Marilyn at 100: Behind the Scenes of Her Centennial Celebration

Recorded in June 2026, shortly after Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday celebrations in Los Angeles.

In this episode of All Things Marilyn, Scott Fortner and Elisa Jordan look back at an extraordinary week of events surrounding Marilyn Monroe’s centenary.

From Elisa’s revived Marilyn’s Hollywood tour and the podcast’s first live event at the Los Angeles Public Library to screenings, exhibitions, gallery events, and the Marilyn Remembered Fan Club’s sold-out birthday celebration at the historic Avalon Hotel, Scott and Elisa share what it was like to experience Marilyn’s 100th birthday alongside fans from around the world.

They revisit the live discussion surrounding Marilyn: The Lost Photographs, The Last Interview, including the participation of family members connected to photographer Allan Grant and LIFE journalist Richard Merryman, and reflect on the emotional impact of hearing Marilyn’s own voice during the event.

Scott and Elisa also take listeners inside the Academy Museum’s major Marilyn Monroe exhibition, discussing iconic costumes, personal artifacts, photography, and some of the stories behind the objects on display. Scott shares what it was like to see pieces from the Marilyn Monroe Collection exhibited alongside important costumes and memorabilia from other major collections.

The conversation continues with memories from the Marilyn Remembered centenary celebration at the Avalon Hotel, formerly the Beverly Carlton, where Marilyn once lived and was photographed by Philippe Halsman. They also discuss the June 1 launch event for the ICON skincare collection at the Academy Museum and its connection to Marilyn’s esthetician, Madame Renna.

More than a recap of events, this episode is a conversation about Marilyn’s continuing cultural impact, the experience of walking in her footsteps, and the remarkable community of fans, historians, collectors, authors, photographers, and organizations that came together to celebrate Marilyn Monroe at 100.

ATM Podcast: @allthingsmarilynpodcast
Scott @marilynmonroecollection
Elisa @la_woman_tours

Credits
Artwork by @marilynmexico
Soundtrack by @silver_technicolor

Transcript

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Marilyn at 100: Behind the Scenes of Her Centennial Celebration

Elisa Jordan: [00:00:00] Welcome to the All Things Marilyn podcast. I'm Elisa Jordan, author, Marilyn Monroe historian, and the founder of LA Woman Tours

Scott Fortner: And I'm Scott Fortner, Marilyn Monroe historian, collector, and owner of the Marilyn Monroe Collection. How's it going, Elisa?

Elisa Jordan: Good. I'm still kind of recovering

Scott Fortner: Yeah, we're both recovering after an amazing several days of Marilyn events and activities that we attended and arranged in Los Angeles in celebration of her 100th birthday. And just to clarify, it is Sunday, June [00:01:00] 14th today, just to give our listeners some perspective on where we are and still recovering from all those events and activities

Elisa Jordan: Right. And the activities still keep going. We'll talk a little bit about that, but this summer is really Marilyn Mania

Scott Fortner: I think it's gonna be all year, Elisa.

Elisa Jordan: Oh, I think so

Scott Fortner: I think it's gonna be all year for sure. The Academy Museum exhibit goes all the way through February, and I already have other venues around the world that are reaching out wanting to do their own exhibitions. After these five exhibits that I've got going right now, there are other exhibits that are already in the works

Elisa Jordan: Right.

Elisa Jordan: And I'm introducing some movies at the Old Town Music Hall. Everyone is excited about Marilyn this summer

Scott Fortner: There are major film festivals, events, and activities that are continuing to happen. So, you're right, it is just Marilyn mania

Elisa Jordan: Right

Elisa Jordan: Let's dive into the week we had for her actual birthday

Scott Fortner: Yeah, let's take a look at what went on behind the scenes, and then we'll talk about some of our favorite moments and favorite events and favorite occurrences. We have spent [00:02:00] years talking about Marilyn's 100th birthday. Maybe not years literally, but at this point it definitely feels like it. And then all of a sudden, Elisa, it just arrived.

Scott Fortner: We had planned for months for certain events. Our panel discussion at the LA Public Library. We're both admins with the Marilyn Remembered Fan Club. We threw a huge party at the Avalon Hotel, which was formerly the Beverly Carlton. Of course, that's where Marilyn lived. And it wasn't just a birthday party.

Scott Fortner: I think that was really a cultural moment. It was something that was pretty special

Elisa Jordan: That's the thing. I remember thinking about Marilyn's birthday years ago, like, "What's going to happen?" Not knowing that it would be this big. I just thought I would do something personally for her birthday because she means a lot to me. I didn't know it would grow into this big thing. And when we started planning for it, and then when it arrived and we met people from all over the world, it really was special.

Elisa Jordan: I don't know what other word to use for it

Scott Fortner: It is funny that you mention that because I just had dinner last night with David Wills, and he said about three [00:03:00] years ago, he thought, " You know, I should probably do something for Marilyn's 100th birthday. I think I'm gonna do a book because I'm not sure who else is gonna be doing anything." And he said, "Boy, was I wrong," And I think that we all know that. there's just so much that has been happening and will continue to happen. There was quite a bit of anticipation leading up to that weekend, we had so many things that were going on. We basically had events every single day, and one of those events that was really incredible was your tour.

Scott Fortner: You revived, your Marilyn's Hollywood tour.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah, that started this whole journey for me years ago when I started the Marilyn's Hollywood Tour because I thought, "Well, I'll just see what happens with this little tour," and it really changed the whole trajectory of my life, and things changed after COVID, and y- I wasn't sure if I was ever going to be able to bring it back.

Elisa Jordan: But I really wanted to get people out to see where Marilyn had lived in Los Angeles, I knew people were coming out from all over the world. I know what it feels like to be [00:04:00] that person, to go somewhere and to really want to experience that person. So, we brought it back, and I couldn't find my notes anywhere, so I did the entire tour from memory.

Elisa Jordan: But people were so excited to see where Marilyn went to school and where she had lunch and where she went shopping and that kind of thing. And when you care a lot about a person and that person means something to you, that's a really good way of connecting with the person when they're not here anymore, to literally go to the places where they were.

