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20 Must-Watch Marilyn Monroe Movies

Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jean Mortenson, rings a bell for everyone who loves movies from the sex revolution era. She became an icon in Hollywood after having one of the best careers in the film industry. During her time in the entertainment industry, Monroe was a big part of several movies that were watched worldwide.

Apart from her beauty, charisma, and elegance, Marilyn Monroe became a legend in the film industry creating captivating films and showcasing her talent through performances. With the introduction of rapid growth and the application of technology in film production, Monroe became a global sensation with her style and emotion-evoking acts.

Beginning her acting career in 1946 aged twenty-two, the American movie legend did not immediately become globally famous until a decade later. She quickly rose to fame in the 1950s during which she made her debut film Gentlemen Prefer Blonde which also stands out as one of her best production. She also appeared in the timeless classic some like It Hot, The Seven Year Itch among other films that have been in cinemas for over seven decades.

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Marilyn Monroe’s journey as a singer and actress was marked by a series of achievements and personal struggles. She only lived for less than four decades, her life was full of personal struggles including drug use and addiction which is still the alleged reason for her death. However, her movies overshadowed her struggles and the world still celebrates her achievements.

These are some of the films by Marilyn Monroe that everyone needs to watch:

1. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

The 1953 musical comedy was Marilyn Monroe’s breakout film a few years after starting her career in the film industry. The film, directed by Howard Hawks features two young and beautiful ladies who are travelling from the United States of America to Paris, France. Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russel as Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw are on an adventure to find wealthy men to marry and instantly become rich. The girls find themselves in trouble when Lorelei’s potential father-in-law hires the police to find out if she is a gold digger. What makes the movie interesting is Monroe’s comedic timing and the way the two girls complement each other. While Lorelei is obsessed with diamonds, her counterpart, Russel is a street smart who can come out of every dangerous situation. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is still one of the best movies from the 1950s film era. 

2. Some Like It Hot (1959)

Marilyn Monroe was again on the silver screen in the 1959 production, Some Like It Hot alongside some of the big names in the film industry such as Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. Monroe shows her prowess in both singing and acting in the film where she meets two gentlemen and falls in love with one of them. When Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) are on the run escaping the mob from Chicago, they disguise themselves as women and get incorporated into a female music band. Here Joe meets Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe) for the first time and sparks fly. Despite living a double life, Joe is not afraid to risk it all for love. Despite the film beginning with a massacre in Chicago, the performances by Monroe bring humor making the film worthy to watch.

3. The Misfits (1961)

The 1961 film The Misfits foreshadowed the lives that people live in the modern world-wandering around as they look for meaning in life. The film revolves around a group of people who feel like outcasts. Marilyn Monroe, playing as Roslyn Taber is a recently divorced woman who has just found love with an old cowboy named Gay Langland played by Clark Gable. The film shows emotionally charged characters who are struggling to find where they belong on the planet. Monroe’s performances portraying loneliness resonated with many people which earned her a huge viewership. She played her role better than anybody else could have ever done.

4. Don’t Bother to Knock (1952)

Marilyn Monroe was known to have a sense of humor and would sometimes cause unsuspected suspense, which is evident in the film Don’t Bother to Knock. Playing as Nell Forbes, Monroe finds a job at a hotel as a babysitter. However, babysitting must have been a bad choice for a young and mentally ill woman who finds herself in a lonely place. Having no people to talk to, Forbes’ mental health deteriorates over time. She reaches a point when she begins contemplating suicide as the easier way out of the depression. The film is full of suspense which is brought to life by the fragile personality portrayed by Monroe. Her incredible performances put Don’t Bother on the list as one of the films that foreshadowed human mental health.

5. Niagara (1953)

Niagara was the film that catapulted Marilyn Monroe to the highest levels of celebrity status after the movie was listed as the best for a long time. This was another of Monroe’s noir where she showed the world what she is made of. Acting as Rose Loomis, Monroe is a divorced woman who plots with her new boyfriend to kill her older husband, George, played by Joseph Cotten. This is the movie where Monroe explores her beauty and sex-appealing appearance that would seduce everyone. However, she was also one who would chase away anybody because of her self-centered persona. Nobody would have played this role better than Monroe- showing her intense behavior, longing, loneliness, and love which collectively makes her behave the way she does.

