BLONDES: FOLLOWING THE FOOTSTEPS OF MARILYN MONROE IN HOLLYWOOD

Before you start reading, I have to warn you that this article is more intended for girls. Well, when I think about it, men will also find something for themselves in it. If you are a fan of old Hollywood films or you like cinema, you will enjoy it. Because there is nothing better than learning some gossip. Before I went to Los Angeles, I decided that one of my goals here in the city would be to follow in the footsteps of Marilyn Monroe and other Hollywood stars. And it was a bit of my secret dream to see some of her famous dresses or makeup with my own eyes. That’s why I visited two museums in Hollywood that are also dedicated to Marilyn’s legacy.

My first steps led me to the most bizarre museum of curiosities I’ve ever visited.

RIPLEY´S BELIEVE IT OR NOT!

Visiting Ripley’s Believe it or Not!, located on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, was a big surprise for me. I had a little idea that it would be a big surprise. And it was even bigger! 🙂 There are things here that you have probably never seen before, and some that you will not believe. The world is full of strange and interesting things, but most of us do not usually experience them in our daily lives. Ripley’s Believe it or Not! has been collecting a collection of unusual things for years, and they are displayed here for you to see and admire.

ROBERT RIPLEY

Who was Robert Ripley? He started out as a cartoonist and in 1918 created his first collection of oddities for the New York Globe newspaper. He dreamed of traveling the world and in 1922 he set off on an adventurous journey. He explored the world, collecting artifacts and stories from places that most Americans had never even heard of. Today, in the age of the Internet, it is hard to imagine, but 100 years ago, information spread like this! He wrote five books in his life and hosted a radio and later television show about his collections. After his death in 1949, his collection was purchased and over the years it has been exhibited in many places throughout the US and abroad. And I was very lucky that the Marilyn Monroe collection would be in Los Angeles. And I had the last two days left to visit the exhibition, which was then moved to another location.

SWEATER AND SIGNED PHOTO

As you enter the museum, you’ll find her oversized, hand-knit sweater. It’s the exact same sweater that Monroe wore on Santa Monica Beach during a photo shoot with George Barris on July 13, 1962. He photographed many stars of the 1950s and 1960s, including Elizabeth Taylor during the filming of Cleopatra, Marlon Brando, Charlie Chaplin, Frank Sinatra, Clark Gable, and Steve McQueen. Barris is perhaps best known for his work with Marilyn Monroe, whom he photographed in 1954 during the filming of The Seven Year Itch, and in 1962 on Santa Monica Beach and in the Hollywood Hills in a series that became known as “The Last Photographs.” He was her close friend.

The framed photograph to the right of the sweater is signed by Barris and the text at the bottom reads: “Marilyn, ‘The Warm Up‘, 1962.” It is one of the last photographs ever taken of her before she died a few weeks later.

MARILYN MONRO’S DRESS THAT KIM KARDASHIAN MADE FAMOUS

Many of her things were sold at auctions. Whether it was her jewelry, shoes or movie costumes. You will surely remember the legendary white dress from the aforementioned film The Revenant. Among the most expensive dresses is the one studded with diamonds, in which one of the most beautiful actresses of all time sang the song “Happy birthday Mr. President” to the then President John F. Kennedy. Originally, the value of this dress was set at 1,200,000 USD, or 27 million CZK. In 2016, the auction house at Julien’s Auctions was able to sell it for an incredible 3,900,000 USD, or more than 87 million CZK. With the mark-up, the final price of the dress is 4,810,000.00 USD. Which is truly incredible to me. I can understand how stressful it must have been and it was also a great honor for Kim to wear them once in her life.

KIM KARDASHIAN AT THE 2022 MET GALA

Yes, this dress once again shone on another star, Kim Kardashian. Well, I’m not going to lie to you, I’m a fan of the Kardashians and I don’t care how many plastic surgeries they have. I just enjoy it. 🙂 Kim borrowed it and was able to wear it to the Met Gala 2022 in New York. She likes to surprise on the Met Gala red carpet and she did it with this dress. As soon as she stepped onto the red carpet in the famous glittering dress, with platinum blonde hair and a perfectly styled hairstyle, she was unmissable. The museum lent her other personal items of Marilyn so that the spirit of this great actress would be with her all the time.

