Marilyn Monroe TV Debut on The Jack Benny Program - "Bye Bye Baby" (1953)

September 13, 1953

The television version of The Jack Benny Program (which never used the sponsor's name) ran from October 28, 1950 to 1965. Initially scheduled as a series of five "specials" during the 1950-1951 season, the show appeared every six weeks for the 1951-1952 season, every four weeks for the 1952-1953 season and every three weeks in 1953-1954. For the 1953-1954 season, half the episodes were live and half were filmed during the summer, to allow Benny to continue doing his radio show. From the fall of 1954 to 1960, it appeared every other week, and from 1960 to 1965 it was seen weekly.

Benny was able to attract guests who rarely, if ever, appeared on television. In 1953, both Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart made their television debuts on Benny's program.

Darryl F. Zanuck considered that Monroe's film potential was worth developing and cast her in Niagara, as a femme fatale scheming to murder her husband, played by Joseph Cotten. During filming, Monroe's make-up artist Whitey Snyder noticed her stage fright (that would ultimately mark her behavior on film sets throughout her career); the director assigned him to spend hours gently coaxing and comforting Monroe as she prepared to film her scenes.

Much of the critical commentary following the release of the film focused on Monroe's overtly sexual performance, and a scene which shows Monroe (from the back) making a long walk toward Niagara Falls received frequent note in reviews. After seeing the film, Constance Bennett reportedly quipped, "There's a broad with her future behind her." Whitey Snyder also commented that it was during preparation for this film, after much experimentation, that Monroe achieved "the look, and we used that look for several pictures in a row ... the look was established."

While the film was a success, and Monroe's performance had positive reviews, her conduct at promotional events sometimes drew negative comments. Her appearance at the Photoplay awards dinner in a skin-tight gold lamé dress was criticized. Louella Parsons' newspaper column quoted Joan Crawford discussing Monroe's "vulgarity" and describing her behavior as "unbecoming an actress and a lady." Monroe had previously received criticism for wearing a dress with a neckline cut almost to her navel when she acted as Grand Marshall at the Miss America Parade in September 1952. A photograph from this event was used on the cover of the first issue of Playboy in December 1953, with a nude photograph of Monroe, taken in 1949, inside the magazine.

Her next film was Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) co-starring Jane Russell and directed by Howard Hawks. Her role as Lorelei Lee, a gold-digging showgirl, required her to act, sing, and dance. The two stars became friends, with Russell describing Monroe as "very shy and very sweet and far more intelligent than people gave her credit for." She later recalled that Monroe showed her dedication by rehearsing her dance routines each evening after most of the crew had left, but she arrived habitually late on set for filming. Realizing that Monroe remained in her dressing room due to stage fright, and that Hawks was growing impatient with her tardiness, Russell started escorting her to the set.

At the Los Angeles premiere of the film, Monroe and Russell pressed their hand- and footprints in the cement in the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Monroe received positive reviews and the film grossed more than double its production costs. Her rendition of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" became associated with her. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes also marked one of the earliest films in which William Travilla dressed Monroe. Travilla dressed Monroe in eight of her films including Bus Stop, Don't Bother to Knock, How to Marry a Millionaire, River of No Return, There's No Business Like Show Business, Monkey Business, and The Seven Year Itch.

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[mchoppy]

rockstar the teasing bastards

[PeterTechGuyy]

Think L.A. Noire. And for God's sake, stop mentioning Rockstar on a non-Rockstar related video.

[WSWEss]

rockstar like this?....marilyn "parody" in GTA V???

[fromthesidelines]

Jack later filmed this sketch (Sam Hearn as "Schlepperman", a character on Jack's radio show in the late '30s, replaced Artie Auerbach in that version) with Jayne Mansfield, which aired on November 26, 1963 [Cliff Norton was the narrator in that version].

[muhammeducak]

Rockstar bough me here 

[iamandris]

I guess if Rockstar favorited a video of Dan Houser taking a shit you would think it "hint" also. A hint to what? A hint that you're all faggots.

Nice Marilyn Monroe clip though, she's an icon, that most modern generation will never appreciate, because they're obsessed with crappy, brainwashing entertainment.

[iamandris]

I guess if Rockstar favorited a video of Dan Houser taking a shit you would think it "hint" also. A hint to what? A hint that you're all faggots.

Nice Marilyn Monroe clip though, she's an icon, that most modern generation will never appreciate, because they're obsessed with crappy, brainwashing entertainment.

[PlutoMute]

Rockstar favorited this. It has to mean something. . .

[maleficoify]

why Rockstar?