http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Fri, 14 Apr 2006 19:56:30 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/04/14/195630.php Mark Bellinghaus"Marilyn Monroe-the exhibit" on the Queen Mary opened its doors to the public on November 11, but it had already been denounced as a fraud the night before at a press preview. (Marilyn Monroe "scared and shocked" in 1949 for a Life magazine photo shoot by Philippe Halsman for "Eight Girls Try Out Mixed Emotions" article. Photo courtesy of the Mark Bellinghaus collection.) Robert W. Welkos, a prominent Los Angeles Times writer, was given a personal tour that night by collector Mark Bellinghaus, who pointed out the blatant and clumsy attempts at deception. Welkos laughed, shook his head, rolled his eyes in wonder - yet did nothing, said nothing, to warn readers and the tens of thousands of visitors who would plunk down an outrageous $22.95 each to be admitted to the exhibit. Mr. Welkos's first article, written before the press opening, gave a warm handshake to Robert W. Otto, the owner of the dubious Marilyn collection. In his first article about the exhibit, on 11/11/05, the Los Angeles Times withheld the facts and proof against the exhibit that was delivered first-hand. Welkos had come to Bellinghaus' home days before the opening of the exhibit and seen the real hair rollers of Marilyn Monroe.And for two hours he was shown photo-documented memorabilia of the legend from some of her Puccis to the amazing cape she wore in The Prince And The Showgirl , even the last piece Marilyn Monroe wore alive (as described by Eunice Murray in her book ) - a white terrycloth bathing robe.For two hours Bellinghaus shared his collection with this reporter, only to be portrayed as a scoffer, a jealous collector and quoted out of context. That is outrageous and not acceptable.We were still hopeful when we saw the question mark placed behind the name of Marilyn Monroe in the first article's headline. But Otto made one outrageous claim after another and people seemed to believe him - it's scandalous that the Estate of Marilyn Monroe is backing up his ridiculous tales. We approached the Times the first day of the exhibit and gave them solid proof of fraud -- including the now infamous 1974 hair curlers -- but a follow-up, and a warning, were never printed. Welkos failed in his two articles about the exhibit to point out the scam and crime that the public is facing. There are, however sincere and truth-hungry journalists with guts who do report about real scandal, and who try to warn the public about them. The Los Angeles Independent newspaper ran a cover story by Mary Frances Gurton headlined "Expert: Marilyn Show Memorabilia Fake."When she called the Queen Mary to verify that the curlers were no longer on display, Ms. Gurton was given the brush-off, again.She just released her latest update, and again, cover-story, that was published on 4/5/05 and is titled "Marilyn Memorabilia Furor Deepens." Kudos to Mary Frances.Isn't it telling enough that Mr. Otto would not comment - again? He now has his press agent answering for him. Who does he really think he is? Leonardo Di Caprio? (Photo: Real hair curlers of Marilyn Monroe, and yes, with real hair of Marilyn Monroe, with Christie's and Julien's tags attached to them. Originated from the Estate of Marilyn Monroe, owned by Anna Strasberg. Sold at auction in June 2005, five month before the hoax exhibit opened its doors in Long Beach. Why did Otto not buy those? Courtesy of and owned by The Mark Bellinghaus collection) (Photo: Fake hair curlers of Marilyn Monroe, and yes, with fake hair attached to them. Maybe the hair originated from one of Otto's dolls from the "doll salon"? Identical 1974 Clairol hair setters are available on eBay for a starting bid of $0.01! After Bellinghaus' blog success across the Internet, even Entertainment Tonight edited out the crazy psychic (James van Praagh) with those hair curlers and the other crap he was authenticating as Monroe's. To pull an item -- as they did in early March -- does not mean that it never existed. On the contrary. To remove this highlight of the exhibit may as well mean the "final blow" of this scandalous sham. Photo courtesy of Mark Bellinghaus)We went on our own to Long Beach -- to the Police Department, to the Mayor's office, to the City Attorney's office -- but no one had time for us, no one had answers. The standard answer we got was that they had no jurisdiction over the Queen Mary. It is a leased property and apparently answers to no man, no legal authority. How can that be? What if somebody shot somebody on the Queen Mary? Tough luck, we suppose. Maybe they could drag the body off the ship and dump it in the parking lot: would the City Attorney or Police Department be interested then? Four months later, on 3/23/06, The Los Angeles Times printed a toothless story on collecting Marilyn memorabilia, without a single word of warning about the fraudulent show. The fake hair rollers that Mr. Bellinghaus reported to Mr. Welkos the first day into the exhibit - not even mentioned. But it's obvious that Robert W. Welkos had read Mark's first article, (which Mark forwarded to him), and mined it for inspiration and topics for his story. Read Mark's story and compare to Welkos' article. (Photo: "Up close and personal" is not a promise, a it is nightmare, an obscene threat, in this case. Any ordinary garage sale could have the same effect - just cheaper! Ad courtesy of The Los Angeles Times.)The Times feature ended with a quote from Mark Roesler, the head of CMG licensing, who answered the allegations of fraud by saying, "You always have jealous fan club members and collectors who question such things. It goes with the territory," which outraged fans and collectors all over the world - the very ones who are paying for Roesler's silver Ferrari with the "JDean" license plate. Not a smart move, Mr. Roesler: "Pride comes before the fall." (Photo: Is this the new hot trend for this summer, men with purses? Tres chic. And after the "Brokeback Mountain" success, very possible. Our model here is the famous and powerful lawyer, Mark Roesler, who successfully turned Marilyn Monroe into a "bag lady." We are waiting for the Marilyn Monroe toilet seat to be released ... with her signature and portrait on the lid of course - nothing would amaze us anymore. Article courtesy of the Brazilian magazine Jornal do Brasil - Roesler, of course, also has an office in Brazil. The article was headlined Dinhero, Portuguese for money ... wonder why?) (Photo: Oops - didn't we just see that very same MM-on-tiger-background bag in Roesler's arm? Yes, indeed - but this time it is behind glass and on display on the "$8.75 million exhibit" on the historic ocean liner in Long Beach. The bobble head Marilyn on top must be made of pure platinum. But no, it is just another ordinary eBay find. But good enough as a throne for a display case ... if anybody still has doubts that the star lawyer is "in" with Otto and the rest of the hoaxers, reality checkup lights are flashing! Photo courtesy of Mark Bellinghaus)Mark Bellinghaus attacked the bogus exhibit in a blog sensation - it got the biggest, most passionate reaction in the 4-year history of blogcritics.org. Mark stirred up a hornet's nest.The show is still there ... still lying and stealing from the paying public, with many tourists and local fans being pranked, stepping into that open trap. The fraud is reaching the $1 million mark, from admission fees and sponsorshipby companies like Pepsi-Cola, Domino's Pizza, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and Toyota of Long Beach - plus