Marilyn Monroe's 15 greatest film performances

Monroe had been in a couple of films before Ladies of the Chorus, but they are of the “blink and you miss her” variety. In this film, Monroe got second billing and was a co-lead with Adele Jergens. It’s an old-school musical about chorus girls, though in the height of the Production Code. The movie was forgotten, but Monroe became a star, and it was re-released, with Monroe now getting top billing.

The Asphalt Jungle is a classic noir from John Huston starring Sterling Hayden. It got four Oscar nominations. Now, Monroe has a small role, but since this is an iconic movie, it has still become a notable “Hey, that’s Marilyn Monroe!” film.

The year 1950 gave us two minor roles for Monroe in what would become classic films. She’s definitely in “Marilyn Monroe” mode already in All About Eve, though she keeps up with the jokes and the quips. The film won Best Picture and saw five different actors get Oscar nominations. And yet, Monroe sticks out.

A studio player, Monroe was in several minor roles in the early 1950s, though often in forgotten movies. They don’t really make movies like We’re Not Married! anymore, as it is an anthology comedy. That meant Monroe got a chance to be the star of one of those short stories. She plays a beauty pageant winner who finds out that she and David Wayne are not actually married (this is the running premise that ties the anthology stories together).

Monroe is best remembered for light comedies and breezy musicals, but she had an eclectic career. She co-starred in a movie that is effectively a dry run for The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. Don’t Bother to Knock is a psychological thriller about a separated couple who make the mistake of leaving their child in the care of Monroe’s character.

Man, when you became a rising star in the studio system, they really put you in a lot of films. This Howard Hawks screwball comedy is maybe not on the level of His Girl Friday, but it does star Cary Grant. He always had a knack for this kind of movie, as did Monroe.

In 1953, Monroe rose to be a massive star, and Niagara started that. It gave her top billing. This is another noir, not a comedy. It’s considered a classic noir now, even in color. In terms of dramatic movies, Niagara is probably Monroe’s best work.

Hawks and Monroe reunited for the musical comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. You know the scene where Monroe sings “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” in that pink dress? It comes from this movie. This is the pinnacle of Monroe as a movie star, even if it isn’t the best movie she’s in.

We get it if you have a hard time telling this movie apart from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. They have similar vibes and came out the same year, after all. This is another romantic comedy that pairs Monroe with other female stars, though this time it’s Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall.

Westerns were prominent in the 1950s, and River of No Return is Monroe’s foray into the genre. It’s not a classic Western, but acclaimed director Otto Preminger directs it. Plus, Monroe got to star alongside Robert Mitchum.

The other iconic image of Monroe in a movie? Her in a white dress that is blown up by a passing train. That comes from The Seven Year Itch. Sure, that’s mostly what people remember, but there is plenty in this Billy Wilder movie beyond that.

Monroe famously went to the Actors Studio and learned method acting from Lee Strasberg before she made Bus Stop. It changed her career and helped cultivate her reputation for being “difficult.” This movie is based on a famous play by William Inge and is a little more dramatic than most of her movies.

Billy Wilder’s comedy helped break down the Production Code, and it’s considered a classic comedy. AFI named it the best comedy ever. Sure, a lot of the fun is had by Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in drag, but Monroe is there as well as the female lead, and she’s great in the film, too.

This is the last comedy and the last musical that Monroe made. Now, the actress herself did not like the movie, and it got mixed reviews along with its box office success. This is about memorable movies and roles, though. Monroe was a musical-comedy mainstay; this was her last time doing it.

Here we have a Western written by Arthur Miller and directed once again by John Huston. It has, over the years, seen its reputation built. For a while, though, The Misfits was remembered for another reason. It’s the last movie that Monroe and Clark Gable made before their deaths. Two icons of the silver screen bid farewell in The Misfits, and both went out giving top-notch performances.