Who's The Heroine Of The Hollywood Walk of Fame? Marilyn Monroe's Memorial Stolen in the USA, but the best statue is in Norway

Who is in the Hollywood Walk of Fame? It's in Los Angeles, California, USA.



USA
Stars show everybody from Charlie Chaplin to Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson and Mickey Mouse. Charlie Chaplin is listed as Charles Chaplin.

2690 stars, as of 2020.

Marilyn Monroe's star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA.

























Aerial view of Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA.




At the end of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, on Hollywood Boulevard, there is a monument, a gazebo, showing to women of four races, one of them being Mae West.

 Marilyn Monroe is at the top with the billowing skirt pose which was used to advertise her forthcoming film The Seven Year Itch, filmed in New York.

Her statue was stolen in 2019.

So where are the larger statues of Marilyn?

A huge 26 foot statue was placed with the skirt up and back view to a church. It was part of a temporary outdoor exhibition. In Chicago, Illinois, and Hamilton, New Jersey and Palm Springs, California. Alas it seems to have been destroyed.

Another similar, even larger one, 30 foot tall, ended up in a dump in China in 2014.

I am surprised there are not more statues of Marilyn Monroe.

Whilst in Hollywood, look for these other landmarks:

Hollywood and Highland Center, photo by Woo, in Wikipedia article on Hollywood.


Grauman's Chinese Theatre


Hollywood Bowl

But if it's Marilyn you're after, off to Norway.


Flag of Norway.



NORWAY
I found a statue of Marilyn Monroe in Norway, Haugesund Harbour. It shows her dates, 1926-62. Easy to remember, as 26 and 62 numbers are reversed.

Photo by Defacto.

Another view of her.

Statue of Marilyn Monroe at Haugesund waterfront

Jerzystrzelecki - Own work

Whilst in Norway see the mining museum and the Statue of Liberty, on a smaller scale, because copper from Norway was used on the Statue of Liberty in New York, USA.

Her grave is disappointingly small, just a little space like a microwave oven.

So small, despite all the hoo-ha about the mystery person leaving flowers on her 'grave' every day. I guessed that it was Joe di Maggio, her devoted first husband, when I read that he refused to shake hands with President Kennedy, who Joe thought was responsible for Marilyn's death. After Joe died, the flowers stopped, and the mystery donor was revealed.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stars_on_the_Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hollywood
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jul/20/marilyn-monroe-sculpture
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/marilyn-monroe-statue-stolen-from-atohollywood-art-space
https://www.christianpost.com/trends/marilyn-monroe-statue-thrown-away-in-china-photo-goes-viral.html
About the Author

Watch Lefty Frizzell Sing His Haunting Hit The Long Black Veil (ORIGINAL) - (1959) & Answer Song and find his star and grave.

A dramatic song. Haunting. Visual. A cautionary tale is it true?

I looked up one of the two songwriters. I don't know how I missed this song previously. It has been recorded as a duet, with the song of the man who died, and the follow up from the woman visiting his grave.

However, when I then checked on the song title itself which was linked from the songwriter, Marijohn Wilkin, I got more news about the origin of the song. She or they combined two stories, the grave of priest whose murderer was never traced, and the woman in the black veil who visited the grave of Rudolf Valentino. The song just came together.

I felt better after that.

I loved country music before I visited Nashville. I still love country music.

His unassuming grave is in Tennessee. I found it through find a grave.

What to See or Visit
He performed at the Grand Ole Opry.
He has a star in the Hollywood walk of fame, Los Angeles, USA. One of 2,690 stars.

Useful Websites
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/2923/lefty-frizzell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stars_on_the_Hollywood_Walk_of_Fame
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marijohn_Wilkin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Black_Veil
https://www.metrolyrics.com/long-black-veil-lyrics-band.html
https://www.opry.com/tours/

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Aretha Franklin and The African American Museum of Detroit

Problem
I can't get to Detroit to see Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, 'A Natural Woman' as one of her songs said, in her 24-carat gold-plated casket, in August 2018. She was born in 1942. What a singer.


What a life. In 2009 she sang at President Obama's inauguration.


She lived to the age of 76. Her body, glamorous from head to toe, with red lipstick, a red lace dress, and red shoes, arrived at the museum in a 1940 vintage white Cadillac hearse. Crowds of Aretha Franklin fans lined up, wearing black tee-shirts the words in white I (red heart for love) Aretha, and tee-shirts with multiple pictures of her. Flowers and balloons and messages of tribute were along the outside wall.