CMG Worldwide, who is also an official sponsor. This scam is scheduled to tour the world for the next 12 years, visiting more than 39 cities, if they are not stopped right now! (Photo: Real! How many opera glasses would be needed by a super busy movie star who only lived to age 36? Here are two of hers - real ones, if we can believe Anna Strasberg and her stored treasures. These two opera glasses were sold on September 20th, 2001 at Christie's in Beverly Hills, both together for only $1,293. But Otto wasn't the buyer of those! Courtesy of Christie's) (Photo: Fake! Another so called "highlight" from this attempt to recreate a Christie's auction. These fake MM opera glasses were also on the ET show with James van Praagh who acted like it was funny to look through them and be scared. We did not find it funny at all. We would find it funny, if his followers and believers finally would accept the truth: That he is a CHARLATAN. Unless these people can prove the exact authenticity of their pieces, we have to believe that almost ALL ITEMS, like the removed hair curler, the shiny red dress, or the blond Some Like It Hot wig, that ALSO HAS BEEN PULLED FROM THE RUNNING EXHIBIT due to Bellinghaus' first article - and 98.9% of the claimed Marilyn Monroe memorabilia, are FAKE!) Mark's first story was called "Marilyn Monroe's Memory Defrauded in Long Beach - The Truth is Here." MSNBC.com's "Clicked" column has already compared it to RatherGate, so shall we call this scam our Marilyn/Enron? BIG LIE #1 Robert W. Otto announced to the press that his Marilyn collection is worth $10 million. But Mark Roesler, of CMG licensing, says he appraises the collection at $8.75 million--but where did they get those outrageous figures? And since when is he an APPRAISER? Watch the CMG Webcast (of October 8, 2004), in which the two men discuss the tacky collection spread out before them: Otto does his goofy grin routine, but Roesler shows little interest and seems to be clueless as to the items' value - several times he even asks Otto for the value of this or that item: How much is this worth? Mary Frances Gurton of the Los Angeles Independent newspaper was told by Felton Hyche, VP of QM special events, that no independent appraisal of the collection had been made. So again we ask - where did Roesler get that outrageous $8.75 million figure? He can't appraise, so he must have taken Otto's word for it. We agree with the comment from Roger Richman, the lawyer who started the fight to protect the rights of deceased celebrities, and the first lawyer to handle the Marilyn Monroe estate. In the 12/04 issue of Los Angeles magazine, Richman refuted Mark Roesler's me-first claims, calling him "a liar and a dwarf and a scumbag."We know that Otto bought most of the entire collection from June DiMaggio, Joe Franklin, and from fraudulent eBay sellers. There's not one authentic movie costume on display - so please tell the world, tell us where to look for the million dollar items!Serious Marilyn collectors put the value of the collection - the few genuine pieces, plus the mass-produced dolls and crappy collectibles, the bottles of wine, the vintage magazines with Marilyn covers - at $20 to $30 thousand dollars. That's a long way to $8.75 million!Or did we miss a closet full of "Happy Birthday, Mr. President dresses," in one of the tacky corners of the exhibit? And speaking about dresses... the pink gown that they are displaying is NOT from the movie "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". As Robert W. Welkos told us when we walked together through that creepy exhibit. Otto admitted that at least to Welkos! (Photo: Kitsch as Kitsch can. Cheapness behind glass. Why? What do they really think. That someone would steal this? And why are the costumes then not behind glass, literally dropped on the floor and in front of the feet of the visitors in awe! Or more in shock? Go on eBay - the MM clay mask goes for as low as $2.99 (or less). Create your own exhibit. Follow Otto&Co, and scam the world. You'll be rich in a heart beat. Call the Queen Mary and have your own exhibit!)It's one thing to be the "center of media attention for a night, but it's another to tour with a fraudulent exhibit for years to come. Ticket sales are close to reaching the million dollar mark. We are demanding an investigation. These people have gone too far! (Photo: The people who are supposed to protect her brought Marilyn Monroe only agony. Strange, the wig that Marilyn is wearing on this picture, is owned by Mark Roesler, the only item he bought in '99 at Christie's. He also drove up the price for MM's piano, that was bought by Mariah Carey for $662,500 - through shill bidding. This way he made his boss, Anna Strasberg a little fortune, while she was looking down at the bidding crowd with a glass of champagne in her hand. Making $13,405,785 in a day and a half! Also very telling is that this real wig is not on display in Long Beach. Photo courtesy of The Mark Bellinghaus collection)BIG LIE #2 If Otto's crappy collection is the real thing, then why are items (as much as five different ones so far) being taken off display? Pulled! • The now-famous hair curlers are gone. Self-promoting psychic James Van Praagh prominently fondled Marilyn's hair curlers on TV -- and apparently communicated with her -- but it was easy for Mark Bellinghaus to establish that the curlers were manufactured 12 years after her death. In the interest of "refreshing" (as they called it), the Queen Mary exhibit, the cowards hid the curlers. Gotcha!• When Entertainment Tonight rebroadcast its episode featuring Van Praagh, the silly old fraud had been completely edited out! (Photo: REAL! A signed autograph book page inscribed: "To Dorothy Warmest Regards Marilyn Monroe" . In times of heavy eBay fraud, these real autographs are almost impossible to find. Courtesy of and owned by The Mark Bellinghaus collection)• A newsletter from CMG highlighted another item from the show: a fishing tackle box said to contain a "Happy fishing" note from Marilyn to Giuseppe (Joe). The box on display is closed ... but the note is reproduced in the CMG newsletter and it's large enough to clearly show that it's definitely not Marilyn's handwriting. (Photo: FAKE! Absolutely and without the slightest doubt. Shocking, what these people are trying to pass off as Marilyn Monroe's memorabilia, attached to the tales of June DiMaggio and Robert W. Otto. Photo courtesy The Indianapolis Star)• The Marilyn exhibit started out in Indianapolis, in the CMG headquarters and home to chairman and CEO Mark Roesler and his army of lawyers. The show stayed there from December 2004 and continued January 17th of 2005. Admission was $25. Apparently the creators of the hoax exhibit had no problems with the show until they went looking for more victims . . . when they tried to bring it to Marilyn's hometown, Los Angeles. • Donelle Dadigan, founder and President of the Hollywood History Museum , told us of her adventure with Roesler, Otto, and Co. The Museum agreed to display the exhibit, and spent $50K to have it shipped to Los Angeles. Donelle sought to insure the exhibit, and Otto assured her that Roesler would do so ... but then SURPRISE - Roesler did not agree, he would not verify or appraise the junk! He's many other things, but he's not stupid. They became concerned that there wasn't a single photo to document or authenticate any item. (Photo: FAKE! A piece of 70's luggage. Definitely not Marilyn Monroe's! The golden MM monogram is Otto's standard explanation, for the fake "MD" coat, the fake June-jeans, the fake jewelry and all the other dubious junk, that was never even made