Marilyn Monroe’s paternal figure, Stanley Mortensen, was wedded to Gladys Baker at the time of Monroe’s birth in 1926. Stanley and Gladys had met in California a few years earlier and were both involved in the film industry.
Regrettably, their marriage was not a joyous one and they parted ways when Monroe was merely six years old. Stanley secured custody of Monroe and her half-sister, Berniece, but he was an unfit father. He frequently indulged in alcohol and was abusive, neglecting his daughters’ necessities. Consequently, Monroe endured a challenging upbringing.
Albeit she never got to know her father closely, she did maintain sporadic contact with him over the years. He passed away in 1961, just a few months before Monroe’s own demise. Despite their estrangement, Monroe always regarded Stanley as her father and purportedly kept a photograph of him on her dresser until her final days.
What Role Does Marilyn Monroe’s Dad Play In The Movie ‘Blonde’?
The highly anticipated debut of “Blonde,” featuring Marilyn Monroe, took place on Netflix on September 28, 2022.
The film, which melds reality and fiction to depict an extremely tumultuous life that encompasses a myriad of profoundly distressing experiences, is not a conventional biography but rather a fictionalized adaptation of the eponymous novel by Joyce Carol Oates.
Many might wonder about the factual basis of this aspect of the movie, particularly the recurrent theme of Norma Jeane’s relationship with her father, or rather, the absence of such a relationship.
In the movie, Gladys is depicted as an extremely troubled woman who at one point even attempts to drown her daughter in the bathtub.
While there is no concrete evidence of the bathtub incident, Monroe did grow up in a dysfunctional family. Marilyn resided in several orphanages and foster homes without a genuine parental figure after Gladys was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
In the film, Monroe articulates her lack of a paternal figure in various ways, including addressing several of her partners as “Daddy” and making repeated endeavors to locate her father.
In one scene, she anticipates a reunion with her long-lost father upon being informed of a surprise waiting for her in her hotel room, and at the movie’s culmination, she believes she has finally received a letter from him, only to be disappointed once more.
Marilyn Monroe Had A Troubled Childhood Due To Her Father’s Absence
Marilyn Monroe had a turbulent childhood. Her mother, Gladys, suffered from paranoia and frequently grappled with mental health issues. Consequently, Monroe was shuffled between foster homes and orphanages for the majority of her early years.
Her father, Stanley, was largely absent from her life, and their interactions were sporadic. When he did visit, he often criticized her appearance and made hurtful remarks about her weight. Monroe also endured sexual abuse at the hands of some of her caregivers.
These early experiences profoundly impacted Monroe, shaping her perspective on relationships and self-worth. Despite attaining stardom as one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actresses, Monroe perpetually carried the scars of her tumultuous upbringing.
To What Extent Is the Marilyn Monroe Movie ‘Blonde’ True?
Prior to her passing, Marilyn Monroe entreated a journalist not to ridicule her, expressing her desire to be esteemed and loved by others. However, in the recent film Blonde, she becomes the subject of sexualized and unamusing ridicule. The movie goes to extreme lengths to belittle and diminish her.
To be fair, “Blonde’s” creator Joyce Carol Oates and director Andrew Dominik have been forthright about the purely fictitious nature of the film. The settings, attire, and hairstyles are authentic.
Cinematographer Chayse Irvin masterfully reimagines poignant moments from her life on screen. Nonetheless, there isn’t a single line spoken by Marilyn in the film.
