Although they never met or worked together, Marilyn and Hugh Hefner will forever be linked in the popular imagination. In 1953, Hefner purchased the nude calendar shots Marilyn had posed for as an unknown several years before.
She survived the ensuing scandal to become Hollywood’s hottest star, but it was arguably the young magazine editor from Chicago who reaped the greatest reward when he republished the photos in the debut issue of Playboy, launching an empire which still thrives today.
Hefner never forgot his debt to Marilyn, and after his death in 2017, he was buried in the crypt adjacent to hers at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
On March 28, items of personal property and memorabilia related to both will go under the hammer in an event hosted by Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, Icons: Playboy, Hugh Hefner and Marilyn Monroe.
The upcoming sale is already making headlines, with the New York Post reporting that another crypt close to Marilyn’s – one row above, and four spaces to her left – is among the lots on offer. Bids will open at $50,000, with Darren Julien estimating that the final price could reach $400,000.
Meanwhile, an exhibition featuring other key items -including a pink Pucci dress owned by Marilyn – opens tomorrow, January 27, at the Fringe Club in Hong Kong, through next Thursday, February 1st.
It will then travel to K11 Art Mall in Shanghai from March 6-17, before heading back to Los Angeles, as Andre Neveling reports for Prestige Online.
“Auction highlights include a Mae West-inspired black and cellophane effect evening gown designed by legendary costume designer William Travilla, worn by Monroe during the filming of her classic 1955 film The Seven Year Itch. It comes with a black and white feather boa (not film’s original), similar to the one worn by Monroe with the gown (Estimate: US$100,000-$200,000).
Fans can catch a glimpse of the costume worn by Monroe as Lillian Russell for a pictorial feature in the December 22, 1958 issue of LIFE magazine, photographed by Richard Avedon. This lavender satin, boned leotard with neckline is trimmed with bouquets of fabric flowers and pink, lavender and cream draped chiffon sashes with pink satin bows and trimmed in lavender, pink and cream chiffon (Estimate: US$20,000- $40,000).
Other highlights from the exhibition include the original Jean Louis painted cream silk jersey cocktail dress worn by Monroe for The Misfits cast press conference in the summer of 1960 (Estimate: US$40,000-$60,000) and her custom shade of Elizabeth Arden lipstick in a goldtone case (Estimate: US$7,000-$9,000).”
The Marilyn Report 