[Picture: Keith Andes and Marilyn Monroe from Clash by Night]
The next two years were filled with inconsequential roles in standard fare such as We're Not Married! and Love Nest. However, RKO executives used her to boost box office potential of the Fritz Lang production Clash by Night. This was the first film in which Monroe was credited before the movie's title. It was directed by Fritz Lang.
During the shooting, the now famous naked calendar photos of Monroe surfaced and reporters hounded the actress during the filming of the movie.
After the film performed well, Fox employed a similar tactic, and she was cast as the ditzy receptionist with Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers in Howard Hawks's slapstick comedy Monkey Business. Critics no longer ignored her, and both films' success at the box office was partly attributed to Monroe's growing popularity.