Marilyn Monroe photographed by George Barris for Cosmopolitan magazine, in Los Angeles (1962)

Marilyn Monroe photographed by George Barris (1962)

Marilyn Monroe photographed by George Barris, 1962.

Ford Explorer Limited XLT "Jurassic Park," 1993. Explorer 07 was one of seven Ford SUVs prepared by George Barris for the original Jurassic Park movie. EXP 07 didn't feature physically in the film, it appeared on Ray's browser as a Safari Tour Ride vehicle as he highlighted EXP 04/05, which were destroyed in the movie.

1969 Cadillac Eldorado Wagon

Dean Martin's 1969 Cadillac Eldorado Wagon, by George Barris.

Dean Martin's 1969 Cadillac Eldorado Custom Sport Wagon

The white sixth-generation Cadillac Eldorado Sport Wagon was built for Martin by George Barris, a famed car customiser whose creations include the Ford Thunderbird-based Batmobile for the 1960s television series.

Marilyn Monroe on Santa Monica Beach by George Barris. 1962

Marilyn Monroe, 1962. Photo taken by George Barris

"What I particularly liked about Marilyn was that she didn't act  like a movie star. She was down to earth. Although she was then 28, she looked and acted like a teenager. Sure, she was beautiful and sexy, but there was an almost childlike innocence about her. I was most impressed that Marilyn was always polite and friendly to everyone on the set. She was no phony or snob."

- photographer George Barris

“She just couldn’t do anything wrong in front of a camera, and she stayed out there posing and working for hours, so cold that she was actually shivering. That was a pro…” - George Barris, Detroit Free Press, 24 August 1962.

Photos by George Barris in July 1962.

The ‘Kargoyle’

by Barris Kustom

Marilyn Monroe photographed by George Barris for Cosmopolitan magazine, June 1962.

Marilyn Monroe photographed by George Barris, 1962.

James Dean’s Porsche 550

Even though Dean only made three films and died at the age of 24, his legacy is so great he’s still one of the most legendary names in the film industry. On the other hand, the story of his Porsche 550 Spyder nicknamed “Little Bastard” is one of the most enduring automotive mysteries of all time. Dean died in 1955, crashing his Porsche at an intersection in Cholame, California. The car was badly damaged, so they sold some mechanical parts like the engine, but the body and few components remained. After a few owners, the car ended up with famous Hollywood customizer George Barris.

He loaned it to an organization that promoted highway safety. Reports of people being injured in freak accidents involving falling pieces from the car and other strange occurrences lead the public to call the crashed Porsche, “a cursed car.” In the late ’60s, they shipped the remains of the 550 Spyder from Florida to California, but they never arrived in L.A. Someone stole the car under suspicious circumstances and no one has been able to recover it. Some historians claim Barris had something to do with the disappearance of the legendary Dean`s Porsche. But Barris took the secret to the grave since he passed away in 2015.