Marilyn Monroe Gown and ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ Leotard Sell for Over $250,000 at Auction
Kim Kardashian just missed out on another Marilyn Monroe collectible.
After the “Kardashians” mogul donned two Monroe gowns for the 2022 Met Gala festivities, select costumes from Monroe’s film legacy were auctioned during a four-day “Hollywood Legends” event hosted by Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles.
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A sheer white gown worn by Monroe in the 1954 musical comedy “There’s No Business Like Show Business” marked the highest purchase out of the 1,700 items, fetching a bid of $218,750. A sequin leotard worn by Monroe in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” sold for $102,400 alongside Jane Russell’s matching costume from the 1953 movie.
The auction was hosted in collaboration with Turner Classic Movies on June 1, which would have been Monroe’s 96th birthday. Monroe’s ensembles were among more than 100 items used by or belonging to the screen icon that were sold at auction. The “Some Like It Hot” actress died at age 36 in 1962 under unknown circumstances.
“Marilyn Monroe lives on forever as the quintessential Hollywood Legend whose historical and cultural impact will continue to be celebrated in the next millennium and beyond,” Martin Nolan, the executive director of Julien’s Auctions, stated in a press release (via The Daily News).
Other items in the auction included an outfit worn by Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” which sold for $156,250; a broomstick used in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” for $76,800; and a cape donned by Christopher Reeve in “Superman III” for $51,200. A Stormtrooper helmet used in 1977′s “Star Wars” sold for $192,000.
For more modern classics, Chris Evans’ Captain America shield from 2012’s “The Avengers” sold for $200,000. A hammer held by Chris Hemsworth in 2013′s “Thor: The Dark World” landed a ticket price of $51,200.
The upcoming reimagining of Monroe’s life and legacy “Blonde” strayed away from using Monroe’s real-life possessions. Lead star Ana de Armas, who portrays Monroe in the film based on Joyce Carol Oates’ novel of the same name, told Entertainment Tonight that production “recreated” all of Monroe’s legendary outfits specifically for the screen.
“We did not use anything real,” de Armas explained. “We got a wonderful team of tailors and seamstress and we recreated every single piece. The same as, you know, the ones she wore but we did not touch any of her real stuff.”
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