USA: Marilyn Monroe collection makes its red carpet debut aboard the Queen Mary

The legend of Marilyn Monroe lives on in a stunning collection of memorabilia that makes its debut Friday (November 11, 2005) aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. "Marilyn Monroe: The Exhibit," consists of hundreds of items collected over the years by Robert Otto, a longtime fan of the actress. It includes gowns, personal items and jewellery -- including a diamond pin in the shape of an ``M'' and a crystal necklace given to her by Frank Sinatra. "It gives you a look into Marilyn beyond just the movie props and the dresses," explains Otto. "Did Marilyn wear that dress in the "Seven Year Itch?" Maybe she did, but it was not hers. My collection is really hers, its that intimate look, you can go into the intimate room and look at lingerie and nightgowns and so on." The items are displayed in six rooms. Among the memorabilia in the "Intimate Room,'' are curlers with Monroe's hair still wrapped around them, lipstick, fake eyelashes, mirrors, lingerie and underwear with her name marked inside so they would not be lost while being laundered at the 20th Century Fox studio. Another item is a mink stole with the initials, "M.D.'' from her nine-month marriage to DiMaggio in 1954. Although Otto says his favorite piece is a priceless ring given to the actress by the baseball legend. "There is a grape jelly garnet ring, that Joe gave her as a friendship, pre-engagement ring. But, it meant a lot to Joe because it was Joe's mother's. So, you could see the love starting already and he goes out and has it sized. He put's the initials "MM" on the ring. It's the centerpiece of the Joe and Marilyn room," says Otto. Monroe established herself as a pop culture icon through a series of classic films in the 1950's that including "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," "The Seven Year Itch" and "Some Like it Hot." The actress though, who died of an apparent suicide in 1962, continues her reign as the ultimate sex symbol some 40 years after her death. "She married one of the best baseball players in Joe DiMaggio, married one of the top playwrights in Arthur Miller, she dates the signature voice of the 20th century - she dates Frank Sinatra for over a year and then she has a relationship with the President of the United States and the Attorney General. Marilyn also dies young, beautiful and mysteriously," says Otto, in explaining Monroe's ongoing popularity. The exhibit at the Queen Mary will run through February. After that, the collection will go on a world tour.

ITN Source | November 17, 2005

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