when Monroe was alive.) • When the Museum started unpacking, they suspected fraud: they found 3 different pairs of shoes in three different sizes; luggage manufactured after MM's death; a girdle with a J.C. Penny tag, etc. "That really got us jumping up and down, feeling someone was trying to pull a fast one on us," said the museum's attorney George G. Braunstein, who initiated legal action to get their money back. • Johnny Grant, Hollywood's so-called honorary mayor, was friends with Marilyn and accompanied her to Korea where she sang for the troops, so he quickly spotted her USO identification card in the would-be exhibit as being a cheap photocopy. Just like the marriage certificate that is on display. Ouch! • Rudely rejected by Hollywood, the Marilyn Monroe carpetbaggers moved on to Long Beach. (Photo: Queen Mary display case full of worthless thrift store trash. Brand new satin gloves, MM engraved mirrors and stupid wannabe Marilyn Monroe memorabilia. Disastrous and sickening to watch this. Outrageous how these amateurs portray Marilyn Monroe. She was not a dumb bimbo who would have rhinestones attached to anything she owned. Roesler, Otto & Co created a Monroe freak. Photo courtesy of Mark Bellinghaus) BIG LIE #3The fantasies of June DiMaggio, who has built a career (?) claiming that she's Joe DiMaggio's niece, without a single photo showing her with Marilyn Monroe or with Joe DiMaggio. But she's not giving up. We absolutely proved her a liar, when she claimed, in her 12/05 Playboy story, "As I was riding along with my uncle Joe to Marilyn's funeral." Mary Jane Popp (June's partner-in-crime) is NOW stating that June never said that . . . that she was referring to the funeral of another family member. Yeah, right! But we still have our witness to Marilyn's funeral, pallbearer Allan Abbott, who stood at the door of the chapel, checking off names against the guest list given him by Joe DiMaggio. (Photo: 8/8/62 Daily News article that names the specific shows and no-shows of people at Marilyn Monroe's funeral. NO JUNE DIMAGGIO! And an information on the side: Lee Strasberg is always credited for the wonderful Eulogy--that one was written by poet and MM close friend Carl Sandburg, who put his heart into the last words for Marilyn Monroe. Lee Strasberg read it and acted it out. We know the words, it is on tape as well. The last song played for the legend: "Somewhere over the rainbow." Courtesy of the Mark Bellinghaus collection)June now also says that she retrieved her pizza pan from Marilyn's home several days later, not on the night she died. Whatever. And who is going to believe her after she changes her stories like a chameleon changes its colors.Were Marilyn and Joe DiMaggio to remarry? June says she has the marriage license. But how could they? Joe was still a good Catholic, and Marilyn was still Jewish: she never reconverted after her marriage to Arthur Miller. Also: Marilyn had made reservations again at a Hotel in Mexico for September 15, to see boyfriend Jose Bolanos. During her first trip to Mexico in early 1962, where she met Bolanos, and where she bought Mexican furniture and many other artifacts for her Brentwood hacienda, she also made a $1000 donation to the Institute for Needy Children. There were rumors that she might adopt a Mexican baby. (Photo: Angelina Jolie does what Marilyn wanted: to adopt a baby. The Daily News article, 8/8/62 regarding the reservations for September 15, 1962 and the adoption rumors. Courtesy of the Mark Bellinghaus collection.) (Photo: Hand in hand, a radiant and stunningly beautiful Marilyn in March of 1962, with the last love of her life in tow--26 year old Mexican heart throb, screenwriter ("La Cuccaracha") and director Jose Bolanos. The two had many ideas and plans for the future. This was 44 years before "Demi & Ashton"! Marilyn was 9 years his senior--she was always ahead of her time. It is believed that Jose made one of the last phone calls to her Brentwood home before she died. At last, Marilyn seemed to have found some love and happiness in her so tragic, sad and super short life. We still can feel the wonderful energy between them, just looking at them together. What a great couple they were. Marilyn booked a Hotel in Mexico City for September 15th (Mexican Independence Day). That should be enough fact, for June DiMaggio to shut up forever. Can anybody picture Joe DiMaggio asking Marilyn to marry him again, after those photos of Marilyn and Jose went around the world? Marilyn and Joe were friends, that's all. Marilyn lived a new life! That's all. Photo courtesy of the Mark Bellinghaus collection) (Photo: Celebrating her Golden Globe win. Marilyn Monroe enjoying the moment and the company of Jose Bolanos who is lovingly kissing her shoulder. Courtesy of The Kim Goodwin collection)Mrs. Popp has announced that June's long-awaited "biography" will be published on June 1st, which will be Marilyn's 80th birthday -- another shameful move from these exotic birds -- to honor a legend with another "book of a million little lies!" Will this be the next Oprah/Frey book controversy? No way, we're dealing with amateurs here. (Photo: It is easy to track Marilyn Monroe memorabilia! This stunning silver gown Miss Monroe is wearing is owned by collector Greg Schreiner, and the white fox fur stole is owned by and part of the Mark Bellinghaus collection. That stole was one of MM's trademarks, as she would wear it for several movie premieres and in the movie How To Marry A Millionaire." We know where most of Miss Monroe's items went. Even after Christie's '99 auction. The collectors circle is small and not a jealous one, and people know each other or of each other. Until very recently, we never heard the name Robert W. Otto, at all! However, Mr. Bellinghaus witnessed Otto and Roesler being together at the historic Christie's auction in 1999. Otto himself did not win one lot there. Photo courtesy of the Mark Bellinghaus collection.BIG LIE #4• The greed of Anna Strasberg. The advertising and promotion for the QM show prominently features Marilyn's likeness and signature - which means The Estate of Marilyn Monroe, i.e., Anna Strasberg, is involved, that Anna is getting her share of the $22.95 admission fee. • We will remind you of the May 14, 1994, Odyssey auction which offered Marilyn's personal items from a trusted business associate, of Marilyn's (Inez Melson), who had later passed them on to a relative (Millington Conroy).Anna Strasberg successfully sued to stop that auction, claiming the items legally belonged to her. She performed for a packed courtroom, tearfully swearing and promising that she would never, never sell any of Marilyn's belongings. And the judge took her word for it. But you might say that Anna lied under oath: eleven years later (on June 4, 2005), Anna Strasberg sold those very same items at a Julien's auction in Los Angeles. For one item alone -- Marilyn's personal phone book -- Anna took home $90,000. The Wall Street Journal, on April 10, 2006, quotes Roger Richman on Mrs. Strasberg's business philosophy as "keep making money." Mrs. Strasberg's own lawyer William Wegner, says: "Anna thinks about and handles Ms. Monroe's imgage from the moment she wakes up." (Photo: The Marilyn Monroe phone book, which sold for $90K in June 2005. It was acquired in an Oscar-worthy performance by actress Anna Strasberg. Anna's place in the history of MM is nothing be proud of. Mrs. Anna Strasberg: Shame on you! Courtesy of Julien's)• Susan Strasberg (1938-1999), daughter of Lee and Paula, is one of the sadder figures in this drama (see Patricia Bosworth's 2/04 Vanity Fair story). Susan's daughter Jennifer has recently started legal action against the Estate of Marilyn Monroe - i.e., Anna Strasberg. Stay tuned for details about the "evil stepmother" who immediately put Marilyn's belongings onto the auction block after Susan Strasberg died of cancer in 1999! Susan's brother John Strasberg says that he and his late sister Susan were close to Ms. Monroe, but were disinherited by their father Lee and never received any of the Monroe earnings. "I am not sure I would want any of it" John says. "I find it sad that people who never knew Marilyn continue to profit from her, and in the lowest form possible."