Monroe's magic for starry-eyed teen

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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.

See the article in its original context from March 1988.

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London - A property developer paid 7,150 pounds (12,600 dollars) for a blouse worn by Marilyn Monroe in the 1956 film "bus stop" to help his teen-age daughter launch a career in show business. Patrick Mills, bidding by telephone, snapped up the black lace blouse in a Sotheby's auction. He said it was just the thing for his daughter, Chantelle, 16. "Chantelle s got Marilyn's figure but she has got dark hair," Mills said.

"She wants to be an actress, dancer and singer, and I thought this would be a good way of launching her into show business." The blouse is made of green gauze overlaid with black lace with a drawstring neckline and puff sleezes. It bears a 20th Century Fox label and Miss Monroe's handwritten name.

It was once given away as first prize in a magazine competition, but Sotheby's would not disclose who sold it.

Mills, who lives in Bovingdon, near London, said he and wife, Josephine, are Monroe fans and have a picture of her wearing the blouse. They have three daughters. "I hope the blouse brings Chantelle luck," said Mills, who has three daughters. "Marilyn was not very lucky but she did not have a family behind her as Chantelle has."

"Chantelle has seen some of her films but is a bit too young to know much about her," he added.

The actress died of drug overdose in 1962.