Before Norma Jean lit up the screen as Marilyn Monroe, she worked at the Radioplane Company. Located in Van Nuys, California, her beauty did wonders for the assembly line.
The Reginald Denny Hobby Shop
Reginald Denny established the company along with partner Paul Whittier in 1940. Prior to that, they operated as Reginald Denny Industries. Denny, British actor and stunt pilot, flew with the 13 Black Cats. At this time, he became interested in free-flight model airplanes. The Dennymite powered his first remote-controlled design, the Dennyplane. Walter Righter developed the engine in 1929. Soon, Denny possessed a full line of other designs. He sold them at his hobby shop on Hollywood Boulevard. In addition, engines and related accessories made it a complete source for the hobbyist.
The Radioplane
By 1935, Denny began developing a radioplane for military use. The US Army awarded Denny’s company a contract for a radio-controlled target drone, the QQ-2 Radioplane. The Radioplane Company produced some 15,000 drones during WWII. Norma Jean became one of the women assemblers in 1944. Her career path changed dramatically when the military wanted images of women factory workers. As a result, the Army’s First Motion Picture Unit sent photographer David Conover to Radioplane’s plant. His job entailed capturing morale-boosting images of female workers for the public. Although none of her photos made the newsreels, Norma Jean began modeling for Conover. She eventually did screen tests for the movie industry. The rest of the story is history!