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Burt Reynolds Remembers Marilyn

Burt Reynolds in 1954

Actor Burt Reynolds – whose autobiography, But Enough About Me, was published late last year – joined The Guardian‘s Hadley Freeman for a live discussion in December. Reynolds, who turns 80 next month, moved to New York from Florida as an aspiring actor in the late 1950s, and repeats a story told by many others, of walking the city streets with an unrecognised Marilyn Monroe, and witnessing her subtle transformation.

You can watch the interview here – Burt mentions Marilyn at 44 minutes in. Incidentally, Reynolds’ former wife, actress Loni Anderson – who starred in TV’s WKRP in Cincinatti and The Jayne Mansfield Story – hosted the opening night of the Hollywood Museum’s exhibition, ‘Marilyn Remembered: An Intimate Look at the Legend‘, back in 2010.

Thanks to All About Marilyn

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Louise Chantal Revisits Marilyn at Cal-Neva

The New York-based singer and model, Louise Chantal, has released a video for her latest track, ‘CalNeva’, inspired by the mythology of Marilyn, John F. Kennedy and Frank Sinatra’s Cal-Neva Lodge, reports Galore magazine. ‘CalNeva’ exudes a laidback R&B groove, though its factual basis is rather dubious (Marilyn and JFK never visited the casino together), perpetuating the unfortunate stereotype of MM as lovelorn victim.

“CalNeva was inspired by Marilyn Monroe and the alleged affair between Monroe and John F. Kennedy. From around 1960 to 1963, Frank Sinatra owned Cal Neva Resort & Casino. Before writing this song, I read about how Sinatra loved to entertain his friends; both of which were Monroe and The Kennedy Family. I was fascinated by that dynamic so I just kept reading more stories about their relationship. Somehow in the midst of reading I created a fantasy in my head and connected that to the emotion that I really wanted to convey through this song. CalNeva is a love letter written by a broken hearted woman, and anyone that has experienced betrayal and disappointment can relate to this story.”

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Marilyn Double Bill in Melbourne

Seward Johnson’s giant sculpture, ‘Forever Marilyn’, arrives at the Bendigo Art Gallery, Australia

2016 promises to be a good year for Marilyn fans, with her 90th birthday coming up on June 1st. And with two major exhibitions opening soon, she’ll be bigger than ever in Australia this year.

If you’re in Melbourne, why not get 2016 off to a great start with a screening of Women He’s Undressed, a documentary about Some Like it Hot costumer Orry-Kelly, accompanying an exhibition at the ACMI; or a double bill of The Seven Year Itch and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, from 7.30 pm  on Sunday, January 3rd, at the Astor Theatre.