Elisa Jordan: So, I wanted to make sure we had some sort of tour to help make that happen

Scott Fortner: I think that Marilyn has reached such a pivotal point today in pop culture and within society. It's almost like she wasn't human? She's just reached this level of stardom and celebrity that for some people it's just mind-blowing to know that they can go to the actual place where she once was.

Scott Fortner: I think this is why my In Her Shoes posts do so well, because people realize, " Wow, I walk by that [00:05:00] place every single day, and I never knew that Marilyn was there." Or it's incredible that that place still exists. And you had a whole tour where you showed people all around Los Angeles all of these places where she lived, where she went to school, where she ate.

Elisa Jordan: Mm-hmm.

Elisa Jordan: And to me, that's really important because Los Angeles is in a state of flux right now. It's in a state of change. We're losing a lot of buildings, and if you know me in real life, you know that I'm really passionate about historic preservation. So, I like showing people what we have left. Marilyn grew up in Los Angeles.

Elisa Jordan: She was born and raised here, and I wanna show these people who care about her sites while they're still here. I think that's important, and it educates people on the importance of not just Marilyn, but the history of the city. Because you're right, people do walk by really important spots every day, and they might not know that it's an important spot until someone points it out.

Elisa Jordan: And it's not anything they've done wrong, it's just we [00:06:00] need people to help point these things out. And it's not just Marilyn, it's the city in general, but I can help with the Marilyn sites

Scott Fortner: I thought it was incredible that your tour sold out basically in a day

Elisa Jordan: I know. I was so humbled.

Scott Fortner: It was incredible. even right up to the day before the event, you were getting emails from people asking if there were any seats available. I thought it was so hysterical. People were like, "Are there any more seats? Are there any more seats?" And it's like, it's a bus. There's a limited number of

Elisa Jordan: Yeah, I couldn't add any more seats.

Elisa Jordan: Trust me, if I could have, I would have, because again, I know what it's like to go somewhere and want to be involved.

Elisa Jordan: I'm really sensitive about giving people a good experience and making sure they can see things, and I don't like telling people, " No, we don't have room," because I know what that feels like. But in the case of a bus, I couldn't add seats to the bus. These are two of my favorite subjects: local history and Marilyn, so it's something I was really excited to do for people.

Scott Fortner: And we probably should clarify that you did get the biggest possible bus you could get. [00:07:00] There was no skimping. It was a 50-seater, right?

Elisa Jordan: Yeah, 52.

Scott Fortner: What do you think was the most memorable thing for the guests? What got the biggest response from people as you were doing the tour? Was there one thing that really stood out?

Elisa Jordan: A couple of things always really stand out. One is Holly Grove, the orphanage where she lived.

Elisa Jordan: Another is we went to Marilyn's place of rest, and people were really interested in that because three of her foster mothers are in that same cemetery. That's probably why she's there. At the time of Marilyn's passing, two of her foster mothers were there. The third has since been added, and people really wanted to see their plots because when you love Marilyn, you know that there are women behind the scenes who helped get her to adulthood, and that wasn't an easy experience for a young Norma Jean.

Elisa Jordan: These women were very loving toward her, and if it weren't for them, we wouldn't have Marilyn. So, it's not just visiting someone's grave. There's a whole story and backstory in that cemetery.

Scott Fortner: [00:08:00] Just for clarity for the listeners, Elisa, who are the three foster mothers that are buried with Marilyn?

Elisa Jordan: One is Grace. So, Marilyn's mother is Gladys, and when she was institutionalized, her best friend Grace stepped in and took legal guardianship of her best friend's daughter. Grace is there at the cemetery. She passed away in 1953, and she's in a family plot. Also in that section is Aunt Anna.

Elisa Jordan: If you know anything about Marilyn, she often refers to Aunt Anna. It was actually Grace's aunt. But Marilyn really felt loved and cared for while living in Aunt Anna's home, and she's there. 

Elisa Jordan: At certain points, Grace was unable to care personally for Norma Jeane, so she would place Norma Jeane with her relatives.

Elisa Jordan: And at one point, she placed Norma Jeane with her sister, Enid, and Enid's husband, Sam. Enid is also in that cemetery. She passed away after Marilyn's [00:09:00] death, but she's in that same family plot.

Elisa Jordan: When Norma Jeane was living with Enid and Sam Nebelkamp in the Westwood area, just a couple doors down was an attorney named Chester Howell and his family. You've probably seen a young teenage Norma Jeane doing cartwheels on the beach with a couple of little girls. Those are the Howells' children. And when Norma Jeane got married to James Dougherty when she was 16, it was the Howells' house. They had moved to a bigger house on the west side of LA, but the Nebelkamps were still in touch with the Howells and Norma Jean. there's a lot of family backstory in that cemetery

Scott Fortner: Well, not to mention other people in Marilyn's life, her co-stars, Evelyn Moriarty, her stand-in, Truman Capote was acquainted with Marilyn, and other people Jack Lemmon is there from Some Like It Hot, Andre de Dienes. So, there's a lot of people from Marilyn's life that are in that cemetery.

Scott Fortner: It's really amazing. 

Elisa Jordan: Yeah. So those were the highlights.

Scott Fortner: The tour was one of the things that people were talking about for the rest [00:10:00] of that week. People just really enjoyed being on that tour and seeing all of those Marilyn locations. So, thank you for reviving that. That was a huge, very special way to kick off all of the events around Marilyn's birthday.

Scott Fortner: That was Thursday, and then on Friday the 29th of May, we had the All Things Marilyn podcast panel discussion at the Los Angeles Public Library

Elisa Jordan: Our first live event.

Scott Fortner: Our first live event, and I opened that event by saying, who knew that after years of Elisa prodding me to do a podcast, one day we'd be doing a live event at the LA Public Library celebrating Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday?"

Scott Fortner: So that was very special for us too.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah. And again, going back to the history of Los Angeles, the library is turning 100 years old this year, along with Marilyn. It was a great tie-in. And this all stems from Christina Rice being on our show. And again, who would have thought we were interviewing her about Jane Russell, and she works at the library, so she invited us to do a Marilyn [00:11:00] presentation at the library.

Elisa Jordan: It ended up fitting perfectly.

