The most special award that Marilyn Monroe ever won

Marilyn Monroe, despite being one of the most iconic and charismatic actresses in film history, endured a near-systematic rejection from the Academy Awards, never even receiving a nomination despite standout performances in films such as Bus Stop, Some Like It Hot, or The Misfits. However, outside that more rigid and selective circuit, other awards did recognize, at least partially, her impact and talent, though never quite to the extent she truly deserved. Throughout her career she received honors such as a Golden Globe for Some Like It Hot, a David di Donatello for The Prince and the Showgirl, a Laurel Award for The Seven Year Itch, and a Photoplay Award for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, along with at least two BAFTA nominations. Yet among all these accolades, one stands out for its rarity and almost exotic status within Hollywood recognition: the so-called Crystal Star, a prize that at the time functioned as something close to the modern César Awards in Europe.

The Crystal Star was an award given by the French film academy during a period when its focus was particularly oriented toward European cinema and, only selectively, toward foreign performers who had left a notable mark outside the traditional Hollywood system. It was not a common distinction, and it was far from easily accessible for American stars, making it almost exotic to see a Hollywood figure included among its recipients. In that sense, it is especially striking that many of the so-called “untouchable” legends of the Academy Awards system, actors and actresses deeply established within the American industry, never received this kind of European recognition, whereas Marilyn Monroe did manage to obtain it, further highlighting the uniqueness of her international impact beyond classic Hollywood.

The presentation of the Crystal Star to Marilyn Monroe took place in New York, at the French consulate, rather than in Paris as one might expect from a French academy award. The award was personally presented by Georges Auric, a key figure within the institution, in recognition of her performance in The Prince and the Showgirl. This gesture highlighted the award’s international nature and emphasized the importance French critics placed on her performance, to the extent that the ceremony was held on American soil for the official presentation.

Beyond the award itself, what makes the Crystal Star particularly significant in Marilyn Monroe’s career is what it represents in terms of her relationship with international criticism and, more specifically, with European cinema. While in Hollywood her recognition was inconsistent, delayed, or even entirely absent in terms of Academy Award nominations, this kind of distinction reflects a completely different reading of her as an actress. In Europe, her image was not as tightly bound to the constraints of the studio star system or the media construction of her as an “icon”, and could instead be approached from a perspective more focused on her actual performance work.

In this context, the Crystal Star is not just an isolated trophy, but part of a broader pattern: that of an actress who, despite being underestimated within her own industrial system, found abroad a more attentive reception to her talent. This is not to say that Europe “understood” Marilyn better in every case, but rather that there was a different critical sensitivity, less shaped by Hollywood machinery and more open to valuing her screen presence. It is precisely this tension between both worlds that makes this award stand out so strongly within her career.

The Prince and the Showgirl is also one of the less popular films within Marilyn Monroe’s filmography, which can make it somewhat surprising that it was precisely this performance that earned her such an exclusive award as the Crystal Star. However, this choice makes a great deal of sense when looking closely at her work as Elsie Marina, one of the standout performances of her career. Personally, it can easily be considered her fourth-best performance, at least at the time of writing this article, and likely her strongest almost purely comedic role. I say “almost purely” because, while in Some Like It Hot her Sugar Kane blends comedy, drama, and musical elements within a single performance, Elsie Marina operates in a much more straightforward comedic register, built almost entirely on timing and lightness.

It is a role that, in any ranking of her best work, should comfortably sit within a top five. It is true that Marilyn reached higher peaks in films such as Bus Stop, Some Like It Hot, or The Misfits, but that does not diminish the value of her work in The Prince and the Showgirl. It is a very solid, precise, and fully conscious performance, and in that sense it hardly feels like a questionable choice for an award. It is simply that, in a career with such extraordinary highs, there will always be a few performances that stand above the rest.

Overall, the Crystal Star ends up functioning as a particularly revealing piece within Marilyn Monroe’s career. In a trajectory marked by the systematic disregard of the Academy Awards, where she never even received a nomination, this kind of European recognition takes on an almost symbolic value. Not only because it comes from outside the Hollywood system, but because it emerges from a critical environment that was rarely impressed by the American star system. The result is an interesting paradox: Marilyn, overlooked by the most prestigious institution in her own country, ultimately received an award that, although less widely known, is in many ways more singular and harder to obtain than a conventional Oscar. Its rarity within Hollywood circles, combined with the list of legendary performers who never received it, makes this distinction especially meaningful within her filmography