Marilyn Monroe back in Palm Springs, looking bigger, better than ever
The blonde bombshell of half a century ago is hanging out again in Palm Springs. She landed in town in May and disappears next June, so don't delay if you want to see her.
She's looking gorgeous, all 26 feet of her, at the intersection of Tahquitz Canyon and Palm Canyton drives, the so-called Main and Main of California's glamorous desert city.
The glamor of the city, of course, has changed over the years. The bars full of guys a couple blocks away likely cast Marilyn no glance, but that's not me. I still find her gorgeous, even as an aluminum and stainless steel statue.
I remember, sort of, the news on the day she died, 50 years ago last August. I remember my parents noting it to us kids after hearing it on the radio.
Monroe's statue was debuted last year in Chicago and has moved to Palm Springs for a year, where she was "discovered" prior to becoming a Hollywood icon and sex symbol.
She isn't hard to ''discover'' now. The city tells about it on its Forever Marilyn website.
The city has already held free impersonator concerts near the statue by Cher and Elvis, with Michael Jackson due up Dec. 30. I hope they all are partying together somewhere, Cher excepted.
The Marilyn statue is of a pose captured by Bernard of Hollywood, in promotion for the movie "The Seven Year Itch.'' Her dress is blown ask! ew as she stands over a subway vent. I keep looking for the vent in Palm Springs, but haven't found it. Looks like I will need to try New York or Chicago.
The statue is by Seward Johnson and is monumental in every way. It may not be worth the trip to Palm Springs to see it, but it's the No. 1 stop once you get here.