Retracing Marilyn’s Rise to Stardom

Marilyn at the premiere of ‘Call Me Madam’, 1953

Ten Movies at a Time: A 350-Film Journey Through Hollywood and America 1930-1970, a new book by film historian John DiLeo, includes a chapter about Marilyn’s rise to fame, as Tavo Amador notes in his review for the Bay Area Reporter. (DiLeo’s book is also available via Kindle.)

“DiLeo discusses ‘Starlet Rising in the West: The Unsteady Climb of Marilyn Monroe (1950-1953).’ By looking at Monroe (1926-62) from her earliest days, DiLeo shows that her stardom wasn’t pre-ordained.

Other chapters cover the Cold War; post-WWII domesticity; musicals written for the screen, and those adapted from the stage; a decade of Westerns; and 50s remakes of 30s classics … DiLeo’s knowledge is encyclopedic, his opinions informed, his humor pointed. This makes for compulsive reading and lively discussions with other film buffs.”