Marilyn Monroe

Most Expensive Marilyn Monroe-Related Items

Filed under: Auctions

Certain celebrities have a legacy that extends long beyond their all-too-brief life walk on this earth. Marilyn Monroe's short life, incandescent beauty and connection to other iconic historical figures including the Kennedy brothers, has kept her in the public eye for decades.

Thus it's fitting that perhaps the most expensive piece connected to Marilyn Monroe is her name. Rights to use her name traded hands last year for a sum said to be around $30 million. Marilyn's name remains a viable brand that still has appeal for both male and female consumers even now, decades after her death. She remains one of the top earning dead celebrities and is perhaps the top female one, captivating millions who weren't even alive when she was (see a video biography about Monroe below).

Tags: marilyn monroe, marilyn monroe auction

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Elvis' Ring, Marilyn's Long Underwear Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

When it comes to celebrity collectibles, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe remain two of the most bankable names. The upcoming Signature Music & Entertainment Auction at Heritage Auctions, Beverly Hills features items from both stars along with one of the famous Beatles "Butcher" cover records.

The ring shown at right is Elvis Presley's black star sapphire ring. The ring is in a nugget style often favored by the King and the black star sapphire is one of his favorite stones. The 14K gold setting is also set with small diamonds. This ring was worn by Elvis in the 1970s and later given as a gift to his tour promoter, Tom Hulett. The lot comes with two color 8" x 10" photos of Elvis wearing it during a concert performance as well as a certificate of authenticity from Mr. Hulett. It is estimated to bring $15,000.

Few undergarments sell as well as those belonging to blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe. But Heritage isn't auctioning off frilly lace here, instead they are selling set of red-and-white striped thermal underwear worn by the actress on the set of the movie "Bus Stop." It's believed the thermals were worn on set, most likely between takes while filming in Idaho. This item is expected to bring over $5,000.

Tags: beatles butcher cover, elvis presley, heritage auctions, marilyn monroe

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The Selling Of The Joe DiMaggio Brand

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

Last month I wrote about the multi-million dollar deal for the rights to Marilyn Monroe's name. Now comes news that one of her husbands, the late "Yankee Clipper" Joe DiMaggio is also stepping into the spotlight as a consumer product brand. The estate of the baseball player has agreed to put his name and likeness on a variety of new products.

Bats, t-shirts and other merchandise will commemorate the 70th anniversary of DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak but that's not all. The DiMaggio brand will also be extended into men's clothing and accessories and could also include food and fragrance. The legend of DiMaggio, both because of his connection to Monroe, and because of his legendary sports prowess, is one that has stood the test of time. Even people who were not alive when he was playing baseball are familiar with his name. The 13-time All-Star and nine-time World Series champ last played in 1951 and died in 1999.

Morris Engelberg, the baseball star's longtime friend and lawyer, told the NY Post that he waited so long to make a deal because when DiMaggio was on his deathbed he asked Engelberg to protect his name. Engelberg will serve as counsel for the licensing initiative and plans to be vigilant in protecting the legacy of the baseball star.

Tags: Joe DiMaggio, marilyn monroe, naming rights

Rights To Marilyn Monroe Change Hands In Multi-Million Dollar Deal

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

In our modern world, dead celebrities are big business. We see them on the television, on billboards, their names plastered all over everything from wine to clothing. Among the perennial stars of the annual Forbes top earning dead celebrities list is Marilyn Monroe (she didn't make the top 10 in 2010 but she's still in the running). The iconic blonde, whose photos, lingerie and other personal effects continue to sell high at auction, is, nearly 50 years after her death, still a viable brand. So did Authentic Brands (a company which also handles Bob Marley's estate) and Neca, an entertainment licensing company make a smart move picking up the rights to Marilyn's name? It seems like a wise investment. She may be the top female dead celebrity brand at this point.

The Financial Times reports that the new owners have big plans for Marilyn in the wake of acquiring her name from Anna Strasberg, the administrator of the estate. The terms were not disclosed but it could be as much as $30 million. Marilyn Monroe's name is estimated to have earned between $4 and $5 million last year but the potential for monetizing her name is far greater. Tentative plans include lines of lingerie, curling irons and handbags. BusinessWeek says that there may even be a reality show in which contestants compete for the right to represent the Monroe brand.