Scott Fortner: Mm-hmm. And then, of course, we interviewed in person Jason Green and Chris Flannery, who are the authors of the new book, Marilyn: The Lost Photos, The Last Interview. And they brought with them some family members that were really important to the project. Karen Grant, who is Allan Grant's widow, was on the panel, as was Meredith Landis, who is the daughter of Richard Merryman, who was the individual that conducted the final interview with Marilyn for Life Magazine.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah, Meredith came all the way from the East Coast

Scott Fortner: Mm-hmm. Just for this event. Right. So, it was great to meet them in person and hear their stories, and Jason and Chris shared with us some original audio clips from the final interview. And we started the event hearing Marilyn, and we ended the event hearing Marilyn. And I just thought it was a great, great event, great activity.

Scott Fortner: We got a lot of feedback on that as well. And at the start of the panel discussion, before we brought out the [00:12:00] panelists, I actually gave Jim Haspiel a quick call and wanted to say hello to him and give fans a chance to hear his voice. He's 88, and it was really special, I think, having him be a small part of that also.

Elisa Jordan: I agree. And a lot of people told me privately that they teared up during that panel, because you could hear Marilyn's voice, but also, again, going back to things being real, we were talking about, the man who conducted this last interview. Marilyn gave a lot of interviews during her lifetime.

Elisa Jordan: No one knew this was going to be her last interview. By default, this kind of becomes a historic document in a way. What's interesting about that interview is life wanted to interview a major celebrity on fame. It was supposed to be Cary Grant. Cary Grant turned it down, so they went to Marilyn Monroe.

Elisa Jordan: She accepted it before she was fired for Something's Got to Give. But the timing of it ended up being perfect, because when they finally did the interview, she had just been fired, and she was trying to rebuild her reputation. Now, what's interesting about that is [00:13:00] because she is talking so much about fame and what her experiences have been, it's almost like she's giving insight into her world, and I don't know if I could even put into words how heavy that is.

Scott Fortner: Well, she's baring her soul in a way. She's talking about what it feels like to be treated the way that she's been treated by the studio system.

Elisa Jordan: She's telling us what it's like to be Marilyn Monroe, and those are her parting words.

Scott Fortner: I'm referring to this interview that she did as an autobiography because she talks about what it was like growing up. She talks about what it was like all of a sudden changing and being noticed the way that she was when she was 12 or 13 years old. She talks about being married to Jim Dougherty.

Scott Fortner: it's just a really interesting interview, and so I really encourage people to purchase this book, Marilyn: The Last Photographs, The Last Interview. I was fortunate enough to have been invited to write the introduction for the book. And back to Elisa, what you just said, she'd been planning on doing this interview for quite some time.

Scott Fortner: I have a [00:14:00] letter in my collection that Richard Merryman wrote to Marilyn from February of 1962 that was a follow-up to the meeting that they had just had. And in this letter, he's telling Marilyn, " You'll have final approval. You'll have total control. You'll be able to review and edit the interview. You will have total control over the photographs that are selected."

Scott Fortner: after that letter, she was just beginning filming on Something's Got to Give at that point. And by the time that she conducts the interview, as you mentioned, she'd been fired. She's in a completely different position than when she was when they first started talking about doing the interview.

Scott Fortner: So, it's really quite fascinating again, just really encourage people, to buy that book and read Marilyn's own words.

Elisa Jordan: When you listen to the interview we did, Meredith, who is Richard Merryman's daughter, talks about how important it was to honor his subjects. he was a real journalist in that he wanted to get to the heart of people, and he set his ego aside because when you read Marilyn's interview with [00:15:00] him, you don't hear his voice at all.

Elisa Jordan: It's not a question and answer. It just sounds like Marilyn. And he was able to draw those answers out of her and make her feel comfortable. One of the things that she said too that really impressed me was he did give her final control, and one of the things that she deleted, well, the only thing she deleted was something about Arthur Miller's children because she just wanted to protect their privacy, and he honored that.

Elisa Jordan: And this was the first time anyone had recorded an interview.

Elisa Jordan: It was pretty standard back then for journalists to take notes while they were interviewing someone. Richard Merryman just wanted to talk to Marilyn, so he recorded it, and that is why we have Marilyn's voice. It's also why Richard Merryman was able to keep the tape, because he worked for Life Magazine, and they didn't care about this tape.

Elisa Jordan: They didn't take it seriously. So, Richard Merryman got to keep the tape, which meant Meredith inherited it, and that means we can hear it now. And it's the same thing with the Allan Grant photos. He was on assignment, so those photos belonged to Life Magazine, and his widow, Karen, [00:16:00] was telling us about how Marilyn died shortly after that cover story, and Life Magazine didn't care about those photos because she had passed away.

Elisa Jordan: They figured no one would care about Marilyn Monroe soon. Grant had the foresight to buy the rights to those negatives for $1. And because of that, all these years later, we now have access to the entire library, which Chris and Jason have just put in this book. 

Scott Fortner: and if people weren't aware, it's 432 photos of Marilyn in this book that were taken by Allan Grant. I think they said something like only 60 of the photos had ever been released previously. So, there are hundreds of photos of Marilyn that have never been seen that are included in this book. it's definitely a must-have for any book collector on Marilyn.

Scott Fortner: I was excited to do a small pop-up exhibit there at the LA Public Library event. I brought some books from my collection that Marilyn had owned. Of course, that makes perfect sense considering it's at the library, and I also showed her maternity [00:17:00] dress from 1958.

Elisa Jordan: You brought books to display at the library, and when we were setting up, I noticed that one book was dated May 29th. It was signed from Paula Strasberg.

Scott Fortner: Mm-hmm, yeah.

Elisa Jordan: And I thought, " Oh, that's Scott. He thinks of everything." And I took a picture of it because we were doing that event on May 29th, and this book was dated May 29th.

Elisa Jordan: and it wasn't until after the panel that you were surprised and couldn't believe you had brought this book that was dated May 29th as a gift to Marilyn, and it was May 29th. It was a complete accident that you'd brought it.

Scott Fortner: Total serendipity. It was a book; Great Actors of the American Stage was the title. It was given to Marilyn by her acting coach, Paula Strasberg. It was gifted to her May 29th, 1956. So, it was 70 years to the day after Paula Strasberg gave that book to Marilyn that it was on display at the LA Public Library.

