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Debbie Reynolds Sells Marilyn Monroe Dress For $5.6 Million

293.Monroe.tg.062011
Associated Press
293.Monroe.tg .062011
Associated Press

Most people still remember the ivory dress Marilyn Monroe wore in the 1955 film “The Seven Year Itch.” It’s also known as the “subway dress” thanks to the scene that made it memorable when the subway vent blew it up and revealed Monroe’s legs.  This year, the dress resurfaced and became available for purchase thanks to an auction by actress, Debbie Reynolds.

Shortly after Monroe’s death, Reynolds bought the famous dress for only $200 and added it to a collection of costume pieces she hoped would one day be displayed in a Hollywood museum. In 2009, Reynolds made plans for a museum that would house her most famous collection but ultimately it left her with loans leading to bankruptcy. She then saw no other way to relieve her from debt and decided to auction off her collection.

The auction was held in Beverly Hills at the Paley Center this past Saturday and had about 700 of her most prized pieces including Monroe’s dress. The dress sold for an astounding $4.6 million. The winner of Marilyn’s dress will also need to pay another $1 million in fees.

In the auction, Reynolds had other famous items including Judy Garland’s ruby slippers worn in “The Wizard of Oz”, Audrey Hepburn’s dress from “My Fair Lady”, and a Santa suit from “Miracle on 34th Street.”  These collected $1.75 through $3.7 million. Other items in her collection for over 50 years included original sketches of costumes, movie posters, and a big closet full of other costumes gathered from studios like 20th Century Fox and MGM.

Reynolds collection isn’t sold out yet and another auction has already been scheduled for December.