• The Mark Bellinghaus masterpiece has been saved for last: Mark bought the domain names - it's legal, read the Julia Roberts case - for Mark A. Roesler (MarkARoesler.com), Anna Strasberg (AnnaStrasberg.com), Robert W. Otto (RobertWOtto.com), and June DiMaggio (JuneDiMaggio.com). Click on any of those names and it will take you directly to ... the Mark Bellinghaus website, which spells out the whole ugly Roesler/Strasberg/Otto/June DiMaggio affair.The idea was to put the shoe on the other foot, to change the viewpoint, to ask this squalid quartet: "How does it feel to have your name taken over and used by someone who has no respect for you - the way you are doing with Marilyn Monroe? Exactly the way you are doing with Marilyn."He also bought the domain MarilynMonroeScam.com and the very easy to remember:mmfraud.com, which has already been mentioned on podcasts and many other fan sites all over the world. THANK YOU ALL! Please check out Melinda Mason's "My Marilyn" podcast. The power of the new blog media has found it's first big victory, a triumph, that has all the ingredients to make it to the mainstream media and to be a huge success. • CMG gives lip service to its roster of stars and celebrities by creating fan clubs around the world. That's hardly enough. Roesler's Web site features his Rules for Success - but it's missing one important word: RESPECT! Roesler and Co. must show more respect for the immortals it represents, to MARILYN and to the dead. • THIS JUST IN! Mark has officially been threatened with legal action from CMG regarding the domain of Roesler (you can find the official letter on his Website), which claims they win every case. Well, there's a first time for everything. And they've never dealt with someone like Mark Bellinghaus. • This article will no doubt also take on a life of its own, so we will probably update, as there's news coming in daily - stay tuned.We need to keep the public updated, about scandals surrounding the scandal.Like for example, if you log on to the Roesler website, you find him talking about the great things he has done, giving money for a hospital room for victims of sexual assault (he put a big plaque with his own name on the wall of that room!). But what this man is withholding in his webcast interview is, that staff writer Peter Annis from THE NOBLESVILLE LEDGER.COM reported on March 20th: "Roesler donated proceeds from a Marilyn Monroe exhibit at CMG's headquarters in December." We find it "wonderful," that someone scams the public for lots of money, then "donates" some money he makes from that crime for a good cause (to honor his dead sister and himself) and puts a plaque on the wall. On that very plaque, Mr. Bellinghaus found the "A" for Mr. Roesler's middle name, and then bought the available domain. We are ready to explain this to any judge. His domain, and the other ones were bought in good faith and to warn the world of the doings of and about all of them, but most important Anna Strasberg and Mark A. Roesler! So, Mr. Roesler's clients are immortal, and now he wants to be too? We find this detail very telling for and about this man. Another suggestion for his "RULES FOR SUCCESS" on his website: Tell the truth, always, have respect for the people you represent, especially Marilyn Monroe, and close that criminal exhibit, now! Do these characters who are involved in this, seriously believe that they are getting away with it?Happy belated 80th birthday Mr. Hugh Hefner! We find it very sad, that you have kept so quiet about all this - we know that Mark Roesler is also your lawyer. We just find it very sad that you recently apologized to Jessica Alba, but what about the nasty interview and the nastier picture of Marilyn that Playboy published? Are you now going to rest next to Miss Alba, instead next to Miss Monroe some day? We just wonder.After his first story, Mark Bellinghaus received thousands of emails from upset fans of Marilyn Monroe from all over the world. One email especially gave him great hope. A young girl, still in high school, who does not seem to know the brutality of showbiz, and who want to become the next Marilyn Monroe, wrote:"I pray for you and your mission every night. For the defense of Marilyn who I love so dearly, and believe you me, the truth will always come to light!" We believe her and we are not going to disappoint her, or Marilyn Monroe. (Photo: Courtesy of The Kim Goodwin collection, the black cashmere turtleneck sweater that Miss Monroe is wearing on this photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt, is owned by and part of The Mark Bellinghaus collection) An actress is not a machine, but they treat you like a machine. A money machine. Marilyn Monroe Mark Bellinghaus, actor turned collector and authority on Marilyn Monroe; and Ernest W. Cunningham, author of The Ultimate Marilyn, and he stands 100% behind Mark Bellinghaus' investigation and findings.The opinions expressed in this column are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Blogcritics.org. Culture46052@blogcritics.org Fri, 14 Apr 2006 19:56:30 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/02/06/132111.php Mark BellinghausDid you see that psychic on Entertainment Tonight in December, James Van Praagh? He had one of Marilyn Monroe's hair curlers -- it even had a Marilyn hair on it -- and this guy was listening to Marilyn talk to him right on the air. Spooky! (Photo: Psychic James Van Praagh, on Entertainment Tonight, December 2nd, 2005, holding up a "hair of Marilyn Monroe")Those curlers are a highlight of "Marilyn Monroe, The Exhibit," a display that opened November 11, 2005, on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California; advertised as the largest private collection of Marilyn memorabilia ever assembled, a collection with the claimed worth of $10 million dollars.But I have a small problem with those hair curlers: it took only the briefest Internet research and a call to Clairol to establish that they were first manufactured in 1974. Marilyn passed away in 1962. I wonder which dead blonde Van Praagh WAS talking to. (Photo: A highlight "Marilyn Monroe, The Exhibit" - a Clairol 20 Instant hairsetter from 1974. Monroe died in 1962)The hair curlers are not authentic and that "$10 million" exhibit isn't worth more than $25 to $30 thousand. The people behind the exhibit are not telling the truth.The principals in this story are: ROBERT W. OTTO, 56, President of Marilyn Monroe Exhibits; MARK ROESLER, 50, head and founder of CMG licensing; JUNE DiMAGGIO, 82, who claims to be a niece of Joe DiMaggio and a close friend of Marilyn; MARY JANE POPP, 55 (?), actress, infomercial and radio host, she is helping June write her story; HUGH HEFNER, 79, Mr. Playboy, he gives credit to Marilyn for his magazine's success, but threw her to the wolves. (Photo: The December, 2005, issue, with three Monroe articles by Lisa DePaulo and the worst photo ever published of Marilyn Monroe. Bravo, Mr. Heffner.)Let's begin with the most outrageous character, June DiMaggio. Who is she? The last name