New Franklin Mint Doll - Don't Bother to Knock

The Franklin Mint has released a new Marilyn doll they are calling the "Don't Bother to Knock Premiere" doll.  I have paired it with a real photo of Marilyn wearing the dress.  I am surprised they didn't go with a more well-known outfit.  If you are interested in purchasing this doll please click on the photo below to be taken to the Franklin Mint website (US orders only).

Profiles in History : Debbie Reynolds Auction

On June 18, a pretty extraordinary auction will be taking place in Beverly Hills by Profiles in History. Actress Debbie Reynolds is parting with her collection of Hollywood memorabilia.  She gathered these pieces in the hopes of someday opening a museum. Unfortunately, due to finances this dream did not come true and she decided to sell. The Marilyn dresses are all instantly recognizable to fans; River of No Return, Little Rock, Heat Wave and the most iconic of all Seven Year Itch.  The white dress is expected to sell for over $1,000,000. 

I am curious to know if Profiles in History will include this auction in their TV series, Hollywood Treasures.  I have enjoyed watching it.  It follows around the Profiles in History team as they track down items and prepare for auctions.  The end of each episode features the actual auction and what the pieces sold for.  When I heard the news that Reynolds decided to go with Profiles for her sale I was hopeful it might be featured at some point.

CONFIRMED: It has been reported that she will appear in a June 15 episode showing off her collection!

More info from CBS News:

You can soon own a piece of Hollywood history, thanks to actress Debbie Reynolds. 

For decades, Reynolds collected some of the big screen's most iconic props and costumes. But now, she's putting them on the auction block.

CBS News National Correspondent Ben Tracy spent some time with Reynolds, known for her roles in "Singin' in the Rain" and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," to find out why.

The 79-year-old star is saying good-bye to the dresses she wore in her movies, selling them off along with hundreds of other Hollywood treasures she's purchased, mostly at studio auctions over the past four decades.

Reynolds told Tracy she began collecting the costumes for emotional reasons.

She said, "I couldn't believe that they were getting rid of all these iconic pieces that I considered to be historical and should be saved."

Reynolds has a pair of "Wizard of Oz" ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland. She also owns Julie Andrews' dress and guitar from "The Sound of Music."

Some of the centerpieces of the collection include the famous Oscar-winning fashions worn by Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady" and the pleated, white "subway dress" worn by Marilyn Monroe in "The Seven Year Itch."

Though Reynolds wouldn't disclose how much she paid for the Monroe dress, she said it's expected to bring in more thsn $1 million at auction.

Reynolds said, "I paid a lot, but not that!"

As Reynolds and Tracy walked through the collection, Tracy remarked how small the actresses' waists were.

Laughing, Reynolds said, "Yeah, we've all changed since that time."

Reynolds' collected the costumes with the dream of one day building a museum. But development deals kept falling through, putting her deeper in debt. The auction is designed to pay off those debts.

Reynolds said she's "devastated" and "very saddened" that her idea never came to fruition.

"(I'm) very disappointed that I never could get the right people interested," she said. "At least, I never found them."

Tracy asked the star, "You talk about, this wasn't cheap. That you spent a lot of money, you had to use your credit card. Did you ever get to a point where you said, 'Whoa, I'm buying too much stuff?"'

"Oh, yes," Reynolds said. "It was always too much. But then, life should be that. Either full of life, or no life."

The star said she wanted to have the auction while she could be a part of it and make sure the costumes go to "special homes."

"If you wait 'til you pass away, what good does that do?" she said. "So, I'm being selfish, in a way, by passing them along while I'm still alive."

Lena Pepitone has died

Well, there is no love lost for most Marilyn fans at the passing of Lena Pepitone.  I took this photo of her in 2005 at an auction that was held in Niagara Falls.  She spoke very little english so I was not able to really ask her any questions.  A few years ago, I was put in touch with her to be on my podcast.  When I called I was informed by her son that she charges $400 for a half hour interview.  Give me a break.  She was always out for the money.

Maid for Marilyn Monroe dead at 86

By JAMIE SCHRAM

An Upper East Side woman who worked as a maid for Marilyn Monroe and once wrote a tell-all book about the iconic American movie star was found dead in her home today.

Lena Pepitone apparently died of natural causes and was found about midnight by an acquaintance in her apartment on at 309 East 76th Street, a relative told The Post. She was 86 and had a heart condition.

A friend became concerned after she couldn't reach her by phone and went to her apartment. She couldn't get inside, but noticed the lights were on and heard the TV, sources said.

She called police, who climbed up a fire escape, entered the apartment through a window and found the body on the floor.

"My aunt Lena, I think that she’s probably the last living person who worked for Marilyn Monroe," said retired NYPD Sgt. Steven Cataneo.

Pepitone co-wrote "Marilyn Monroe Confidential" published by Simon & Schuster.

Cataneo said his aunt was a fabulous cook and seamstress who made a last-minute repair to the dress the blonde bombshell wore when she famously serenaded President John F. Kennedy by singing "Happy Birthday to You" at Madison Square Garden in 1962.

In her book, Pepitone said Monroe laughed at rumors that she was having an affair with Kennedy or his brother Robert.

Pepitone, who started working for Monroe in 1957, quoted the actress as calling the Kennedy brothers "cute" and saying she liked them because they were "funny and smart."