Scott Fortner: And I had no idea until somebody pointed out to me, " Did you see the date of the [00:18:00] inscription in the book? It's the same day as today."

Elisa Jordan: Yeah, I thought you did it on purpose.

Scott Fortner: I wish I was that smart and strategic, but unfortunately, no. It was just sheer coincidence, but that was a great event. We just recently published the full podcast interview from that panel discussion. That was the prior episode of the All Things Marilyn podcast. So, if you would like to hear that in its entirety, you can do that.

Scott Fortner: It's online. Later that same day, Elisa, there was another event, and that was at the Egyptian Theatre. That was a screening of Niagara that was hosted by Julien's Auctions. But we also got a chance to see Marilyn's Dark Paradise, which is an award-winning short film that was written, directed, and produced by our friend Remi Gangarossa.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah. He is the nicest, most humble guy, and he has a short film called Marilyn's Dark Paradise. The premise is we've all kind of tinkered with the idea of what if we could time travel back to when Marilyn died and try to save her, and that's where I'll leave it. But it's a look [00:19:00] into that.

Elisa Jordan: it was a really special evening I think because we're all such good friends. So, the evening started with Marilyn's Dark Paradise and Ramey got up and spoke, and then we watched Niagara, which I had never seen on the big screen. As many times as I've seen the movie, I've never seen it on the big screen.

Elisa Jordan: And then we did a panel.

Scott Fortner: Right. So, you and I did two panel discussions in the same day.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah.

Scott Fortner: After the film, Julien's had invited us to be part of a panel discussion. I was the moderator. You were a panelist. Greg Schreiner was a panelist, and Greg, of course, is the president of the Marilyn Remembered Fan Club. We've had Greg on our podcast before. And also, April Vivier, who is an author and fellow historian, she was on the panel as well. And that was a pretty amazing panel discussion. I think that the audience really enjoyed that and we got good feedback.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah, we did. A couple of people came up to me and said they were so happy we actually discussed the movie instead of Marilyn's difficult childhood.

Scott Fortner: Right. Yeah. We did talk quite a bit about the movie and about m- the fact that it was in color and Marilyn was a blonde as compared to a [00:20:00] dark-haired vixen, those types of topics. Her costumes, the way that the film was shot, those types of things. It was a pretty good panel discussion.

Scott Fortner: But it was really wonderful to see Ramey's film on the big screen too.

Elisa Jordan: Julien's Auctions had a preview in the lobby beforehand. They partner with TCM, which is Turner Classic Movies, so if you're an old movie fan, you probably watch that. just a personal note, as I was walking up that night, because, you know, like I've said a million times, you're probably sick of me saying it, but, you know, having grown up in the Los Angeles area, things like the Egyptian Theater are extra meaningful to me, and to Marilyn as well, because she went to that theater as a little girl.

Elisa Jordan: And then for me to walk up to that theater and look up and see TCM and Julien's and the Egyptian Theater and, then to sit on that stage to talk about Marilyn, very surreal in the best possible way, and just really humbling. And I remember thinking, " I have to do a good job because this is [00:21:00] remarkable."

Scott Fortner: We put a lot of prep into that panel discussion because we wanted to make sure that we were giving the best possible conversation that we could. So, a lot of thought went into that.

Elisa Jordan: I felt a lot of responsibility

Scott Fortner: If we move on to Saturday, that was a Marilyn Remembered Fan Club reception and exhibition at the Peter Fetterman Gallery in Santa Monica. I thought that was amazing, Elisa. All of the photographs of Marilyn that were there, just life-size, huge, clear, just beautiful imagery of Marilyn.

Scott Fortner: It was an incredible exhibition of photographs by many different photographers.

Elisa Jordan: And it was really laid back and fun. David Wills did a signing. We got to talk to Meredith and Karen, and then Allan Grant's daughter Chrissy was also there. So, it was very casual, and we got to know them a little, um, bit better as people and hear more about their families and Life Magazine. And then, Neil Preston showed up, who's the famous rock and roll photographer. He has a friendship with the Grant family, and he put them in touch with Chris and Jason. So [00:22:00] that's how that book all came together. I didn't have the courage to go up to Neil Preston. As a lifelong rock and roll fan, I know his work, and when I found out he was part of the story, I thought, " Wow, that is so cool." And he actually showed up to that party, and I completely chickened out. I didn't go up to him

Scott Fortner: I didn't even know he was there. How did I not know?

Elisa Jordan: I don't know. Probably because I was tongue-tied and couldn't tell you.

Scott Fortner: You were a little starstruck.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah. If I could get into someone's head and see their memories, Neil Preston would be at the top of that list.

Scott Fortner: I'm actually surprised you didn't go up and talk to him because you're not just a Marilyn historian and an old Hollywood historian, you like rock and roll music

Elisa Jordan: I do. And I didn't know what to say to him, just like, " Hi, can you tell me Led Zeppelin memories? Thanks." I, I didn't what to say. uh, what do you say to someone like that?

Scott Fortner: Well, hopefully there'll be another time because I think Chris and Jason are definitely part of the family now, and maybe we'll get a chance to hang out with them again in the future and maybe Neil Preston too. We'll see

Elisa Jordan: Yeah. They call him the Godfather.

Scott Fortner: [00:23:00] Mm, for a reason.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah.

Scott Fortner: so that was Saturday. Moving on to Sunday, that was a very, very special day because that was the opening day of the Marilyn Monroe exhibition at the Academy Museum.

Elisa Jordan: After years of planning.

Scott Fortner: Years of planning. That's a really good point, Elisa. I don't think people realize the amount of planning that it takes to do these major exhibitions. Curators from the Academy Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Cinémathèque Française in Paris, they came to my home to view my collection in 2024, and it's 2026, and all of these exhibitions have now just kicked off.

Scott Fortner: it takes years of planning. These are not things that just pop up overnight. It does take quite a bit of planning. But I think the Academy Museum did an exceptional job with this exhibition.

Elisa Jordan: Just the walkway into the exhibit with the videos of her on the wall, it's so thrilling.

