Top 10 Films: Marilyn Monroe
- Lindsay Blenkarn
- 12 hours ago
- 13 min read
Marilyn Monroe easily remains one of the most famous figures of the studio era, as well as one of the most recognizable faces on the planet. An iconic sex symbol that managed to be adored by both men and women, she continues to attract fans with her unique combination of sensuality and innocence. 2026 marks her 100th birthday and her face and name remain just as well known even to those who have never seen any of her films. But, to ignore her work would be a tragedy, for Marilyn Monroe was more than just a pretty face.
A graduate of the famed Actor’s Studio in NYC, Marilyn was only rarely given the chance to show her dramatic chops due to the great popularity of her comedies. Onscreen, she glows with a radiance, warmth, and vulnerability completely unique to her. In her personal life, she was famously plagued with both psychological and substance abuse problems and that genuine fragility comes through in many of her characterizations. If you have yet to witness the magic of the real Marilyn Monroe onscreen, it's about time you check out one of her movies in honor of her 100th birthday. But, which Marilyn Monroe movies still remain the most popular in 2026...??
10. The Prince and the Showgirl (1957)
Based on the play The Sleeping Prince by Terence Rattigan—and adapted by him for the screen—this charming romantic-comedy stars Marilyn Monroe opposite the legendary Laurence Olivier (who acted as director, star, and producer). Set in 1911, the movie stars Olivier as Charles, the Prince Regent of Carpathia, who has just arrived in London with his young son, King Nicholas VIII, for the coronation of England’s King George V. After attending a musical called The Coconut Girl and meeting the cast backstage, the Prince Regent sends a formal invitation to one of the actresses to join him at the Carpathian embassy for supper. The actress in question is Elsie Marina (Marilyn), the lone American in the musical’s cast. As soon as Elsie arrives at the embassy, she realizes that the Prince Regent intends to seduce her. But, Elsie is not going to be nearly as predictable as Charles expects.
Filmed on location in London, this British/American co-production was the first non-Shakespearean film Olivier ever directed and the only international film Monroe ever made. Olivier originated the role of the Prince Regent on the West End, opposite his wife, Vivien Leigh. Despite Olivier’s distinguished reputation, Marilyn absolutely steals this movie out from under him, giving one of her best comedic performances as the likable Elsie.
Unfortunately, Marilyn also proved to be difficult and unpredictable during production, leading to a highly contemptuous relationship between her and Olivier. Olivier was particularly angered by her dependence on the advice of her acting coach, Paula Strasberg, a constant presence on set. Although only a modest success in the United States, The Prince and the Showgirl proved to be much more popular in Britain and was even nominated for a number of BAFTAS (British Academy Film Awards).
9. River of No Return (1954)
With a basic premise partially inspired by the highly influential Italian film The Bicycle Thief, River of No Return marked Marilyn Monroe’s first and only time starring in a true Western. Set in 1870s Idaho, Marilyn plays the role of Kay, a saloon singer engaged to a gambler named Harry Weston. When Harry wins a gold mine in a poker game, he and Kay try to head up river on a raft to claim it. But, since neither of them have much experience rafting, they end up needing to be rescued by Matt Calder (Robert Mitchum) and his 9-year-old son Mark (Tommy Rettig). Although Kay gets along very well with Mark, his father Matt doesn’t seem to like her or her fiancé very much. But, it turns out that Matt had good reason not to trust Harry. Once Harry realizes that it'll be easier to travel by land, he attacks Matt and steals his horse and gun. Harry expects Kay to come with him but, she refuses to leave the young boy and his injured father on their own. So, she makes Harry promise to come back and get her after he’s staked their claim. However, it isn’t long after Harry leaves that a hostile American Indian tribe (who had already been keeping a close eye on the Calder homestead) seizes their opportunity to attack and the 3 of them are forced to flee. But, the only way left for them to travel is on the treacherous Salmon River, also known as, "The River of No Return".
Directed by Otto Preminger, River of No Return was shot on location in the Canadian Rockies and on the real Salmon River. Although the cinematography in the film is breathtaking, behind the scenes this movie had its share of problems. Not only did the production have to contend with heavy rain and Robert Mitchum’s ongoing drinking problems, Marilyn actually fell into the river at one point and badly injured her ankle. This caused her to miss work for a few days and eventually put her in a cast and crutches, which then had to be creatively worked around for the remainder of filming.
