By now, you’d think the world has seen every picture of Marilyn Monroe in existence and heard every story there is to tell about the iconic actress, who would have turned 86 on June 1. But the June issue of Vanity Fair proves there’s more Marilyn scoop to be had, even 40 years after her death. The magazine has published a set of six never-before-seen suggestive pictures of the star taken by photographer Lawrence Schiller (who was 23 and went by Larry Wolf back when he took the pics) during a legendary poolside photo shoot.

It was 1962 and Schiller, on assignment for Look magazine, captured a near-naked Monroe as she frolicked by a shimmering swimming pool. In one photo, she holds a towel to her chest as she climbs out of the pool, smiling softly at the camera, one leg pointed towards the sky. But before you start assuming that the male photographer talked a vulnerable Monroe into shedding more than she wanted to, check out some of what Schiller reveals in an adaption of his memoir, Marilyn & Me: A Photographer’s Memories, excerpts of which are included along with the photos in Vanity Fair.

“Fox [Studios] should start paying as much attention to me as they are paying to Elizabeth Taylor,” Schiller recounts Monroe telling him, referring to her disappointment that not only was the movie studio not taking her seriously enough, but she was also jealous of her fellow actress’ success, especially after Taylor got a huge publicity boost from her affair with “Cleopatra” co-star Richard Burton and a media frenzy ensued.
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Blonde bombshell moment: MAC Cosmetic has unveiled plans for a special makeup collection inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s glamorous beauty. The limited-edition line (in partnership with Authentic Brands Group) includes nearly 30 products — eye shadow, lipstick (think retro red and hot pink), nail lacquer and eyeliner — and will arrive in stores in October.

“Marilyn’s an icon, plain and simple. Her look not only defined a generation but also is relevant today,” MAC senior vp James Gager told THR. Monroe’s presence is felt everywhere, even 50 years after her death, from NBC’s new hit show Smash, which stars American Idol alum Katharine McPhee and Broadway vet Megan Hilty, to the Oscar-nominated My Week With Marilyn with Michelle Williams. “Marilyn’s back in the zeitgeist,” says Gager.

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Since the death of Marilyn Monroe in 1962, the blonde bombshell continues to spark fascination, as evidenced by the recent release of My Week With Marilyn. But do Monroe’s heirs benefit from such persistent popularity? Her estate is now making a $3 million bet that the answer will be yes, and that the public will continue to have a strong appetite for images of the actress who became a sex symbol in the 1950s.

Gaining from Monroe’s enduring fame hasn’t been easy for her heirs. Over the past decade, Marilyn Monroe, LLC, in conjunction with its manager CMG Worldwide, have been attempting to gain a cut whenever the late actress’s image has been used in commercial endeavors. This aggressive stance has put them at odds with others who have a stake in the Monroe mystique, such as the various photographers who captured Monroe’s life.

For nearly six years, Monroe’s estate has been in court with the family of one such photographer, Sam Shaw, who is now deceased. The litigation became closely followed by many observers, but it also caused Shaw Family Archives LTD to go into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. On Friday, Shaw’s estate told a bankruptcy court about a new plan to regain financial footing and revealed that it had entered into a deal whereby the Monroe estate gets exclusive rights to images of the blonde bombshell in return for $3 million in guaranteed royalties.

The deal also leaves important legal questions unanswered.

Shaw was a legendary photographer who captured some of the biggest stars from old Hollywood, including Marlon Brando, Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor. His images of Monroe were the most iconic, and after the photographer’s death, his family began to license the images around, including to Target for T-shirts and to one documentary producer who was making a film entitled Marilyn’s Man about the star’s first husband.
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In a dream sequence to air during Gossip Girl’s 100th episode on January 30 (8 p.m. ET on CW), Serena (Blake Lively) struts her stuff as the late Marilyn Monroe during a rendition of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.”

The blonde beauty, who’s surrounded by her male suitors including Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley), Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford), Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick), Prince Louis (Hugo Becker) and several others, is decked out in piles of dazzling jewelry and a red strapless gown with matching opera-length gloves.

Also in the montage? Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) dressed as another late, old Hollywood icon, Audrey Hepburn.

Yahoo TV writes, “According to executive producer Josh Safran this Marilyn number has been something he’s wanted to film since the show’s first season. ‘It’s something we’ve never done before. From Season 1, I said, ‘I want to do this.’ But it just wasn’t the right time. I’ve been pushing it for five years, and it finally happened.’”

Article Source: usmagazine.com

As I was going through my google alerts weeding out non-news worthy articles I stumbled upon something sort of interesting. Which I haven’t heard of this until now but I guess there is word going around that of film makers are thinking of making another Marilyn Monroe bio-pic film. Yes a Marilyn film has just been made and released, titling My Week With Marilyn starring Michelle Williams as our lovely Marilyn Monroe. But this time instead of focusing on her trip to London and filming The Prince and the Showgirl, it will focus on her life and tragic death. They are also seeking Michelle Williams for the role of Marilyn as well. Here is a snippet from the news:

MICHELLE Williams might be getting another week with Marilyn! The former Dawson’s Creek actress is said to be wanted for a second movie about Marilyn Monroe, this time focusing on her tragic death. “The story of Marilyn Monroe is something that many producers have wanted to put on the big screen and now may be the right time,” says a Hollywood insider. “Michelle was sensational in My Week with Marilyn and she is wanted for another project that would be a full biopic of the star. It’s got to the point where if Michelle doesn’t do it, the film may never get made.”

Article Source: showbizspy.com