Photos: Marilyn Monroe’s star still shines bright, 60 years after her death
Like ripples on a pond, her memory lives on through the people who celebrate and remember her.
August 4th marks the 60th anniversary of the death of Marilyn Monroe.
She would have turned 96 this year.
Some quietly refer to her, while others have devoted their lives to keeping her story alive.
Many tell stories of how she inspired them and got them through tough times. Some are mesmerized by her beauty. Others feel misunderstood and their intelligence underestimated.
Some just enjoy their movies. There are only a few who knew her personally. Her crypt at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park receives regular visits and flowers still arrive almost daily.
There is also the “Shop of Marilyn”. Marilyn is a big tourist draw in Southern California. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, their likenesses large and small were put on display to raise much-needed dollars for tourists.
Simply put, there is only one Marilyn, and she is still a magnetic force in Southern California.
keep her memories
(Amy Gaskin / For the Times)
Greg Schreiner is the President of the Marilyn Remembered Fan Club. Schreiner has a huge collection of the star’s personal belongings.
“I wish I had known her, so I started collecting – so I could get to know her better.”
“I didn’t know her, of course, but I met dozens of people who did. They said that she had a very warm, giving, loving personality. She was the kind of person you’d love to hang out with.”
– Gregory Schreiner
Annual commemoration
(Amy Gaskin / For the Times)
A memorial service for Marilyn Monroe will be held on August 5, 2021 at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park, the same chapel where her memorial was held 59 years earlier.
The Marilyn Remembered fan club has held regular meetings and events, including the annual memorial service, for almost 40 years.
Founded in 1982, the club was founded by four Monroe fans who happened to meet in their crypt on the anniversary of their death. The club’s mission: “To preserve the memory of Marilyn Monroe with dignity and grace.”
Classmate Renee Taylor
(Amy Gaskin / For the Times)
Actress Renee Taylor, now 89, spoke at last year’s memorial service and shared how Monroe shared beauty tips with her.
“I don’t think she was recognized for her great achievements.”
– Actress Renee Taylor
Taylor and Monroe were in Lee Strasberg’s acting class together.
“She would stand in front of everyone and be criticized in class. It was amazing that she would be so vulnerable,” Taylor said.
Monroe told her the secret to soft skin is to soak in Vaseline for hours. She also told Taylor that eating grapes would help. Taylor tried both and said neither was as successful as she had hoped.
18,000 roses over 20 years
(Amy Gaskin / For the Times)
According to Susan Hail, owner of the Paris Florist, baseball star Joe DiMaggio, Monroe’s second husband, had six red roses delivered to her crypt three times a week for more than 20 years.
In total, more than 18,000 roses were delivered.
Then one day DiMaggio walked into the store and said “that’s enough” and stopped the deliveries.
Monroe’s funeral and coffin arrangement was one of Hail’s father’s first jobs as a florist. The family-run shop continues to operate, providing many of Monroe’s friends and fans with flowers, which they continue to buy in honor of her.
Marilyn at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
(Amy Gaskin / For the Times)
In honor of her 95th birthday on June 1, 2021, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel screened Some Like It Hot, one of Monroe’s most famous films.
Hollywood Roosevelt’s swimming pool was the scene of a 1951 Monroe photo shoot.
“I discovered my femininity through Marilyn. … I have enjoyed paying homage to her over the years.”
– Jessica “Sugar” Kiper, Marilyn Monroe impersonator
“Forever Marilyn”
(Amy Gaskin / For the Times)
The 26 foot tall, 24,000 pound stainless steel and aluminum sculpture Forever Marilyn was installed in Palm Springs. Adam Garey removes a protective cover from the sculpture.
(Amy Gaskin / For the Times)
Cher-Javier, a Monroe impersonator in Palm Springs, said, “I have tons of books about her. What inspires me about her is her emergence from the tragic life she led. It’s incredible. She was just this little orphan girl.”
(Amy Gaskin / For the Times)
A Marilyn Remembered fan club member displays a portrait she won as a prize at a holiday dinner hosted by the club at El Coyote Mexican restaurant on December 11, 2021 in Los Angeles.
Still present on Hollywood Boulevard
(Amy Gaskin / For the Times)
Madame Tussaud waxwork artist Julio Cesar Castellanos puts the finishing touches to a Marilyn Monroe figurine for her birthday in 2021. In addition to his work in the museum, Castellanos specializes in replicas of Marilyn Monroe dresses.
“She has an enduring impact on today’s fashion and beauty.”
— Artist Julio Cesar Castellanos
A Marilyn Monroe mannequin will be installed at the TCL Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard in March 2021.
(Amy Gaskin / For the Times)
Like family
(Amy Gaskin / For the Times)
From left, Marilyn Remembered Club members Monica Shahri, Jeanne Witczak and Jessica “Sugar” Kiper are photographed at the club’s holiday lunch on December 11, 2021 by fan Christopher R. Elliott.
“I met her in a past life.”
(Amy Gaskin / For the Times)
Ezequiel Banuelos, 25, of Torrance, visits Monroe’s crypt at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park on her 95th birthday. Flowers from the Immortal Marilyn and Marilyn Remembered fan clubs will be on display.
“She is a very big inspiration and someone who has helped me get through the most difficult of times. I met her in a past life and she said to me, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll get through this,'” Banuelos said.
“What I do is just love.”
(Amy Gaskin / For the Times)
Steve Gonzales cleans Marilyn Monroe’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“I was born in love with Marilyn Monroe. What I do is just love,” said Gonzales, who has been cleaning her Walk of Fame star for the past five years.
Amy Gaskin is a Los Angeles-based photographer with a passion for storytelling.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-08-01/photos-of-marilyn-monroe-60-years-after-her-death Photos: Marilyn Monroe’s star still shines bright, 60 years after her death