itself generates interest and memories of the sweet past, the Yankee Clipper, Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson." But now I want to change the famous lyric of the latter to "Where have you come from, June DiMaggio?" She appeared out of nowhere, joining the media circus without explaining where she was hiding while her legendary uncle Joe was alive.CBS is reportedly planning a 48 Hours special on Marilyn Monroe this month, supposedly with June DiMaggio, and we look forward to the funny but absurd little stories she seems to have dreamed up and written down in her fictional "memoir," Marilyn, Joe and Me!, her "what if?" journal.I watched her last November during the press opening for "Marilyn Monroe, The Exhibit" at the Queen Mary, and it was a weird, unreal experience - like a theatre performance gone bad. When talking about Marilyn, she shouted and stuttered, then regained her composure and resumed (it seemed to me) her rehearsed lines.Let's begin with her most excusable untruth, her age. She claims to be 77, but for a former actress and dancer, knocking five years off is forgivable; not so when it comes to twisting facts and fabricating fictions about one of the biggest and best-loved movie stars of the 20th century. June says she was great friends with Marilyn Monroe, and that her mother, Lee, wife of Tom DiMaggio (one of Joe's eight siblings), was Marilyn's closest friend and even knew who murdered her. Lee was supposedly chatting with Marilyn on the phone when the killer walked into the icon's bedroom. Lee never told, because "she wanted her children to live." (Photo: Mary Jane Popp, June DiMaggio, Robert W. Otto, Hugh Heffner, left to right)During June DiMaggio's November interviews, her co-writer Mary Jane Popp -- actress, infomercial and radio host -- always stood close by her side and sometimes gave the answers for her. In some ways June reminded me of a marionette being dragged from one stage to the next, with her explosive news on Marilyn Monroe. She gave interviews even in the hallways, repeating over and over, "THAT IS THE TRUTH!" and "YOU CAN READ ALL ABOUT THIS IN MY BOOK!"CBS recently referred to June as "the last DiMaggio," but that's not so: Joe's baseball-playing brother Dom is still with us. When I called him at his home in Florida, Dom DiMaggio confirmed to me that "June DiMaggio is not the biological daughter of my brother Tom." So June is related, but only through her mother Lee - she is a step-DiMaggio. (Photo: Two of Monroe's personal address books, which sold at Christie's to a Spanish collector on September 20th, 2001 for $ 18,213. The names of June and Lee DiMaggio are not present in any of the four known Monroe address books)In my research, I find no evidence at all that Monroe was even friendly with Lee or June DiMaggio. A San Francisco newspaper story on Marilyn and Joe's wedding has Lee and Tom on the guest list, but June is not mentioned. The names of Lee and June do not appear in any of the four known Monroe personal address books. How do I know? I know the owners of these books and asked them to look for me. June DiMaggio and her mother Lee are not listed in any of them, while, for example, Joe DiMaggio and his son Joe Jr. are present in all of them.In the December Playboy interview, June DiMaggio claims to have attended the funeral of Marilyn Monroe ("as I was riding along with my uncle Joe in a limousine..."). There are numerous photos of Joe's limo for that day - none include June DiMaggio. (Photo: Inside the limousine the day of the funeral: Joe DiMaggio, his son, Joe Jr, unidentified driver and passenger, but where is June DiMaggio? She claims to have been riding with her famous uncle that day. Maybe she was in the trunk)We also have a witness who can testify to June's absence: funeral director Allan Abbott, 68, was a pallbearer at Marilyn's funeral. At Joe DiMaggio's request, he also stood at the door checking off the names on the brief guest list, handing programs to each person on the list. He told me he'd never heard the name June DiMaggio in his life. Ernest Cunningham's book The Ultimate Marilyn identifies the small group of invited guests - June is missing. (Photo by Leigh Wiener: as Marilyn Monroe's casket is being introduced to her final resting place, Allan Abbot on the corner to the coffin, Joe DiMaggio and his son are sitting in the second row. Again: where is June DiMaggio?)Allan Abbott was 24 at the time Monroe was buried, but his memory is still fresh. This man's statement was the true reason I continued in my investigations. My deepest appreciation goes out to him, a man who had the honor of carrying Marilyn Monroe's casket to her crypt where we can still visit her, pay tribute, and weep. (Photo: The lipstick and flower-covered crypt of the Hollywood legend)June is the latest in a long line of Marilyn frauds: men and women coming out of nowhere, claiming to be Marilyn Monroe's son or daughter (or husband or lover, whatever). There's a man claiming to be the illegitimate son of Marilyn and JFK, insisting that the three of them had lived openly in Marilyn's Brentwood home. There was Robert Slatzer, who passed away last year, who claimed (with nothing to document it) that he had been married to Marilyn. (Photo: The cover of THE NATIONAL TATTLER on Jan. 26, 1969 - June DiMaggio is just one in a long list of people who claim a dubious connection with Marilyn Monroe)Publicity for the Queen Many exhibit states that 90% of the Monroe memorabilia was bought from June DiMaggio and Joe Franklin. June says she got her items directly from Marilyn. The problem is that there's nothing to prove that any of the June junk is authentic - no photos, no documentation. (Unless you're willing to accept the word of the ET psychic.) The other items are from eBay and from questionable sellers, some of whom are being investigated by the FBI. How do you authenticate an item? Keep reading, I'll explain it in a bit. (Photo: Robert W. Otto, CEO of the Marilyn Monroe exhibit, and famous psychic James van Praagh, on Entertainment Tonight, aired 12/02/2005)The next player in this trashy affair is Robert W. Otto, who came to collector's fame overnight. In an interview with Los Angeles Times writer Robert W. Welkos, on November 11, 2005, Otto explained the reason that no other Marilyn collectors had ever heard of him:"Because I kept a low profile and courted those people who actually knew Marilyn and acquired items from them."Otto also mentioned NYC radio host Joe Franklin, who has sold many items from the famous guests who had appeared on his show. But here again, not ONE item came with a picture of Marilyn wearing it. Not one! Otto also says, "I also chose not to collect the bigger show pieces." Okay, so what about the strapless pink gown that Marilyn famously wore while singing "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend"? A press release says that it's on display at the entrance to the exhibit (Photo: Welcoming the visitor: a copy of a famous Marilyn Monroe costume -- NOT THE ORIGINAL -- displayed in an almost frightening way) . . . but it's just a cheap copy. You can find it on eBay for $25.00.In all fairness, the exhibit has a few real Monroe-owned pieces, but Otto purchased them when they were offered the second or third time around (when nobody placed a bid on them). There's a green Pucci combo which originally sold as Lot #288 in the big Christie's auction in 1999. This item came up again, this time in a Profiles In History auction on March 31, 2004. When it didn't sell, Otto bought it for below the original estimate. In any interview for the promotion of the exhibit, he made