Monthly Archives: January 2013

‘Mad About Marilyn’: Issue 26

‘American Blondes’, my essay comparing Marilyn Monroe with Lana Turner (originally posted here), is republished in the latest issue of the excellent Mad About Marilyn fanzine, which also features Marilyn’s 1956 interview with Elsa Maxwell; a profile of photographer Gene Lester; and a feature on … Continue reading


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Shaw Archive Marks Centennial

Sam Shaw, photographer and friend to Marilyn, was born almost 100 years ago, on January 15, 1912. A newly relaunched Shaw Family Archives website have announced a variety of exciting projects marking this important anniversary. including: 100 Photos for Press Freedom, … Continue reading


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Peter Mangone Has Died

Peter Mangone, who made headlines when he found rare footage of Marilyn in New York, filmed when he was a teenage fan, passed away on December 11, 2012. The home movie was first shown in a 2003 BBC documentary, The People’s … Continue reading


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Gloria Pall 1927-2012

Actress Gloria Pall, aka TV’s ‘Voluptua’, died on December 30, aged 85, reports the Los Angeles Times. Gloria attended the party to celebrate bandleader Ray Anthony’s 1952 hit, ‘My Marilyn’, where Marilyn herself was the guest of honour. In recent years, … Continue reading


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Marilyn and Her Feline Friend

 A rare photo of Marilyn – with Siamese pal – has been published by King Rose Archives. It was taken by Robert Vose in Marilyn’s dressing room, during filming of Let’s Make Love in 1960. She is wearing the dress from the … Continue reading


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Marilyn Gets Shady in Culver City

 Street art by Mr Ramano, based on a publicity shot of Marilyn as bespectacled Pola in How to Marry a Millionaire, spotted by Mohamed in Culver City and posted at Melrose and Fairfax, a blog dedicated to street art in Los … Continue reading


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Marilyn Un-Redacted

Writing for the Associated Press, Anthony McCartney reports that previously redacted FBI files relating to Marilyn have been released in full by the FBI after a request was made under the Freedom of Information Act. The new information refers mostly … Continue reading


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Marilyn Brushes Up in Fresno

FranCisco Vargas has updated his 20 year-old painting of Marilyn, which adorns an outside wall of the Weco Building Supplies building in Fresno, California. The mural now features Marilyn holding a paintbrush instead of a cigarette, reports the Fresno Bee.


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Hal Schaefer 1925-2012

Hal Schaefer was an accomplished jazz pianist and vocal coach to Marilyn. They became close while she was unhappily married to Joe DiMaggio, and Hal was with her on the night of the infamous ‘Wrong Door Raid’. He died on … Continue reading


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