Marilyn, Milton & The Red Dress

Lobby Card #8, photograph of Marilyn by Milton Greene. This image was taken from the “Red Dress Sitting” sessions, originally featured in 'Life' Magazine in January 1957. It was the last of 53 sessions that Monroe and Greene did together - a collaboration that began in 1953 and produced many of the most iconic images of MM. The use of the this image in the film's publicity campaign - along with two images taken by Richard Avedon - was a rather odd, if understandable, marketing decision made by Warner Brothers. Warners faced something of a challenge in promoting this Romantic Comedy (which was one of two movies co-produced by Monroe & Greene's "Marilyn Monroe Productions"), as the circa 1911 setting and costumes would provide limited opportunities to exploit Monroe's very contemporary sex appeal. So, along with images from the actual film, the Lobby Card set of 8 included three images that had nothing to do with the movie. These cards - #4 and #6 by Avedon and #8 by Greene - and are considered three of the very best Monroe Lobby Cards, and the U.S. posters were based on the image on card number #4 (an Avedon studio shot of Olivier nuzzling Monroe from behind)