SAMPLE:: Kim Kardashian & Pete Davidson on Kim Wearing Marilyn Monroe’s Dress | Met Gala 2022 ⇓

BOB MACKIE DRESS SKETCH

This sketch of the “Happy Birthday” dress was drawn by the famous American fashion designer Bob Mackie in his first job out of college. It is one of several original drawings that depicted Marilyn in a nearly nude dress.

Bob Mackie dressed Hollywood stars such as Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Diahann Carroll, Carol Channing, Cher, Doris Day, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, MarDiana Ross, Tina Turner and Barbra Streisand, and of course many others.

Early in his career, Mackie worked as a draftsman for French fashion designer Jean Louis, who was famous for designing the stage dresses worn by actress Marlene Dietrich during her career as a cabaret singer. One of his first assignments was to draw an original sketch of the dress Marilyn Monroe wore to President John F. Kennedy’s 45th birthday party at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1962.

In a short film clip of her performance, the audience can be heard gasping as she removes her white fur coat to reveal a shimmering, sheer dress adorned with over six thousand crystals. We must remember that everyone wears sheer dresses today, but back then, it wasn’t like that. In a sense, it was the first naked dress. That’s why it was so shocking. Marilyn looked amazing in it and achieved exactly what she set out to do. Fox Studios wouldn’t let her wear anything too revealing in her films because of the previous nude calendar scandal. And she didn’t really care, because she’d already been fired.

SAMPLE:: Marilyn Monroe Singing Happy Birthday ⇓

Although it is often reported that Marilyn paid $12,000.00 for the dress in 1962, she actually paid just $1,440.33, which included shoes for the event!

TICKET TO PRESIDENT KENNEDY’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

This is a ticket to President Kennedy’s birthday celebration on May 19, 1962, at Madison Square Garden. This “Gala All Star Show” was sponsored by the State and National Democratic Committees and Citizens for Kennedy. According to newspaper and film accounts of the evening, more than 15,000 guests attended the event, including Vice President Lyndon Johnson, New York Mayor Wagner, and members of the Kennedy family.

And just to be clear between us. Marilyn was not sponsored by anyone and she paid for her own dress, shoes, hair and make-up. She’s a stunner for me!

JFK BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION POSTER

This poster promoted President Kennedy’s birthday extravaganza, held at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 1962. Tickets cost from $10 to $100, which is about $95 to $950 in today’s money! The high price tag is no surprise given the star-studded lineup of performers, including Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, and of course, Marilyn Monroe.

The museum also has many other interesting items that belonged to Marilyn.

MARILYN MONROE COSMETIC CASE

Marilyn Monroe’s makeup case contains gold tubes of eyeliner, lipstick and face cream. In short, everything she needed to create her iconic look, which eventually became her trademark. She took the classic 1950s makeup style of simple shadows, black liner and bold lips to a new level.

Marilyn’s makeup case was auctioned at Christie’s in 1999 and sold for $266,500. It included items such as Anita d’Foged (now Anita of Denmark) Day Dew foundation in Ivory Medium and matching concealer, Elizabeth Arden Eye Stopper eyeliner, Glorene of Hollywood eyeliner, and false eyelashes. Marilyn was a fan of Elizabeth Arden’s cream eyeshadows, choosing Autumn Smoke and Pearly Blue. She owned three Max Factor lipsticks, although it is known that her favorite shade was Ruby Tuesday. In true 1960s style, she chose Revlon nail polish in the iconic shades Cherries a la Mode and Hot Coral. While we know about her love of Chanel No. 5, Marilyn’s case contained two bottles of Shisheido Eau de Parfum. She had a penchant for the mysterious Rose Geranium Eau de Toilette, which she ordered under a pseudonym. The case contains two containers of Erno Lazlo makeup, which was Marilyn’s favorite skincare line.

A hand-painted Marilyn Monroe dresser that once belonged to the late model and television personality Anna Nicole Smith.

THE WARDROBE OWNED BY MARILYN MONROE

You can see her silk dresses in the exhibition. Her measurements changed throughout her career. In 1951 she wore a US size 2 (US 32). That is the size you see in the picture. Whereas in 1962 she wore a size 12 (US 42).

An iconic pair of shoes – one of 40 pairs of shoes created for Marilyn by the famous designer Salvatore Ferragamo.

