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1953: The Year Marilyn Monroe Became a Legend


The Jewel Theatre is celebrating 70 Years in Central Alberta in 2023. As part of our celebrations we are looking back at the last seven decades of Hollywood Stars and films that brought us ogether at the Jewel Theatre. #70yrsofjeweltheatre. For more on the 70th Anniversary of the Jewel Theatre please click here, subscribe to our weekly eNews at the top of this website and follow us on Facebook, Instagram & TikTok.


Marilyn Monroe was already a seasoned actress in 1953. She had earned almost 20 screen credits since her 1947 feature film debut, and although she mostly played supporting characters, she knew how to steal a scene.

Marilyn Monroe in Niagara (1953)
Wikimedia Commons

1953 changed everything. Monroe's career was gaining trajectory; this would be the first year her name appeared above the movie title, which meant she was a superstar.


Monroe's talent was often dismissed because she was so beautiful. But along with her perfect comedic timing, she could play hard, cynical women.


The three Marilyn Monroe films released in 1953 were all Top-Ten box office hits. Not only did they prove how versatile she was, they would also make her a Legend.


Niagara

This film is often called “The Best Film Hitchcock Never Made”. Monroe plays a heartless woman vacationing in Niagara Falls with her much-older husband. In a place famous for honeymooners, Monroe shows us a dark side of marriage.


Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Monroe stars with Jane Russell in a female buddy movie/musical that takes place on a luxury liner. The pair sail to Europe to force a boyfriend into matrimony, but the film is really about the friendship of these two women, who became close friends in real life.


How to Marry a Millionaire

This was one of the first movies filmed in CinemaScope, and the widescreen format was necessary for all the gorgeous fashions. Monroe plays a model who leases a penthouse apartment in Manhattan with pals Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable. Their goal: To capture and marry a millionaire.


1953 would be the final year of multiple Marilyn Monroe films. Her output was significantly less in the following years due to health and other reasons. Yet some of her most famous movies were still to come, such as The Seven Year Itch (1955) and Some Like It Hot (1959).


See you at the Jewel!

Ruth

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