"But I remember her insisting, 'They're not my type. They're boys,"' Pepitone said.

Cataneo said his aunt cooked for Monroe and all her friends – including Frank Sinatra – as well as for her then-husband Joe DiMaggio.

"My aunt could cook. Italian food. Veal, pasta, sauces. Meatballs. The woman could cook," Cataneo recalled.

-New York Post

New York attempts to bring home Monroe's legendary White Dress

A New York City-based entertainment technology firm inQuicity is raising funds to win back the iconic, “fluttering” white dress worn by Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe in the film 'The Seven Year Itch'.

The dress, which is currently owned by the movie star Debbie Reynolds, will be auctioned off on June 18 in Los Angeles.

“Your donation will protect the legend and legacy of an American icon,” the company said on the official site of its nationwide “SAVE-THE-DRESS” campaign to rescue the “White Dress made famous by Marilyn Monroe.”

According to an auction house, the dress is said to be worth between $1 million and $2 million.

A scene from the film shot atop a New York City subway vent, in which Monroe’s white dress is fluttered upward by gushing air from a passing train made the actress a superstar. The image of the actress in the particular scene is considered an all time fashion moment worldwide.

“The timeless image of Marilyn Monroe in her legendary white dress has been indelibly etched in the minds of so many around the world. Her legacy and this priceless dress belong to the people, and shouldn't be hidden away from public view. Ensure that this incredible piece of Hollywood history remains accessible to all – where it belongs – in New York City,” the company said.

inQuicity plans to place the Oscar winning William Travilla's White Dress on permanent display in a New York City museum.

For more information http://savethedress.org/

The question has been raised as to what exactly they are going to do with the money if they are unsuccessful in acquiring the dress at the upcoming auction.  Donors will not get their money back and let's be honest it is highly unlikely this internet website is going to raise enough money to win the dress at auction.  After all, the estimate for the dress is $1,000,000 - 2,000,000 dollars.  The auction takes place on June 18 through Profiles in History.

The Life and Career of Marilyn Monroe

For anyone craving a little Marilyn fix on her birthday, the people at WatchMojo sent along this great video they made about her life.  I loved all of the footage from her different films.  It is a great short bio for new Marilyn fans too.

Happy Birthday Marilyn

Well, our girl would have been 85 today.  I hope everyone takes a moment to hold a good thought for her today.  To think that she has been gone longer than she was alive but still lives on through all of her fans is pretty amazing.

Marilyn's birthday has more meaning for me now - since it is also my first wedding anniversary :)  Where did a year go???  I was looking back through my photos and I have to pinch myself that it was real.  It was truly the best day of my life and I will never forget it.  I consider myself so lucky to have such wonderful Marilyn friends like Susan Griffiths and Suzie Kennedy who made the day special for me.

Enjoy this video of Marilyn and birthday cakes!!

A Memory of Marilyn in Korea

Marilyn Monroe in Korea by Bob McMillan

Every time I deliver my PowerPoint presentation dealing with presidents and fun vignettes, the item, which gets the most laughs and questions is my coming face-to-face in Korea with Marilyn Monroe. This goes back to February of 1954.

One of my assignments as Company Commander of an Engineer Combat Company was to wet down roads so as artillery or tanks moved from one area to another Chinese spotters could not determine the locations. Wetting the roads prevented dust, and it was the dust which spotters used to track the movements of artillery or tanks. The road wetting process was one of the most unpopular assignments in my Company.

Now to the story of Marilyn Monroe. It was late on one afternoon, and my phone rang. It was my Group Commander, and he ordered me to come to his office at Camp Casey immediately. As I drove to Camp Casey, I wondered what could be so urgent? Arriving in the Colonel’s office, he pulled down a map of the area. He stated very clearly that he wanted roads sprayed with water from the helicopter pad in Camp Casey to the General’s Mess, and then to the Amphitheatre. “But, Colonel,” I said, “The spotters cannot see dust here, because mountains block the view.”

Then, he hit me with the reason for wetting down the roads. It was to keep dust off of Marilyn Monroe as she lands on the helicopter pad. Wow, what an assignment.

As I went back to my company, I thought about how best to get the job done. The word about the reason for wetting the roads leaked out, and it seemed everyone wanted to be on those trucks. The next morning we were all set. The trucks had never been so well staffed, and I had to be present to be sure the work was done effectively.

While the roads were not washed away, they were soaked. There was not a speck of dust from any moving vehicle.

After convincing the military police that it was essential for the trucks, my jeep and the soldiers to stand by for Marilyn Monroe’s arrival, we stationed ourselves next to the helicopter pad. Soon, we heard the sound of a large helicopter coming up the nearby valley. Next, after landing, we all saw the radiant Marilyn Monroe. She was beautiful. With a wave and blowing a kiss, we felt thrown to all of us next to the helicopter pad, she was off for her luncheon with the general.

After the luncheon she changed into a low cut sparkling purple dress and was off to perform for us at the amphitheater. By the way, that performance can be seen whenever the biography of Marilyn Monroe appears on television. And if you look closely, you will not see one speck of dust on that beautiful dress. Interestingly, at an auction in 1999, that dress was purchased for $112,000!

As I look back, that was an event I will always remember.

Robert McMillan Website: www.bobmcmillan.net