Marilyn Monroe's 100th Birthday Celebration Features Film Tribute In Palm Springs

PALM SPRINGS, CA — In celebration of what would be Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday on June 1, The Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs and the Film Society of Screwball Comedy are presenting a cinematic event honoring the late actress’s life.

"Marilyn 100: A Centennial Film Celebration" will feature four iconic Monroe movies on the big screen during the siren’s birthday weekend, May 29 - June 1, at the historic Plaza, 128 South Palm Canyon Drive.

The fest kicks off at 7 p.m. May 29 with 1955’s "The Seven Year Itch," followed by 1953’s "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" at 7:30 p.m. May 30, 1959’s "Some Like It Hot" at 2 p.m. May 31, and wrapping up with 1961’s "The Misfits" at 7 p.m. June 1.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. April 3 via Ticketmaster and palmspringsplazatheatre.com. Individual tickets are $20 per film, or guests can purchase a $60 all-access pass to the four-film series.

Each screening will feature a pre-show cocktail hour in the Plaza lobby. The Palm Springs Gay Men's Chorus will provide pre-show entertainment for the "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "Some Like It Hot" screenings, according to event organizers.

The celebration is sponsored by the city of Palm Springs and the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation.

Opened in 1936, the Plaza Theatre is a historic Spanish Colonial Revival movie palace designed by Harry J. Williams. Famed for hosting classic film premieres and radio shows, it later housed the "Fabulous Palm Springs Follies" before temporarily closing and undergoing a multi-million-dollar restoration.