Although Marilyn Monroe has been dead for almost half a century, her celluloid star still shines mysteriously. Life Magazine has discovered some photos taken in 1950 before her rise to fame. Read on for more details.
According to
news sources, the photos in question were taken before Marilyn Monroe became branded as a voluptuous and sexy blonde movie star. They came from a time before she was rumored to have had an affair with President John Kennedy and prior to her descent into a very public and tragic madness that culminated in her demise at the age of 36.
Her mysterious death at the age of 36 remains a mystery clouded with political intrigue and suspicion to this day. Did she kill herself or was she guided along by some unseen, murderous hand? Was it just a coincidence that her death occurred one day before she was slated to testify at a Congressional hearing? No one will ever know for sure, but these photos discovered by Life.com last month from an earlier, untroubled time reveal a fresh and lovely Marilyn little known to the world.
In this collection, which can be viewed at the source cited above, Marilyn Monroe is a 24-year-old budding starlet with a flawless face and minimal makeup. This was highly unusual for she who was often glamorized in photo shoots with lipstick, designer dresses and expensive jewelry. In one photo, the young Monroe lies reading on a park bench, which Life.com editors believe was shot at Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California; in another, her face is serene as she is perched over a bridge barefoot. The shoot dates to 1950, and was conducted by photographer, Ed Clark.
In the words of Dawnie Walton, deputy editor at Life.com:
“She hadn't really exploded as a star, yet she was on the brink of something big. I was amazed looking at her face. Although she looks very innocent, there is something very ... sexy. There were few notes left on the negatives…and the photos were probably taken for a cover shoot that was never used. It just got lost and stowed away… somewhere in a warehouse in New Jersey.”
Marilyn Monroe appeared on her first
Life Magazine cover in 1952.
Monday would have been her 83rd birthday.
One can only wonder what she would have thought of these glimpses of her earlier days now long faded into the mists of time.