Tags: dead celebrities, Marilyn Monroe

Playboy Art To Be Sold At Christie's

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

Playboy is selling off part of its art collection in an auction through Christie's New York on December 8 in an auction titled "The Year of the Rabbit." The 125-piece offering will include a Dali watercolor of a reclining nude that hung in Hugh Hefner's bedroom. The sale features 80 photographs, many of which appeared in the magazine and more than a dozen contemporary works and 24 cartoons.

Among the offerings (shown in the gallery below) are a photograph of comedian Dan Aykroyd in a conehead costume with Pamela Anderson, an early Brigitte Bardot photo, an oil painting of of a scarlet-lipstick mouth by pop artist Tom Wesselmann and a 1970 portrait of Hefner in his signature smoking jacket and pipe. Wesselmann's "Mouth No. 8" is estimated at $2 million to $3 million.

The art represents just a small amount of the Playboy Art Collection which has an archive of 5,000 contemporary artworks and more than 20 million photographs. The auction also features centerfolds of women whose careers were made by Playboy including Anna Nicole Smith, Jenny McCarthy and Pamela Anderson.

Gallery: Playboy Art Up For Auction

1996 cover photograph of Playmate of the Year Stacy Sanchez

1967 oil painting by Tom Wesselmann titled

993 Stephen Wayda photograph of Pamela Anderson and Dan Ackroyd

A a photograph of Brigette Bardot that appeared on the March 1958 cover of Playboy magazine

Tags: christies, hugh hefner, marilyn monroe, pamela anderson, playboy art, playboy art collection, Playboy Magazine

The Classicist: London's Famed Savoy Hotel Back After $350 Million Revamp

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Architecture & Design

London's renowned Savoy hotel has just reopened following a massive $350 million revamp encompassing one of the most ambitious restorations in British history. The world famous landmark, built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, originally opened in August 1889. Originally managed by Swiss hotelier César Ritz and Maitre Chef Auguste Escoffier, the hotel quickly became known for impeccable service and cuisine as well as glittering parties and famous patrons. Over the decades George Gershwin, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire and Noel Coward entertained there, while famous guests included King Edward VII, Harry Truman, Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, Elizabeth Taylor, Coco Chanel, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and numerous others. The property, now managed by Fairmont, has been closed for nearly three years while the impressive restoration project took shape.

120 years later the hotel's two main design aesthetics, Edwardian and Art Deco, have been carefully revitalized under the direction of world-renowned designer Pierre Yves Rochon. More than 1000 craftspeople, artists and artisans worked tirelessly to create interiors that are in keeping with the hotel's original and much-loved spirit. 38 new River Suites and guestrooms have been added, offering the same stunning views over the River Thames that inspired Whistler and Monet. Nine Personality Suites pay tribute to a few of the artists and well known figures who made the legendary hotel their London home away from home including Sinatra, Maria Callas, Charlie Chaplin and Marlene Dietrich. The suites contain art, literature, photographs and artifacts that evoke the time and spirit of the stars including the 12 pink roses in the Marlene Dietrich Suite that the actress always requested upon arrival.

The reopening also includes the addition of a stately $16,000-per-night, 325-square meter Royal Suite featuring two bedrooms, a study, sitting room, dining room, master bathroom, dressing room (with a specially ventilated shoe closet) and a master bedroom with a bespoke Savoir bed. The suite has been specially designed so that all the rooms enjoy one of the finest views of London. The legendary River Restaurant meanwhile gets a contemporary interpretation of Art Deco décor, and the famed cocktail mecca the American Bar is back in business while Savoy Grill returns under the operation of Gordon Ramsay Holdings with Chef Patron, Stuart Gillies and Head Chef, Andy Cook. [continued]

Gallery: The Savoy Reborn

Tags: Art Deco, bar, cocktails, Coco Chanel, Elizabeth Taylor, Fairmont, Fairmont hotels, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Gilbert and Sullivan, Gordon Ramsay, hotel, hotel suites, London, luxury hotels, Maria Callas, Marilyn Monroe, Monet, Ritz, Savoy, Savoy hotel, tea, Thames, The Beatles, UK

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1962 JFK Cake Decoration Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

Ever see the Seinfeld episode in which Elaine accidentally eats a piece of the Duchess of Windor's antique wedding cake? We wouldn't recommend that trick with the piece shown above, the Presidential Seal cake side decoration from President John F. Kennedy's May 29, 1962 birthday cake. The unique piece is being sold November 17 at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.

