The iconic white dress that Marilyn Monroe wore in The Seven-Year Itch — the one that suggestively blows above her knees as she’s standing over a subway grating — has been sold for $5.6 million in a California auction, according to CNN. The auction was part of a series that will sell various items from actress Debbie Reynolds’ collection of film memorabilia. (Technically, the dress sold for a bid of $4.6 million, with an extra $1 million going to the auction company as commission.) In the same auction, Monroe’s showgirl outfit from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes sold for $1.47 million, and her costumes from River of No Return and There’s No Business Like Show Business sold for a combined $1.2 million.
Jun 19
2011
11:35 AM ET
Marilyn Monroe's white dress from 'The Seven-Year Itch' sells for $5.6 million
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Marilyn wore that dress so well. It’s iconic. Can’t believe someone paid that much. Crazy !!!
Debbie Reynolds must be over the moon as well at the success of the auction.
Bette… as in Midler?? If so, HI!
I hope a museum bought it.
Agreed with Nick. I think its a shame that all of this great stuff if being auctioned off. It should be going to a museum so that future generations have the opportunity to see these magical pieces of film memorabilia. Damn you Debbie Reynolds!
Debby tried to open a museum with her huge collection, but nobody was interested!
You got some nerve talking about Debbie Reynolds that way. She worked so hard preserving this Hollywood memorabilia and also tried without success to keep the collection together. Shame on you!
She went bankrupt trying to make one go.
No one would help Renyold’s set up a museum for her collection. great deal Debbie!
@ Yeah Yeah: This was featured on the Syfy show “Hollywood Treasures.” Reynolds has, for decades, wanted to open a museum but could never get enough money together because she had–in her words–”several very bad husbands” that she had to pay settlements to. She’s been collecting as long as she’s worked and she isn’t vastly wealthy. She tours well over 3/4′s of the year.
It should also be noted that Debbie Reynolds did offer the entire collection to AMPAS for free as long as they opened a museum. They turned her down. She’s been trying to decades to keep the collection together. I went there on Friday to look at it all and it’s absolutely stunning. It’s wonderful that auction buyers are showing such interest. But it’s bittersweet since the collection is being split up.
We drove up from San Diego to see the first part of the collection on Wednesday and it’s absolutely spectacular! Every genre and era of Hollywood is represented. This project was so clearly put together by someone with a deep love for the magic of movies. I can’t even imagine what it’s cost Debbie Reynolds to acquire, insure and properly house everything all these years. It’s truly a cultural loss that the museum never came to fruition but I’m thrilled I got to see so many iconic pieces before they disappear into private collections.
I say – good for Debbie Reynolds! She’s been working in an industry that makes others tons of money whether they deserve it or not. She’s had some tough breaks in her life so I’m glad to hear that she’s making some money (off people insane enough to pay millions for a dress!?!?)
Its very mean to say ‘damn you Debbie Reynold’ without her those costumes would have gone in a dumpster as did so much movie memorabilia in the 1970s. She tried for years to get a museum off the ground…and was willing to donate it all for free…get your facts right..in fact damn you @ Yea Yea.
She could have just sold off a few pieces and then had enough money to set up a museum herself. Now she’s just selling it all anyway. While it would be nice if it all could go to museums and traveling exhibits, the nice thing about these auctions is that if someone is willing to pay that much, you know they will provide an appreciative home for those collectibles.
My word, people are stupid. It’s an old dress. Stupid.
wow…it is a memorable dress and I will always remember it from photos…but selling for this amount is unreal…..what narciscistic person bought this dress??????Arnold??????Interesting………
oh who gets the money ????????
I hope it’s Debbie.
I believe that Debbie Reynolds owes about $10 million in bankruptcy (two of her husbands bankrupted her and she managed to pull herself back together after each one). I was at the auction yesterday and it’s pretty clear that she is quite devastated to have to let these items go after 45 years.
I am a big fan of Mariah Carey; knowing what a big fan of Marilyn Monroe she is, I’m surprised she didn’t buy the dress!
Maybe it was Winona Ryder. She owns Alec Guinness’s white suit.
How come EW doesn’t credit the costume designer for this iconic dress and all the rest? I’d love to know who they were!!
I paid $32.67 for a XBOX 360 and my mom got a 17 inch Toshiba laptop for $94.83 being delivered to our house tomorrow by FedEX. I will never again pay expensive retail prices at stores. I even sold a 46 inch HDTV to my boss for $650 and it only cost me $52.78 to get. Here is the website we using to get all this stuff, PennyTop. com