NORTH. Dancer’s discipline.
IN the mid-‘50s, Hollywood was agog over Marilyn Monroe. Once an orphan, the actress was slowly reinvented as a pin-up star and a top film attraction. Her colorful past further enhanced her image as a “poor, little rich girl.” The world wanted to embrace and protect this woman, who didn’t seem to realize her tantalizing effect on men—she was sexy as heck without “intending” to be!
Monroe became a global favorite: Movies were lined up for her to star in. “The Seven-Year Itch” and other comedies focused on her sex appeal. But, as her popularity soared, so did her talent fee—and she became unpredictable and difficult to handle.
To “control” her, producers searched for other (sexy) alternatives and found willing clones in Jayne Mansfield and Mamie Van Doren. Her studio, however, contracted Sheree North, a blonde dancer.
Unfortunately, she had none of Monroe’s vulnerability and “little girl lost” appeal. Sheree looked tough. So, after a few tries, her studio stopped giving her the Monroe treatment.
Contract stars
Next, they cast Lee Remick, a fine dramatic actress, in a film that Monroe was fired from. But, neither the film nor Remick made waves. Sheree, on the other hand, was dropped from the list of 20th Century Fox’s contract stars.
Recently, I watched a little-known film based on “Walking Tall,” which featured North in the cast. Naturally, I was interested to see how the actress has aged through the decades. Computer-manipulated photos of Monroe have shown that she would have aged badly because of drugs and alcohol—and she probably would have become fat.
In North’s film, I took note of the actress’ first entrance. She portrayed a blonde rejected by her hometown because of her “evil” past. She looked fine for a woman past 70! Her dancer’s discipline probably helped her retain her figure, though she still spoke with a distinct accent. Indeed, the years have been kind to Sheree North.