Marilynn Monroe
In August 1946, Jean Norman was replaced by Marilyn Monroe, a name she selected with the executive at Paramount she had interviewed with. The first name was picked by Ben Lyon, who picked the name because she reminded him of Broadway star Marilyn Miller. Monroe was Gladys' maiden name. Soon after she divorced her husband James Dougherty, who did not want his wife to have a career.
Learning the Ropes
During the first six months of her contract, Monroe was given no roles. Instead, the studio insisted she took classes in acting, singing, and dancing. She also spent a lot of time at the movie studio picture lot, trying to promote herself to other actors and see how the film industry worked firsthand. She hoped that by being a constant presence, she would be hard to replace.