One lesser known fact about River of No Return is that it's quite possibly the very first movie in film history to use the now ubiquitous blood squib (to simulate bullet wounds). Quite oddly, many journalists continue to incorrectly name the Polish film Pokolenie from 1955 as the first movie to use blood squibs and Run of the Arrow from 1957 as the first Hollywood film to use them. In actuality, River of No Return’s use of the effect predates both of those films by a fairly significant margin.
8. Monkey Business (1952)
This fun screwball comedy marks Marilyn Monroe’s first time working with director Howard Hawks. Monkey Business features Marilyn in a smaller role this time around, as the film truly belongs to her co-stars, Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers. Grant plays the role of Dr. Barnaby Fulton, a middle-aged research chemist who has been working on a rejuvenating youth serum for the Oxley Chemical Company. Things have been slow going until one of the lab’s chimpanzees gets loose and accidentally mixes up a more effective version of the formula.
Unbeknownst to anyone else, this new formula ends up in the lab’s water cooler and it doesn’t take long before both Barnaby and his wife, Edwina (Rogers), start to feel the effects of this unique “fountain of youth”. Marilyn plays the role of Miss Laurel, the young secretary of Barnaby’s boss who gets pulled into Barnaby's antics once he starts to feel like he’s 20 again.
Both Grant and Rogers give hilarious performances as the ever more childlike Barnaby and Edwina. Without a doubt, Monkey Business is the kind of movie that features such an absolutely outlandish concept that it depends entirely on the talent of those involved to pull it off. Luckily, this is a film with an A+ cast that delivers in spades.
7. Niagara (1953)
Often considered her breakout role, this brightly-colored noir marks the very first time Marilyn Monroe was ever given star billing. The film follows young couple Ray and Polly Cutler (played by Max Showalter and Jean Peters) as they arrive at Niagara Falls for a belated honeymoon. Once there, they immediately become acquainted with another couple who are also vacationing at the Falls, George and Rose Loomis (played by Joseph Cotten and Marilyn). Unlike the Cutlers, the Loomis’ marriage is very troubled. Still recovering from his time serving in the Korean War, George has become increasingly possessive and prone to jealous rages regarding his beautiful wife. But the Cutlers soon discover that George has a reason to be jealous: Rose really does have a lover on the side. However, her endgame is more insidious than simply leaving her husband.
Shot on location at the real Niagara Falls, Niagara features Marilyn at her most seductive in one of her darkest roles. Originally, the film was intended to star Anne Baxter in the role of Polly Cutler. But when Baxter had to back out, the film was reworked to shift more focus to the character of Rose, turning the film into a perfect vehicle for Marilyn.
Highly successful when it was first released, Niagara might have led Monroe to more femme fatale roles, if it hadn’t been followed so closely afterwards by her even bigger comedic successes in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire (all released in 1953). The combination of these three films shot her to A-list Hollywood fame and helped solidify her unique onscreen persona.
6. Don't Bother to Knock (1952)
Based on the novel Mischief by Charlotte Armstrong, this suspenseful drama stars Marilyn Monroe opposite Richard Widmark and a young Anne Bancroft in her film debut. Widmark plays the role of Jed Towers, an airline pilot staying at the NYC hotel where his newly ex-girlfriend, Lyn (Bancroft), works as a lounge singer. Upset about the recent breakup, Jed decides to distract himself by flirting with Nell Forbes (Marilyn), the pretty girl staying in the hotel room whose window directly faces his. But, unbeknownst to Jed, Nell isn’t really a guest at the hotel at all. She’s actually the niece of one of the hotel’s elevator operators, who has been hired to babysit the daughter of one of the hotel’s guests. As Jed starts to spend more time with Nell, he quickly comes to realize that she is not what she seems and is probably the last girl he should have tried to flirt with.
Monroe is brilliantly cast as the fragile and troubled Nell. Marilyn herself considered it one of her best performances and, indeed, it's arguably one of the most layered and vulnerable performances of her career. Coincidentally, in the original novel, Nell’s last name is actually Munro. But, as soon as Marilyn was cast in the film version, Nell’s last name was quickly changed to Forbes in order to avoid confusion.
5. The Misfits (1961)
Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Arthur Miller—Marilyn Monroe's husband at the time—The Misfits turned out to be Marilyn's very last completed film (and her co-star Clark Gable's last as well). Directed by John Huston, the movie features an amazing ensemble, including Actors Studio alumni, Montgomery Clift and Eli Wallach. Monroe stars as Roslyn Tabor, a woman who has traveled to Reno, Nevada in order to get a quick divorce from her husband. A bit lost about what to do next, she meets aging cowboy Gay Langland (Gable), as well as his friends Guido (Wallach) and Perce (Clift). Roslyn is entranced by the independent lifestyle of these cowboys and before she knows it, she’s falling for Gay and living with him in Guido’s old house. But, as she spends more time with these men, she starts to realize they might be just as lost and broken as she is.
