LOS ANGELES — The Marilyn Monroe dress that flirted revealingly with a gust of New York subway air in “The Seven Year Itch” fetched $4.6 million at an auction of film memorabilia.

A more sedate outfit worn by Audrey Hepburn in the Ascot race scene of “My Fair Lady” drew a $3.7 million bid at the sale of nearly 600 Hollywood costumes and props collected by film star Debbie Reynolds.

The buyers also paid a sum to the auction house and other fees, according to auction publicity firm Nancy Seltzer & Associates. That brought the total price to more than $5.6 million for the Monroe costume and $4.5 million for the gown worn by Hepburn.

The auction house, Profiles in History, was calculating the sale’s final tally Monday.

In filmmaker Billy Wilder’s “The Seven Year Itch,” Monroe’s character cooled off by standing over a subway grate to catch the breeze as a train sped underneath – which sent her dress north and exposed a shocking amount of leg and undergarment for a 1955 movie.

More modest bids at Saturday’s auction in Beverly Hills and online included $140,000 for a guitar used by Julie Andrews in “The Sound of Music” and $100,000 for a “Cleopatra” headdress that adorned Elizabeth Taylor.

Advertisement

Reynolds, 79, started collecting four decades ago at auctions held by major film studios, including MGM and Fox, and eventually acquired 3,500-plus items.

Singer Kingston’s condition upgraded

MIAMI — Singer Sean Kingston says he’s feeling better almost a month after crashing his watercraft into a Miami Beach bridge.

On his Twitter page Monday, he posted a message to his fans. He wrote: “Feeling alot better! GOD IS GREAT! Thanks for all the prayers and support! Love you ALL!”

Kingston also posted a picture of himself, in the hospital, flashing a peace sign. His publicist, Joseph Carozza, said Kingston’s condition has been upgraded to fair.

The singer famous for his 2007 hit “Beautiful Girls” has been hospitalized in Miami since the May 29 crash.

Advertisement

Outspoken Olbermann returns to the air on Current TV

NEW YORK — Keith Olbermann has returned to the air promising “a newscast of contextualization.”

Five months after his abrupt departure from MSNBC, the outspokenly liberal host premiered on the Current TV network Monday night.

His new nightly show, like the old one, is called “Countdown,” and it retains the signature musical riff from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

It also features the left-leaning point of view and attitude that made Olbermann the most popular host on MSNBC, attracting a nightly audience averaging more than a million viewers.

“The nation is losing its independence through the malfeasance of one political party and the timidity of another,” he declared in his first Special Comment.

Advertisement

Flyovers to mark Michael Jackson’s death

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Helicopter flights over Neverland Ranch in California are being booked for the second anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death.

The singer was 50 when he died on June 25, 2009. He owned the Neverland Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley for years.

Oxnard-based Channel Island’s Helicopters said the half-hour “Flight Over Neverland” event costs $175 per person and $500 for a private flight of up to three people.

The Santa Barbara News-Press reported that the flights run from 9 a.m. to sunset on Friday and Saturday.

A spokesman for the company said it has already booked about 100 passengers, with more seats still available for Saturday.

Advertisement

‘Spider-Man’ weathers reviews

NEW YORK — The reboot of the “Spider-Man” musical hasn’t been hurt by opening night reviews.

The show, which finally welcomed professional drama critics, grossed over $1 million last week and even beat the popular musical “The Book of Mormon.” The reviews acknowledged improvement over the earlier version but were still poor.

“Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” opened June 14. It pulled in nearly $1.28 million for the week ending Sunday. That makes it the third-highest grossing show on Broadway after “Wicked” and “The Lion King.”

The critically acclaimed and nine-time Tony winner “The Book of Mormon” earned more than $1.19 million for the same eight-show period.

 


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.