Elton John's Candle in the Wind--a tribute to Marilyn and later to Princess Diana

The occasion of Marilyn's birth anniversary on June 1, is an opportune time to look at the life and times of an actress who attracted attention both on and off screen. Her troubled childhood, tempestuous marriages and her stormy professional life all precipitated her untimely end in1962. Though there is still speculation about whether she ended her life or was done in by motivated interests, there is still no denying that in her 16-year career she has made her mark in Hollywood with as many as 29 films.

Among her greatest acting milestones are The Prince and the Showgirl, The Misfits and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Her first serious acting job was in The Asphalt Jungle (1950). The film earned her favourable reviews in the press. Another milestone was Don't Bother to Knock where she had a leading part.

Norma Jeane, as she was named in her childhood, had to carry the stigma of not knowing the whereabouts of her father. Her mother Gladys suffered from depression and for a while Norma had to stay in a foster home. Back home briefly with her mother, she was later looked after by Grace McKee, a close friend of her mother.

Her tormented childhood probably explained her disastrous marriages-first with Jim Dougherty. It was in the course of this marriage that Norma Jeane, while working in a factory inspecting parachutes in 1944, was photographed by the Army as a promotion effort. One of the photographers, David Conover, asked to take more pictures of her. By 1945, she was becoming known as a 'photographer's dream' and had become a well known face in the print media.

Marilyn's film career took off in 1946 when she signed a contract with Twentieth Century -Fox Studios. She took on her mother's family name of Monroe and was from that time known as Marilyn Monroe. In 1948 she sang her first song in the film Ladies of the Chorus. Other films were There's no business like show business and The seven year itch.

After her relationship with Dougherty came to an end, Marilyn drifted into marriages with Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller, the famous playwright. There were also rumours of her clandestine relationship with John F Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy.

On August 8, 1962, she was supposed to remarry Joe DiMaggio. But three days prior to this date, she was found dead. Though there has been considerable speculation about her death, the consensus of opinion is that suicide was unlikely. More on the mark is the theory of an accidental drug overdose, possibly administered by someone else.

DiMaggio, her most trusted companion, made arrangements for the funeral. No one from Hollywood or press was invited and only her close friends and relatives were called. Talking about Hollywood, a saddened DiMaggio said 'they had only hurt Marilyn'.

Marilyn has stated what could be an elegy to herself: 'I knew I belonged to the public and the world, not because I was talented or even beautiful, but because I had never belonged to anything or anyone else.'

Compiled by Cultural Correspondent