Marilyn Monroe once again came to the auction block on November 1st 2019 which saw a various array of screen worn costumes, personal items, autographs and poetry up for sale.
Here are just some of the highlights from the day.
For a full list of every item and what they sold for, simply head here to Julien’s website: https://www.juliensauctions.com/auction-results?id=301
All photos and captions sourced from Julien’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/JuliensAuctions/
2019 is the year that the legendary comedy “Some Like It Hot” celebrates its 60th birthday. Who can believe it’s been that long since Sugar Kane, Josephine and Daphne came into our lives and taught us that whilst “nobodies perfect!” this film surely is and always will be.. perfection.
Sixty years on, this film still stands the test of time, regularly topping lists of the worlds greatest ever comedies, fans still flock to the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego where the exterior shots of the famous “Seminole Ritz” was filmed and cinemas around the world can still confidently screen this classic, knowing that they will have a packed theatre full of “spills, thrills, laughs and games!”
It has always seemed a miscarriage of justice that whilst “Some Like It Hot” was nominated for 6 Academy Awards (including best actor for Jack Lemmon) it only managed to take home one statue: Best Costume Design for a black and white movie credited to Orry-Kelly.
Orry-Kelly was an Australian-American Hollywood costume designer and until being overtaken by Catherine Martin in 2014, he was Australia’s most prolific Oscar winners, having taken home 3 statues for his work in film (“An American In Paris,” “Les Girls” and “Some Like It Hot.”)
“‘Some Like It Hot’ was to star Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon” the designer wrote in his memoirs: “Women I’ve Undressed”. “It was to be produced and directed by Billy Wilder. I had long admired Miss Monroe’s lovely face, her acting – but never her clothes. I did something I have never done before, I tested for the job. Armed with half a dozen lifelike sketches of Marilyn Monroe in 1928 period, I descended on the wily Puck-faced Billy Wilder. Along with his famed biting wit I discovered he had a great taste in almost everything, including women, for his wife Audrey was both beautiful and chic. Mr Wilder not only engaged me to dress Miss Monroe, but I was to make a couple of belles out of Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon too.
I had been warned about Marilyn Monroe. She was difficult, she was always late, and she was this and that. I have always felt that if you give a star what is most becoming, even though the style may be new or foreign to her, with tact you can usually win out. Tact, that nice little clean four letter word. What an important part it plays in the life of a dress designer.”
You can watch Orry-kelly pick up his Academy Award at the 1960 Oscar Ceremony here: His speech is short, but memorable!
Orry Kelly sadly passed away on February 27th 1964 of Liver failure at the age of 66. pallbearers at his funeral included Billy Wilder, Tony Curtis and Cary Grant. He was interred in Forrest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills.
Purchase a copy of Orry-Kelly’s memoirs “Women I’ve Undressed” here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Women-Ive-Undressed-Legendary-Hollywood/dp/1760290955
When we think of “Some Like It Hot”, we immediately think of Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Joe E. Brown etc but there’s another main character in the film: the beautiful and iconic Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego. Of course, in the film, the hotel is being disguised as the “Seminole Ritz” in Florida, where Sweet Sue and her Society of Syncopators frolic on the beach by day and play to hundreds of hotel guests at night
The cast and crew spent 2 weeks filming all the exterior and beach shots at the hotel and by all accounts, the shooting went very well. The only real problem that arose was the continuous sound of planes flying overhead. The Del is located near the Coronado Naval Base, so every so often they would have to stop and wait for the deafening thunder of the areoplanes engines to pass before contuining with the shoot!
That same continuous flow of areoplanes can still be seen and heard if you visit or stay near the Del to this day!
A lot of fans are always surprised to know that the interior shots of the Hotel weren’t filmed in San Diego, but on a sound stage in Los Angeles. However, if you are lucky enough to stay or even visit the Hotel Del Coronado, you’ll still feel like you could bump into Sugar, Daphne or Shell Oil Jr around every corner!
Up until recently, the Hotel Del Coronado has remained true to its history and kept its authentic victorian look inside and outside of the Hotel. However, as of March 2019, it emerged that it would be going through a $200M renovation ( https://www.marilynrememberedfanclub.com/200m-hotel-del-coronado-reconstruction/ ) we can only hope that any changes to the look and feel of the Hotel will be minimal.
Here are some shots taken of the Del in recent years:
The Del is very proud of its ties to “Some Like It Hot” even inviting the cast and crew back to celebrate the films 25th and 50th anniversary respecitvely.
Here are some news reels from 1984 when Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Billy Wilder came together to celebrate the movies 25th birthday:
https://youtu.be/nRg551tTOOI
https://youtu.be/i93CFNAhDPA
https://youtu.be/bKQEUHSQwgY
For more information on the Hotel Del Coronado, head here: https://hoteldel.com/
“Some Like It Hot” was one of the biggest successes of 1959, audiences adored it and continued to flock to theatres to see Sugar, Joe and Jerry create mishap on screen.
With the ever increasing popularity of Television, it’s no surprise that The Mirish Company would try and turn their most successful film: “Some Like It Hot” into a ongoing television series.
The series would focus on the mishaps and adventures that Joe and Jerry would face in their new identities, trying to recreate the magic that was created on film by bringing it into peoples homes and television sets throughout the year.
The premise of the show was this: Joe and Jerry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon reprising their roles for the pilot) are still on the run from the mob, so they decide to up their game and go under the knife for a complete facial transformation (enter the two new actors playing Joe and Jerry: Vic Damone and Dick Patterson.)
With new faces on their fronts, Joe and Jerry assume their problems are
behind them. However they are soon enlisted by federal agents to help
track down Studs Columbo (Spatz Columbo’s twin brother of course!)
Studs Columbo is determined to track down and rub out the two musicians
who had his brother killed, Joe and Jerry reluctantly agree to get back
into drag and get the goods on “Girl-Crazy” Castro, the gangster who
deployed the machine gun that killed Toothpick Charlie in the original
film.
There is no mention of Sugar in the pilot, she has been
replaced by a character called Candy Collins (Tina Louise). Collins is
Studs Columbo’s moll who eventually falls for Joe after he reveals his
true identity to her.
The pilot was shot at NBC studios in mid March 1961 and quickly vanished into thin air. Neither NBC not the potential sponsor Proctor and Gamble picked up the show. The precise reason this show was a no-go is still unclear, however one studio memo said: “As this is essentially a joke show, it would be difficult to sustain on a high level.”
By the end of 1961, the pilot was considered dead. Perhaps at the end of the day, “Some Like It Hot” should always be considered a one off, no sequal.. no remake.. no television series.. Just a beautifully perfect one off movie ever to be repeated.
More on this planned TV show can be found here: “Some Like It Hot: The Official 50th Anniversary Companion.” https://www.amazon.co.uk/Some-Like-Hot-Companion/dp/1862058644