Scott Fortner: Mm-hmm. They are floor-to-ceiling videos of Marilyn in LED lighting, and [00:24:00] she's larger than life on the right side as you walk in, and then on the left side is posters from all of Marilyn Monroe's films as you're walking into the exhibition.

Elisa Jordan: I was kind of stunned walking around, and When I saw how they're displaying the Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend dress, I just was aghast in the most positive way. I thought they did a really nice job.

Scott Fortner: Mm-hmm. It's an exceptional exhibition, there's no question. There are four main contributors to this exhibition. So, I'm one. Greg Schreiner, who is, again, the president of Marilyn Remembered and also a major costume collector. His collection is probably close to 450 costumes from television, from film, and he just really loves costume.

Scott Fortner: But he's got several Marilyn pieces in his costume collection as well. Jeff Leatham, who is a celebrity florist that people may be familiar with, he is also a Marilyn collector. He's got a few items in the exhibition. And then there's the Icon collection, and that's a new skincare product that is part of the Is Clinical [00:25:00] family of skincare products.

Scott Fortner: And Icon, we'll talk about that a little bit more later because we got invited to their preview and their kickoff party, which was the evening of June 1st at the Academy Museum. The Icon collection, though, has been collecting Marilyn artifacts, costumes, and memorabilia for several years now.

Scott Fortner: So, we all came together and did this amazing exhibition at the Academy Museum. So, the Icon Collection is the collection that owns the original costume that Marilyn wore when she performed " Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. It is probably one of the most important film costumes from Marilyn's entire catalog of films.

Scott Fortner: The other, of course, being The Seven Year Itch subway dress, which is now in a private collection. But this is probably the first time in decades that the original "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" costume has been exhibited. And as you mentioned, the way that they displayed it was incredible because she's standing there with [00:26:00] her arms stretched out horizontally on either side, basically a scene from the film.

Scott Fortner: And so, you walk in, it's the only costume in the room. It does catch your breath a little bit as you walk in because it's like she's standing right there in this incredibly iconic costume.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah. I really like how they made that costume special.

Scott Fortner: One thing that is also on display in that same room is another piece of the costume which isn't seen or used in the film, but it's this little bolero style jacket that's the same color, the same fabric. It also has a studio tag inside that has Marilyn Monroe's name on it. it's probably just something that Travilla designed that was an element that could have been considered for this scene in the film.

Scott Fortner: It's not really clear, but it came with the costume. It's original, it's vintage, it's the same fabric. Again, it's tagged. But there's no history as to what it's for. It's this really interesting, perplexing mystery around why this costume piece is part of the original costume.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah, and no one knew until it was displayed.

Scott Fortner: [00:27:00] Exactly. Also from Greg's collection is the original " Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" costume. So somewhere along the way there was a change in costume and even in the number that was performed from the burlesque style scene that Marilyn would have performed to this pink " Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" number by Travilla, which is so well known today.

Scott Fortner: You know, the story goes that it was discovered that Marilyn's calendar had come out and that she was the person in the calendar, and so the studio decided last minute that it was too risqué, this original costume. But our good friend April, who is quite the research analyst, feels that the calendar was uncovered quite some time before the filming of " Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend."

Scott Fortner: And so, it may not actually be the case that the studio changed into this other costume because there was quite a bit of time between when it was discovered that Marilyn was the nude model in the calendar photos as compared [00:28:00] to when the "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" number was actually filmed.

Scott Fortner: They didn't necessarily coincide with each other. So that might be a story that has just developed over time that sometimes is often repeated but may not actually be based in fact.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah, and you know what's interesting about that is Travilla was kind of a child prodigy when it comes to art and design. When he was a teenager, he started making sketches for burlesque dancers in downtown LA. So that was how he really learned how to design clothes. showgirl costumes, burlesque costumes were how he got his start, so that was one of his strong suits when it came to designing.

Scott Fortner: Well, that costume, the original costume, is really fantastic. It's this beautiful rhinestone-encrusted belt and top, and this incredible fan that is often used as an accessory in burlesque dances and routines. And Greg owns the bottom to that costume, and then also the original fan. And so those two pieces are [00:29:00] also on display as part of this exhibition and in the same room where the " Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" original costume is on display.

Scott Fortner: So, it's a fascinating story whether or not it was true that the studio changed the number and changed the costume based on the calendar. The truth is that there was a change at some point. There are costume test shots of Marilyn wearing the first costume. Interestingly, I've never seen a costume test of her wearing the pink "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" dress.

Elisa Jordan: No, neither have I.

Scott Fortner: Never seen that, seen pictures of her.

Scott Fortner: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. But never a costume test shot.

Elisa Jordan: Mm-mm.

Scott Fortner: So, this is probably the largest exhibition since the 1999 Christie's auction of Marilyn's personal effects, also combined though with major costumes. The films represented as part of this exhibition include some of her very early films where she had a very important role; there's the silver lamé dress that she wore in Love Happy. There's the gold lamé dress that is so famous with all the Marilyn Monroe photos from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. [00:30:00] Seven Year Itch is represented. Bus Stop is represented. Let's Make Love is represented. The Prince and the Showgirl is represented.

Scott Fortner: Some Like It Hot costumes are on display, along with many personal artifacts. A lot of items from my collection are on exhibit. So, it really does round out a nice Marilyn display for fans to come in celebration of her 100th birthday.

Elisa Jordan: And then later that night we went to a screening of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at the Academy Museum.

Scott Fortner: Yes, we did. And that was really wonderful too. that was packed. That was a full house.

Elisa Jordan: And that's a big theater.

Scott Fortner: It's a very big theater. It was a little interesting for me because my CBS Morning News interview had just aired that morning.

Scott Fortner: Right. So, I had quite a few people that were coming up and saying, "I saw you on TV this morning."

Scott Fortner: And even the guys that I sat next to in the theater turned to me and said, "We saw you on TV this morning." So that's a little interesting when that kind of thing happens. it was fun to be part of that, segment that talked about the exhibition and then also, of course, Marilyn in celebration of her 100th birthday.

Scott Fortner: What did you think of the exhibition?

Elisa Jordan: Oh, I liked [00:31:00] it.