sure that this particular combo would be visible in the background.Otto visited but didn't participate in the huge Monroe estate sale at Christie's, though he has subsequently bought items on eBay or at live auctions which originated there. Mixing lesser authentic items into a collection grounded in fraud is still fraud.. (Photo: In December of 2004, Otto and Roessler held their first exhibit in their Indianapolis Legends Museum, note that the pink dress, which is displayed next to the real green Pucci combo originated from eBay and was sold by Frank Warren on eBay, who was kicked off that site. Otto bought this dress for a few hundred dollars. The white dress also has no authentication. Also note the classy cardboard display)I have in my possession signed witness statements from several Marilyn collectors who can identify items in the Queen Mary exhibit as being bought through eBay.Robert Otto contacted me as well, in July of 2004, under his eBay screen name "PinkDoodleDandy1" (nomen est omen?), seeking to buy Marilyn memorabilia. I first thought he was kidding when he offered me a jokingly low amount for a Marilyn belt. She was wearing this item when she walked out of her 508 N. Palm Drive, Beverly Hills home, tearfully announcing to the press that she was getting a divorce from Joe DiMaggio.She wore the same belt when she revealed that she was going to marry Arthur Miller. I have photos of her wearing the belt, which was made by JAX. I bought the belt at the Christie's sale. (Photos: Two important announcements in the life of Marilyn Monroe, one belt)In the L.A. Times interview, Otto was also asked why there were no photos of Marilyn wearing the clothing on display. His answer was that, as with anyone else, the clothing Marilyn wore in private didn't appear in photos.Is that so? Look at the photo here: it shows Marilyn in nothing but private clothing! She hung on to these checkered pants she had worn as Norma Jeane, posing on the beach for numerous private shoots. Later, she wore them for top photographers like the legendary Alfred Eisenstaedt. Those same pants are visible in numerous photo sessions throughout her career - proving that she was a very simple person, and that she held on to the items she'd had before she became a mega-star, sex symbol, and the most photographed woman in the world. (Photos: Marilyn Monroe, outside her 882 N.Doheny Dr. home, the black turtleneck sweater she also wore in Korea, my latest purchase at auction, originating from the estate of Marilyn Monroe, photo taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt; and having a "private moment" with then husband Joe DiMaggio and wearing favorite black and white checkered pants, made by JAX)Moving right along . . . On her last day, August 4th, Marilyn supposedly asked June to make her an anchovy pizza, and June says she did. But then Junie goes way too far - she claims she went to Monroe's home, after the star's body was removed, to retrieve her pizza pan. But it was a crime scene; all doors had been sealed by the LAPD. But June apparently walked into the house unnoticed, retrieved her precious pizza pan -- plus a teddy bear and one of Marilyn's nightgowns -- all of them now prominently on display in Otto's exhibition on the Queen Mary. There is no way any of this could have happened. Also, if Monroe really ate that anchovy pizza, or anything else for that matter, why did the autopsy find no food in her stomach? (Photo by Leigh Wiener: ALL doors were sealed by the LAPD, not only the front door. Note that the Spanish Hacienda has no attic)June DiMaggio's book was announced for December '05. Did the publisher get cold feet? Maybe he was nervous after the Oprah Winfrey/James Frey scare? When pitching her book, June promised, "Any female who buys my book will receive a copy of the pre-engagement ring my uncle gave to Marilyn!" This is just another tale without any proof. And PROOF is what I was looking for all through my investigation.My colleague Sherry Dodd actually interviewed June DiMaggio and asked if she owned any pictures of herself with either her famous uncle, baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, or her famous friend of eleven years, Marilyn Monroe. Her answer was a simple, "No, I do not, I am sorry!" That answer added to the suspicions I had had from the start: how can someone NOT have any sort of documentation for the serious and spectacular claims she makes?"But it happened!" she says. There is more literature on Marilyn Monroe than on most American presidents. But after decades of extensive research, the name of good-friend June is not found in any of the Marilyn books. Why? And why has June DiMaggio waited all these years to come forward with her story? Could it be that she waited until Joe DiMaggio was dead, unable to refute any of her statements?If you've seen the advertising for the exhibit -- billboards, newspaper ads, banners -- you will have noticed Marilyn's trademarked signature, which indicates that the estate of Marilyn Monroe approves.The estate of Marilyn Monroe is standing behind the exhibit (also as a sponsor), scheduled to tour the world, asking unsuspecting people to pay an outrageous $22.95 per person to see the most absurd and possibly the tackiest presentation of Marilyn Monroe-related items ever. (Photo: The General Admission ticket, which shows a mirror image of Marilyn Monroe and states: "....This exhibit is the world's largest private collection of Marilyn artifacts ever assembled. The exhibit on display at the Queen Mary features intimate pieces of personal property owned by the most famous glamorous icon of the 20th century")Mark Roesler, 46, the head and founder of the CMG licensing agency, represents Marilyn Monroe and, strangely enough, the estate of Joe DiMaggio as well. He is also the executor of Anna Strasberg, the second wife and widow of Lee Strasberg, Marilyn's acting coach. He represents James Dean and many more of the dead Who's Who of the entertainment industry. Roesler is supporting Robert W. Otto's exhibit, calling it "the largest collection of Marilyn Monroe memorabilia in the world," which is absolute nonsense. Roesler has several interviews on his website, which further proves the collaboration of convenience between June DiMaggio, Robert Otto and him. On his weekly live webcast, Roesler twice invited Otto into his CMG office and together they went through the would-be Marilyn items with Otto weaving stories about them out of thin air. For example, Otto showed an engraved bracelet and created an elaborate story, as if he had been there in person, explaining exactly when, where and why Marilyn owned that particular item. You are almost tempted to believe him . . . but I have witnesses that the man is everything but an "historian of Marilyn Monroe," as Roesler introduced him. Roesler had two different Otto interviews on his web site, which have been subsequently pulled.In one interview with Roesler, Otto mentions how they were together at the 1999 Christie's auction, and indicates how much money a pair of Monroe's Ferragamo stilettos had sold for. Then Otto holds up the Clairol hair rollers which I described earlier. I was dumbfounded to see all these items, because I recognized many of them from earlier eBay auctions. I'll say it again: none of the items originated from the estate of Marilyn Monroe, owned by Anna Strasberg, client of Mark Roesler. (Photo: Robert W. Otto, Hugh Heffner, Mark Roesler, left to right) If "Marilyn Monroe: the Exhibit" were authentic, it would truly be an experience to walk through and to feel the essence, the private and personal taste of a rare and unique legend! (Photo: The cover of the Christie's auction catalog. On 415 pages and 576 Lots were belongings from the estate of Marilyn Monroe. The biggest and most publicized Monroe live auction, ever)The only time I felt the power and presence of REAL Marilyn Monroe memorabilia was when I walked through the preview display for the 1999 Christie's auction. The highlight was the presentation of the "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" gown - which was rolled out in dimmed light, with the familiar voice of Marilyn singing "Happy Birthday, Mr. President . . . and when spotlights hit the rhinestones, still sparkling after 37 years, I got goosebumps all over. