Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Dean Martin Watch Frank Sinatra Performing in Las Vegas on June 7, 1961

Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor watching Frank Sinatra perform at The Sands Hotel in Las Vegas for Dean Martin’s birthday on June 7, 1961. These photos are the only known time they were photographed together.

They were two of the biggest female sex symbols of the 50s and early 1960s, but Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor didn’t consider each other competitors. The press kept trying to set them up as rivals, it obviously sold better.

An incident in 1962, when 20th Century Fox was bleeding money on Liz’s over-budgeted extravaganza Cleopatra. The studio simultaneously fired Marilyn for alleged absences from the set of her never-completed final film, the aptly titled Something’s Gotta Give.

Marilyn felt she was being sacrificed so Fox could save on her salary and spend it on finishing the bloated Egyptian epic. Two decades later, Liz revealed to a friend that she had reached out to Marilyn to offer her support during this difficult period.

Liz told Marilyn she was willing to publicly demonstrate her solidarity, offering to quit Cleopatra unless Marilyn was rehired. Marilyn was very moved by Liz’s kindness toward her, but she didn’t want to make matters worse for either of them, so she declined the generous offer. 

Instead, Liz gave Marilyn an invaluable piece of advice. “No matter what they write about me, Marilyn, I never deny it. I never confirm it. I just keep smiling and walking forward. You do the same.”

Tragically, Marilyn didn’t live long enough to put those words into action.