The proposed demolition of Marilyn Monroe’s home has opened up a myriad of issues surrounding her. The biggest cultural icon of the 20th century lives on in the current times. He impact on society has become greatly recognised as history has moved on. Far gone are the days when it was thought that she was a dumb blonde who could not act. The whole script is now rewritten in a way that few could have believed in decades past. The progress of woman’s freedom and equality now acknowledges the role that she played living in the 1950s, a time in Western culture when the role of women was seen as secondary.
The furure surrounded the proposed demolition of her former home at 12305 Fifth Helena Dr. Los Angeles highlights the sensitivity and acknowledgement of her historical importance. The abode has become a symbol of her life. To see it demolished would be like The White House or Parliament being destroyed. It would be tantamount to cultural aberration and would amount to the greatest crime against her since the ‘probable suicide’ verdict after her death. Great forensic research into that has shown that she deserves a revision to ‘accidental prescription drug overdose' which is the normal ticket for celebrity death in current times.
The background behind the fate of the home that she finally found is disturbing to say the least. The property was acquired by Glory Of The Snow LLV for $7.25 million in 2017, then it was acquired by Glory Of The Snow Trust for $8.35 million. Mystery surrounds this hedge fund organisation and surely the time has come for this to come to light. A further question surrounds The Marilyn Monroe Estate. What is its purpose? Why was her home allowed to become available upon the free market? These are questions that need to be answered before demolition can be allowed.
The cultural importance of the building is huge. Marilyn was hugely influential in the progression of women in society and in society as a whole. The 1953 article in Motion Picture & Television Magazine testifies to this with its laying bare of misogyny within the film industry, echoed today within the Me Too movement. Her innovation in forming Marilyn Monroe Productions Ltd also saw a brave stance against the patriarchal Hollywood machine of the 1950s There is a lot of historical significance at stake in all of this, and answers are needed as to what the motives are for destroying such heritage.
The role of The Marilyn Monroe Estate in not seeking to acquire the home is to be questioned. Bequeathed to Lee Strasburg, her acting coach and her psychiatrist Dr Marianne Kris, upon whose death the 25% share was transferred to The Anna Freud Centre, for work with children facing mental health problems. The 75% share of Strasberg was taken up by Authentic Brands Ltd from Strasberg’s later wife Anna Mizrahi, Paula Strasburg, daughter of Lee having died in 1968. In effect, the Estate became a venture capitalist organisation farming out rights to the Monroe image for a share of any profit made. The lack of interest in the matter of Marilyn’s home shows how this Estate in no way represents Marilyn’s interests. It is simply a profit making organisation under an assumed name.
The way forward may be a Marilyn Monroe Foundation, which serves her interests. There is a dedicated Marilyn heartbeat that lives on through her fans, look-a-like performers, even artists like Madonna and Scarlett Johansson. The time is surely right for such a proposed movement to seek to take back what belonged to Marilyn Monroe, including her home, and create a lasting, loving legacy to all that she believed in, in terms of children’s care, base good humanity and a worldwide environment in which the arts can flourish.
copyright dewyswriter 2023
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