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. (Photo: Lot # 55, the most expensive gown ever sold at auction: The "Happy Birthday Mr. President dress" which sold at Christie's in 1999 for $1,267,500) The Otto exhibit is obviously trying to copy that experience, which is just impossible. Consider the blond wig that he claims is from the movie Some Like it Hot, and which is displayed front to back (why, if not for people to see how new it is?) but which could have been bought on Hollywood Blvd. (or Times Square)! To my knowledge -- and I was present when he won his bid -- the only item that Mark Roessler purchased was the wig Monroe wore in the movie The Misfits, which sold as Lot #350 for a whopping $29,900. (Photo: The Misfits wig)Now comes my question: Why is that wig not on display on the Queen Mary? But you don't need to be an expert to tell the difference between the wig that Roesler won, and the brand new wig in the Otto collection. If they were displayed together, anyone could tell the difference: the real one was stored for 37 years and the natural deterioration is visible. Such deterioration is missing from the wig on display. Also, most of the dresses look to be in excellent condition, as if they had just been picked up from the dry cleaner. (Photo: People magazine, August 16, 1999, the originals) (Photo: And the fakes: note the resemblance to the People magazine display from '99) (Photo: Almost! The red dress looks almost like the ORIGINAL, except that it is way too shiny, new (at most, 10 years old) and sold on eBay for nothing. The security guard makes it look really expensive)Marilyn's favorite brands are well known: JAX, MADCAP, Geistex, Jaeger, Emilio Pucci, Saks Fifth Avenue, Ferragamo and others . . . none of which are on display on the Queen Mary, except for the green Pucci described earlier. There's another story from June that I'd never heard. She says she gave Marilyn a painted mirror, which the star always carried. The mirror is displayed next to a pair of deteriorating shoes - and these got my interest, because of the state they were in. Finally, an authentic piece? No such luck. The shoes have red and green rhinestones attached and are simply too much for Marilyn: we know that she dressed very simply in private. And I can assure you that if we made DNA tests of the real hair of Marilyn that I own (included in Anna Strasberg's treasures from storage), then we could also prove these are most likely thriftstore finds or even June DiMaggio's relics, but definitely not shoes that Marilyn wore! (Photo: the mirrors and the unimaginable shoes on a Marilyn Monroe for private use)There's no Marilyn story sadder, more shocking, than that of Bebe Goddard, Marilyn's foster sister, with whom Marilyn spent part of her teenage years. Bebe sold fraudulent Marilyn items at auctions and over the Internet, and items are still being sold in her name. Letters which prove this charge were found in her belongings after her death and are sad witness to the sellout of a legend. Bebe Goddard's items are restricted from the traditional auction houses like Christie's or Sotheby's, but you'll find them all over eBay. Also restricted forever are items from another well-known fraud: Elaine Barrymore, the last wife of the great John Barrymore. Elaine passed away several years ago, but criminal (eBay) sellers are making a fortune in copying her signed letter and selling rubbish as the belongings of Marilyn Monroe. Mr. Otto has quite a collection of Barrymore items. (Photo: an Elaine Barrymore necklace, worn and owned by anybody BUT Marilyn Monroe)Also in the Queen Mary exhibit is a pair of white cat-eye sunglasses, also in brand-new condition. I have in my collection two pairs of original and real glasses (also originating from the estate of Marilyn Monroe), with deterioration that has almost destroyed them - but that is the beauty of it; because that is also a sign of its authenticity. (Photo: the brand-new and over the top looking Marilyn Monroe sunglasses)I could go on and on but let me just mention a few more items: a fur jacket with the initials MD (Marilyn DiMaggio), which comes with an absurd, never-before-heard story: "Joe gave this jacket to Marilyn, but she got upset because she liked her stage name so much." June continued with all these strange and never-before-heard accusations, which convinced me that June had met Marilyn as often as I had - and she died before I was born.Then there's the engraving myth! Almost 50% of the jewelry in Otto's collection has "MM" engravings, and even the travel bags and suitcase (in uncommon red) carry MM engravings. That is absolutely wrong: in the bona fide Christie's estate sale there was only one item (aside from the trophies and awards that she had won) that was engraved, and that was not by Monroe, but for her! Otto and Co. tried to create a Monroe the way they wanted to see her: in the way they saw her, for example, in the August 16, 1999, People magazine feature on the big Christie's auction. The Queen Mary exhibit has items very similar in style to those from Christie's, but which any expert could identify as phony. Otto is displaying just too many items with rhinestones attached, which shows no knowledge of Marilyn's personal likes and dislikes. (Photo: MM posed with a tennis racket, but never played that sport, note the shoes, it would have been fatal)There's Marilyn's tennis racket . . . but we know she hated all sports and was only posing with a racket for photos. Also note that she's wearing high heels! June says she taught Monroe how to type and, by sheer coincidence, there's the typewriter in Otto's exhibit. And so on.Does June Dimaggio or Otto have any sort of photographic proof? Since Monroe was the most photographed woman in the world, surely it would have been a simple matter to have a snapshot of Marilyn and June happily sitting at the piano; the very piano which June DiMaggio says Marilyn used to rehearse her "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" song.The storytelling goes on and on and people seriously seem to believe her, but June goes too far; goes overboard with her accusations, as from her overdue book: "Since Marilyn was always welcome in our home, I kept a terrycloth robe for her to lounge in after a shower, along with a clean T-shirt and a pair of her own jeans for her to change into."And, "Marilyn couldn't afford emotions when she had to sleep with wrinkled old men to survive the business.""There were times when she would come home exhausted from a day's shoot and some powerful old geezer would telephone and her skin would crawl. After the horrors of her studio sex she would come over and stay in our shower for an hour or more. She wanted to wash away the terrible indignities she'd had to endure. Then she'd sit down to dinner and ask for second helpings." (excerpts from Marilyn, Joe and Me, by June DiMaggio, as told to Mary Jane Popp, copyright December 2005, Authentic Creations