Filmed on location in Nevada, this beautiful character piece features subtle and layered performances from all of the major players (Monroe and Gable in particular do some of the best work of their careers). Behind the scenes, the production was plagued by problems, the least of which was the unbearable heat of the Nevada desert (often reaching as high as 108 degrees). By the time production started, Marilyn and Arthur Miller were in the middle of divorce proceedings, which seemed to exacerbate her substance abuse problems. At one point, Huston even shut down production so she could be sent to the hospital to detox. On top of that, Montgomery Clift was suffering from severe substance abuse problems of his own, necessitating a doctor to be on call 24 hours a day to care for the two fragile actors.
Clark Gable, for his part, treated Marilyn with a gentle kindness and protectiveness that she greatly appreciated, which translates to an easy chemistry between the two onscreen. Gable passed away only 12 days after filming was completed and, in many ways, The Misfits is a perfect swan song for these two legendary actors. The film’s climax does not even include a traditional "The End" placard, just a simple shot of the stars as it gently fades to black.
4. How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
Inspired by the plays The Greeks Had A Word For It by Zoe Akins and Loco by Dale Eunson and Katherine Albert, this light comedy stars Marilyn Monroe alongside Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall as three fashion models that have taken it upon themselves to land millionaire husbands. To accomplish this, they pool their resources to rent a high-priced apartment they can barely afford in order to be surrounded by (and attract) men with large bank accounts. But could this plan actually work?
Although Marilyn did receive star billing for this film, the real star of How To Marry A Millionaire is Lauren Bacall as Schatze, the brains of the operation. Despite the fact that both Monroe and Betty Grable have less screen time than Bacall, Monroe easily steals the show in every scene she appears in, hitting the perfect comedic notes in her role as Pola. Poor Pola is blind as a bat, yet refuses to wear her glasses in public for fear that they might repel potential husbands. Watching the hopelessly near-sighted Pola try to get by without her glasses is one of the major highlights of the film.
Behind the scenes, Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable made a conscious effort to be friendly towards the chronically insecure Marilyn in order to make the process as easy as possible for her. Bacall would later admit, however, that Marilyn’s dependence on her acting coach did get irritating, as it often led to lots of extra takes in each scene.
3. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
Based on the Broadway musical of the same name—itself based on the novel by Anita Loos—this fun musical comedy features Marilyn Monroe in one of her most iconic roles, that of lovable gold digger, Lorelei Lee. Lorelei is a professional showgirl whose main goal in life is to land a rich husband (or otherwise acquire vast amounts of money and diamonds).
Lorelei’s best friend and fellow showgirl, Dorothy (Jane Russell), is not nearly as interested in men’s bank accounts; a fact that completely baffles Lorelei. Recently, Lorelei has gotten engaged to the rich man of her dreams, a mousy little millionaire named Gus. They plan to get married in France, so Lorelei and Dorothy travel by passenger ship to Paris with the understanding that Gus will meet them there later. Unbeknownst to anybody, Gus’ suspicious father has hired a private detective named Ernie Malone to spy on Lorelei throughout the voyage, hoping to catch her in some misdeed to prevent the marriage. But, while Malone is keeping his eye on Lorelei, he finds himself beginning to fall for the more down-to-earth Dorothy.
Directed by Howard Hawks, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a fun romp with perfect comedic performances from both Monroe and Jane Russell. Behind the scenes, Broadway star Gwen Verdon was brought in to coach Marilyn and Russell on their dancing and sashaying "showgirl walk". Allegedly, she was asked to help Monroe tone down the “sex” in her movements and help Russell ramp it up. To further prepare for her role, Marilyn studied Carol Channing’s performance as Lorelei in the original Broadway production (going so far as to attend the show every night for over a month). Her preparations paid off, as one of the movie’s major highlights is her definitive rendition of Lorelei’s signature number, "Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend".
2. Some Like It Hot (1959)
Directed and co-written by Billy Wilder, Some Like It Hot is often cited as one of the greatest comedies ever made. Set in the 1920s, the film stars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as Joe and Jerry, two jazz musicians on the run from the mob after seeing something they shouldn’t have. To escape their pursuers, the men disguise themselves as female musicians and join Sweet Sue and Her Society Syncopators, a traveling all-girl jazz band. Marilyn Monroe plays Sugar Kane, the band’s lead vocalist and ukulele player, to whom both Joe and Jerry are immediately attracted. But, the boys need to remember to keep their hormones in check if they are to maintain their charade and save their skins.