Scott Fortner: Mm-hmm

Elisa Jordan: In fact, I loved it. You know, I kind of feel like I need to go back and look at it again because I was so overwhelmed that I wasn't able to take a lot in, if that makes sense. I was just kind of taking in the main points, but I need to go back and l- and look at everything individually in more detail because I was just completely overwhelmed.

Scott Fortner: Mm-hmm. It's a lot to take in. Like I said, it is probably the largest exhibition of Marilyn artifacts since the 1999 Christie's auction. And of course, that was just enormous. That was her estate, the bulk of her estate. There's also incredible photography as part of this exhibition. There's a whole wall full of photographs from the beginning right up through the end.

Scott Fortner: There's this incredible, huge Lawrence Schiller image of Marilyn getting out of the pool with her leg up on the side of the pool from Something's Got to Give, and that's just such an iconic photo of Marilyn. And it's, like I said, enormous. It's great to just stare at. They also show some clips from her films.

Scott Fortner: You can hear clips [00:32:00] from her final interview that are being played overhead. Some of the makeup from my collection is on display. Just, it's really an incredible exhibition. I really encourage everybody to try to go.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah. and there's plenty of time. Like you said, it's going into early 2027.

Scott Fortner: February, all right, so if we move on to Monday, June 1st, Marilyn's actual birthday, this is probably the thing, Elisa, that you and I and other members of the admin team, Hazel, Jackie, Lorraine, spent the most time preparing for and arranging.

Elisa Jordan: One of the things we were stressed about quite a while ago was the fact that it was on a Monday.

Scott Fortner: Right.

Elisa Jordan: And that's an awkward day.

Scott Fortner: Right. 

Elisa Jordan: But it ended up working out perfectly because we had all of these big events on the weekend, and then it kind of climaxed on the Monday with her birthday. That was a party we decided to do at the Avalon Hotel, which is formerly the Beverly Carlton, where she lived at a couple different points in her life.

Elisa Jordan: We rented out the entire pool [00:33:00] area. We had a lunch, we had raffles, we had flowers, and we put up and with the help of Rick Carl, who is a longtime Marilyn remembered member, he actually went to the trouble of printing out big pictures of where Marilyn had actually stood around the pool area so you could line up those photos.

Scott Fortner: Mm-hmm. It was really incredible. A lot of people took their own photos next to those images of Marilyn in the same spot where Marilyn had been pictured. So, it was a really amazing opportunity for people to have their own in-her-shoes moment. We also were fortunate enough to secure the room that we know that Marilyn stayed in when she lived there.

Scott Fortner: Of course, she was photographed many times in that room by photographer Philippe Halsman. And in fact, the 1952 Life magazine cover was shot in that room. We know that she stayed at that hotel in other rooms, but even the hotel, I think, has clarified that they're not sure exactly which room she stayed in previously because there have been some [00:34:00] changes to the room numbers.

Scott Fortner: And so, I think they think they know which room it was in, but what we do know for sure is the room that she stayed in when all of the Philippe Halsman photos were taken. That's in the annex building across the street. And we were able to show that room to party guests after the party. We did brief tours.

Elisa Jordan: and that room we know for sure because we can line up the photos.

Scott Fortner: Exactly. 

Elisa Jordan: the birthday cake was inspired by Marilyn's last birthday cake at the Fox lot. We had birthday cupcakes. I ordered pictures of Marilyn to go on the, the cupcakes.

Scott Fortner: Mm-hmm. They were a huge hit. People loved those. So, your cupcakes are what was served for dessert, and then that huge sheet cake, which was, as you mentioned, a, reproduction of Marilyn's final cake, which can be seen in the photos of her on the Fox lot at the studio on June 1st, 1962. That was a great opportunity.

Scott Fortner: We set that up so people could get their photo taken behind that cake just like Marilyn did in those photos from her final birthday. We had raffle prizes. We gave away [00:35:00] books. We gave away art. we gave away posters from the collection of the lost photos from Jason Grant. Chris Flannery donated some posters.

Scott Fortner: We just had all kinds of raffle prizes and gave people an opportunity to buy additional raffle tickets. Susan Griffiths came and performed. So, Susan is an original Marilyn impersonator. She's quite famous and well-known. She's done a lot of film, a lot of television, she came and sang for the crowd, and then she led happy birthday.

Elisa Jordan: She's just a really nice person.

Scott Fortner: Mm-hmm. We had people from all over the world that came to attend that party: Russia, France, the UK, Scotland, Australia. 

Elisa Jordan: Sweden

Elisa Jordan: Germany

Scott Fortner: Right. We had about 120 people at that event, and that event sold out in two days.

Elisa Jordan: the Avalon did an extraordinary job of working with us on price, on how many people we could invite, ' cause we originally, I don't think people know this, we were just going to rent out half the [00:36:00] pool area.

Elisa Jordan: but the demand was so high, we went back to the Avalon and said, " Is there any way we could rent the entire pool area?" And they worked with us. That's how we were able to double the capacity. But at some point, we did have to cut it off because it's not up to us, it's not up to the Avalon, it's a fire code regulation.

Scott Fortner: Right. So, this event was put on on behalf of the Marilyn Remembered Fan Club. Of course, as I mentioned, we're admins with that group, and so it was really important to us to have the most special type of an event that we could have. We gave away gift bags with Marilyn memorabilia inside. We printed off posters and magnets and pens and lip balm and all different types of giveaways that had the Marilyn Remembered logo and the artwork for the Marilyn Monroe Centenary festivities and activities.

Scott Fortner: I think people just really had a good time.

Elisa Jordan: I think they did.

Scott Fortner: We were exhausted.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah. We had a good time.

Scott Fortner: Yeah, it was great to put on the event, but you know, it does take a lot of work. Those things don't just happen [00:37:00] overnight.

Elisa Jordan: Before the evening of the 1st, I privately went over to her resting place to say hello to her. and that was really special. But sometimes it's nice to go on a special day just to say hello.

Scott Fortner: Yeah, and to see the fans and mix with the fans and get a chance to just discuss and commemorate, celebrate, just be with other people that are all there for the same reason.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah.

Scott Fortner: It is quite moving to go to Westwood to be at the final resting place of Marilyn and just take a moment to recognize and realize that her final physical remains really just are on the other side of that wall.