The sugar decoration was taken home by decorated NYPD Detective Patrick "Patty" Larkin the night of the party. The piece is a relic from the famous night when Marilyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to JFK at Madison Square Garden as the giant cake was brought in. Larkin, who was working security detail the night of the event, brought the piece home for his then-girlfriend, Lois. Now Larkin's widow, she says that at the end of the night he saw that it was going to be thrown out and he told a worker he really liked it, and wondered if he could have it. "The worker said, 'that's between (you) and the garbage,' and the rest is now really history." She says the piece went from closet to closet in their houses throughout the years and she's hoping that it will go to someone who can preserve it.

The side decoration carries a pre-auction estimate of $5,000+, is being offered as part of Heritage Auction Galleries November Grand Format American & Political Memorabilia Auction, taking place in-person at the company's Dallas headquarters, as well as live online at HA.com.

The auction features an important selection of John F. Kennedy items assembled to mark the 50th anniversary of his 1960 election, including treasures such as a gold presentation watch worn by JFK throughout the campaign, and what may well be the only example of Kennedy's trademark rocking chair to come with an authentication from the Kennedy family.

Tags: heritage auctions, jfk, john f kennedy, marilyn monroe, president kennedy

Marilyn Monroe Remembered in Campy Coloring Book, House

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Children, Books

It may be goodbye to Norma Jean, but the candle in the wind burns on -- and on and on -- for Marilyn Monroe. If it's not enough that the house she died in is being marketed with that as one of its selling features, now there's also a "Color Me Marilyn" coloring book that will undoubtedly appeal to the coffee tables of Monroe's ever-lasting following.

The coloring book, which had its own display at the California Gift Show, is illustrated by Hollywood's Emanuel Emanuele. Emanuele is a lifelong Marilyn fan who created many Marilyn wall murals featured in magazines around the country. The book has 64 black-and-white line drawings of Marilyn that fans can color and in doing so, "bring her to life." Well, why not? The drawings and captions capture the most memorable moments of Hollywood's all-time favorite Golden Girl -- including Marilyn at film premieres, posing with friends and beaus, singing "Happy Birthday" to President Kennedy and countless of her famous film scenes. Emanuele's specialty is drawing Hollywood icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood and he may have hit pay dirt with this beauty.

The book is available online and in bookstores and retails for $12.95.

The house, well that will cost you more. The Brentwood home where Monroe died of a drug overdose came on the market for $3,595,000. She purchased the home the four-bedroom house about six months before her death on Aug. 4, 1962. She was 36 and this was the only home she ever owned, although many homes in Los Angeles stake a "Marilyn Monroe slept here" claim. The 1929 hacienda-style home, unremarkable in many ways, does have kidney-shaped pool and tiles embedded in the front stoop inscribed with the Latin phrase "Cursum Perficio" which means "I have completed my journey." Not so long as you have fans, dear Marilyn, not so long as you have fans.

Tags: coloring book, coloring books, marilyn monroe

Marilyn Monroe's Brentwood Home, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Everything related to Marilyn Monroe seems to sell at a premium whether it's her clothing, images of her or even her chest x-rays which sold recently for $45,000. But the most special Marilyn collectible might be her home in Brentwood, California. The four-bedroom property is a Spanish-style home built in 1929 on a little over a half an acre of property that includes a pool and a separate play house. The Daily Mail reports that Monroe bought the home in 1962 and lived in the home for just six months until her death on August 5, 1962.

Inside the home is as charming as its former owner. Listing pictures reveal beamed ceilings, tiled floors and pointed arches. The home has a very peaceful feel with French doors that open to private courtyard. An open kitchen, family room with a tiled fireplace and a game room up the appeal. The home is listed at $3.595 million with David Offer of Prudential California Realty, less than the$4.6 million price achieved fetched last year for a Marilyn-adjacent burial on eBay last year.

Curbed LA did some digging and found that Monroe may have paid around $90,000 for the house when she bought it (with a 15-year mortgage that had payments of $320 a month). The home last sold back in 1994 for $995,000. The home does still attract Marilyn fans eager for a peek of the home but a high wall protects it from lookie-loos.

