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Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.
Some Like It Hot, besides being the most famous film made by legendary sex symbol Marilyn Monroe (her signature performance) is a comedy classic in its own right. In 2000, it was voted by the American Film Institute as #1 on its list of the 100 Funniest Movies (interestingly, the #2 choice was Tootsie, making both the #1 and #2 choices cross-dressing films).
Besides the great Marilyn (and Billy Wilder’s awesome direction), the brilliant gender-bending performances by Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon make it, without a doubt, one of the most entertaining comedies ever filmed. Let’s take a look at a few facts you may not know about a truly hilarious movie: Some Like It Hot.
* The “almost cast” list is almost as great as the final choices. Director Billy Wilder originally wanted Bob Hope and Danny Kaye to play the Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon roles. Frank Sinatra was another early choice the play the Jack Lemmon “Daphne” role. Perhaps the strangest actor to audition for Lemmon’s role was a young Anthony Perkins (rejected. He was to star in Alred Hitchcock’s Psycho the next year).
* Jerry Lewis was also offered the role of the zany “Daphne.” Lewis turned down the role because he “didn’t think drag was funny.” Lemmon, who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance, sent Lewis chocolates annually in gratitude. According to Jerry, every time he ran into Billy Wilder, Billy greeted him with, “Hello, Schmuck!” Jerry later admitted he regretted his rejection of the role.
* Actress Mitzi Gaynor was the original choice for the female lead “Sugar Kane” role, but as soon as Wilder found out Marilyn Monroe was available, he offered her the role.
* The film’s original working title was Not Tonight, Josephine.
* Marilyn wanted the film to be in color (her contract actually stipulated that all her movies be filmed in color), but after looking at Curtis and Lemmon in the color film tests, they were deemed to be too grotesque-looking (they photographed with a green tinge).
more …
It takes a lot of poise to still look beautiful, sexy and powerful while using crutches, but if anyone could do it -it was Marilyn Monroe. And the gorgeous pictures of the late, great actress featured on The Huffington Post show just how stunning she could look, even with an ankle injury. If you love Marilyn, don’t miss these great, unreleased-up-until-now shots.
George Chamoun, an art student from Sweden, smoothly blended iconic stars of a previous generation with current popular actors. Pictured above is Marilyn Monroe and Scarlett Johansson.
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Nothing like a cold blueberry Darth Vader pop or a strawberries and cream Marilyn Monroe-sicle to quench your thirst on a hot summer day, is there? Created by a Russian company called Stoyn, these treats also come in Mario (tequila sunrise), a graffiti can (bubble gum), Donald Duck (banana chocolate), Mickey Mouse (mango) and poet Vladimir Mayakovsky (cranberry vodka).
Link via Laughing Squid
Actress Marilyn Monroe was born on June first, 1926. If she hadn’t died in 1962, she would be 85 years old today. In 1961 Monroe was committed to a mental hospital in New York. She stayed four days, during which she wrote a six-page letter to her psychiatrist. Here is just a part of one passage:
I didn’t sleep again last night. I forgot to tell you something yesterday. When they put me into the first room on the sixth floor I was not told it was a Psychiatric floor. Dr. Kris said she was coming the next day. The nurse came in (after the doctor, a psychiatrist) had given me a physical examination including examining the breast for lumps. I took exception to this but not violently only explaining that the medical doctor who had put me there, a stupid man named Dr. Lipkin had already done a complete physical less than thirty days before. But when the nurse came in I noticed there was no way of buzzing or reaching for a light to call the nurse. I asked why this was and some other things and she said this is a psychiatric floor. After she went out I got dressed and then was when the girl in the hall told me about the phone. I was waiting at the elevator door which looks like all other doors with a door-knob except it doesn’t have any numbers (you see they left them out). After the girl spoke with me and told me about what she had done to herself I went back into my room knowing they had lied to me about the telephone and I sat on the bed trying to figure if I was given this situation in an acting improvisation what would I do. So I figured, it’s a squeaky wheel that gets the grease. I admit it was a loud squeak but I got the idea from a movie I made once called “Don’t Bother to Knock”. I picked up a light-weight chair and slammed it, and it was hard to do because I had never broken anything in my life — against the glass intentionally. It took a lot of banging to get even a small piece of glass – so I went over with the glass concealed in my hand and sat quietly on the bed waiting for them to come in. They did, and I said to them “If you are going to treat me like a nut I’ll act like a nut”. I admit the next thing is corny but I really did it in the movie except it was with a razor blade. I indicated if they didn’t let me out I would harm myself — the furthest thing from my mind at that moment since you know Dr. Greenson I’m an actress and would never intentionally mark or mar myself. I’m just that vain.
Read the rest of the missive at Letters of Note. Link
Someone must’ve really liked Marilyn Monroe – either that or chest X-ray – because they’ve shelled out $45,000 for it:
A 1954 x-ray of the stunning starlet’s chest sold at auction in Las Vegas on Sunday for a sizable $45,000. This was well above the estimated $800 to $1,200 it was expected to fetch.
The bizarre medical photograph was one of several of Monroe’s belongings that were up for bid at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino via Julien’s Auctions over the weekend.
"[The x-ray] was taken around the time she was believed to be pregnant, and rumor has it that she had a miscarriage," President/CEO Darren Julien told the Daily News back in April.
Link (Photo: Julien’s Auctions)
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Nite Kongtahworn created this pixeled artwork using Benjamin Moore paint samples. Squint your eyes if you don’t immediately recognize the famous face. Link -via Buzzfeed
The Colombian Pop artist Bon Yurt created an enormous portrait of Marilyn Monroe using paintball equipment. It’s modeled after Andy Warhol’s depiction of the actress. The final seconds of the above video show a time elapsed version of its creation.
Artist’s Website via Geekologie
UPDATE: Apparently ‘Bon Yurt’ is actually a yogurt brand marketed in Colombia. So I’m not really sure who is responsible for this thing. Maybe it’s an attempt at viral marketing. Thanks, Spanish-speaking commentors.