Loosely based on the French film Fanfare of Love, this hilarious cross-dressing comedy features pitch-perfect performances from all three main actors (Jack Lemmon in particular gives a genius comedic performance as Jerry). The film features Marilyn performing her iconic rendition of the 1920s Helen Kane song, “I Wanna Be Loved By You," a song that would quickly become her trademark.
Largely shot on location at the Hotel Del Coronado near San Diego, the film had its fair share of difficulties during production; most of them connected to Marilyn. Both pregnant and suffering from an ever-worsening addiction to pills, she had trouble concentrating for much of the filming and often required multiple takes for even the simplest line readings.
Even though she proved difficult to work with, Wilder would later state that he knew it would all be worth it in order to get her irreplaceable performance as the adorably clueless Sugar.
1. The Seven Year Itch (1955)
Featuring Marilyn Monroe in one of her most iconic roles, The Seven Year Itch crystallizes her popular screen persona as the sexy, yet naïve blonde. Based on the play by George Axelrod—and adapted by him and director/co-writer Billy Wilder for the screen—the film revolves around the exploits of Richard Sherman (Tom Ewell), an ordinary New York City businessman left behind in the hot city to work while his wife and son are vacationing in the country for the summer. Although Richard is determined to be well-behaved while his wife and son are gone, his overactive imagination and looming midlife crisis are making that difficult. Then, when a beautiful actress (Marilyn) moves in upstairs, Richard’s willpower (and conscience) will be tested like never before.
Without question, the most famous scene in The Seven Year Itch is the one featuring Marilyn in her iconic white dress standing over a subway grate. The scene was actually shot in two takes: one in the studio and the other on Lexington Avenue in New York City. The famous publicity picture featuring Marilyn's skirt flying over her head was taken during the NYC shoot and it quickly became one of the most memorable images of her entire career.
Although Marilyn was everyone’s first choice to play Richard Sherman’s dream girl, Billy Wilder originally wanted Walter Matthau to play the role of Richard. However, Matthau was still an unknown at the time and, as such, 20th Century Fox refused to hire him in such a large role. The role was given instead to the Tony Award-winning Tom Ewell, who had originated the role on Broadway. Those familiar with the play will notice that a lot of changes were made in adapting the story to the screen. Many of them were done to appease the Hays Office (who seemed to watch the film particularly closely) but luckily, very few of the changes truly hurt the movie's humor. The Seven Year Itch remains one of Marilyn’s best comedies and one of Billy Wilder’s most beloved films.
Honorable Mention: Bus Stop (1956)
For my honorable mention, I decided to choose one of my own favorite Marilyn Monroe movies. This comedy-drama was the first film Marilyn appeared in after studying at The Actor’s Studio in NYC. Based on the successful play by William Inge, Bus Stop revolves around the unusual relationship between Bo Decker (Don Murray) and Cherie (Marilyn). Bo is a naïve Montana cowboy who has traveled to Phoenix, Arizona to compete in a rodeo. Cherie is a singer at a local Phoenix saloon, hoping to eventually make her way to Hollywood to become a star. Bo has zero experience with romance, but as soon as he sets his eyes on Cherie, he knows he’s found the "angel" he’s been looking for. Cherie likes Bo too, but when he starts talking about getting married right after their first kiss, she immediately puts on the brakes. Unfortunately, Bo has never been taught to take "no" for an answer.
Marilyn gives one of her most transformative performances as Cherie with her classic persona practically disappearing within the uncultured Ozark native. One of the movie’s particular highlights is Cherie’s hilariously awkward performance of "That Old Black Magic".
Behind the scenes, director Joshua Logan was very sensitive to Marilyn’s personal insecurities and neuroses. Observing that saying "Cut!" would often upset her, he instead kept the camera rolling and would gently talk her back into the scene. He would later refer to her as the most constantly exciting actress he ever worked with. Both hilarious and thoughtful, Bus Stop is probably best described as a comedy that slowly morphs into a character drama, with the two lead characters each going through their own personal coming-of-age journeys.
To see this list on Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/B3ma8$CuHqvRyCY0y2Xp0f
Which Marilyn Monroe Movie Is Your Favorite?
0%Bus Stop
0%The Seven Year Itch
0%The Prince and the Showgirl
0%Some Like It Hot
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