Marilyn Monroe's 'Subway' Dress Sells For $4.6 Million At Debbie Reynolds Auction

Marilyn Monroe's iconic frock that flew up as she stood over a subway grate in "The Seven Year Itch" sold at a Profiles in History auction for $4.6 million, around $5.5 million with fees, on Saturday, Reuters reports. It was estimated to fetch between $1 and $2 million.

The William Travilla dress was part of 600 costumes and other pieces of memorabilia sold by actress Debbie Reynolds.

She also put another Monroe outfit on the block -- her red, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" number, which brought in $1.2 million (and was guessed to go for $200,000 to $300,000), according to Reuters. Other items sold include costumes worn by Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn and Marlon Brando.

Reynolds previously told the Associated Press, "I consider myself a fan. I'm a fan who was lucky enough to be among stars, so I collected them," however keeping up the collection became costly. She added, "I won't have so many children to take care of, so I won't have quite so much responsibility and I can rest a little more."

AFP writes that Reynolds is planning another sale for December.

See this video for a bit of biographical information on Marilyn Monroe:

Comments

[Kenz300]

01:36 AM on 07/08/2011

I wonder where these pieces of history will end up?

[Deb Hamilton]

11:20 AM on 06/21/2011

Whatever happened to the refrigerated underwear? This is an outrage: http://debutopia.blogspot.com/2011/06/whatever-blows-your-skirt-up.html#more

[Schooner131]

07:05 AM on 06/21/2011

How sad that no one from the Academy or Hollywood bought any of the major items. How many really wealthy celebrities are there out there? My gosh. Hollywood really is heartless. Most of these pieces are going overseas to Saudi Arabia and Japan. You mean to say, wealthy celebrities like Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, Steven Spielberg couldn't buy any of these items? This is why when they try to pull in the public for a specific cause, I turn my nose away--they're all selfish, phonies.

[ramal]

02:24 AM on 06/21/2011

I commend Debbie Reynolds for what she tried to do: keep all of this in one collection to be on permanent display to be enjoyed by millions through the decades. Sadly, there didn't seem to be enough interest or financial support to launch her dream. It's a rather ironic statement on a nation that invented and fell in love with the whole film industry. Debbie you have always been a class act.

[theredqueen]

01:32 PM on 06/20/2011

Great picture great dress.

[davepaiste]

01:25 PM on 06/20/2011

I wonder what her knickesr sold for..ewee

[davepaiste]

01:25 PM on 06/20/2011

w

[Ashlee Graser]

01:18 PM on 06/20/2011

Typical, a harmless article about Marilyn's dress being bought and some how you're having a political debate. Oh HI America! Not everything is about you. Oh wait, yes it is! Seriously guys. Who cares if *insert name here* is liberal or not. What aggravates me is when people like Thumper there want to bash Marilyn's name just because her iconic dress was sold to a Debbie Reynolds. Guess what? Most Celebrities can buy that dress AND donate money to the Red Cross. So..why don't you all be like our first poster and congratulate Debbie on her lucky purchase, because we're not all selfish swine, now are we? >_>;;

[Ashlee Graser]

01:20 PM on 06/20/2011

edit: First poster= EvenThen. and scratch the "a" before Debbie. haha, I need coffee.

[silencedogooder]

08:01 PM on 06/20/2011

re-read the article. debbie didn't buy the dress, she sold it. it isn't debbie's lucky purchase, it's her lucky sale. she owns all of the items in this auction and the next one, many of the items (especially the liz taylor items) were gifted to her.

[EvenThen]

12:21 PM on 06/20/2011

Good for Debbie Reynolds. She was married to some men who did her wrong financially, so I'm pleased she's doing well now. Check out Carrie Fisher's special on HBO if you can. Funny, wry look at her life, and her moms.

[gcandiscat]

12:07 PM on 06/20/2011

i WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ANYTHING THAT ONCE WAS nORMA jEAN bAKERS. sHE IS A FOREVER LEGEND. i WOULD LOVE TO SEEHER PRIVATE NOTES ON HER LIFE. lOVE HER FOREVER.

[sawtimberinc]

11:54 AM on 06/20/2011

Would be interesting to hear what those little white panties of MM brought?

[gcandiscat]

12:07 PM on 06/20/2011

yOU OR ANYONE ELSE CAN GET CLOSE TOI THOSE.

[IFGA]

12:46 PM on 06/20/2011

Actually those "Little White Panties" you mention, were air brushed onto the photo. She had none on at the time of the shooting, as told by her husband at the time of the shooting.

[Catsinthecradle]

01:22 PM on 06/20/2011

That was an urban myth. Monroe was NOT naked underneath the dress and was actually wearing a couple of pairs of panties during the shoot, something DiMaggio was not keen on (her doing the shoot in the first place). It was considered quite risque at the time but of course, seems nothing much today.

[sawtimberinc]

04:18 PM on 06/20/2011

Think I am older than you, IFGA, when I watched the original movie she had panties on. It very hard tp "airbrish" movie film. The story was that Dimagio suggested she wear two pair to be safe!

[bbimley]

11:20 AM on 06/20/2011

she makes our 'stars' now look like...well,this word i have in mind cannot be printed

[studioh!]

11:13 AM on 06/20/2011

playing.dressup.

[douttfire]

11:04 AM on 06/20/2011

It would be nice if the dresses are displayed somewhere. I went to the Museum of American History and saw Carol Burnett's "Gone With The Wind" dress. Brought back a lot of fond memories. Many people have seen the famous picture of Marilyn Monroe, but it would be cool to see the dress in person. I imagine there is a lot of upkeep to this kind of collection.

[mwb58]

10:59 AM on 06/20/2011

Alway thought Marilyn Monroe was over rated! Linda Darnell among others blew her away in both looks, brains and sex appeal. Most people toss Monroe's name out there in conversation because they've heard it so much and her images appear everywhere you go. It's akin to thoughtless repeating through name association and facial recognition. Her life is certainly not much to emulate and paying several million dollars for the "iconic" dress could have been better spent in some sort of tithe or love offering.

[tbears]

11:53 AM on 06/20/2011

Oh, Linda Darnell. Beautiful woman far more than Manilyn

[gcandiscat]

12:02 PM on 06/20/2011

You dont get it. There will never be another Monroe. Her sad childhood upbringing to become what she was and still is - is remarkable. She is forever a legend and loved by the world.

[Catsinthecradle]

01:19 PM on 06/20/2011

mwb58 GETS IT, unlike you, gcandiscat, who probably never heard of Linda Darnell and know nothing of her life. Darnell was in fact a classic beauty (something Monroe was not). No, there will probably never be another Monroe, but there will never be another Darnell either. If you knew ANYTHING at all about Darnell's soap opera of a life it rivals Monroe's in spades! Darnell could out-act Monroe by a mile! And she NEVER played the role of dumb. Anything but! Monroe IS over-rated and though she will always be remembered (I guess), she died young and thus reached mythic proportions. If she had lived, she'd be just another old actress today.