Marilyn Monroe

Yes, she was as much of a bimbo as the many women that emulated her for decades to come...

She was not considered a joke.

She was nominated and won a Golden Globe, and received some degree of praise for acting and was effective in a few movies, but she was never a grand thespian on the scale people make her out to be today. The proto Melanie Griffith.

Not really a joke, especially in the latter part of her career when trying to do more serious work.

MM risked her career by breaking contract with the studio in 1954 and fleeing to NYC to train at The Actors Studio. She led the path for other actors to fight the machine.

She also won awards for her acting such as the Golden Globe and European Best Actress awards, including a Bafta mod, so her acting was appreciated during her lifetime in some quarters.

And I’m saying this not to disparage either, like MM, Melanie was was effective to good in a number of good movies that fit in her limited skill set (Body Double, Working Girl, Something Wild, Night Moves) and both of their strengths lied in breathy bimbo comedy.

So one makes her out to be a great actress now. Rather she was a very charismatic movie star whose screen presence, comedic and musical gifts made her a formidable talent- recognized by her peers at the time (from Olivier to Wilder) even with the admission that she was very troubled and difficult to work with.

If you view her films now and you don’t get it, you’re blind. Most viewers can’t take their eyes off her when on screen whether opposite Bette Davis or Olivier or Bacall.