"2011: The Adult Industry in Photos" is a candid look back at the past twelve months at a business that is headquartered in the San Fernando Valley. more ›

Actress, singer, model, showgirl, eternal sex symbol and American pop culture icon - Marilyn Monroe rocked the world with her classic beauty, sultry voice and silver screen talent. While filming the unfinished film "Something's Got to Give" in 1962, Monroe joined photographer Lawrence Schiller for her last professional photo shoot. more ›

Although Lady Gaga's performance at the Hollywood Bowl last night was full of sexual innuendo and she was singing at a (belated) celebration of Bill Clinton's birthday, it would be a stretch to call it Gaga's Marilyn moment. "I always wanted to have one, and I was hoping that it didn't involve pills and a strand of pearls," Gaga joked more ›

A few pieces from the extensive collection of Hollywood memorabilia put up for auction by actress Debbie Reynolds has already been sold off, bringing in big bucks. Pieces sold already include two dresses worn in films by Marilyn Monroe, one worn by Judy Garland in one of her most famous roles, and the hat right from Charlie Chaplin's head. more ›

Michael Jackson memorabilia made an appearance at "Icons and Idols" at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills on Saturday. According to the Daily News, MJ's stage wardrobe "attracted furious bidding" on a signature, silvery, single glove worn by Jackson during the "Bad" tour, a fedora, and a signed jacket. more ›

more ›

June 1 would have been Marilyn Monroe's 84th birthday, and yesterday a celebration of sorts was held at Art & Artifact: The Photographic Art Center in West Hollywood. more ›

In May 1949, nobody knew who Marilyn Monroe was--including Marilyn herself. That was when the 22-year-old model and would-be starlet shed her clothes for a photography session here in Los Angeles that would bring her much attention, and for the photographer's family, legal woes over four decades after her death, according to the Pasadena Star-News. more ›

Gifting events have long been a part of Oscar's history, and this year--more than ever--gift suites are going green and giving back. LAist attended the GBK "Circus of the Senses" event at the SLS Hotel on Friday, Feb. 20, to become familiar with the charities and artists involved with the event. Oscar nominees, presenters and other notable figures were given special wristbands that enabled them to receive goodies throughout the suite. Twenty percent of the proceeds from the event benefited four charities (more info below). In addition, each charity was given a gift bag to auction off, and each celebrity in attendance was given the opportunity to give all or part of their gift bag to the charity of their choice. more ›

more ›

Remember when Chewbacca allegedly attacked Marilyn Monroe? If you have ever driven past Mann's Chinese theater, you have seen the assortment of costumed characters posing with tourists. The Reinactors, Dave Markey's documentary that follows the strange bunch who haunt Mann's, has just been chosen for the 2008 Rotterdam Film Festival. more ›

Photo by Ryan Jesena more ›

We've been combing the internet and other mediums for weird haunted LA things. And quite frankly, we've come up a bit short. Maybe it's the enormous amount of sun we get here. Maybe it's that celebrity is a sort of a cheesey fame that doesn't lend itself to the goose flesh and various other willies that come with a good ghost stories. Seeing Marilyn Monroe in a mirror, the notion of club kids encountering... more ›

These days, the Roosevelt Hotel is all about partying. After the painstaking restoration of its Spanish-Moorish lobby, with its hand painted beams, tiled floors and leaded glass windows, the hotel is home to the Tropicana Bar, where guests get in free till 9pm (How generous!) and long lines develop of the young and the beautiful. They don't hold a candle to the older residents of the hotel though. The Roosevelt is rumored to be haunted. Not just haunted either, but lousy with ghosts. more ›

Let's start over, shall we? Disney is investing $1.1 billion into California (Mis)adventure, the ghost town of an amusement park next to Disneyland. The Rose Queen for the Pasadena Rose Parade was announced this morning and her name is Dusty. We just love that name for a girl. Staring now, there is no excuse for anyone of any age to ever go "I don't get blogging." The world's oldest blogger celebrated her birthday this... more ›

