The Subjects: Comparative Overview
Before diving into correlation, we must establish our dataset. We are comparing two of Hollywood's most enduring brands: Shirley Temple, the depression-era child savior, and Marilyn Monroe, the technicolor age bombshell. Their career trajectories offer a perfect lesson in variable relationships.
Genre Composition
To understand their impact, we break down their filmography by genre. Shirley Temple's career was dominated by Musicals and Family Dramas designed to uplift audiences during the Great Depression. Marilyn Monroe, conversely, became the face of the Romantic Comedy, though she fought hard for dramatic roles later in life.
💡 Insight: While Temple sang in nearly every film, Monroe's "gentlemen prefer blondes" archetype skewed her statistics heavily toward romance.
What is Correlation?
Correlation measures the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables. In data science, we look for patterns: as one number goes up, does the other go up (Positive), down (Negative), or stay random (No Correlation)?
Positive Correlation
As X increases, Y increases.
Ex: Marilyn's Age vs. Critical Acclaim
Negative Correlation
As X increases, Y decreases.
Ex: Shirley's Age vs. Box Office Rank
No Correlation
No discernible pattern.
Ex: Shoe size vs. Acting Ability
Analysis: Age vs. Movie Rating
Does getting older improve an actor's movies? We plotted the IMDB ratings of both stars against the age they were when the movie was released. The trend lines (regression) tell the story of their diverging paths.
Shirley's Trend (Negative Slope)
Shirley Temple shows a negative correlation. Her highest rated and most commercially successful films occurred when she was very young (5-10). As she aged into her teens, the novelty wore off, and ratings dipped.
Marilyn's Trend (Positive Slope)
Marilyn Monroe shows a positive correlation. Her early roles were minor uncredited parts. As she matured (ages 26-36), she secured better scripts and directors, leading to classics like Some Like It Hot.
Correlation ≠ Causation
Just because two lines move together doesn't mean they are related. This is called a Spurious Correlation.
In this example, we compare the number of films Shirley Temple released per year against US Crude Oil Imports (historical estimation).
Did Shirley Temple cause oil imports to rise?
Of course not. Both just happened to increase during the industrial ramp-up of the late 30s.
Divergent Destinies: A Timeline
1928
Shirley Temple is born in Santa Monica, CA.
1926
Norma Jeane Mortenson (Marilyn) born in Los Angeles.
1935-1938
#1 Box Office Star
Temple saves 20th Century Fox from bankruptcy.
1953-1959
The Icon Era
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes to Some Like It Hot.
1969-1989
Temple becomes US Ambassador to Ghana and later Czechoslovakia.
1962
Monroe passes away at age 36, leaving a frozen, perfect legacy.