Top 10 Events We Hope Are In Blonde (Marilyn Monroe Biopic)

Marilyn was known for many things. One of those was being a style icon. Indeed, if we listed every outfit she wore that made a splash, we’d be here all day. Given their lasting significance in modern pop culture, “Blonde” would be amiss if they didn’t at least give them a nod. When we think of Marilyn’s most fabulous looks, outfits like the gold lamé dress shown briefly in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” the pink figure-hugging number from “Niagara,” and arguably her most famous gown spring to mind among countless others. Monroe knew how to dress to impress, and we’d love to see that celebrated in the newest biopic about her life and legacy.

She might’ve been one of the biggest stars of her time, but this actress was incredibly dependent on her acting coaches. Natasha Lytess (liTESS) and Paula Strasberg (STRAWssburg) were significant parts of her life; it would be a misstep to ignore their influences on Monroe’s career. We’d also love a scene depicting her time at the famous Actors Studio in New York. Following her tragic passing, her mentor, Lee Strasberg, insisted that the public never got to know the Marilyn that he knew. There seems to be a lot to unwrap here, and depicting her relationship with Strasberg and his impact on her life and career would be fascinating. We hope “Blonde” delves into this lesser known side of the actress.

Of course, Marilyn’s responsible for some of the best-known and most recreated moments in Hollywood history. And, we assume a lot of hard work went into making them happen. We’d love to be taken behind the scenes of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” when this famous number was staged and shot. We’re also intrigued to see how that iconic moment from “The Seven Year Itch” came to be. Apparently, they first tried to film on location, but the loud reactions to Marilyn’s dress blowing upwards made the footage unusable. Reportedly, 100 photographers and somewhere between 1,500 and 5,000 people witnessed this historic movie moment in the making. Now, that’s an angle we don’t think we’ve seen before in a Marilyn documentary!

A lot of attention often goes to Marilyn’s most high profile relationship with Yankees baseball star Joe DiMaggio. There’s much to discuss, from their happy beginnings to pregnancy struggles to how DiMaggio’s jealousy ultimately broke down the marriage. The biopic could even flash forward to after Monroe’s death when DiMaggio continued to show love and admiration for his late ex-wife. We’d also be curious to see how they’d depict her first marriage to James Dougherty, who she married at 16 to avoid returning to the orphanage. Her relationship with Arthur Miller would provide plenty of intrigue as well since he was a suspected communist. By association, Marilyn became a person of interest to the FBI.

Long before he was sworn in as the 35th President, Monroe allegedly had an on-again-off-again relationship with JFK. When their paths crossed again at a party, they reportedly rekindled the spark but, supposedly, she also became intimate with his brother, Bobby. Due to their high status, many details of these purported affairs are unknown. Rumor has it, the FBI was actually instructed to remove all evidence of their relationship following Marilyn’s death. Even if it’s entirely fabricated, there’s no denying that this topic would make for some riveting material in a Marilyn documentary. We’d get to witness the thrills of rubbing shoulders with America’s elite, as well as some more vulnerable moments showing how her relationship with the first family ultimately affected her life.

You’ve probably heard how Monroe convinced a club owner to let Ella Fitzgerald perform by promising to sit in the front row. While that might be hard to portray without partaking in the white savior trope, they could dive into what actually happened and the friendship it sparked. The duo had much in common, including difficult childhoods and marital heartbreak. So, they became fast friends. However, since Fitzgerald was completely against drinking and drugs, Marilyn’s substance use ultimately prevented them from becoming close. We’d also like “Blonde” to explore her friendship with Frank Sinatra, who supposedly was a close confidant. Apparently, he even bought her a Maltese Terrier, which she named Maf as a humorous nod to his alleged Mafia ties.

Marilyn documentaries or biopics often mention the star’s mother, Gladys Pearl Baker, but not many actually dig much deeper. Norma Jean was Gladys’ third child, and despite speculations, the identity of the father remains unknown. Shortly after her birth, Gladys left her daughter in foster care. But, they later reunited after she secured them a home. In 1934, Baker suffered a breakdown and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, something Marilyn was terrified she’d inherit. Norma Jean was passed between various homes and orphanages after her mom was institutionalized. Although their relationship was strained, Norma-turned-Marilyn took care of her mother until the day she died. This barely unearthed mother-daughter dynamic would surely be an interesting subplot for “Blonde” to investigate.

While we’ve seen plenty of media documenting Monore at the height of fame, not many explore how she got there. “Blonde” could show how Monroe was discovered by a talent scout while working in a factory as part of the war effort. We could then follow her modeling career and watch as she makes the decision to leave Norma Jean behind and become Marilyn Monroe. We have no doubt it was a rocky period of her life due to the notorious nature of showbiz big-wigs and their infamous black books. But it would also show how she defied all odds to become one of her generation's most sought out and desirable actresses.

You’ve heard stories about Marilyn’s tardiness and unprofessional behavior on set, right? Well, apparently, this was all due to her severe performance anxiety. This was also why she leaned so heavily on her acting coaches. According to her “Bus Stop” co-star, Don Murray, her anxiety was so debilitating that she would “break out in a rash every time” they’d film a scene. Also, supposedly, her signature breathy vocals was actually a technique she adopted to help overcome her childhood stutter. We think showcasing this side of the starlet would give Monroe the compassion she deserves. While Hollywood often presents her as this unstable diva with substance addiction, “Blonde” has the opportunity to set the record straight.

Like, any child, Norma Jean’s formative years played a significant role in molding the person she became. Yet, it’s often just a footnote in many screen adaptations of her life story. “Blonde” is set to begin with Monroe’s childhood, and there’s a lot to cover: Her early relationship with her mother, the instability of being passed around in the system, the siblings she’d later discover, and the father she never knew. These all contributed to Monroe becoming a person who just wanted to be loved. “Blonde” has the opportunity to dive into mostly uncharted waters with their take on Monroe’s childhood and younger teen years. We hope they do this vital chapter of her life justice.