STRANGE AND SPECIAL THINGS

Life is pretty strange, and it gets even stranger when you visit Ripley’s Museum, which features exhibits ranging from the disgusting to the grotesque. If you’re into shrunken heads, a Marilyn Monroe statue made from cut-up dollar bills, and bikinis made from human hair, this is the place for you. You’ll find some truly bizarre stuff here, featuring animals born deformed and called “plays of nature.” Yes, there are animals with two heads or extra legs. Ripley’s collection today includes a three-legged horse, two-headed calves, pigs, rabbits, turtles, and kittens.

To be fair, they’re not displayed in a particularly gruesome way, but some people might find them disturbing. Then there’s the shrunken heads section, and the “human oddities” section, which shows people covered in tattoos or with things implanted under their skin. Or you may find it all very “cool” and actually that’s okay too.

ROBERT WADLOW

The first exhibit that greets you upon entering, however, is actually very strange, but not at all scary. It’s “The World’s Tallest Man Robert Wadlow,” who grew to a height of 8 feet 11 inches. You touch a button and a mechanical Wadlow stands up to show you how tall he was in life. It’s quite impressive.

ELVIS PRESLEY WAS NATURALLY BLONDE

When you think of Elvis Presley, most people usually think of the “King of Rock and Roll” or simply “the King.” Or you might think of his drug addiction or overdose, or conspiracy theories that he may not have died yet. Elvis’ classic look of a tall, dark, handsome man is not entirely natural. Elvis was actually a natural blonde until his late teens! Even after his hair began to darken with age, it never truly reached the shade we know and love. Before he could afford the expensive luxury of actually dyeing his hair, Elvis opted for the cheap, DIY alternative of shoe polish! You can find the proof in the museum – a piece of his hair.

CHRISTOPHER REEVES SUPERMAN SUIT

The museum houses the original Superman costume worn by actor Christopher Reeve, which includes a red cloth cape, belt buckle, and muscular undersuit.

And when you’ve had enough of all the weirdness and mysteries, you can continue at your leisure to the Hollywood Museum, where absolute splendor awaits you.

HOLLYWOOD MUSEUM

Yes, here too, the most interesting items in the collection are items that once belonged to Marilyn Monroe. If you are a film enthusiast, history and architecture lover like me, you will be in your element here. In addition to covering more than 100 years of filmmaking history, the museum also tells the story of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Dating back to 1935 and known for its Art Deco design, the Max Factor building is a landmark in itself, so make sure to walk across the road and admire its exterior.

Four floors of breathtaking exhibits house more than 10,000 authentic show business treasures – unique costumes, props, photographs, scripts, collections of cars and personal artifacts of the stars, posters and historical memorabilia from favorite movies and TV shows.

However, I probably liked the first floor the most and I must admit that I was in my element here. This floor is mostly dedicated to the building’s origins – i.e. make-up and beauty. Max Factor worked his magic here and created a lot of make-up. The display cases are full of make-up, toiletries and photos of Hollywood’s greatest beauties. Each room was tailored to whether the actress was blonde, brunette or redhead. So here you will find: “The Blonde Room“, “The Brunette Room” and “The Redhead Room“.

As you enter the first room, footage of Marilyn singing to soldiers in Korea plays on the TV. Her million-dollar honeymoon dress is one of the most memorable items (pictured).

She wore them on her honeymoon when she married Joe DiMaggio, and also when she entertained troops in Korea in 1954. She then wore them as her personal dress, making them a truly unique artifact.

The glass display case is full of photographs and Marilyn’s accessories.

MAKE – UP PODLE MARILYN MONROE

Marilyn loved makeup and enjoyed getting ready. So much so that she was chronically late! Time magazine asked Marilyn about her makeup routine and she replied, “I don’t like to rush the process. I like to get dressed and apply my makeup in a relaxed manner. I think we rush too much these days.” I totally agree with her and would like to introduce you to the makeup secrets I learned here.

VASELINE

This beauty dedicated a lot of her time to her skin care. She knew that her skin needed to be hydrated, so she would use Nivea cream or Vaseline under her makeup to keep her skin soft, supple, and healthy. Yes, you read that right. Vaseline! I know that Vaseline is a bit much these days as a foundation. Vaseline was an important part of Marilyn’s makeup. She used it not only as a foundation, but also as a highlighter! She applied a small amount to her cheekbones and the shiny finish caught the light perfectly and suited her even more on camera.