The private funeral on Friday 30th is at greater Grace Temple, where those invited include singer Stevie Wonder, who will sing, and former US President Bill Clinton, who will speak.
 Her final resting place is Detroit's Woodlawn Cemetery.

Answer
Never mind. I'll put it on my wishlist. The museum is sure to display a picture later. The museum was also the place for the display of Rosa Parkes in 2005.

Front entrance of the museum. Photo author Quick Fix. More details on copyright and permission in Wikimedia.

I remember going to see the Hitsville USA building in Midtown New Center museum to look at other singers of the day. I was interested in the girl groups from the Sixties such as The Supremes.
I was asked if I would like to meet Berry Gordon. Unfortunately, my driver insisted we had no time and must push on.

Wikipedia has this to say:

• Photo of Motown Museum released into public domain by Blob4000. For more details on copyright wee Wiipedia under Motown Museum.
• 
  
• 14 Motown Museum / Hitsville U.S.A, 2648 W Grand Blvd, ☎ +1 313 875-2264. T-Sa 10AM-6PM. "Hitsville U.S.A." is the nickname of Motown Records first headquarters. It was purchased by Motown founder Berry Gordy in 1959, and converted into the record label's administrative building and recording studio. All of the early Motown hits by artists such as Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, The Temptations, The Supremes, Martha & the Vandellas, The Jackson 5, and The Four Tops, among others, were recorded in the studio at Hitsville. Since 1985, The Hitsville U.S.A. building has been the site of the Motown Historical Museum, dedicated to the legacy of the record label, its artists, and its music. Owned and operated by Esther Gordy Edwards, sister of Berry Gordy, the Motown Museum contains exhibits featuring costumes, photos, and records from Motown's success era. Also featured are Motown's "Studio A" and Berry Gordy's upstairs apartment, decorated to appear as they did during the 1960s. $15 adults, $10 seniors & children.   edit

Where Next?

Also see the street named after her, Aretha Franklin Way, Detroit, Michigan, USA.

See her five point brass star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Useful Websites

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-45329576 (About the display at the African American Museum)

Video of the inside of the museum with her on display:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHhreTtwaSQ

thewright.org (Museum website)

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Bruce Lee Statues and Stories in Hong Kong, USA and worldwide

Bruce Lee (Nov 27 1940-July 20 1973) is one of my favourite film stars. Isn't he everybody's? I was just reading about him and wondering whether any statue of him existed, and where.

Wikipedia came up with the answer. The statue is in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong
Hong Kong - I just came back from Hong Kong - how come I didn't see it! It was in Tsim chat sui which I passed through on the road and railway (MTR) many times.

The statue is in Hong Kong's Hollywood style walk of fame, with stars on the ground. Now I know why I didn't see it - the area is closed for renovation until 2018.

However, you can see a picture of the statue in Wikipedia. Another photo shows you the star in The Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong.
Photo by Ahleong.

A further picture shows the star in the USA.

USA
If you are in the USA you can see something else, not just a likeness, but his grave with a picture of him in Seattle. Next to his grave is the gravestone of his son, Brandon. I am sorry that there is no picture of Brandon on his gravestone.

Both men were film stars. Both died shockingly young. It appears that Bruce lee died of an allergic reaction to an ingredient in a painkiller.

Bruce's son, Brandon, on a film set for The Crow, died from a gun which was supposed to be unloaded, having a live bullet. How could such a thing happen!

But let's end on a happy note. Bruce Lee is immortalised in yet another film about his life.

Films
On a cruise ship I watched, in one sitting, videos of a film starring Bruce Lee and a documentary about his life. I was reading about the latest film which seems to have invented a character and some fans think this makes Bruce Lee into an accessory rather than the star of the film.

His daughter, Shannon, is promoting another film, yet to be released, to give what she thinks is a truer account of his life.

His former home in Kowloon will be turned into a museum by a philanthropist.

If you go to LA, look for the statue of Bruce Lee in Chinatown. Whilst in Chinatown you might also photograph the statue of Sun Yat-Sen.

Martial Arts History Museum
2319 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91506 USA
www.mamuseum.org

Places to see:
* Statue in Hong Kong
* Star in Hong Kong
* Gravestone, Lot 276,in Lakeview Cemetery, Seattle, USA
* Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, Los Angeles, California, USA
* Bruce Lee statue, Central Plaza, Chinatown, Los Angeles, California, USA
* Martial Arts History Museum, California, USA
* Statue of Bruce Lee in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

BBC article on Bruce Lee with video
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23387865
More in TripAdvisor and YouTube.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.