Australia is the place to be for Marilyn fans starting next week. One of the biggest exhibits of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia since the 1999 Christie’s auction is set to open in Bendigo on March 5th.
Bendigo, Australia has already welcomed Seward Johnson’s Forever Marilyn statue, which towers over visitors as the city prepares for the opening of an enormous Marilyn exhibit at the Bendigo Art Gallery. The gallery will give guests a look at the collections of several of the world’s biggest collectors of Marilyn memorabilia – from her personal clothing and address books to iconic items from her films.
Included in the exhibits are the collections of Marilyn Remembered’s Greg Schreiner and Scott Fortner, as well as Spanish collector Maite Minguez Ricart, who purchased a large number of item’s from the 1999 Christie’s auction. The exhibit will be a rare opportunity to see one of the most impressive gatherings of Marilyn owned, worn, and used items to ever gather under a single roof.
Bendigo Art Gallery and Twentieth Century Fox present Marilyn Monroe runs through July 10th and features more than just a look at Marilyn’s things. The exhibit will feature screenings of Marilyn’s films, talks with a variety of experts including the collectors, guest lecturers focusing on Marilyn from a variety of viewpoints, fashion photographers, and more. It’s a tribute to Marilyn’s impact on the world as much as it is an opportunity to see relics from her life.
Are you heading to the Bendigo exhibit? We’ve love to hear all about your experience – come join us on our Facebook page!
Forget everything you’ve heard about the ”affair” between one of America’s most beloved Presidents and America’s most iconic sex symbol. The most scandalous thing about them….is that there may not be a scandal at all.
The website World News Daily Report has been making headlines recently for stealing a woman’s photo and attaching it to a hoax story that has gone viral . They are also the same site that falsely claimed that a retired CIA agent confessed to killing Marilyn, and in that case also used a stolen picture to accompany their hoax. Despite facing potential legal action for slander and defamation from the woman they claimed had fourteen children by fourteen different men, they are at it again.
On February 22, they published a story titled “Woman Claims She Is The Daughter Of Marilyn Monroe and JFK.” They go on to say that a woman named ‘Gladys Baker Morris’, who was born in June 1962, has launched court proceedings to prove that she is the daughter of the superstar and the President. The site claims that she has a birth certificate with the names Norma Jeane Mortenson and John F. Kennedy on it. A photo of the supposed ‘Gladys Morris’ appears at the top of the article.
However…the photo the site is using is not of ‘Gladys Morris’ but of actress Susan Griffiths, who has absolutely never made any such claims. Griffiths, a Marilyn lookalike and accomplished actress, has portrayed Marilyn on film numerous times, most notably on Quantam Leap, Nip/Tuck and the movie Pulp Fiction. She has long been a fan of Marilyn and is very well known for working hard to honor her legacy. The photo was lifted from a Daily Mail article about Susan that appeared last year.
Actress Susan Griffiths – not Marilyn’s daughter
When asked about the article, Ms. Griffiths stated, “Due to the fact that photos are all ever the internet, unscrupulous agencies feel they have the right to print and say whatever they feel, no matter how false or hurtful it may be. I know the lovely Marilyn community knows I would never claim this, and I send much love to all of them for their support.”
Photos of Marilyn throughout 1962 prove there was no pregnancy.
Other claims in the article are also complete fabrications. The Marilyn/JFK affair rumors have been greatly exaggerated and outright lied about over the years. You can read more about how the lies came about in this Immortal Marilyn article. Photos of Marilyn from each month from January to July 1962 prove conclusively that she could not have been pregnant and given birth at any point during that year.
WorldNewsDailyReport claims that the fictional birth certificate has the name Norma Jeane Mortenson on it….but that was not Marilyn’s in 1962. In 1956, she had her name legally changed to Marilyn Monroe. Post-1956 any official or legal documents would have had the name Marilyn Monroe on them.
The hoax article also states “Some persistent rumors, originating from her gynecologist, Dr. Leon Krohn, have suggested that Marilyn Monroe had become pregnant again in 1961, and given birth to a baby girl in June 1962.” While Marilyn’s gynecologist was indeed named Dr. Leon Krohn, he has never made these ludicrous claims and the rumors definitely did not originate from him.
They also state that the fictional Gladys Morris “intends to sue the Marilyn Monroe Foundation over rights and royalties”—except there is no Marilyn Monroe Foundation that holds the rights or royalties to Marilyn’s estate. Marilyn’s rights and royalties belong to The Estate of Marilyn Monroe, LLC.
