Francesca Forquet reports for the New York Times from Palm Springs, California:
When Marilyn Monroe sang “I Wanna Be Loved by You,” she would have never expected that one day, 1,037 people would gather beneath her giant statue in downtown Palm Springs to dress as her in celebration of her 100th birthday.
In doing so, they set a Guinness World Record in the very place where her career began. Palm Springs — whose identity is inextricably linked with the star — likes to claim Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortensen, and the feeling was mutual.
“This was always her escape,” said Mariah Pryor, a Palm Springs resident who was carrying a Marilyn-themed handbag she once rescued from a lost-and-found box.
