The latest issue of French e-zine Crazy for You explores 1953 – when Marilyn finally achieved global superstardom – through some of her most iconic glamour shoots from the year she conquered the box office with a triple run of hit movies (Niagara, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and How to Marry a Millionaire.)
Jewellery is featured prominently in these layouts, for studio photographers Frank Powolny and Gene Trindl. The diamanté earrings she wore in a lingerie shoot with John Florea also sparkle in the hilarious courtroom scene from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, where Jane Russell impersonates Marilyn – even breaking into a spirited rendition of ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.’
While Marilyn’s shoulders are usually bared, it’s her hair and face, and not her body’s curves, which are highlighted here – marking the final stage of her ascent from pin-up girl to glamour queen. And as a reminder of their cultural ubiquity, here’s a selection of magazine covers featuring these images published over the last seventy years.
The Marilyn Report 