A pornographic film allegedly featuring Marilyn Monroe has got collectors hot and bothered ahead of its auction next month.
The six-minute black-and-white 16 millimetre film dates from 1946, when Marilyn Monroe was known as Norma Jean Baker, a 20-year-old looking for her big chance in the film industry.
Said to feature Monroe having sex with an unknown man, the film will have a starting price of $500,000 when it goes under the hammer at the Buenos Aires Film Collecting Fair on August 7.
 Norma Jean with her clothes on |
The film first became public knowledge in 1997, sparking a discussion about the identity of its female star.
The American Film Institute has stated that if its protagonist is not the US actress, it is "her twin sister".
It is one of two known copies of the film in existence. The other sold to a private collector several years ago for $1.2m.
"Knowing how many Marilyn fanatics are out there, the film could easily sell for a million dollars," said the event's promoter Mikel Barsa.
We believe this item could sell for significantly more than that, taking into account similar sales, and the world's fascination with Monroe.
In 2008, a 15-minute, silent black-and-white film from the 1950s of Monroe in a similar role sold for $1.5m.
The floaty white dress worn by Monroe in The Seven Year Itch recently sold for $5.6m at the Debbie Reynolds Collection sale in Beverly Hills.
Collectors looking for the star's memorabilia may be interested in a lock of Marilyn's hair, shorn by her hairdresser Robert Freeman Champion in New York.
- Click here to view our Memorabilia stock items for sale
- Learn how you can get pleasure & profit from TV and movie collectibles
- Read all the latest Memorabilia news
Join our readers in over 200 countries around the world - sign up for your free weekly Collectibles Newsletter today