Gallery: Marilyn Monroe's Brentwood home

Tags: brentwood, california real estate, los angeles real estate, Marilyn Monroe, marilyn monroe auction, marilyn monroe house, marilyn monroe x-rays

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Marilyn Monroe's Gown Sells Above Estimate

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

It's been a great few weeks for famous dresses. Princess Diana's black ballgown sold far over estimate last week. Proving her own icon status, Marilyn Monroe's pink satin gown sold for $319,000.The strapless gown that she wore to sing the song Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" was auctioned off as part of the Profiles In History auction featuring Hollywood memorabilia. The gown was worn by Marilyn as the gold-digging Lorelei Lee in the scene which was later copied by Madonna for her "Material Girl" video. The amount didn't even come close to the price for the famous beaded gown she wore to sing Happy Birthday for John F. Kennedy, that went for $1,267,500 at auction at Christie's in 1999.

Tags: famous dresses, fashion, marilyn monroe, marilyn monroe auction

A New Luxury Hybrid: Suites Of The World

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

The simplest, most lucrative ideas usually are not borne in a vacuum: they hybridize from others that have been successful, but with an ineffable something that seemed missing. So it was with Randall Brown and John Martinelli, who recently launched their new company, Suites Of The World. Brown and Martinelli combined their experiential intelligences in the luxury hotels and in private investment banking fields to create this company, the only one that provides travel professionals, their affluent clients and interested others with choice and access to high end and often historic suites.

Messrs. Brown and Martinelli knew about luxury hotels, the needs of high end private banking clients and realized -- more than once! -- how many of their clients, including celebrities, Fortune 500 executives, and luxury travel professionals were frustrated with the lack of readily-available information about the history and the availability of the world's top suites. "We've positioned Suites of the World to educate the affluent consumer as well as luxury travel professionals about the history and exclusivity of these suites." said Brown. "Additionally, we also have access to numerous suites and private properties not yet released to the general public, enabling an even more unique experience for those who have interest."

Suites of the World provides detailed information on all represented properties, from a current photo library and accurate floor plans to key security information on the suites and villas. Additionally, the company will assist in providing access for filming and arranging special events within the suites.

Suites of the World's collection of luxury hotel suites are hand-selected for their character, location, historic significance, style, and service. Many premier suites have been home to celebrities, royals, diplomats, and presidents. Just a few in New York include:

The Presidential Suite at the Waldorf Towers (see below) is one where where every sitting president has stayed since Herbert Hoover. This suite is complete with JFK's actual rocking chair and Franklin Delano Roosevelt's private desk.

Tags: Casa Elar, Celebrity suites, Duke and Dutchess of Windsor, Greenwich Hotel, Johnny Grant, luxury suites, marilyn Monroe, Montelucia, Presidential Suites, Royal Apartment at the Waldorf Towers, Suites Of The World, Sunset marquis hotel, Waldorf Towers

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Marilyn Monroe's Famous Pink Gown Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Auctions

Although she's been gone for over 40 years, the price Marilyn Monroe collectibles still attest to power of her legend. The pink satin gown she wore in the Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend sequence in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" is up for sale as part of the Profiles in History's auction on June 10-12, 2010. The gown was worn by Marilyn as the gold-digging Lorelei Lee in the scene which was later copied by Madonna for her "Material Girl" video. The dress by designer William Travilla is estimated at $150,000-$250,000 but could go higher. The famous beaded gown she wore to sing Happy Birthday for John F. Kennedy went for $1,267,500 at auction at Christie's in 1999.

Other pieces up for auction include the The Wicked Witch of the West's Hat from "The Wizard of Oz" estimated at $100,000-$150,000; Darth Vader's light saber from "Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi" estimated at $60,000-$80,000 and Michael Keaton's Batsuit from "Batman Returns" estimated at $30,000-$50,000. The third day of the auction is devoted to Star Trek collectibles.

[via Art Daily]

Tags: gentlemen prefer blondes, madonna, marilyn monroe, marilyn monroe auction, material girl

Chanel No. 5: Elegant and Sophisticated

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Trends come and go in the world of perfumes, but the classic Chanel No. 5 is one of the few exceptions to the rule. For nearly a century, it has been synonymous with elegance and sophistication-making it an easy choice as a Luxist nominee in the best fragrance category.

