Occupation: Vocal coach
Place of Meeting: Columbia Pictures
Year Relationship began: 1948
Type of Relationship: Relationship

When Marilyn was signed to Columbia Pictures in 1948 she was introduced to the studio's vocal coach Fred Karger.  

Over the years Marilyn frequently referred to Fred as her first love (as opposed to Jim Dougherty).  It was Fred who taught her to sing, who introduced her to fine literature and classical music, who took her to seaside dinners in Malibu, and to nightclubs on the Sunset Strip. He installed her in the safe, pleasant and inexpensive Hollywood Studio Club and arranged for her to have her two protruding front teeth cosmetically corrected. He also took her home to his mother.  Marilyn wanted to marry Fred, however he did not consider Marilyn to be appropriate wife and/or mother material.  He reportedly told Marilyn "You cry too easily. That's because your mind isn't developed.  Compared to your figure, it's embryonic"

However Marilyn was in love.  She purchased a $500 gold watch for Fred on credit and two years later, long after her relationship with Karger had ended, she was still making payments on the watch.