In several years of running this website and working with Fan Clubs, I have been asked many questions about Marilyn Monroe, from questions I can answer off the top of my head, to some real stumpers I've had to research to come up with the answers.

This is a list of some of the most frequent questions I have been asked about Marilyn, and their answers, to the best of my knowledge. Click on the question to go to the answer, or scroll through the list.


When was Marilyn born?
What was Marilyn Monroe's real name?
Where did the name "Marilyn Monroe" come from?
How many films did Marilyn appear in?
Did Marilyn have 6 toes?
What were Marilyn's "stats"?
Was Marilyn left or right handed?
Who was Marilyn's father?
How was Marilyn "discovered"?
How did Marilyn die?
Where is Marilyn buried?
Did Marilyn know James Dean?
Did Marilyn know Elvis?
Who were Marilyn's husbands and how long did each marriage last?
What's the deal with Robert Slatzer?
What's the deal with Ted Jordan?
What are the best books on Marilyn?


When was Marilyn born?

The child who would become Marilyn Monroe was born on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California.

What was Marilyn Monroe's real name?

The name that appears on Marilyn's birth certificate is Norma Jeane Mortenson. She was baptized Norma Jeane Baker. Baker was the last name of her mother, Gladys', first husband, Mortenson the last name of her second husband. When she married James Dougherty, she became Norma Jeane Dougherty, and when she married Joe DiMaggio she became Norma Jeane DiMaggio. She legally changed her name to Marilyn Monroe in 1956, although she had been using the name publically since 1946. During her marriage to Arthur Miller, she went by Marilyn Monroe Miller, the initials "MMM" appear on various items. Although it is not uncommon to see Norma Jeane spelled Norma Jean, with no "e" on the end, the spelling on her birth certificate and other legal documents is Jeane with the "e".

Where did the name "Marilyn Monroe" come from?

There are various stories as to how Marilyn got her name, and several people have claimed to have named her. The most common (and most likely true) version is that the name Marilyn was chosen by Fox talent scout Ben Lyon, who got Marilyn her first screen test. It is said to have come from stage actress Marilyn Miller. The last name Monroe was Marilyn's mother's maiden name. It was suggested either by her mother Gladys, her guardian Grace McKee Goddard, or by Marilyn herself, according to various versions of the story. Norma Jeane began using the name in 1946, but did not legally change it until 1956.

How many films did Marilyn appear in?

Marilyn appeared in 29 films, although she is difficult to catch in her first few appearances, as much of her footage wound up on the cutting room floor. Her incomplete film, Something's Got to Give, would have been her 30th film. Some filmographies include The Shocking Miss Pilgrim as Marilyn's earliest role. If this is so, the role is uncredited and Marilyn's appearance was cut from the film.

Did Marilyn have 6 toes?

In 1946 a photograph was taken of Norma Jeane that appears to show a sixth toe on her right foot. Some claim she had the sixth toe surgically removed shortly thereafter. However, first husband James Dougherty has firmly stated that Marilyn had five toes on each foot.

What were Marilyn's "stats"?

Marilyn's size fluctuated during her lifetime, but her measurements are most commonly given in the range of 36-24-34 to 38-23-36. (bust-waist-hips). Marilyn was 5' 5 and 1/2" tall and weighed 117 pounds when she died, according to the coroner's report. She wore a size 7 to 7 1/2 shoe. Her eyes were cornflower blue and her natural hair colour was reddish-brown.

Was Marilyn left or right handed?

Although it is commonly reported that Marilyn was a lefty, photographic evidence and the word of those who knew her confirm that Marilyn was actually right-handed.

Who was Marilyn's father?

Marilyn's paternity remains an issue of debate to this day. The two main candidates are Gladys' second husband, Edward Mortenson, who was listed as the father on Norma Jeane's birth certificate, and Stanley Gifford, a co-worker of Gladys' with whom she apparently had an affair around the time of Norma Jeane's conception. Several other men have been suggested as candidates, but these two remain the most commonly debated. Marilyn herself believed Gifford to be her father, having been shown a picture of the man as a child by her mother and told "this is your father". Her attempts to contact Gifford over the years were rebuffed.

How was Marilyn "discovered"?

Although Marilyn worked very hard and fought her way to stardom, so that Fox executive Darryl Zanuck would say no one discovered her, she made her own way to stardom, the first step towards Marilyn's career as model came about when photographer David Conover was sent out to take pictures of pretty girls helping out the war effort in 1945. Norma Jeane was working at a Radio Plane factory at the time. Conover photographed her and she was soon on her way to fame as a model. Marilyn's first screen test was arranged by Ben Lyon at Fox studios in 1946, and she was offered her first contract there by Darryl Zanuck.

How did Marilyn die?

Marilyn died late on the evening of August 4th, 1962 of acute barbiturate poisoning. She overdosed on the drugs Nembutal and Chloral Hydrate, both prescribed for insomnia. How this overdose came about is the subject of much curiousity and controversy. The death theories can be summed up into four main categories: Suicide, Self-administered accidental overdose, Accidental overdose administered by someone else, and Murder. Here are the basic theories:
SUICIDE: Depressed over her firing from her last film and the failure of her romantic relationships, Marilyn consumed a lethal dose of sleeping pills with the intention of ending her own life. "Probable suicide" was the official verdict on Marilyn's death.
SELF-ADMINISTERED ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSE: Marilyn ingested a fatal overdose of sleeping pills without realizing what she was doing. Either she took more pills having forgotten how many she had taken before, or she had ingested so many pills over the preceding days and hours that a lethal build-up of the drugs had occured in her system, so that the final dose was fatal.
ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSE ADMINISTERED BY SOMEONE ELSE: Marilyn was given the fatal dose through either an enema or an injection administered by someone else; most commonly named are Dr. Ralph Greenson and Marilyn's housekeeper, Eunice Murray.
MURDER: Marilyn was deliberately given the fatal dose with the intention of killing her, either via enema or injection (a "hot shot"). The most commonly named suspects, either directly or indirectly, are the Kennedys, with the motive that Marilyn "knew too much" that she had learned due to her affairs with these powerful men. Other suspects who have been named include the Mafia, most specifically Sam Giancana.
While every theory has its believers, it is most commonly held that whatever truly happened on August 4th, 1962, it wasn't suicide. An overwhelming propensity of evidence suggests that Marilyn did not die by orally ingesting sleeping pills. The scene of death appears to have been tampered with and important tissue samples from the autopsy mysteriously dissappeared, among other odd occurrances. There is very strong evidence that the circumstances surrounding Marilyn's death were covered up for some reason. The theories continue to be debated to this day.

