Marilyn Monroe in later days http://www.flickr.com/photos/locationscout/4636444671/
A sex tape allegedly starring a young Marilyn Monroe attracted no bidders at an auction in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mikel Barsa, a Spanish events promoter, alleges that the black and white film, which runs for just six minutes, stars Monroe herself before she became famous. The asking price for the 8 mm film was 2 million pesetas (£290,000). Barsa is currently in talks with a buyer in Denver for half the original asking price.
The film is dated to 1946 or ’47, when the star was still known as Norma Jeane Baker and before she had her trademark platinum blonde hair. Monroe also underwent plastic surgery in 1950 to correct her nose and her chin. Barsa claims that the film was made when Monroe was “poor and desperate”, however, Monroe experts (there are such things) say that it is unlikely to be Monroe: The woman in the video has a straight hairline compare to Monroe’s widows peak and moreover appears to be bigger than Monroe would have been at that time.
The estate of Marilyn Monroe denies that the film is authentic and have threatened legal action against Barsa if he continues with the sale.
“It always is the same story when it comes to Marilyn – to deny, deny, deny and to threaten,” Mikel Barsa said, quoted in The Daily Mail.
- Definitely Marilyn. Barsa claims that he has proof, including a 1996 letter from Alan Brown of the nonprofit American Film Institute that he claims confirms that the woman in the film is Monroe, according to The Daily Mail; the American Film Institute were not willing to comment on the matter. Barsa also claimed to have a “declassified FBI document proving Monroe was in the film”. Ben Child, writing in The Guardian, said that the woman in the film “bore an uncanny resemblance to the young Marilyn Monroe, but not enough to attract potential buyers.”
- Definitely not Marilyn. Nancy Carlson, a spokesperson for Authentic Brand Group who manage Monroe’s image, vehemently denied that the woman in the video was Marilyn Monroe. In an interview with the Associated Press, she stated that Barsa is inviting legal action for “perpetrating a fraud on the public, violating the Monroe estate’s exclusive rights to her image and other claims of intellectual property infringement.” She added: “To me personally, it doesn’t even resemble her.” The Telegraph suggested that “[C]omparing the film with known Monroe images leaves ample room for doubt”, calling Barsa’s evidence “inconclusive”.
