Goodbye Norma Jean, Though We Never … Knew You Were Jewish
posted by Eric Muller
Is the idea that the FBI spied on Arthur Miller supposed to surprise anyone?
On the other hand, the idea that Marilyn Monroe took her vows under a chupah is a surprise.
Perhaps they stepped on a martini glass.
June 21, 2006 at 11:56 am
Posted in: Culture
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Responses (5)
Ted - June 21, 2006 at 5:45 pm
Monroe (at least nominally) converted to Judaism to marry Miller; I’d thought everyone in my generation who knew of a chupah got the memo, meant to instill ethnic pride, with the list of famous Jews.
Bev Loomis - June 29, 2006 at 11:32 pm
I might stir up controversy with this one but…
I’ve always wondered if Marilyn Monroe was herself Jewish in part, before marrying Arthur Miller. She said that she was of Nordic and Celtic background. Her real name was Norma Jeane Baker or Mortensen, which are decidedly non-Jewish. Baker could have come from her mother Gladys Baker, who was mentally unstable and promiscuous. She never knew her biological father who might very well have been Jewish. However, prior to becoming famous, her old photos show “typical” Semitic features…very frizzy curly red-brown hair and something about her looks that I can’t discern. It was quite common back then for Hollywood to take a Jewish or Latin actor (with the exception of Rudolph Valentino) and alter the person’s name and/or physical appearance to look more “Nordic”. Rita Hayworth and a few others went through this. Old photos of Norma Jeane look like the photo of many a young Jewish girl, in my humble opinion. *smiles* She was so pretty!
She looked nothing like the person she would become, the sex symbol Marilyn. Unlike Norma Jeane, Marilyn had straight platinum blond hair(no curls!), a very small button nose, and very different facial features. I know that some director wanted her to have the pointy tip removed from her nose. This might not mean anything because Hollywood stars do this stuff all the time but back then it was mostly about covering up anything that seemed different. Rock Hudson was Jewish. So was Theda Bara. There are blonde and red-haired Jewish people so it is possible that Marilyn might have had some Jewish connection there. I’m Jewish myself and there are plenty of Jewish girls who look like Marilyn when she was still Norma Jeane. Marilyn with straight platinum hair would be referred to as a “shiksa” (non-Jewish woman or gentile) by older Jews, but Norma Jeane’s appearance fits the bill. I don’t wish to offend anyone but this is something about Marilyn that has piqued my curiosity for years. She was an icon and continues to interest many people.
pg - April 22, 2008 at 1:25 am
I agree with you actually — I have thought the same thing for years — that Ms. Monroe was Jewish — I wonder why they would hide that though instead of flaunt and be proud of it — idiots — that is like Marcell Marceau’s (the mime of Paris) daughter Sophie Marceau (director now in Paris) — changing his name (I forget their real surname – but it is definitely Jewish) — to hide their origins — I think that is sad that they felt the need to hide that — I say be proud — I would like to see the truth of Monroe mass publicized and the facts brought out if it is true — JUST BECAUSE — for the sake of the truth — she was always very pretty even before — and maybe some young Jewish girls would not feel so pressured to straighten their hair or desire nose jobs. Thank God Barbara Streisand (love her or hate her) had the Chutzpa to be herself — nose and all — and she is BEAUTIFUL to me.
pg - April 22, 2008 at 1:25 am
I agree with you actually — I have thought the same thing for years — that Ms. Monroe was Jewish — I wonder why they would hide that though instead of flaunt and be proud of it — idiots — that is like Marcell Marceau’s (the mime of Paris) daughter Sophie Marceau (director now in Paris) — changing his name (I forget their real surname – but it is definitely Jewish) — to hide their origins — I think that is sad that they felt the need to hide that — I say be proud — I would like to see the truth of Monroe mass publicized and the facts brought out if it is true — JUST BECAUSE — for the sake of the truth — she was always very pretty even before — and maybe some young Jewish girls would not feel so pressured to straighten their hair or desire nose jobs. Thank God Barbara Streisand (love her or hate her) had the Chutzpa to be herself — nose and all — and she is BEAUTIFUL to me.
pg - April 22, 2008 at 1:27 am
I agree with you actually — I have thought the same thing for years — that Ms. Monroe was Jewish — I wonder why they would hide that though instead of flaunt and be proud of it — idiots — that is like Marcell Marceau’s (the mime of Paris) daughter Sophie Marceau (director now in Paris) — changing his name (I forget their real surname – but it is definitely Jewish) — to hide their origins — I think that is sad that they felt the need to hide that — I say be proud — I would like to see the truth of Monroe mass publicized and the facts brought out if it is true — JUST BECAUSE — for the sake of the truth — she was always very pretty even before — and maybe some young Jewish girls would not feel so pressured to straighten their hair or desire nose jobs. Thank God Barbara Streisand (love her or hate her) had the Chutzpa to be herself — nose and all — and she is BEAUTIFUL to me.
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