Marilyn Monroe’s centenary draws Hollywood tributes, auctions, and enduring mystery
LA century after her birth, Marilyn Monroe’s star power shows no sign of fading. On Monday, Hollywood marked the 100th anniversary of the iconic actress’s birth with a series of events across Los Angeles.
Fans laid 100 roses and a cake outside the TCL Chinese Theatre, where Monroe left her hand– and footprints in cement in 1953 alongside Jane Russell, her co-star in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
The celebrations also include “Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon,” an exhibition that opened May 31 at the Los Angeles movie museum.
It features film screenings and rare memorabilia, including the pink satin dress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
An auction, “100 Years of Marilyn,” offers unseen photographs, an annotated script for her unfinished film Something’s Got to Give, and personal effects like makeup.
“When you think of Hollywood, you think of Marilyn,” tour guide Lacey Noel told AFP on the Walk of Fame. “She has an aura that is beautiful, mysterious and captivating – it will never fade.”
Monroe died at 36 in August 1962 under still-debated circumstances. Yet her cultural legacy remains immense: in 2023, Forbes ranked her 12th among top-earning deceased celebrities, with $10 million.