Following in the controversial footsteps of the Golden Gals Gone Wild, comes a new collection of art into the World of Wonder's Storefront Gallery. Today brings us the opening of Austin Young's Celebritism. more ›

It's hard to find a good Wookiee these days, so LAPD is looking for a naughty one. A Chewbacca impersonator allegedly sexually assaulted a Marilyn Monroe look-alike near Hollywood and Highland last month, though the crime was just reported yesterday. When authorities showed up to investigate, the suspect fled. Police are presumably looking for a man who is tall, dark, and hairy. There has been no comment from LA County Sheriff Lee Baca, who may... more ›

Imagine the opening scene of Midnight Cowboy. Now imagine that John Voight is in a Superman costume. And Ratso Rizzo is Marilyn Monroe. Surround them with a cast straight out of Pink Flamingos, and set it all to the soundtrack of a sweet 10-year-old German girl singing “Hotel California” This might give you some idea of what Dave Markey’s long-anticipated film, The Reinactors, is like. In this documentary, Markey delves into the lives of the people who inhabit Grauman’s Theater. You have surely seen them as you drive along Hollywood Boulevard, all dressed up in their costumes and posing with tourists for tips. And you have probably passed them by without a second thought. more ›

Criss Angel presents Mindfreak: Secret Revelations 7pm @ Book Soup more ›

Josh Peter discusses Fried Twinkies, Buckle Bunnies & Bull Riders 7pm @ Studio City Branch Library more ›

. 1. Kurt Cobain ($50M) 2. Elvis Presley ($42M) 3. Charles M. Schulz ($35M) 4. John Lennon ($24M) 5. Albert Einstein ($20M) 6. Andy Warhol ($19M) 7. Dr. Seuss ($10M) 8. Ray Charles ($10M) 9. Marilyn Monroe ($8M) 10. Johnny Cash ($8M) 11. J.R.R Tolkien ($7M) 12. George Harrison ($7M) 13. Bob Marley ($7M) Top Earning Dead Celebrities, Forbes, 2006 -- h/t stereogum... more ›

Thanks to the times that we live in everyone can be a reporter AND everyone can be a star. more ›

Much like the New England Patriots, Taft High School seems like a team of destiny. The two time national Academic Decathlon champions have won the district tournament and move one step closer to another national championship. Their win comes on the same day that Governor Schwarzenegger called for the breaking up of LAUSD while throwing his support in the Mayoral race to Bob Hertzberg. more ›

One of the harsh realizations we all faced after the opening of Hollywood & Highland was that the complex wasn't designed for us locals, but rather for the throngs of wide-eyed tourists who were tired of trekking all the way from Hokkaido to Hollywood Boulevard just to realize that what they thought was a glistening, celebrity-drenched wonderland was actually a filthy, festering slum no true celebrity would go anywhere near except to quickly drop off a Walk of Fame star and run. That explains why the design includes all those "quotes" from anonymous entertainment industry professionals laid out in ugly pink and charcoal gray floor tiles. Sure, as the traditional notion of Hollywood goes, anything beats stepping over a homeless drunk on the way to a shuttered pizza parlor, but even if the goal was to capture a sense of Classic Hollywood in a multi-million-dollar 21st Century mall, couldn't they have done any better than this? more ›

Tonight at the Knitting Factory, see Morrissey's new chum Nancy Sinatra performing with special guest Tina Dico at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $25.00. more ›

Lots to do today and this weekend, so LAist has split it up into two easy-to-manage posts for your reading convenience. Expect the weekend update later in the day. more ›

Congratulations, LAists. Another week successfully past and a new weekend just beginning! Because of the sheer volume of events over the next two-and-a-half days, this post will only cover Friday's events. Look for another post later today with all the juicy details for entertainment on Saturday and Sunday. more ›