GFF Marilyn Monroe

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GFF26Marilyn Monroe 100

Join us in celebrating the legendary life of Marilyn Monroe in the 100th year of her birth, through five films that represent her wit, vulnerability, and a star power that left an indelible mark on cinema.

Programme Notes

Programme NotesThe Only Blonde in the World

Programme Notes by Lillian Salvatore

There are many sides to Marilyn Monroe. She was an actress, of course, but she was so much more. She was the sex symbol, sex pot, blonde bombshell. The dumb blonde, the alluring blonde, the blonde. She’s a tragedy, a body, a femme fatale, the symbol of the Hollywood movie star system, and a vessel for conspiracy. She’s Warhol’s Diptych, heavy seductive eyes in every colour you can imagine. She is red lips, blonde hair, and a white dress billowing over the subway grate. She was the victim of an abusive, horrible childhood, then the victim of Hollywood. She’s the tragic figure. The drug addict. The beauty standard. The star.

What does it mean to celebrate her centenary? In 2026 do we see her as purely a victim of the male gaze, or is she recognised for being the feminist icon whose image continues to influence fashion and pop culture today? Although it is one the surest facts about her life, the image of Marilyn Monroe tends to eclipse that she was an actor. My own first encounter of her on screen was in All About Eve (1950), and I couldn’t quite believe that someone so inextricably famous could ever have had such a small part in a film.

The full programme notes can be found here.