8 Showstopping Roles That Made Marilyn Monroe an Icon

This heist film, based on the 1949 novel of the same name by W.R. Burnett, gave Monroe her breakout role. Her part as Angela, a young mistress who gets unwittingly entangled in a crime, isn't big, but it is certainly memorable. Angela gave Monroe the start of her movie star career, and she also gave us one of the best comebacks of all time: "Haven't you bothered me enough, you big banana head?"

As one of three models who rent a New York penthouse for the Summer to catch rich husbands, Monroe is at her bubbly blonde best. Monroe plays nearsighted Pola, who is cuter and sillier than Monroe's sexier characters, and her vivacity is irresistible. Don't forget: "Men don't make passes at girls who wear glasses." (Not at all true, but we forgive you, Marilyn.)

This film version of the William Inge play just might showcase Monroe's best work. In the movie, she plays cafe singer Cherie, who dreams of travelling to Hollywood and becoming famous. Monroe is a more confident and commanding presence in this movie than she is in past roles, and that's probably because she was calling more shots than ever. The star was very involved in the production of the movie, helping to design her own costumes and makeup.

Marilyn's then-husband, Arthur Miller, wrote the screenplay as a gift for his wife, and the beautiful divorcée Roslyn Taber became one of Monroe's most vulnerable, emotional roles. The black-and-white Western is a classic, and it gave Monroe the opportunity to show that she's so much more than a sex symbol. Unfortunately, it was also her last opportunity, as 1962's Something's Got to Give was never finished and The Misfits became her final role.