Video footage from the June 18, 2011, Profiles In History Debbie Reynolds Auction.
Marilyn Monroe "Kay Weston" gold charmeuse saloon-girl gown by Travilla for River of No Return. (TCF, 1954) Gold charmeuse gown covered with bugle beading, red fringe accents, and gold velvet train with red netting. Handwritten label "38733 Grable" and stamped "1 25 1 1748 1900." Created by Helen Rose for Betty Grable as "Kate Farley" in the "Cuddle Up a Little Closer" number in Coney Island (TCF, 1943). Travilla added the red beading and train for Marilyn Monroe as "Kay Weston" in the final scene of the film singing "The River of No Return" in River of No Return. Acquired by Debbie Reynolds directly from Twentieth Century-Fox during the "pre-sale" when she bought all of the Marilyn Monroe wardrobe from the studio prior to the auction in 1971. Marilyn wore this dress to sing the title song in The River of No Return. The gold silk is covered in tiny gold bugle beads. Inside is yards and yards of red tulle edged in gold and sewn into layers. At the back, fabrics of pale gold velvet and a stiff lame' are pulled and pleated together to make a rough bustle, both fabrics falling into a train. The dress is trimmed in swirled patterns of red beaded tassels attached to netting then sewn onto the dress. The left shoulder has handmade silk flowers.
Thank you for sharing this!
debbiereynoldsonline 8 months ago