Scott Fortner: It is back to that topic that we discussed when we first started. It's a reminder that she was a real person because I do feel today that she has reached this level of stardom and celebrity. I'm just as interested in and fascinated by the fan experience with Marilyn as I am by Marilyn herself.

Scott Fortner: That's kind of what I've evolved to is just being a real observer of what happens socially and culturally with Marilyn. It is one of those moments if you [00:38:00] can go back to the crypt though and be there in person and reflect and recognize and comprehend really that her physical remains are on the other side of that wall.

Scott Fortner: It's a moving experience. 

Elisa Jordan: Mm-hmm.

Elisa Jordan: Later that night, we were invited to a private event at The Academy given by the Icon Skin Care Collection.

Elisa Jordan: The people behind Icon are big Marilyn Monroe fans, and they wanted to do something special. So, you and I got to go. There were a lot of celebrities there. It was a beautiful event. They had pictures of Marilyn up. There was a red carpet, flowers. There was a live band, and it was just a tribute to Marilyn.

Elisa Jordan: They really did right by Marilyn with this event.

Scott Fortner: They certainly did. And it was the official kickoff of the Icon skincare product. And I'll give a little history, so people are fully aware of how this all came to be. Madame Renna was an esthetician that Marilyn would see regularly for facials and skincare.

Scott Fortner: the owners of the [00:39:00] Icon collection, I'm close with them, have known them for many years now. They are huge Marilyn fans. Years ago, at auction, they purchased an autographed photo that Marilyn had autographed to Madame Renna. With that autographed photo came all of Madame Renna's formulas for skincare and facials for Marilyn.

Scott Fortner: So, the fact that all of those formulas came with this autographed photo, and that the photo was purchased by a skincare company that creates its own skincare products, is unbelievable. It's like it was meant to be. And they didn't know when they purchased this autograph that all of these extras were coming with it.

Scott Fortner: And so basically what they've done is they've recreated all of the same skincare products, the skincare formulas, and treatments that Marilyn received from Madame Renna, and that's this new Icon collection. And so, this kickoff party on June 1st at the Academy Museum [00:40:00] was the launch of this Icon skincare line.

Scott Fortner: And Elisa and I got invites to the kickoff party and to this event at the museum. And as you mentioned, it was fantastic.

Elisa Jordan: And we talked a little bit about serendipity before, but the idea that Icon bought this autographed photo and it came with a box of stuff, and when they were going through that box of stuff, at the bottom of that box was the formulations for Madame Renna's skincare.

Elisa Jordan: And what are the odds it would land in the hands of the very people who owned a skincare company and could reproduce the skincare line?

Scott Fortner: Is Clinical is the main company, and if you're not familiar with Is Clinical, they are the only US-based skincare line that doesn't simply put its label on somebody else's formulas. All of their products are their own formulas, their own creations. They create the formula, they create the product, and they market it and sell it under their own brand.

Scott Fortner: These guys are [00:41:00] incredibly generous. 50% of their profits every year go to charity. It's an amazing company to be affiliated with, associated with, and I just think it couldn't have happened to better people that they acquired all of the formulas to Madame Renna's treatments for Marilyn, and now people can use products that were actually used on Marilyn.

Elisa Jordan: Just a little bit, uh, on Madame Rena. Her salon was on the Sunset Strip. She was married to Dr. Campbell, who was a former dentist. As a former dentist, Dr. Campbell really knew the facial muscles well, so the two of them developed this amazing massage for the muscles of your face, and Madame Rena would treat Hollywood's elite to these facials with her own products and the techniques she had learned from her husband to keep the muscles in the face firm.

Elisa Jordan: Everyone in town was going to her, including Marilyn Monroe. We don't hear much about Madame Rena because she was behind the scenes, but she was an important part of keeping Hollywood looking good in an era before we had a lot of the technology we have [00:42:00] today.

Scott Fortner: Madame Renna's actually listed in both of Marilyn's phone books that I own.

Elisa Jordan: Yes, she was because Marilyn was going there.

Scott Fortner: Exactly. Yeah. I actually have a business card for Madame Renna from Marilyn's personal archive and on the back of it is, an appointment reminder, for Marilyn for one of her appointments with Madame Renna.

Scott Fortner: But it was old home week for us at this event at the Academy Museum because we saw old friends. Erin Parsons was there, our celebrity makeup friend who is huge into Marilyn makeup and talks a lot about Marilyn and her style of makeup. 

Elisa Jordan: She was on our show.

Scott Fortner: Mm-hmm. We also had her, as a guest on the podcast.

Scott Fortner: April was there, and we finally got to meet Holly Madison in person, and she was a guest on a prior episode too. So, it was wonderful to meet Holly Madison, and most people may know that she actually is a huge Marilyn fan. She discovered Marilyn at a very young age, as well. We got a chance to spend some time with Gregory Arlt, who is another celebrity makeup artist, and, we met Dita Von Teese.

Elisa Jordan: Who was wearing a really pretty pink Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend inspired dress. [00:43:00] I thought she looked absolutely beautiful. 

Scott Fortner: fabulous. She looked really fabulous. If you go to her social media, you can see, the reel that she put up walking through the exhibition. It was a great event, a great night, a great party, and just wonderful to celebrate Marilyn's 100th birthday that way.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah. It was an amazing week. I remember last year maybe hoping we could do Marilyn proud. Just what could we do to honor this woman? And I was hoping we could do something great, and I think everything came together. We were part of it, but Julien's and Icon and the Academy, Chris and Jason, the library.

Elisa Jordan: we all came together, and I think that shows how many people really love Marilyn Monroe.

Scott Fortner: Thinking back on our strategy, we knew that there were gonna be other events and activities, but we didn't realize just how big it was gonna be. So, we tried to space out the events that we were involved with and planning to make sure that there was room for other types of things. I also want to mention too, Bar Next Door, which is a [00:44:00] local bar in LA, they hosted an event Thursday after your tour where it was a bit of a kickoff for fans to come together, and then they also held an event on June 1st where it served to close out multiple days of events and activities for people to come and just say goodbye to each other.

Scott Fortner: We want to acknowledge Bar Next Door for doing that also.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah, they were great.