Inc., Atlanta, Georgia. "Special thanks to Robert W. Otto, president and CEO of Marilyn Monroe Exhibits LLC, for his assistance.") Naturally, those jeans are displayed on the Queen Mary, as June must have known that they would be worth something, five decades later. We are presented with Marilyn Monroe, the Star of the '50s, in Portrait of a Sex Slave. Absolute nonsense! (Photo: The inside of one of the numerous display cases of the "$10 million" exhibit. No comment)Paying visitors to the exhibit also should know that Otto includes in his collection the most trivial and inexpensive items: dozens of bottles of MM wine, MM dolls, paper doll cutouts, insignificant books, plates, handbags, and such distasteful items as a doll of Marilyn as a troll. There's a bobble-head Marilyn doll at the entrance to the exhibit, which should tip you off as to what's in store. (Photo: The "Doll Salon")Hugh Hefner is included in this documentation of wrongs committed against Marilyn and the paying public because he has always freely admitted his indebtedness to Marilyn, when her sensational "Golden Dreams" nude photo helped launch her career and his.Hefner lent his presence to the opening night of the Marilyn exhibit and devoted the cover of the December Playboy and three feature stories to her, and it would be hard to say which one is most disgusting. Story #1 was a rehash of Marilyn the Murder Mystery, which begins with a reference to Marilyn's attic being stuffed with sophisticated listening devices . . . this in a dollhouse of a Spanish hacienda that had no closets, much less an attic!Story #2 was the ramblings and fantasies of June DiMaggio, already discussed.Story #3 is the recollections of 88-year-old John Miner, former L.A. deputy district attorney, who says he listened to tape recordings Marilyn made for her psychiatrist. Miner claims that the tapes prove Marilyn was in a non-suicidal mood and so, obviously, she must have been murdered. But the woman Miner transcribes is a silly, frivolous, bobble-head blonde - Lorelei Lee maybe, not Marilyn Monroe. Miner calls for a champion to demand a new autopsy, to prove murder, and apparently Hugh Hefner is going to take up the banner. God help us, and Marilyn.Heffner long ago bought the crypt next to Marilyn's in Westwood Memorial Cemetery. He is also, by the way, another client of Mark Roesler. Tricksters and con men get caught because they don't do their homework. The Hitler Diaries were a sensation in 1983, and much money changed hands until some suspicious soul found that the paper and the ink in the diaries had been made after the War. Milli Vanilli was an '80s pop vocal duo, very popular, until it was revealed that they didn't really sing on their records - they had to return their Best New Artist Grammy award. One of the two "stars," Rob Pilatus, later commited suicide. He was only 33 years old, three years younger than Marilyn Monroe when she died. (Photo: Milli Vanilli at Grammys)If the people behind the Marilyn deceptions had done their homework, they would have known that haciendas don't have attics; that hair rollers show the year they were made; that more has been documented about the life of Marilyn Monroe, and more photos taken, than of most any other figure of the 20th century; and therefore we do know quite a bit about her. We know her styles and colors and sizes and designers and flavors. She sang songs about rhinestones, but she didn't wear them. We also know that saying something is so doesn't make it so.Robert Otto states that his exhibit is to tour for 10 to 12 years, visiting 39 cities on six continents. It must have been a success so far, as it was scheduled to close this month but now it has been extended until June 8th, 2006 - no doubt an attempt to capitalize on Marilyn Monroe's 80th birthday celebration (on June 1st, 2006) to draw more victims into the show.I tried to bring this case to the attention of the Long Beach, California, police department, then to city hall, including the mayor's office (Mayor Beverly O'Neill), the attorney general, the district attorney, the city attorney - and whoever else had an office in that building and seemed important. I wanted an injunction against this fraudulent exhibit. But I found no response, no interest, no reaction at all. I always heard the same excuse: that the Queen Mary is a leased property and the City of Long Beach has no power in that matter.I thought of handcuffing myself to the historic ocean liner and holding up a protest banner. What if I went on a hunger strike, or even threatened to jump off the ship?The Queen Mary corporation was contacted, with numerous messages left on their answering machine and numerous messages ignored (incidentally, the corporation has declared bankruptcy). But I did not give up. Knowledge and belief kept me going.This hoax, this scandal surrounding Marilyn Monroe must be exposed. The exhibit needs to be shut down. Ticket purchasers should ask for their money back. The thriving powers behind the scam should apologize. Though the scam was poorly planned from the beginning, it seems that they are getting away with it. When the estate of Marilyn Monroe sold her personal belongings and most intimate items for $13,404,785 in '99, they gave away their chance for a 100% authentic exhibit that could have become legendary. (Photo: The Marilyn Monroe ice sculpture from press opening for the fraudulent exhibit quickly turned into a very unhappy and scary sight) I consider it a privilege to defend Marilyn Monroe against the people mentioned above. I am not afraid of a lawsuit from the powerful CMG or any of the other figures mentioned, as I have something valuable that they don't have - PROOF; proof in the form of witness statements, photos, documents, biographical statements, and my own in-depth knowledge, plus encouragement from Marilyn Monroe fans and admirers from all over the world.ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mark Bellinghaus owns one of the most extensive, important and comprehensive Marilyn Monroe collections in the world. It includes movie costumes, personal clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, books, documents, autographs, cancelled checks and other personal items. He has most of the Mexican furnishings from her Brentwood home, including five paintings, mirrors, a table lamp, the famous Chac Mool wall hanging, 26 of her personal books, her trademark white fox stole, massage table, travel bag, Mexican pottery and glass pieces, utensils, pots and kitchen items. He recently bought (real) original hair rollers with strands of blonde hair attached, at an auction which originated from the estate of Marilyn Monroe. Every item is fully documented, most with photos showing Marilyn wearing them.Bellinghaus, widely regarded as a Marilyn Monroe expert, has been called upon by Christie's, Sotheby's, and other major auction houses to authenticate Marilyn items being offered. He has also been a successful actor, writer, and photographer, and has appeared in such movies as The Name of the Rose and many other film, TV and stage productions in his native Germany. (Photo: Marilyn Monroe -- this time is the image correct, with her beautymark on the right side, unlike the mirror image exhibit admission ticket -- wearing her famous white fox fur stole, which she wore for uncountable photo ops, premieres (with Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller) and even in one of her signature movies, How To Marry A Millionaire. I am happy beyond words to own the stole; it is a highlight of my collection)UPDATE Please see the follow-up story. Culture43243@blogcritics.org Mon, 6 Feb 2006 13:21:11 EST