Cursum Perficio | The Series: Part III, Marilyn's Bedroom

In this, the final part of a three part series entitled Cursum Perficio, I showcase photographs and a short video of Marilyn Monroe's bedroom, taken in July of 2010 as I toured the property when it was for sale.

Of course, it was extremely sad and moving to be standing in Marilyn Monroe's bedroom, the actual room in which she was discovered dead. I stood in the same location where Marilyn's bed had been positioned - the bed in which she'd been found, and thought, "This is where is happened." There was also part of me that said, "But did it really happen here?" Conspiracy theories abound, and my opinion is that Marilyn's death was accidental, with no ill intent. However, I firmly believe there was an extensive cover-up, and it's likely that Marilyn's body was either moved or repositioned. Regardless, this was the small simple bedroom, now famous from the photos of the great film legend, Marilyn Monroe, face down in her bed, naked, with her phone in her hand, and I couldn't believe I was standing there.

I was surprised to see that Marilyn’s bedroom had experienced some major changes, primarily in that the door to the bedroom had been relocated to a different wall. The location where Marilyn’s door was formerly is now a built-in book case. The door to the room is now immediately behind the area where Marilyn’s wooden bedside table was located. Also, a skylight was added to the room at some point. In spite of the remodeling, the room was still very recognizable as Marilyn Monroe's bedroom. Fortunately, the fireplace in the room remains intact.

The image below provides a floor-plan and photo of Marilyn's bedroom as it was in 1962.


This image shows the floor-plan today, along with a photo of the room I took during my tour of the property. Note the differing locations of the bedroom door.


The image below shows Eunice Murray, Marilyn's housekeeper, showing the window that was broken by Dr. Greenson in order to gain access to the room. The lower image shows the same window from the inside of the room as it looks today.


The image below provides a detailed look at the window broken by Dr. Greenson, along with a photo of the window today.


Below are photos of the bedroom as it looks today. Note that the bedroom door, bathroom door and closet door are the same actual doors that were in the room when Marilyn owned the home.




Below, Marilyn Monroe's fireplace, and the door to her private bathroom.


The photo below shows another view of the window that was broken by Ralph Greenson (on the right) to gain entry to the room due to the alleged locked bedroom door.


The bookcase and dresser in the photos below are in the exact same location that Marilyn placed her bed when this was her bedroom. The door to the right of the dresser is to Marilyn's closet.




To see a short video clip taken from the inside of Marilyn's bedroom offering a 360 degree view, click here.

In closing this final post of the Cursum Perficio Series, see below a photo of me standing in front of the fireplace in Marilyn Monroe's bedroom. Immediately to my left is Marilyn's bathroom.

Cursum Perficio | The Series: Part II, The Inside of the House

Part two of "Cursum Perficio | The Series" focuses on the inside of Marilyn's house.

I would like to have taken more images of the inside of Marilyn’s home, but I knew that there were already many photos of the residence posted on multiple real estate websites, so I focused mostly on photos of Marilyn’s bedroom, which will be shown in part three of this series.

I’ll use as a guide the map of the property below to help you orient yourself with the rooms in the house.


Living Room

As I wrote in my first blog post about my tour of the home, I was immediately struck by the original open ceilings in the living room. The vaulted ceiling consists entirely of wooden beams and planks. While the overall design of the ceiling is basic, I found myself staring up for extended periods of time, just mesmerized by the beauty and naturalness of the original wood from the time when Marilyn lived there. I was surprised as the room was much smaller than I thought it would be. While somewhat long, it’s very narrow. Though I’d seen pictures of the living room, it is really hard to tell just how narrow it is. Additional photos below give a better view of the size of the room. Incredibly, the tiles Marilyn selected in Mexico still surround the fireplace.

The collages below show images I took from either end of Marilyn’s living room, looking through the peaked doorways into the living area.

I took the color photo in the collage below while looking out of Marilyn’s dining room into her living room. The included b/w photo shows this same peaked doorway to the far left along the wood paneled wall.


