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Documenting the life of Marilyn Monroe has been a cottage industry for more than 60 years. Admirers vehemently debate the most insightful — and most problematic — biographies and documentaries about the Blonde Bombshell’s eventful life on Reddit subs, Facebook groups and in other fan communities.
It’s not easy picking the highlights from dozens of documentaries and hundreds of books, but here are some vintage and more recent titles that stand out.
The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes
The most recent longform Marilyn documentary uses the unheard tapes that were utilized for the book “Goddess” — including interviews with John Huston and Billy Wilder — to focus on the circumstances around her death. Variety critic Owen Gleiberman said, “ ‘The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe’ is the rare tabloid exposé that wants to set the record straight, and does. It confronts the key questions, as well as the conspiracy theories.” Other reviewers, though, slammed it as “sinister” and “tawdry.”
Acclaimed documentarian Liz Garbus directed this doc based on the book “Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters,” edited by Stanley F. Buchthal and Bernard Comment. Critics called it an “elegant pastiche” based on Monroe’s own writings and read by a parade of notable names.
Produced for the 25th anniversary of her death and hosted by Lee Remick, the tribute includes rare footage of Monroe’s teenage years and material from her marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller, plus interviews with Robert Wagner, Gloria Steinem, Robert Mitchum, Susan Strasberg and Monroe herself.
Norma Jeane Alias Marilyn Monroe
This hour-long television documentary was based on a long interview from 1960 with French journalist Georges Belmont, in which Catherine Deneuve listens to the interview and responds.
The Legend of Marilyn Monroe
Narrated by her last director, John Huston, this early doc delves into the psyche of the late star, with lots of celebrity interviews.
Marilyn by Gloria Steinem
The feminist author brings out previously unknown stories revealing the star’s intelligence and emotional turmoil.
Norma Jean: The Life of Marilyn Monroe by Fred Lawrence Guiles
Considered one of the definitive records of Monroe, the tome offers interviews with primary sources like former husband Arthur Miller, friend and mentor Lee Strasberg and directors Otto Preminger, Billy Wilder and John Huston.
Marilyn Monroe by Charles Casillo
Casillo delves into Monroe’s bipolar disorder and other intimate moments in this comprehensive biography that features dozens of new interviews.
Marilyn Monroe: The Biography by Donald Spoto
Once considered the definitive Monroe biography, Spoto’s thorough tome has been criticized for sometimes-unclear sourcing and being overly sympathetic.
My Story by Marilyn Monroe
Published more than a decade after her death, this unfinished autobiography was shepherded to publication by playwright Ben Hecht. Though Monroe stopped chronicling her life after her marriage to Joe DiMaggio, it provides a unique angle on her early life and formative experiences.
Controversial for its mix of biography and psychoanalysis, it was critiqued as harsh at the time but remains an important record.
Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters
Uses Monroe’s own writings, including letters, poems and notes, interwoven with intimate photographs for an authentic, if incomplete, snapshot.
Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed by Michelle Morgan
Morgan interviewed more than 50 people, with the aim of presenting a less sensationalized account of the actress’ life.
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