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel started her company in 1909 with a single Paris store. By 1913, she had expanded to the posh European resort towns of Deauville and Biarritz, France. As the winter of 1921 approached, she gave the first 100 bottles of the fragrance to her most loyal customers as a Christmas gift. The following year, Chanel No. 5 made its official debut.

Gallery: Chanel

The precise origins of Chanel No. 5 are the stuff of legend. At first, Coco wanted no part of the fragrance business. "Women perfume themselves only to hide bad smells," she famously said. But eventually French perfumer Ernst Beaux changed Coco's mind. According to one story, the formulation of No. 5 was Beaux's attempt to capture the smell of Europe's northern lakes in the midnight sun; according to another, it was the result of a mixing error by Beaux's assistant.

Whatever the origin, No. 5 remains popular as ever today, thanks in part to a vaunted advertising campaign. Spokespeople for the fragrance have included actresses Marilyn Monroe, Catherine Deneuve, Nicole Kidman, and most recently, Audrey Tautou, star of Amelie. She's the muse for a Chanel No. 5 film directed by Jean Pierre Jeunet. The current campaign is Chanel's first to launch online.

Chanel No. 5 perfume is described as sensual, intimate, luxurious, and the new film portrays No. 5 women of today as serene, enchanting and free---all part of an effort to renew the brand in the eyes of younger consumers. The fragrance can be purchased through Chanel's website (1.2 oz: $61.50) or at most high end department stores.

Vote for the fragrance that you believe is the best of breed. The voting period runs through May 31st and winners will be announced on June 1.

Tags: audrey tautou, audrey tautou as coco chanel in trailer, awards-main, Catherine Deneuve, Chanel, Coco Chanel, fragrance, jean pierre jeunet, luxist-awards, Marilyn Monroe, Nicole Kidman, perfume

Nude Supermodels and More in Sotheby's Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

On October 9th in New York, Sotheby's will stage a stunning sale of photographs including several nude portraits of supermodels, with work from the likes of Chuck Close, Peter Beard, Robert Mapplethorpe, Helmut Newton and more. One of the top lots is a series of six full frontal nudes of Kate Moss by Chuck Close taken in 2003, estimated at $100,000 - $150,000. Another high-priced draw is a portfolio of 12 semi-nude images of Marilyn Monroe taken in 1962 by Lawrence Schiller, estimated at $50,000 - $70,000. Two Peter Lindbergh portraits of Mick Jagger taken in 1995 are estimated at $30,000 - $50,000. And a nude of Stephanie Seymour by Richard Avedon taken in 1992 is estimated at $20,000 - $30,000, while this relatively tame image of Nadja Auermann by Irving Penn from 1994 is also a relative bargain at $6,000 - $9,000.

Tags: celebrity, Chuck Close, ChuckClose, Helmut Newton, HelmutNewton, Irving Penn, IrvingPenn, Kate Moss, KateMoss, Marilyn Monroe, MarilynMonroe, Mick Jagger, MickJagger, New York, NewYork, nude, Peter Beard, PeterBeard, photographs, photography, Richard Avedon, RichardAvedon, Sothebys, Stephanie Seymour, StephanieSeymour, supermodels

Burial Plot next to Marilyn Monroe for sale on eBay

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

Fans of Marilyn Monroe have the opportunity to grab what could be the ultimate memento: a burial plot next to the late starlet. The plot is up for sale on eBay, with bids at the time of writing up to $710,000.

The plot belongs to Elsie Poncher, whose late husband's remains are currently interred there. The widow is reportedly selling the plot in a bid to pay off her seven-figure mortgage, and once the sale is complete, Poncher will have her husband's remains moved to another location. The crypt is located in Westwood Village Memorial Park, where Natalie Wood, Dean Martin and the recently passed Farah Fawcett are also buried. Hugh Hefner, whose Playboy Mansion is located in the same neighborhood, reportedly paid upwards of $80,000 for a crypt there in the same cemetery.

UPDATE: The crypt sold for $4.6 million.

[Source: Telegraph]

Source

Tags: burial plot, BurialPlot, cemetery, marilyn monroe, marilyn monroe auction, marilyn monroe burial plot, MarilynMonroe, MarilynMonroeAuction, MarilynMonroeBurialPlot, westwood village, westwood village memorial park, WestwoodVillage, WestwoodVillageMemorialPark

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