Someone saw a diamond in the rough in that actress renamed Marilyn Monroe, who was already triumphing in Hollywood in 1953 after starting her stardom with roles as a “dumb blonde.”
That visionary and clever guy, who demonstrated that gray matter existed long before the emergence of artificial intelligence, responded to Hugh Hefner, an entrepreneur, who would say today, with few scruples.
Some like computing and create the Apple empire. The same thing happened with Hefner. He had the idea to turn his passion for women, which is described as a womanizer and who would now be on the list of
He found his King Solomon mine in Marilyn, in some lost photos that she repudiated but to which Hefner clung without ethical considerations. Her images cost her $500, gave her fame and opened the doors to getting more financiers for her project.
It was December 1953 when the first issue of Playboy hit newsstands. It had the subtitle “entertainment for men”, another great success of the editor because in this way those in question justified to their wives the purchase of that magazine “for its reports.”
That copy from 70 years ago is a cult object for collectors. Not only for being the first, but for appearing half-dressed on the cover and naked inside the most desired woman who, in addition to having risen as a “dumb blonde”, was also “the blonde bombshell”, one of the most sex symbols. popular, emblem of the sexual revolution and then pop icon thanks to Andy Warhol’s paintings.
Behind the bunny, a debutante as the watchword of the company that objectified bodies, there was a woman who was more than a stereotype or commercial cliché, a talented person who ended up being a broken toy, despite being a good actress. For those who only observe the frivolous side of that pioneering cover, it is recommended to see his last film, The Misfits (1961), directed by John Huston, which in Spain was translated as Rebel Lives but the version of The Misfits used seems more accurate. in Latin America.
For Hefner, who hit the nail on the head, that debut allowed him to build an emporium, which included clubs, real estate properties, film production companies and television sets, in addition to being the envy of many of the admirers of his “journalistic approaches.” .
His magazine became a seal of sensuality in the United States and the rest of the world, a process of globalization before globalization.
It was aimed at a male audience with financial solvency or, as its founder once declared, those who “liked to play and fulfill their sexual fantasies.” What greater dream could there be than to have Marilyn Monroe in your hands and that there were still a few years before she would sing Happy Birthday to President John F. Kennedy.
For Hefner, that magazine was the answer to his parents’ strict Methodist upbringing. On more than one occasion she reported that alcohol was prohibited in her parental home, talking about sex was taboo, as was showing feelings and any bodily contact. Her mother did not kiss him so as not to transmit bacteria. She even blamed them for the fact that she did not lose her virginity until she was 22 years old. And despite those complaints, Playboy came to light in part because of her mother. She was one of the contributors, with 1,000 dollars, to carry out the project. “Not because she believed in the company, but she did believe in her son,” Hefner said in statements to E! in 2006.
It is clear that he trusted Marilyn to aspire to success. Born in 1926 as Norma Jeane Mortenson, she spent much of her childhood in foster homes and orphanages. She escaped that circle by marrying James Dougherty at age 16.
As a teenager, during World War II, he worked in a factory. There she was discovered by a photographer assigned to the film production unit of the Armed Forces.
In this way she began to work as a model, a job that led her to the movies, playing small roles until she established herself after signing a juicy contract in 1950 with Fox.
Marilyn never posed for the magazine. These images date back to her model days, which the clever Hefner located, acquired and used as the propulsion engine for his creature. The photos, with a red backdrop, date from 1949 and were shot by the Tom Kelly camera.
At the time, Monroe would have received only $50 for that pose that she signed with a pseudonym. She took the name Mona Monroe, as she explained in an interview she gave to the actress.
Hefner made more than good use of the $500 he paid to get that material. The protagonist of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) never gave her consent for its dissemination, an issue that mattered little or nothing to the editor.
Playboy achieved a resounding success. More than 50,000 copies were sold. “For the first time in any magazine and in full color, the famous Marilyn Monroe naked,” says that cover.
Thus, with “stolen photos,” an emporium was forged.
