My sisters & I have “Marilyn Monroe parties” where we watch movies she starred in and paint our toenails. I’ve been a Marilyn Monroe fan for as long as I can remember. While she was undoubtedly a sex symbol, she’s also often misunderstood. She was actually rather bookish & intelligent in real life. While Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was filming, Marilyn reportedly suggested the line “I can be smart when it’s important, but most men don’t like it.” The Definitive Book of Body Language has a section describing how Marilyn used body language to her advantage. It was really interesting to watch her interview with Edward R. Murrow in the Best of Person to Person after learning about what her body language meant because her mastery of it was fascinating, almost as if she had invented it. She had incredible power while appearing weak, which is a paradox that we can still learn from 50 years later.
If you want to have your own Marilyn Monroe party here are a few fun picks:
Some Like it Hot ~ My favorite movie of all time, starring Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon & Tony Curtis. The two men witness a murder and to hide from the mafia they dress up like women and meet Sugar (Monroe) in an all-girl band.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes ~ Jane Russell stars with Marilyn in this romantic comedy/musical about “just two little girls from Little Rock” who take a cruise to France and meet different men along the way.
How to Marry a Millionaire ~ This is a comedy about three models (Monroe, Betty Grable & Lauren Bacall) who rent an apartment together in a plot to to attract millionaire husbands for each woman.
Marilyn Monroe: Songs from the Movies CD ~ This is perfect background music for a Marilyn Monroe party. Includes many songs she sang in different movies. It’s a fun set of sing-alongs.
Jesse Lee Harmon is the bookkeeper/library assistant at the Oliver Wolcott Library and loves playing guitar & singing her songs, riding her scooter & cooking, especially with fresh herbs and lots of chopping.
