Marilyn Monroe didn´t like TV
We all know Marilyn Monroe for her work in film, but her relationship with television was quite different. She appeared several times on TV, though the truth is that Marilyn wasn’t particularly fond of the medium. Having grown up loving cinema, she saw television as a form of competition that didn’t appeal to her as much.
At the time Marilyn became a star, the competition between television and cinema was fierce. The United States was known for its Hollywood films, but television now posed a significant threat. To compete, color cinema became common in the 1950s, something television still couldn’t offer, and this became a major attraction for audiences. The development of Cinemascope allowed filmmakers to create spectacular landscapes and vibrant sets. Marilyn played a big role in this, as her rise to stardom coincided almost perfectly with the expansion of color cinema. In her first films that launched her fame in 1953 and 1954, color was key: in Niagara and River of No Return it was used to create breathtaking landscapes, and in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, and There's No Business Like Show Business it helped build glamorous, luxurious sets. Moreover, Marilyn was the new star, and to see her, audiences had to go to the cinema—not turn on the television.
Despite this, Marilyn made a few television appearances, very few compared to modern stars, but comparable to other celebrities of her time. Her first was in 1953 on The Jack Benny Program, where she performed in a sketch with Benny on a cruise, imitating the style of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, which had been released recently. In this sketch, Marilyn even sings Bye Bye Baby. In 1954, she appeared on The Bob Hope Show. In 1955, she gave an interview for Person to Person, conducted with Milton and Amy Greene at their home. They discussed topics such as Marilyn Monroe Productions, living with Marilyn, and aspects of her films. Marilyn became very nervous because she felt her casual clothing and light makeup didn’t look good next to Amy, who was a brunette. She was also worried that it was live, with no chance of retakes, but the producer told her to relax and just look at the camera, which worked and Marilyn calmed down. Her final appearance was for Happy Birthday, Mr. President, although this was done as a gift for President Kennedy rather than for television.
However, as I mentioned at the beginning, Marilyn was not very fond of television. Since childhood, she had loved cinema and dreamed of becoming an actress, so she saw television as its competitor. Marilyn seemed to view television as a form of empty entertainment compared to cinema, which she considered an art. Some of her statements on the matter include: for the autobiography she was preparing with George Barris, she said: "The only time I watch television is for the news program or for a good movie. I’m not what you’d call a TV fan." Or, during the filming of The Misfits, Marilyn complained to John Huston about cutting a scene in which her breast was visible, saying: "Oh, John," said Marilyn, "let's get people away from the television sets. I love to do things the censors won't pass. After all, what are we here for, just to stand around and let it pass us by? Gradually they'll let down the censorship—though probably not in my lifetime."
In summary, Marilyn was a true actress; she loved cinema, and acting was her passion. Television had none of that for her and, moreover, it was her competition, so she had no reason to like it very much.
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