Hollywood honours Marilyn Monroe, 100 years after her birth

A circa-1960 handwritten note from Marilyn Monroe to Paula Strasberg is displayed at Julien’s Auctions in Gardena, California, ahead of the June 4 “100 Years of Marilyn” auction to mark what would have been the Hollywood icon’s 100th birthday. See story below. Marilyn Monroe’s hometown of Hollywood kicks off Monday a series of special events marking the 100th anniversary of the movie icon’s birth.

At the historic Chinese Theatre, where Monroe’s handprints are immortalized alongside “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953) co-star Jane Russell, fans plan to sing “Happy Birthday” — echoing her famed sultry serenade to president John F. Tributes to Tinseltown’s legendary daughter began on Sunday, with the Academy Museum opening “Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon,” an exhibit celebrating her film career and life cut short. After shooting to superstardom in the 1950s, the actress and model died of an overdose at her Brentwood home in August 1962, aged 36.

The Academy Museum will host special screenings of her prolific filmography throughout the month, including “The Asphalt Jungle” (1950), “Niagara” (1953), “The Seven Year Itch” (1955), “Some Like It Hot” (1959), and “The Misfits” (1961). The exhibit, which runs until February 2027, includes hundreds of original pieces, some rarely on display — such as Monroe’s famed pink dress worn during her iconic performance of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” Later in the week, on June 4, Julien’s Auctions will put nearly 200 pieces of Monroe memorabilia under the hammer as part of its special “100 Years of Marilyn” sale. The items include unpublished photographs, a script with notes from her final production, the unfinished short film “Something’s Got to Give,” and personal items such as handwritten recipes and her Elizabeth Arden lipstick.

[paywall]

Born in Los Angeles on June 1, 1926, Monroe had an unstable childhood spent between orphanages and foster homes. She married for the first time at age 16. She had her first brush with show business in 1944, while working in a factory, when a photographer arrived to capture photos of women working on production lines during World War II.

[/paywall]