Pretty Gangster Series

My Two Marilyns

4 min readAug 6, 2019

image courtesy of artist Tim O’Brien and Pixabay

Early Twentieth century diva’s like Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, and Josephine Baker didn’t have the platform most celebrities share today but still managed to grace the silver screen during a period when black Hollywood was marginal.

The restrictions Hollywood placed on early American entertainers made it especially hard for black celebrities to obtain the status they deserved.

Despite, stars were born and legends were made and although there’s not a walk of fame for every talent, the contributions they made are coming full circle.

Stars like, Joyce Bryant, the sultry temptress, who by physical standards was as attractive as Norma Jean Mortenson (Marilyn Monroe) yet because of her hue Joyce’s star was hidden from the spotlight.

Born, Ione Emily Bryant, on October 14, 1928 in Oakland California, Joyce was the third of eight children who were raised as reverent Seven Day Adventists by their parents.

Around 1942 after an annulled marriage, Bryant migrated to Los Angeles where she auditioned as a night club singer.

In 1952 she became the first American entertainer with ancestral sub-Saharan roots to appear at the Hotel Algiers in Miami, Florida.

Although she was allowed to perform at the hotel, due to segregation, Bryant was not allowed to stay or be photographed in front of the hotel.

Bryant’s appearance and natural sex appeal catalysts her career as “The Black Marilyn Monroe.”

As Bryant began a nationwide tour efforts to immobilize racial diversity lead by terrorist groups like the Ku Klux Klan incited violence throughout the South by burning images of Bryant and lynching Americans during her tour.

Despite, Bryant went on to perform at legendary venues including the Copacabana of New York, Hollywood’s Coconut Grove and Harlem’s Apollo Theater where she received standing ovation.

By the mid-1950’s Bryant’s sex symbol status was at it’s peak — as a result, she was featured by the weekly publication, Life Magazine. With an ever-growing fan base, reports estimate her 1953 income to be around $150,000 a year which in 2019 is the equivalent of 1.6 million dollars per year.

Interest in Bryant’s sultry stage persona continued to grow as fans packed venues to view the blonde bombshell’s performance. Considered, the Black Marilyn Monroe, reports describe her wardrobe as unorthodox with tailor made dresses that hugged her curves so tight she had to be carried off the stage after the show.

During their season there’s no way to tell who took bits and pieces from who’s career. Marilyn Monroe, born 1926 in Los Angeles, California, was noted as sultry, sexy and a game changer as her counterpart, Joyce Bryant.

Reports show Marilyn’s career began in 1942 at the Blue Book Modeling Agency where she was noticed by 20th Century Fox executive, Ben Lyon.

image courtesy of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Monroe’s first credited role came a few years later in the 1947 release of Dangerous Years where she played a brief role as a waitress, Evie.

Marilyn continued starring in several minor roles over the next few years with no major success.

After posing naked to earn extra money for her rent, the public, having felt sympathy for the struggling actress grew an appreciation of her talent.

As a result, by 1952, Monroe was inundated with film offers and appeared in several movies: The Asphalt Jungle, Monkey Business, We’re Not Married, and Don’t Bother to Knock.

After dyeing her hair platinum blonde for the 1953 hit movie, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Marilyn’s career suddenly went into overdrive.

There is obviously some parallelism going on between the two ladies, regardless, I love them both, yet the mystery and censored fame surrounding Joyce makes her more appealing and as public interest grows I’ll look forward to additional press.