Scott Fortner: it got to the point, though, Elisa, where we just... I couldn't update the website for the fan club anymore because people were starting to get confused as to what was happening where. You know, there were so many events, especially on the 1st of June.

Scott Fortner: We had the Roosevelt Hotel was doing a screening. There was a book signing and a screening at the TCL Chinese Theatre. There were just all types of events and activities, and it just goes to show how much people wanted to celebrate Marilyn.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah, and the following week, the Costume Guild here in Los Angeles hosted a screening of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes how exciting is that? It was in the Darryl Zanuck Theater. Now, keep in mind, Darryl Zanuck was Marilyn Monroe's boss. The two of them did not get [00:45:00] along, and we were there to celebrate her birthday in his theater, and it was amazing.

Scott Fortner: Yeah, it was iconic. And there was a reception at the commissary after. And of course, Marilyn and Yves Montand hosted a cocktail party there on January 15th, 1960, right at the start of filming of Let's Make Love. And it was amazing because the murals on the walls are exactly the same in a lot of locations, and you can pinpoint exactly where Marilyn was at that party.

Scott Fortner: I just did an In Her Shoes post on that showing Marilyn seated along the wall, and the mural behind is exactly the same. So pretty amazing I also found Stage 14, which is where Marilyn filmed Something's Got to Give, so her final unfinished production, and was able to find the exact location where Marilyn is walking out of the sound stage with Wally Cox after filming that day, and there are photographs of her walking out that exact door.

Scott Fortner: So just these types of moments are just really special. You don't [00:46:00] often get on the Fox lot. You have to have a reason, and security's pretty tight, so it was really cool to be there.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah.

Scott Fortner: Really amazing. What was your favorite part of the entire array of activities? Maybe your favorite moment

Elisa Jordan: Oh gosh, I couldn't pick. It was one amazing event, and I see it as one unit. I am just so grateful to have been a part of it, to have met everyone I met, and it was exhausting, but in the best possible way.

Scott Fortner: Yeah. It really is something to be part of the planning committee for some of these events and activities and know that you're putting something on special for people that are traveling in from all around the world to experience. And I don't want this to sound off when I say it, but people like you and me have been in this space for decades.

Scott Fortner: And -- when you have this experience for the very first time, it's incredibly moving and incredibly special. I get great joy out of seeing other people getting a chance to experience some of these events and activities for the very first time.

Scott Fortner: You know, to be at the Avalon, formerly the Beverly Carlton, where Marilyn lived and [00:47:00] was photographed many times, and to see people's reaction when they're walking through the room where the Life photoshoot was shot, that was really moving because people literally are in the same space that she was in, in a way that the general public will never experience.

Scott Fortner: The reactions were just, moving, and people just were almost in a state of shock, right? Because it's like, "Wow, she was right there. That photograph was taken right there," or " This is where she lived for a period of years." I don't think I could pick a favorite either. I love the Academy exhibit. I think they just did an amazing job, and to walk in and to see items from my own collection on display with the pieces, from the other collectors and this moving experience overall was quite memorable for me.

Scott Fortner: The party at the Avalon was an incredible amount of work, and I think that we felt like we were working and not necessarily enjoying the party. But I really enjoyed watching other people having that experience and having such a great moment and a great opportunity. If I had to pick, [00:48:00] I'd say probably the highlight was the panel discussion at the library.

Scott Fortner: That was something that we'd never done before. We put an amazing amount of work into that and just being able to share the story and to hear Marilyn's own voice as bookends, as we opened and closed that discussion with Chris and Jason and Meredith and Karen, it was just really special.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah.

Scott Fortner: And that was their first book signing, too.

Elisa Jordan: I know. They were a little nervous.

Elisa Jordan: Yeah. So, it was gratifying because Meredith really felt like she was honoring her father during this whole process, and it's just another reminder that there are real people behind these things. Karen Grant was there representing her husband. Meredith was there representing her father, and she was talking about how good of a man her father was, and it's gratifying that people are appreciating his work all these years later because he worked very hard at his career, and people are still appreciating it.

Elisa Jordan: To us, he's a life journalist, Richard Merryman, who conducted this interview, but to Meredith, he's [00:49:00] Dad, and she loves that people are interested in his work all these years later.

Scott Fortner: Mm-hmm. It was a great conversation, so please take a listen to that latest episode that we did, just the one prior to this one where it was the panel discussion at the LA Public Library and hear from the family members of the men who took her final professional photos and conducted that last interview.

Scott Fortner: It's really enlightening and moving. 

Scott Fortner: Presently, my collection is on exhibit in five locations: the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, Genesis House in New York in the Meatpacking District. That is such a cool exhibit, Elisa. The way that they have done this immersive experience coupled with actual artifacts from Marilyn's estate from my collection is, like, something I've never seen before, and I really encourage people in the New York area and on the East Coast to go to New York and check out this exhibition.

Scott Fortner: You can see videos of it online. I'm doing a pop-up exhibit at the Blancpain boutique in New York. And also, the collection is on exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London and the Cinémathèque [00:50:00] Française in Paris.

Scott Fortner: There hasn't been another moment where artifacts from my collection have been exhibited simultaneously across so many different locations around the world.

Scott Fortner: So, it's really exciting for me to have that opportunity and to share artifacts with the public and get a chance to experience Marilyn in this way as part of her centenary.

Elisa Jordan: So, the party continues all summer and into early 2027, and if anyone deserves that, I think it's Marilyn.

Elisa Jordan: I couldn't agree more. And you know what's fun about this there is no family that she really has to throw these things, to throw these parties. It's the fans coming together and doing it, and that shows a lot of love that the world has for her.

Scott Fortner: Mm-hmm. I would agree.

Scott Fortner: We wanna thank everybody for tuning in to this latest episode of the All Things Marilyn podcast. We appreciate you for listening, and feel free to follow us online on Instagram at All Things Marilyn Podcast. And you can listen to All Things Marilyn wherever you find your podcasts. We [00:51:00] love hearing from you.

Scott Fortner: You can email us at allthingsMarilynpodcast@gmail.com, and we hope that you'll leave us a good review and a five-star rating wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for tuning in.

Elisa Jordan: we'll see you next time on All Things Marilyn.