Celebrity Paddles: Marilyn Monroe

Don't know if the title of this post caused you to pause for a moment. Marilyn Monroe, sex symbol of the 20th century, a canoeist? Well, The Toronto Star had an article a while back entitled "Red, white and blonde" describing a current exhibit of the blonde bombshell at the McMichael Gallery (Running February 19 to May 15, 2011). The Star article has an untitled photo with a clear shot of Marilyn paddling the stern of a closed gunnel, cedar canvas canoe with the gorgeous Canadian Rockies in the Background


Marilyn in Canoe, 1953
This earlier thread from the WCHA forums has another pic of Marilyn posing with a Mountie. The conclusion was that these pics were taken in Banff as while she was filming River of No Return.


Marilyn with a Mountie, 1953
It also happens that this isn't the first time Marilyn was filmed paddlng. An obscure 1947 film called Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!, featured scenes of Marilyn and another hollywood hopeful paddling a canoe. The following stills were found on this Monroe Fan Site. If you're a fan of Marilyn and Wooden canoes, these photos are sheer joy...

October 2016 Update: For a colour version of Marilyn paddling in Banff, go to this post here.