ALONG COMES MARY

Marilyn Monroe has been haunting me.

Afew weeks ago, I decided to rent My Week with Marilyn, from the Redbox, despite I am not a big fan of Michelle Williams & figured I would not watch much, let alone finish it. I was glued to every moment. Michelle truly had her down, & getting a glimpse into her world (supposidly) was interesting, sad & tragic. I gained new respect for Michelle Williams as an actor, as well as Marilyn, whom I have been a fan of since I was a kid. If the film is accurate, Marilyn tried as best she could to give a stellar performance, yet was plagued with stage fright & insecurity; like all of us, sometimes she just needed a hug.

Then, last week, I had a very Movie Lover Nerd-ish dream of mine come true; since I was probably 3, 4 at the most, I have wonderful memories of watching Marilyn’s classic comedy, Some Like it Hot, with my Grandma. I even can remember proclaiming once to her, “This is my favorite movie!” & last weekend, I ended up at The Hotel Coronado, where they filmed much of the film in 1958….you know when they arrive to the ritzy hotel in ‘Florida’? Thats Coronado;-) You really can feel the history there; it truly is like stepping into another world (despite the guests & employees doing modern things…using cell phones, computers, etc) with old fashioned elevators, beautiful gazebos & a chandilier to knock your socks. Make sure to visit their gift shop, too, we spoke with a wonderful Sales Associate, Patty, who could not have been sweeter & recommended I return at Christmas time to see the hotel decked out. I also might, or might not have, found out just which room at Hotel Coronado is haunted…with a friendly ghost named Kate 😉 Just for fun, lets do a trivia game! Feel free to comment at your guess of the room number that Kate still visits…hint…its 4 digits…& I am not saying I will tell you!

While photography was not allowed in the gift shop, they did carry an abundance of Marilyn memorabilia. Especially trinkets with famous quotes from her. My favorite has always been: “If you cannot handle me at my worst, then you sure to God don’t deserve me at my best”–I needed to remind myself of this earlier in the week, I think visiting where Marilyn has been gave me extra help.

And, the haunting does not stop there…afew nights ago, I was in a restaurants Ladies Room only to look up & see a gorgeous photograph of her. I find all this interesting as we lost Mariyln 50 years ago today, & are just as fascinated by her today as I bet we were those 50 & more years ago. Everyone loves her; whether it was her ‘Dumb Blonde’ persona, or serious work in films like ‘The Prince & the Showgirl’, everybody seems to have their favorite film from her. I also just learned she was the cover girl for the very 1st issue of Playboy (Another great quote, when asked what she had on during that shoot, she coyly replied, ‘The radio’). They just don’t seem to make ’em like her anymore; women & starlets continue to be more gorgeous than ever, but Marilyn always seems to reign at the top.

Is this a great photo or what?! Mariyln with Jane Russell at The Chinese Theatre in Hollywood…..

And, here I am with Marilyns wax figure in Hollywood, afew halloweens ago.