Where is Marilyn buried?

Marilyn's crypt is located in the Corridor of Memories, Crypt Number 24, at Westwood Memorial Park, 1218 Glendon Avenue, Los Angeles, California.

Did Marilyn know James Dean?

To the best of my knowledge, Marilyn met James Dean only once, at a movie premiere. It is rumoured that the pair were suggested to star together in a remake of Of Human Bondage, but the project never got beyond a suggestion.

Did Marilyn know Elvis?

Although there was never any public relationship or meeting between the two super-stars, it seems likely that Marilyn and Elvis did meet at some point. There is evidence that a written correspondance was carried on between them.

Who were Marilyn's husbands and how long did each marriage last?

Marilyn's first husband was James Dougherty. She married him shortly after her 16th birthday, on June 19, 1942, and divorced him in September of 1946.
Her second husband was baseball legend Joe DiMaggio. Dubbed "Mr. and Mrs. America", the two were wed on January 14, 1954. As much as the public loved them as a couple, the marriage didn't last. They divorced less than a year later, in October of 1954.
Marilyn's third and final husband was playwright Arthur Miller. They were wed in a civil ceremony on June 29th, 1956, and two days later a Jewish ceremony was performed. They divorced in January of 1961.

What's the deal with Robert Slatzer?

Robert Slatzer claims to have been Marilyn's friend, lover, and confidante from early in her career until her death. He also claims that Marilyn and he were married in October of 1952 and divorced within the same weekend in Mexico. Checks written by Marilyn in Los Angeles on the date of the alleged marriage and the admission by a "witness" that he was paid to lie seem to effectively disprove the claim of marriage. The only physical evidence that Robert ever met Marilyn are some photographs taken on the set of Niagara in 1952 and an autograph, not an uncommon thing for Marilyn to do for a fan. There are many (and I am one of them) who believe that Slatzer's claims of a close relationship with Marilyn are mostly fabrications.
Slatzer has been one of the biggest proponents of the Kennedy-murder theory in Marilyn's death and one of the strongest voices arguing for deeper investigation into the events of August 4th and 5th, 1962. Despite the many who believe Slatzer lied about his relationship with Marilyn, most will give him credit for his efforts to see Marilyn's death properly investigated.

What's the deal with Ted Jordan?

Ted Jordan has made a number of claims in his book about Marilyn, including that she worked as a prostitute and that she had a child by him in the late forties. His claims don't hold water; as a general rule he is viewed as the worst of the many trying to make a buck off Marilyn with outlandish tales.

What are the best books on Marilyn?

I can only give my personal opinion on this question, but I try to be as objective as I can when answering. There are many, many books out there on Marilyn, and all of them have good points and bad points. The best thing to do is to take the good out of each book you read and discard the bad. In time you will form your own picture of Marilyn...which is one of the amazing things about her - no two fans see her as exactly the same person. Although this list is in no way complete, I highly recommend the following books:
Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe by Anthony Summers - This is the book the hooked me - a good all-around biography, well researched. A good book for Kennedy theorists. WARNING: This book contains a post-mortem phot of Marilyn.
Marilyn Monroe: A Biography by Donald Spoto - another well-written biography that offers an interesting (non-Kennedy!) theory on Marilyn's death.
Marilyn: The Last Take by Peter Brown and Patte Barham - Focuses on the last four months of Marilyn's life. I recommend this book for the in-depth look at the forces behind the scenes at Fox that led to Marilyn's firing from the last movie. Also a Kennedy-theory book.
Marilyn: Her life in her own words by George Barris - From interviews with George Barris in the last month of her life, this book offers a glimpse at what Marilyn was really thinking at the end of her life. Combined with George Barris' wonderful pictures of Marilyn and his own comments, this is a wonderful book.
Marilyn: An Untold Story by Norman Rosten - A lovely tribute to Marilyn by her friend, poet Norman Rosten offers a rare look at the private Marilyn with her friends.
Milton's Marilyn by Milton Greene and Joshua Greene - Pick this one up for some of the most stunning photographs ever taken of Marilyn by her friend and onetime business partner Milton Greene.
Marilyn and Me: Sisters, Rivals, Friends by Susan Strasberg - the daughter of Marilyn's acting instructor, Lee Strasberg, and an actress herself, Susan Strasberg recounts fond memories of a strange sisterhood with Marilyn who was in some sense adopted into the Strasberg family.
The Complete Last Sitting by Bert Stern - Any serious fan will be enthralled by the over 2000 photos of Marilyn contained in this gargantuan book. Every time I open it I see something new. Worth every penny of the approximately $100 USD price tag.
The Marilyn Encyclopedia by Adam Victor - An awesome reference book that any fan will love - easy to use and handy to have around, this book is packed with nearly everything you could ever need to know about Marilyn.