Some don’t like it: LA bans demolition of Marilyn Monroe’s house

Marilyn Monroe, here with British actor and director Laurence Olivier, was one of the most famous personalities of the 20th century – Copyright AFP AIZAR RALDES

The Los Angeles house where Marilyn Monroe died was declared a historic landmark on Wednesday, thwarting plans by the current owners to demolish the property.

The house was the home of the screen goddess from “Some Like It Hot” during the last six months of her life until her death from a drug overdose in 1962.

More than half a century later, Monroe remains one of the most popular figures in American pop culture, and fans and environmentalists alike have closely followed the debate over the house’s future.

Real estate heiress Brinah Milstein and her husband Roy Bank, a reality TV producer, bought the Spanish Colonial-style home in the chic Brentwood neighborhood last summer for $8.35 million.

The couple owned the house next door and wanted to combine the two properties. Construction would have required the demolition of the Monroes’ house.

But when demolition permission was granted last September, it quickly sparked an uproar and local politicians acted quickly and listed the building as a historic monument.

Last month, the owners sued the city of Los Angeles for “illegal and unconstitutional conduct.”

Their petition said Monroe had lived in the house “occasionally” for “just six months,” and the couple claims more than a dozen previous owners have altered the building beyond recognition since 1962.

These objections were rejected on Wednesday when city councilors approved the designation of the house as a historic cultural monument.

Monroe purchased the one-story, 3,000-square-foot hacienda in 1962, shortly after her divorce from playwright Arthur Miller.

“There is no other person or place in the city of Los Angeles that is as iconic as Marilyn Monroe and her home in Brentwood,” said City Councilwoman Traci Park, in whose district the house in question is located.

“Some of the most famous images ever taken of her were taken in this house, on this property and near her pool.

“There is probably no woman in history or culture who has captured the public imagination as much as Marilyn Monroe. Even after all these years, her story is still on everyone’s lips and inspires many of us today.”

Monroe’s fiery looks and breathless manner made her one of the most successful film stars of her time.

During her lifetime, the “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” star was linked to some of the most desirable men of her time, including President John F. Kennedy, who famously sang “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” at Madison Square Garden.