Why We Still Love Marilyn Monroe

Nearly fifty years after her death, Marilyn Monroe continues to fascinate us. The latest evidence: the film "My Week With Marilyn," which opens this Wednesday. Actress Michelle Williams reportedly gives an astonishing performance as Marilyn. But of course no one can come even close to matching the original star, whose combination of sexiness, vulnerability, talent and tragedy has made her into a permanent cultural icon. Here's why we love Marilyn:

She Was Sexy, Not Vulgar

In one of the most famous photos ever taken of her, Monroe stood over a steam grate with her skirt billowing. But that’s as far as she took it. She was seductive without being crass.

Marilyn Was A Comedian In fact, she made some of the best comedies of all time, with The Seven-Year Itch, where she played The Girl, and Some Like It Hot, where she had the part of torch singer Sugar Kowalcyzk.. She also made waves with her first major role as the clueless yet amiable actress Miss Caswell in the acerbic movie All About Eve.

She Was Vulnerable In her most famous roles and photos, Monroe conveyed a gentle insecurity and eagerness to please that many women identified with, even today.

Monroe Was A Real-Size Woman It’s safe to say she never hit the gym. But her curvy figure seemed attainable, unlike the skinny yet pumped bodies of today’s stars. There’s been a lot of argument and discussion about Marilyn’s dress size, though it’s generally agreed that she peaked at a size 14—or maybe 16.

You Can Still Copy Her Style The tight sweaters, the pencil skirts, the low-cut, flowy dresses all work even today, and especially in an environment that’s come to see the stylistic pluses of the Mad Men era.

She Married Interesting Men Well, maybe her first husband, James Dougherty, wasn’t fascinating. But as she gained fame, Marilyn went on to marry Joe DiMaggio, one of the best baseball players of all time, and playwright Arthur Miller.

She Wasn't Really A Dumb Blonde Monroe studied literature at UCLA, underwent psychoanalysis with Sigmund Freud’s daughter Anna, and studied acting with the legendary teacher Lee Strasberg.

She Had A Sense Of Humor When asked in an interview what she wore in bed, she said, “Why, Chanel No. 5, of course.”

The Camera Loved Her No matter where she was, whether at a movie premiere or casually signing autographs, she couldn’t take a bad picture.

She Believed In Herself “Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself,” she said, “because if you don't, then who will, sweetie? “