released: 1962-01-01

Remake of "My Favorite Wife," unfinished because of star Marilyn Monroe's firing, rehiring, and...

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Arthur Miller: A Man of His Century

as Self - Miller's 2nd Wife (archive footage)
Released: 2015-10-17

An unparalleled portrait of Arthur Miller (1915-2005), a major writer who left an indelible mark...

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Marilyn, dernières séances

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2008-09-01

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Marilyn Monroe: I Want to Be Loved

as (archive footage)
Released: 2010-02-10

Documentary about Marilyn Monroe.

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Marilyn and I

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2019-01-20

The story of the legendary Marilyn Monroe party thrown by jazz legend Ray Anthony in 1952.

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We Remember Marilyn

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1996-01-01

We Remember Marilyn. Marilyn Monroe transforms from Norma Jean, a cuddly teenager, into the most...

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Marilyn Monroe for Sale

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2018-12-23

In life, Marilyn Monroe captivated millions across the globe. In death, her mesmerizing spell...

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Marilyn Magdalena

as uncredited
Released: 1972-10-12

If there are many photos taken at different times and places, and the same person appears in...

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Marilyn: Portrait of a Legend

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2002-07-30

Examine Marilyn through an in-depth investigation of her private life. From her turbulent...

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Marilyn Monroe

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 1986-01-01

Born Norma Jean Baker, actress Marilyn Monroe would become one of the most iconic and desirable...

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Aliens Uncovered: Declassified

as Self
Released: 2024-04-09

Declassified documents from the Cold War shine light into the hidden communications between the...

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Aliens Uncovered: Marilyn Monroe Exposed

as Self
Released: 2024-05-07

As tensions continue to spike between the United States & the Soviet Union, UFO sightings and...

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Mentiras verdaderas

as Self (archive footage)
First aired: 2011-10-11

Daily interviews discussing the guest's personal lives and national contingency.

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Golden Globe Awards

as Self - Winner
First aired: 1944-01-20

An annual awards ceremony recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and...

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Intimate Portrait

as Self (archive footage)
First aired: 1993-11-14

Intimate Portrait is a biographical television series on the Lifetime Television cable network...

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The Jack Benny Program

as Marilyn Monroe
First aired: 1950-10-28

Laugh along with funnyman Jack Benny as he brings his underplayed humor to TV along with regular...

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The Jack Benny Program

as Self
First aired: 1950-10-28

Laugh along with funnyman Jack Benny as he brings his underplayed humor to TV along with regular...

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Spécial cinéma

as Self (archive footage)
First aired: 1974-09-25

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The Bob Hope Show

as Self
First aired: 1950-04-09

The Bob Hope Show hosted by Bob Hope, debuted on April 9, 1950. During the 1952-1953 season, NBC...

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Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields

as Self (archive footage)
First aired: 2023-04-03

Actor, model, and global superstar Brooke Shields’ journey from a sexualized young girl to a...

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Startime

as uncredited
First aired: 1959-10-06

Startime is an anthology show of drama, comedy, and variety, and was one of the first American...

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Un film et son époque

as Self (archive footage)
First aired: 2003-05-17

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First Ladies

as Self (archive footage)
First aired: 2020-10-04

Blending in-depth interviews, rare archival footage, and cinematic recreations, this docuseries...

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ABC Stage 67

as Self (archive footage)
First aired: 1966-09-14

ABC Stage 67 is the umbrella title for a series of 26 weekly shows that included dramas, variety...

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Le Siècle des icônes

as Self (archive footage)
First aired: 2022-12-27

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Reframed: Marilyn Monroe

as Self (archive footage)
First aired: 2022-01-16

Revisit the extraordinary story of a girl who sprang from nowhere to become the most famous...

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