The programme, curated by Kim Sheehan will see seventeen and half films (Marilyn Monroe’s unfinished final film) screened at the BFI Southbank. This two-month programme will run from 1st June through to 31st July 2026. The season opens on 1st June to mark what would have been Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday. To celebrate her centenary, rare materials including original magazines from the 1950s and special author talks will be held at the BFI Reuben Library.
Marilyn Monroe: Self-Made Star is shaped around three themes:
- Star Attractions: These are the musical and comedy works where Marilyn Monroe showed her true triple threat status as an actress, performer, and singer.
Film Examples:
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), and The Misfits (1961). - Dramatic Turns: This section features the films which Marilyn Monroe showcased her depth as a serious performer.
Film Examples:
Don’t Bother to Knock (1952) and Niagara (1953). - Scene Stealers: The films screened here show the big impact Marilyn Monroe had in small screen roles.
Film Examples:
Clash by Night (1952) and All About Eve (1950).
This curated BFI programme will explore the expansive talents, shining on-screen talent, and huge career of the silver screen acting legend, Marilyn Monroe. Although she appeared in a total of around 30 movies spanning her career from 1947 to 1961, this collection will show the films that made the biggest impact on her career, whether it be through her leading roles or her smaller-screen roles.
But the films that have been revealed as part of the programme already include, Ladies of the Chorus (1948), Niagara (1953), and The Seven Year Itch (1955). And Marilyn’s later films – The Misfits (1961), and Something’s Got to Give (1962). But this programme will also explore the natural charm of Marilyn Monroe’s exquisite song, dance, and screen presence. As well as, the elaborate set designs, and physical comedy which often featured in her work.
Exploring the evolution of this major film star, films like Some Like It Hot (1959) showcase her charming vulnerability. But she was also seen as the emotional anchor behind the story in this film, for which she subsequently won the Golden Globe award for ‘Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.’
Click through our image slideshow below.
Huge Hollywood Directors Marilyn Monroe Worked With:
Marilyn Monroe worked with a number of hugely influential Hollywood directors for her time as a legendary silver screen actress.
- Billy Wilder
- Fritz Lang
- George Cukor
- Howard Hawkes
- John Huston
- Joseph L. Mankiewicz
- Laurence Olivier
- Otto Preminger
At the centre of BFI’s Marilyn Monroe: Self-Made Star Programme sees her final finished film, John Huston’s The Misfits (1961) re-release via BFI Distribution. The film will also see a return to the screen on 5th June in cinemas across the UK and Ireland. This programme sees the BFI partner with The National Lottery. The project sees them fund new film prints to show them as they were first originally screened. The Misfits (1961) will screen on a 35mm print for its re-release as part of the BFI’s Marilyn Monroe: Self-Made Star Programme.
Talks & Special Guests
The programme will feature a day of talks with special guests including film scholars and authors. There will also be a double-bill. This will consist of two documentaries – a rare audio interview with Georges Belmont from 1960 and the one-hour documentary, Marilyn on Marilyn (2001). But this documentary is told through Marilyn’s voice using the audio tapes from two of her interviews. The audio tapes are taken from the French Marie Curie and the Life Magazine interviews. The latter of which she gave not long before her passing.
But Marilyn Monroe’s artistry as a self-made star also made her a woman of many talents. A glamorous figure, an icon, a triple threat – actress, performer, and singer. However, then came other talents like being a determined creative, to speaking up and challenging the studio system with bad scripts. But it was later on in her career which she became known as being one of the first women to set up her own production company. This was a very powerful move for a female in 1955.
You can find out more details about the programme here.