6. How To Marry a Millionaire (1953)

Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Betty Grable starred in the film How to Marry a Millionaire where three best friends are on a mission to force their way into marrying rich men. The chemistry among these three alongside perfect shooting and editing makes the film one to re-watch multiple times. Once again, Monroe explores her beauty and uses it to reach her goals. While the three are models, Monroe stands out because of her nature to make errors constantly. She refuses to wear glasses because she thinks that they make her less attractive which might put wealthy men off. The film is a story of deceptive women alongside a witty Monroe who takes her performances to a different level.

7. Bus Stop (1956)

When Marilyn Monroe took a break from making films in the mid-1950s, her next stop was to take classes in New York to sharpen her acting skills. The outcome of her short course in New York was the 1956 film, Bus Stop. Here she plays Cherie in a local bus stop café who had an ambition to make his life better through acting. While at the café, the young Cherie meets Beau, played by Don Murray, who is a cowboy obsessed and madly in love with Cherie. She cuts ties with him when he tries to force her into marriage. Having created the character herself, Monroe makes Cherie as authentic as possible as she tells the story of how she was treated in Hollywood.

8. The Prince and the Showgirl (1957)

One of the best, and last films made by Marilyn Monroe Production was the 1957’s The Prince and the Showgirl. Monroe had yet another chance to showcase her ability to use both her old acting style full of humor and flirting alongside her newly acquired style from the ´¡³¦³Ù´Ç°ù’s Studio. Monroe, acting as Elsie Marina meets Charles, the Prince of Carpathia played by Laurence Olivier. The prince invites Elsie, the showgirl to the palace where he makes his intentions known to her. Even though she was reluctant, she finally fell in love with the prince. Showing her vulnerability in the way she fell in love with the prince makes Monroe’s film one to watch again.

9. River of No Return (1954)

The River of No Return was a Monroe movie that had drama from the beginning, including the unnecessary behind-the-scenes incidences. The film explores the mid-twentieth-century political and social issues in the Western world. The society that ran on racism and sexism is depicted in this emotionally charged film. Marilyn Monroe shows her acting prowess in the movie as she communicates emotions such as joy, and lust at the same time. Her captivating acts alongside her beauty make the film one to revisit.

10. The Seven Year Itch (1955)

The 1955 film explores the social issues that society was dealing with back in the 1950s including marriage, divorce, and infidelity. Marilyn Monroe takes the leading role as The Girl alongside Richard Sharman played by Tom Ewell. Richard is a man living in New York who is caught in a dilemma when his family goes on a vacation leaving him alone at home. Monroe moves to the apartment next to Tom putting him in an awkward position with her sexy appearance. The film is filled with humor, which is Monroe’s strength, making it one of the best films for years.

11. Monkey Business (1952)

Although Marilyn Monroe took a supporting role in the film Monkey Business, her role was as important as the main characters. She was a secretary in a laboratory run by Dr Fulton played by Cary Grant. The doctor generates a substance that restores people’s youthfulness. However, when everyone takes the potion, they begin behaving like teenagers. In the end, Monroe acts as Miss Lois Laurel the doctor’s subject. Monroe uses her humor, and wit to make her scenes as interesting as possible making Monkey Business one to re-watch.

12. As Young As You Feel (1951)

For those who have seen Marilyn Monroe in a supporting role, here is another film where she shows her skills and talent. In the film As Yong as You Feel, Monroe is a young secretary who does not seem to be so bright. Her comedic nature is at the center stage in the film as she is seen annoying her boss. Being one of her first films, the role in this movie earned Monroe recognition from Hollywood filmmakers who would later invite her to take leading roles.

13. Love Nest (1951)

Love Nest is a romantic comedy set in America after the Second World War. The theme of marriage is explored in this film to show the kind of life that people go through when they are newlywed. A newlywed couple, Jim and Connie Scott are out to look for a new house at a time when houses were scares in America. The couple finds a house run by the Prouty family, where Monroe is the niece of the family called Rebecca Stevens. Her presence in the movie brings light moments and comedy when she creates comedic scenes whenever she has a conversation with the newlywed couple to win their affection.

