Why Marilyn Monroe was such a hit with the public, while Hollywood was full of look-alike blonde actresses

The Marilyn Monroe phenomenon can be talked about for many, many years: a simple girl who became a great actress in the 50s, and men literally fell at her feet. Her worldwide fame is undeniable, and her picture on movie posters and magazine covers left a milestone in history.

O awesome.club tried to find out why the beautiful blonde had become such a recognized symbol in the world—and why she couldn’t be replaced by anyone else. Check out!

Even before the start of her career, Norma changed her appearance radically. Even then, she knew that blondes with well-groomed hair were more likely to make it to Hollywood.

And that’s how she signed her first contract with 20th Century Fox. Company director Ben Lyon soon pointed out that the actress’s wedding name, Daugherty, contained many different pronunciations. Therefore, together, they began to think of a pseudonym. The budding actress suggested using her mother’s family name, and Lyon chose the name Marilyn because Norma reminded him of Marilyn Miller — star of the Broadway musical Ziegfeld Follies.

In one of her letters, the actress wrote that the pseudonym Claire Norma was also one of the options. It took another 10 years before she officially changed her name on the documents.

However, Marilyn Monroe is much more than a pretty name. The image of the actress was gradually growing. At first, the girl was only given small roles—playing the stereotype of the stunningly beautiful and luxurious woman. The public response was very positive, and Marilyn’s popularity continued to develop.

Despite job offers being always present, Marilyn wanted to evolve professionally, so she started acting classes. However, all the effort made no sense, as the directors saw her as just an attractive woman. So, she started doing more of what she seemed to do best: exposing her beauty.

A scene from the feature The Prince and the Showgirl. This is the only Marilyn Monroe film not shot in Hollywood.

It is worth mentioning that women, in general, did not seem to like Marilyn very much: by many, she was seen as promiscuous. However, it was the actress herself who brought to the fashion world the dresses that highlighted all the curves of the body. She wasn’t shy about wearing clothes that made her more beautiful and attractive.

Of course, Marilyn wasn’t the first blonde to appear on the big screen. Lana Turner, for example, started acting before her. Aside from looks, there was another similarity between the two: Lana couldn’t boast of having had a very easy childhood either. In 1951, Lana Turner was named the most glamorous woman in world art history.

Another striking blonde from the Marilyn Monroe era is Grace Kelly — who ended her career to become the wife of the Prince of Monaco. However, rumor has it that the prince was recommended to marry a Hollywood star, and it seems that his other option was Marilyn.

After the success of Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood blondes, and beyond their premises, began to emerge like mushrooms after rain. All in search of the same success. One such actress, Jayne Mansfield, has also signed a contract with 20th Century Fox. The movie studio planned to replace this actress with the capricious and even more demanding Marilyn Monroe. Although they look similar, Jayne doesn’t consider herself a “Marilyn copy”. She insisted that the two weren’t that much alike.

Marilyn and Jayne Mansfield

Interestingly, another light-haired Hollywood actress, Kim Novak, was born Marilyn. Audiences may remember her in Hitchcock’s classic The Body That Falls. Once again, Marilyn and Kim turned out to be alike not just in appearance: both had difficult childhoods, as well as psychological problems.

A movie studio hired Kim to replace another famous actress — Rita Hayworth — who had completely lost control and was no longer bringing significant returns. Directors expected Kim to bring in as much income as Marilyn.

Because of this, many tried to fit the actress into the stereotype that viewers already knew, but the girl did not get carried away and resisted it tooth and nail — seeking to maintain her uniqueness. At first, she refused to change her name. Afterwards, the studio demanded that the actress lose weight and make her locks lighter. With her outfits being handpicked, Kim has been turned into the “ideal model” and should start bringing money into the industry. And that is exactly what happened.

There were other actresses who were very similar to Marilyn. One of them: Betty Grable. Together, they participated in the movie How to Grab a Millionaire. However, rumors circulated that the two did not get along. It was said that Betty, whose popularity was on the wane, was possibly jealous of Marilyn, who had become Hollywood’s superstar. In fact, however, despite their differences, the two seem to have managed to understand each other. Once, Betty even told Marilyn that she had already achieved success, wishing her colleague the same.

Another beautiful actress of the generation was Sheree North. There were rumors in Hollywood that 20th Century Fox had hired her just to intimidate the insubordinate Marilyn Monroe. Not only did Sheree have blonde hair, but in terms of body proportions, she was entirely on par with the superstar. However, unlike other actresses, Sheree never seems to have been shy about getting older, as she later on, she seamlessly played older women roles.

Another Marilyn Monroe “clone” was Mamie Van Doren. The actress worked for another studio, Universal, which was looking for an analogue of Marilyn. Mamie dyed her locks blonde and started her career playing the roles of naive but very pretty girls. In an interview, Mamie said the directors didn’t know what to make of her as they were more used to working with male stars such as Rock Hudson, Jeff Chandler and Tony Curtis.

Marilyn and Mamie Van Doren

There was also another movie diva across the ocean. Diana Dors was the “British version” of Marilyn Monroe: she was called that for her resemblance to Marilyn. When the film The Secret of the Gems hit the British box office, journalists said that the actress, playing the protagonist, was very similar to Diana Dors.

In 1956, Diana left her country to conquer Hollywood and signed a contract with the film studio RKO. However, all the high expectations ended in failure: shortly after, the company canceled the actress’ contract, as her films were not successful.

Another actress, also tipped to replace Marilyn, was Anita Ekberg. She was born and raised in Sweden, but visited the United States in 1951 to participate in the Miss Universe pageant. Although she didn’t win, Anita was “fished” by Universal Studios. In the mid-1950s, she went to work for Paramount — being promoted as the “Marilyn Monroe of Paramount.” The actress achieved worldwide fame after her role in The Sweet Life of Federico Fellini.

Madonna and Christina Aguilera

Marilyn Monroe left behind a number of classic looks that have been embraced by pop culture. Some of the stars who have already embodied the image of the great superstar include Madonna, Scarlett Johansson, Christina Aguilera, Michelle Williams, Mariah Carey, Gwen Stefani, Lindsay Lohan, Lady Gaga, Drew Barrymore, among others.

In fact, Marilyn Monroe’s image still seems to retain its relevance these days, and many of the attempts to replace Hollywood’s glamorous blonde simply don’t pan out.

In your opinion, what was the main reason for Marilyn Monroe’s huge success? Why haven’t other similar-looking actresses reached as high as her?