Marilyn Remembered Fan Club Updates

Published March 13, 2019

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBIE!

One of the worlds most iconic blondes (besides Marilyn!) turned 60 on 9th March 2019 and I’m sure you’ll agree, she’s looking fabulous for her age!

“Barbie” is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll and the blonde bombshell has been in the homes and hearts of many generations for the last 6 decades.

“Barbie” has had many looks, outfits, hairstyles, occupations etc over the years and has even turned her hand at imitating our very OWN blonde bombshell Marilyn!

In 1997, Mattell, Inc released their “Hollywood Legends” collection and saw “Barbie” portaying Marilyn in three of her most famous movie costumes:

“Two Little Girls From Little Rock” musical number from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”

“Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend” musical number from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”

In 2002, Mattel Inc released the first in a celebrity line of Marilyn dolls. Although these dolls were not “Barbie”, they were made with Marilyn’s features and the “How To Marry A Millionaire” doll remains a firm favourite with fans.

The “How To Marry A Millionaire” doll comes with 2 outfits, this being the dress the doll is styled in.

Outfit number 2 from the “How To Marry A Millionaire” doll.

And in 2009, to celebrate “Barbie’s” 50th birthday, Mattell Inc released a series called “Blonde Ambition” celebrating the worlds most beloved and famous blondes. “Barbie” is dressed in the gold lame gown from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”

What does the future hold for “Barbie”? I hope she’ll be around for many years to come and fingers crossed she gets the urge to dress up as Marilyn again!

Published March 12, 2019

THE VILLA NOVA

The Villa Nova restaurant, the location of Marilyn and Joe’s first ever date, as it looked in their day. The restaurant was owned by Director Vincente Minelli, who was then married to Judy Garland and the venue had a strict “No press!” rule in place, making it popular with the stars of the day.

March 8th 1952, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio go on their first ever date at the Villa Nova restaurant on Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood. This would start a relationship and also friendship between the two of them which would ultimately last until Marilyn’s death in 1962.

Joe was keen to meet Marilyn after he saw a photograph of her in a newspaper, posing with Chicago White Sox players Joe Dobson and Gus Zernial. The sight of Marilyn, in a pair of figure hugging white hot pants, a tight jersey blouse, and of course a baseball cap, prompted him to ask Zernial, “Who’s the blonde?”

The photo that started it all

When Joe found out that one of his drinking pals at Toots Shor’s, David March, knew Marilyn personally, he pestered him to set up a double date, with March’s current belle, actress Peggy Rabe. This took place on March 8th 1952 at the Villa Nova Italian restaurant on Sunset Boulevard. Marilyn apparently arrived two hours late, but Joe waited for her all the same. Many accounts of the events, however, maintain that the evening out was just Joe and Marilyn, and not a double date at all. The date went well and Marilyn drove DiMaggio back to the Knickerboker Hotel where he was staying at the time.

Marilyn, recalling her first meeting with Joe said: “I expected a flashy New York sports type, and instead I met this reserved guy who didn’t make a pass at me right away. I had dinner with him almost every night for two weeks. He treated me like something special. Joe is a very decent man, and he makes other people feel decent too.”

Needless to say, the couple went on to date for nearly 2 years, before marrying on January 14th 1954.

In happier times: Marilyn and Joe on their wedding day

The Villa Nova as Marilyn and Joe knew it was taken over in 1972 and renamed “The Rainbow Bar and Grill.” It is now no longer an intimate Italian restaurant, but a heavy metal and glam rock bar. It is still an immensly popular hotspot in the LA nightlife and offers live music every Wednesday, as well as wide range of delicious food and drinks on offer at reasonable prices… and the portion sizes are really good, which is always a bonus!

Not to back away from their history, you can still spot Marilyn at the Rainbow if you keep your eyes peeled:

Find it:
The Rainbow Bar and Grill (formerly The Villa Nova) can be found at 9015 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA
website: http://www.rainbowbarandgrill.com/

Sources:
The Marilyn Encyclopedia by Adam Victor

Published March 11, 2019

RARE MONROE PHOTOS SURFACE

These stunning pictures of Marilyn Monroe during her trip to Bement, Illinois in 1955 have recently surfaced online. Fans have been taken aback by how fresh and new they look, as if they could have been taken in 2019.

Monroe arrived in Bement on August 7th 1955 to judge a beard contest celebrating the towns centennial celebrations. She looks relaxed and happy as she leaves the areoplane, posing for photographers and gently tugging on one of the entrants whiskers!

More can be read about this trip here: http://www.journal-republican.com/news/parks-and-recreation/2015-08-04/day-marilyn-monroe-came-town.html

Published March 11, 2019

REMEMBERING GLADYS PEARL MONROE

Full credit goes to “A Passion For Marilyn” and Fraser Penney for these beautiful words:

Remembering Marilyn’s mother Gladys Pearl Monroe, aka Baker, Mortensen & Eley, who died of heart failure on March 11th 1984 in Gainesville, Florida.
During her rise to stardom, Marilyn professed that her mother was dead. But it was discovered that Gladys was still alive when a reporter did some snooping in 1952. Marilyn went onto explain that her mother was an “invalid,” and that she had “never had the opportunity to get to know her,” that she “lied because I didn’t want to put my vulnerable mother in the glaring public spotlight.”
The story went away and in 1960 Marilyn again said to a reporter that her mother had since passed away.
After Marilyn died, Gladys became increasingly disturbed. She attempted suicide by stabbing herself with hairpins.
In 1963, she escaped from Rockhaven Sanitarium but was discovered a day later and taken back and she remained there for another three years. This story made headlines across the world with France’s Paris Match weekly news magazine declaring “The big lie of Marilyn, her mother lives.”
A few years later she moved to Florida to be with her daughter Bernice, who became her guardian in 1967.
By 1970, she was considered well enough to move into a retirement home, not far from Bernice, where she was able to establish her first independent residence since 1935.
Before Marilyn died, she provided a $100,000 trust fund for her mother. $5,000 was to be drawn annually for her maintenance at Rockhaven. Due to legalities and an alleged lack of funds, Gladys did not receive a payment from the Marilyn Monroe estate until December 1976.
Gladys once said “I am not interested in material things. I’m interested only in God.”

Born: 27 May 1902, Piedras Negras, Mexico
Died: 11 March 1984, Gainesville, Florida, United States
RIP Gladys ????