14. We’re Not Married (1952)

The film We’re Not Married is a comedy that is structured as an anthology of short stories that revolves around stories of different couples in the city. One common thing that stands out among the couples is that they all find out that they were not legally married due to legal technicalities. The men and women finding out about their newly found single status sets a series of comedic scenes as the film progresses. Marilyn Monroe takes a role as Annabel, a young model and beauty queen who wins the Mrs. Mississippi crown. However, her husband does not support her career and often despises her for leaving him home to take care of the family. Although Monroe’s role was not big, her appearance made the film one of the ones to re-watch.

15. Ladies of the Chorus (1948)

Marilyn Monroe was on the silver screen in the film Ladies of the Chorus just two years after kick starting her acting career. Being one of the first movies, Monroe, acting as Peggy Martin showed the world what she had in store. Her potential was evident and those who watched closely knew that she was a rising star. At just twenty-six years, Monroe showed maturity throughout her performances in the film where she showed the mother-daughter relationship of a family that was navigating through the entertainment industry. As the two were involved in the musical revue, they faced challenges that would have made many young singers quit. However, Peggy relied on her mother’s support to thrive. Monroe’s early role in the entertainment industry earned her respect.

16. There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954)

Putting together an excellent team of cast is one thing that makes a film stand out and there’s No Business Like Show Business helped assemble a great team. Big names such as Ethel Merman, Donald O’Connor, and Marilyn Monroe were the main casts. The film revolves around a family of musicians. Monroe, playing as Vicky Parker is a nightclub singer who falls in love with one of the musicians. The film is another avenue for Monroe to show her singing skills as well as performances because that is what she can do best.

17. The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

The 1950 film is yet another one where Marilyn Monroe plays a supporting, but very important role. The film is about an organized criminal group that plans and pulls a jewelry heist. Monroe as Angela Phinlay is a lawyer’s young mistress whose interaction with the criminals helps in making the plot of the film. The film is a showcase of the criminal world where criminal gangs rule over places killing and stealing from people.

18. Clash by Night (1952)

Although Marilyn Monroe takes a supporting role and appears in just a few scenes, she makes good use of her appearances in the film Clash by Night. The film, directed by Fritz Lang features Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Ryan, and Marilyn Monroe. Playing Peggy, Monroe plays the girlfriend of Mae Doyle’s younger brother showcasing her acting skills. Exploration of the theme of love and relationships is seen in this film more than any other. Monroe’s humor is evident once again making the movie as entertaining as possible.

19. All About Eve (1950)

Marilyn Monroe plays Claudia Caswell in the 1950 film All About Eve. Although this was among her first productions in the film industry, the name Monroe had become popular among many actors and producers in Hollywood. The film centers around a young woman named Eve Harrington played by Anne Baxter who uses all means to make herself a star on Broadway. Monroe appears as a talented singer who would become famous because of her talent without using shortcuts. Her interaction with other characters in the film makes it more interesting and especially Monroe’s fans would watch it several times.

20. Dangerous Years (1947)

Dangerous Years was Marilyn Monroe’s first film where she played as a waitress in a restaurant in this emotionally charged 1947 drama. Even though her presence in the film did not hint at an upcoming superstar, the film presents us with the chance to study her evolution to become a legend in the entertainment industry.

Marilyn Monroe’s journey in the film industry had a lasting impact on the industry. Her must-watch films remind us of her contribution to the entertainment industry and the need to appreciate her legacy. Her performances and personality have shaped the lives of several modern-day actresses who want to rise above their weaknesses and become successful in the industry. Despite having personal issues and weaknesses, the American actress was strong enough to keep her career moving by giving the world some of the best movies in history.

The in-depth analysis of Marilyn Monroe’s movies gives us a path to her life and get to know her better. These films are not just cinematic treasures but an avenue to understand her impact on the entertainment industry. Despite her relatively short lifespan, Marilyn Monroe’s legacy has lived on for several years. She left a never-ending mark in Hollywood where she is not only a legend but also an inspiration to the modern day’s film production.