ICONIC IMAGE: Has the American Film Institute done a survey asking what's the single most iconic image to appear in a film? Should they ever helm such a survey we'll go out on a limb and guess what'll land at #1: Marilyn Monroe and her grate-blowing dress. (We're totally joking about that "out on a limb" part; it appears on countless mugs and posters and t-shirts, so, yeah, it is a main contender for the title.) And now that iconic moment has been captured in an especially unique way, via a 26-foot-tall statue called Forever Marilyn. And where does Forever Marilyn now appear? On the corner of Palm Canyon Drive and Tahquitz Canyon Way in downtown Palm Springs. The statue's grand debut was on Thursday, May 24; it is set to stay put through June 2013. Seward Johnson is the artist behind the epic sculpture.
MARILYN IN P.S.: Ms. Monroe, like many stars of her era, had warm ties to the desert playground. She splashed for photos for Bernard of Hollywood at Charlie Farrell's Racquet Club (a keen-eyed Hollywooder spied and immediately signed her). Also interesting? Palm Springs local Bill Kobrin snapped her dress-blowing scene, along with other photogs, in promos of "The Seven Year Itch." Which, of course, is the film from which the iconic image springs.
MARILYN, BIG AND SMALL: While the 26-foot Marilyn is certainly one of the biggest tributes to the star, one of the smallest also debuted this week: The United States Postal Service released its Great Film Directors stamp series. Mr. Billy Wilder is one of the honored directors, and his stamp includes depictions of the Hotel del Coronado and Ms. Monroe (the stamp pays homage to "Some Like It Hot"). The stamp was released on Wednesday, May 23. Does it tickle you that a very large and very small Marilyn Monroe entered our world around the same time? How we do love a charming coincidence, especially when it salutes a very charming lady.