While some may argue that this is harmless satire, it’s potentially harmful to Susan Griffiths’ reputation and career. As someone who has always tried to portray Marilyn with respect, people being misled into thinking that she is the one making these outrageous claims due to her photo being used can get a false impression of her. It is also incredibly hurtful to Marilyn’s legacy. Marilyn was a woman who badly wanted children. She said in an interview “The thing I want more than anything else? I want to have children. I used to feel for every child I had, I would adopt another.” Unfortunately, motherhood was not destined for Marilyn. She suffered two miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy, events that were shattering to her. She underwent surgery to correct her chronic endometriosis in an unsuccessful effort to be able to carry a pregnancy to term. To take a woman’s greatest heartache and turn it into click bait under the guise of ‘satire’ is reprehensible.
On behalf of honoring Marilyn and respecting Susan, please do not click or share this incredibly defamatory article from World News Daily Report. Although buried in their site is a disclaimer claiming that they are not responsible for any inaccuracies, and ‘all characters appearing on this website-even those based on real people-are entirely fictional’ Marilyn Monroe was a real person, and Susan Griffiths is a real person. Neither should have their names sullied from a website hiding behind very loosely defined satire.
By Marijane Gray, Immortal Marilyn Staff
Immortal Marilyn is pleased to announce that we are now a sister site of Marilyn Remembered.
Along with Immortal Marilyn, the Marilyn Remembered Fan Club ensures that they promote Marilyn in the most honest light possible – keeping the lies at bay and searching for honesty, integrity and most of all facts regarding our dear Marilyn.
When Marilyn Monroe made the move to New York City in 1955, she was welcomed by a dedicated group of teenage fans dubbed The Monroe Six. They would follow her around the city hoping to catch a glimpse of her, and eventually endeared themselves to her. She permitted them nearly unfettered access to snap photos of her when she was out and about in the city, and the members would make copies of each photo for the others in the group.
On February 20, 2016, Heritage Auctions offered a unique glimpse into Marilyn through the eyes of one of her fans when they auctioned off photos from the collection of Jimmy Collins, one of the members of The Monroe Six. A massive collection of 183 snapshots, divided into sixteen lots, was auctioned off to collectors and fetched the high prices that Marilyn memorabilia always draws. Prices realized ranged from $800 for a group of eight snapshots of Marilyn at the Gladstone Hotel up to $5,500 for a lot of 22 snapshots of Marilyn at various public events, including the premieres of The Rose Tattoo, The Pajama Game and Gigi.
Also included in the auction were seven individual snapshots that had been autographed by Marilyn. These special pieces garnered between $1,450 and $5,000 each.
Other highlights included several items that were owned by Marilyn herself. A terracotta planter and wooden candlestick each sold for $2,000; a small wooden chest inlaid with colored marbles sold for $2,200; and a unique star shaped light fixture that hung in her last home reached $7,500. A wood engraving by Edward Gordon-Craig that was owned by Marilyn remained unsold.
Recently I was going through Marilyn Monroe’s IMDB page under the “Archive Footage” tab. I was surprised to see her listed under a 1995 documentary, narrated by William Shatner, called “Trinity and Beyond – The Atomic Bomb Movie.” In it, a short 1953 PSA, that was only shown to members of the Air Force, called “Security is Common Sense” is shown at the 47:35 mark. The PSA talks about using common sense measures when dealing with government secrets such as “avoiding loose talk, safeguarding top secret information, reporting security violations at once (which shows someone getting “Top Secret” information out of a waste basket), and avoiding writing about top secret information when writing home.” At 48:39 who pops up but Marilyn herself to end the PSA!
Languishing in a towel (her red HTMAM swimsuit was underneath) Marilyn says “I hate a careless man” before posing seductively. Her clip is over by 48:44 but Marilyn definitely makes the most of her 5 seconds of screen time.
A group of photos were also taken that day by Harold Lloyd
Check out the full version, as well as an outtake!
You’d be hard pressed to think of another celebrity endorser that’s been advertising products as long as Marilyn Monroe. From her first advertisements in the mid-1940s to almost 55 years after her death, companies know that using Marilyn’s image is a sure sell. From beauty products to her recent Snickers commercial, Marilyn is still loved by Madison Avenue.
Here are our beautiful flowers from us all! Don’t they look lovely there next to Marilyn’s crypt. Our Gift of $155 to Animal Haven of NYC has been made. Thank you all so very much who helped make this possible in Marilyn’s honor, and the flowers too!
If you’re in or around London from now until 27 February 2016 why not pop along to The Little Black Gallery in Chelsea to view some beautiful pieces of our girl, Marilyn.