I took the color photo in the collage below while looking out of the peaked doorway on the right side of Marilyn’s living room. As I took this photo Marilyn’s bedroom was to my immediate left. The included b/w photos show the same doorway in the photo I took, but from Marilyn’s living room.


Find at the end of this blog post additional photos of Marilyn’s living room, which were posted on an online real estate website. Note how narrow the living room actually is.

The Sun Room

The sun room remains unchanged structurally from when Marilyn owned the home. I noticed right away that the tiles on the floor are the same tiles from when Marilyn lived there. This can be seen in the photos from 1962 and 2010. One wall now has built-in cabinets near the location of Marilyn’s liquor cart. I took the two top images in the collage below. I remember feeling how incredible it was to be in this room, remembering the furniture that Marilyn had place here and knowing that she’d probably spent time here talking on the phone as she looked out to her pool.


Here is another photo of the sun room, taken by Gene Anthony I believe, on August 5, 1962.


Marilyn’s Bathroom.

It’s now well known that Marilyn’s bathroom has undergone major renovations. A full tub and shower is now situated in the area that was her sink and counter. Her tub and shower were removed and the room was enlarged. The toilet appears to be in the original location. I took the bottom photo in the collage below as I looked into the room. Marilyn’s bedroom was to my immediate left. The top photo shows Marilyn’s original tile work.

This photo shows Marilyn’s shower as it was when she lived in the house.


The Guesthouse Bathroom

When I toured the house in July of last year, I was surprised and immensely happy to see that the tiles Marilyn selected in Mexico still surround the shower in the guest bathroom, which is located in what used to be a detached guest house. I took the photo below of the tiled shower in the bathroom. It’s just amazing to me that these tiles are still there, and they look just as great today as they likely did when they were installed in 1962.


My final post in this series will focus entirely on Marilyn’s bedroom. I even have a short video clip of the room. Stay tuned.

See below additional photos of the home that were posted on an online real estate website, along with detailed explanations.

This nook is in the hall immediately off the right side of the living room. This hallway was added by other owners after Marilyn died. The door to Marilyn's dressing room is on the left. The door to Marilyn's bedroom is on the right. Note that it's not the original doorway to Marilyn's bedroom.


Marilyn's living room. Note how narrow the room is.






This is the largest bedroom, and Marilyn used this area as her dressing room when she owned the home. The french doors lead out to the patio/pool area.



The photos below show the kitchen as it is today. It's been extensively remodeled. The stove remains in the same location as when Marilyn owned the house. All else has been changed.






Photos of the kitchen when Marilyn lived in the home:

Cursum Perficio | The Series: Part I, The House & Grounds

In following up to my July 18, 2010 blog post "My Tour of Marilyn's Last Home," I'm moving forward with the first part of a three part series titled "Cursum Perficio | The Series."

Part I focuses on the outside of Marilyn's house and the grounds surrounding the home.

Part II will focus on the inside of the house.

Part III will focus on Marilyn's bedroom, and will include video footage.

Cursum Perficio | The Series: Part I, The House & Grounds

The house itself, while very similar to the time when Marilyn lived there, has undergone some significant changes. The guesthouse and main house have been joined. Several rooms have been added in the back of the house, but are not connected to the main house.

The pool area remains the same, as does the terraced lower lot in the rear of the house.

Many of the plants appear to be the same from the time when Marilyn lived there. I noticed that two palm trees currently in the back yard can be seen in photos of the property taken on August 5, 1962.
An interesting point of note, Marilyn herself paid for the iron grates that still protect many of the windows in the home. An entry on Marilyn's personal bank reconciliation statement from May, 1962, reads "Film City Ornamental Iron Works - Deposit on window grills. $500.00." To read more about this statement, which is part of The Marilyn Monroe Collection, click here.

The photo below shows the green Pucci dress Marilyn was buried in being removed from her home. The man in the image stands on Marilyn's doorstep, directly over the now famous tiles reading "Cursum Perficio."

Marilyn's garage.

Images below show Marilyn's pool behind the house. That's me in front of the pool.
Images below show a walkway to the lush overgrown area on the lower grounds behind the main backyard to Marilyn's home.
Note: All images ©2011 / www.MarilynMonroeCollection.com