SMART TRICK FOR FULLER LIPS

How to create the full, pouty lips that Marilyn was so famous for? By cleverly using lipstick. Her makeup artist Allan “Whitey” Snyder used up to five different shades of red – darker, deep red on the outside and lighter towards the inside. This created the illusion that her lips looked fuller and her overall makeup was even more glamorous. Finally, he applied a little white highlighter and gloss to the center of her lower lip. A clever tip that many makeup artists still use today.

EYE PAINTING

Can you guess what she used on her eyelids? Of course, Vaseline. 🙂 After applying eyeshadow, eyeliner, and lashes, Marilyn applied a little Vaseline or oil to her eyelids to give them a shine. She also used a white cream base, which she spread up to her eyebrows, and then applied the rest of her makeup.

CONTOURING

Contouring didn’t start with the Kardashians! Marilyn was using blush to contour her face back in the 1950s. In addition to contouring her cheeks, Marilyn would also add a little blush to the tip of her nose. This added warmth to her face and slightly slimmed her nose.

Marilyn loved her shine, so she used as little finishing powder as possible.

SUNBATHING

Interestingly, Marilyn avoided the sun, even though it was “in vogue” in California. She once said that she was personally against tanning because she liked to feel completely blonde. She simply liked to suffer for the alabaster look.

SLEEP

She knew how important sleep was and so she enjoyed it. She sometimes allowed herself up to ten hours of sleep. It is probably known that she became famous for not wearing clothes to bed, because she claimed that pajamas and “creepy nightgowns” disturbed her sleep. What she did wear, however, were five drops of Chanel No. 5 perfume, which she is said to have added to her ice bath.

ICE BATH

Yes, you read that right – an ice bath. While Wim Hof and a number of athletes have since popularized ice showers and baths, Marilyn was way ahead of the curve. It’s said that she took ice baths to keep her skin firm and taut.

EXERCISES

She wasn’t a natural exercise fanatic. Instead, she liked to lift two five-pound dumbbells above her head. She did this every morning by her bed until she was tired.

DEATH OF MARILYN MONROE

Beneath the Hollywood glamour, there were deep-seated problems that she had carried since childhood. She was addicted to amphetamines, barbiturates, and alcohol for the last few years of her life. She also suffered from depression and other psychological problems. The museum displays the autopsy report and the newspapers that were published that day.

OTHER HOLLYWOOD STARS

If you are a fan of old Hollywood movies, you will feel like you are in paradise here. In the museum you will find costumes of Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Fonda, Jean Harlow, as well as props from the films “Gone With The Wind“, “Twilight: New Moon“, “Star Trek“, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen“, “The Hunger Games” and many others.

And not only costumes, but also signatures of famous Hollywood stars. For example, I was very happy to see signatures of actors Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and actress Debbie Reynolds from one of the best musicals ever made, Singing in the Rain.

And if you like the aforementioned movie South for North, you can find the chair where the main character Scarlett O’Hara, played by actress Vivien Leigh, sat.

The film is truly amazing, with one unforgettable scene after another, and Vivien Leight and Clark Gable are truly phenomenal. Again, you can admire the signature acting of the actors in this film.

In the basement of the museum you will find Hannibal Lector‘s prison cell. Of course, it appeared in the movie The Silence of the Lambs. You will even find the chair where Jodi Foster sat outside the cell, waiting for Clarice to return.

TCL CHINESE THEATRE IMAX

And while I was in Hollywood, my final steps led me to the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX. While I’m singing Marilyn Monroe’s praises, you might be reminded of the “dumb blonde” character she played in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, in which she starred opposite Jane Russell. Monroe’s role as gold digger Lorelei Lee is best remembered for her iconic rendition of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” which featured the film’s famous pink satin dress by designer William Traville. Thanks to the film’s success, Monroe and Russell were invited to leave their signatures, hands, and shoes in cement on the famous “Loft of Stars” at the TCL Chinese Theatre, then known as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

I have to say that the whole journey in the footsteps of Marilyn Monroe was very exciting for me. And I recommend it to you too. If you have a favorite actor, actress, writer, or writer, follow in their footsteps.