The Californian from Salinas, California • 27

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Fans clutching cups of steaming coffee clustered behind police barricades. They watched as action unfolded around the old Wells Fargo building, which crews had transformed into "The Wildwood Savings Bank." Oldtown got broad exposure. "Bandits" ended up shown not only in the United States, but in Singapore, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Argentina, Sweden and the Netherlands. When "THE END" popped up on the screen and credits rolled, people noticed that the City of Salinas got a listing. Oprah rolls in In September 2003, Oprah Winfrey came to town.

As if scripted, the mist lifted, the sky blue, the sun shone warm and the fans gathered in multitudes. Oprah arrived to do a show on Steinbeck and "East of Eden," which Winfrey presented on an outdoor stage set up on the front lawn of the Steinbeck House, 132 Central Ave. The novel was the first choice in the relaunch of Oprah's TV book club. As the studio cameras moved in, Kelsey Grammer of "Frasier" fame and Steinbeck's son, Thorn, joined Oprah to add some commentary. Oprah left a nice little legacy, too.

Her show gave the area an hour's worth of national TV exposure. A life-and-death attraction "East of Eden" brought James Dean to the Salinas area, too. Chain-smoking, slouching and mumbling his way into movie immortality, Dean surfaced as the lead in a 1955 film based on Steinbeck's 1952 novel. In Salinas, Dean was in good company. "East of Eden" co-stars included big Burl Ives, Raymond Massey, Julie Harris and Jo Van Fleet.

Although Dean made but three films before dying in a car wreck "Giant" and "Rebel Without a Cause" are the others he's considered one of Hollywood's greatest actors. That car wreck, by the way, happened near Cholame in San Luis Obispo County. Dean died Sept. 20, 1955. He was on his way to take part in a car race in Salinas.

BY DAVE NORDSTRAND dnordstrandthecalifornian.com Given its natural beauty and nearness to Hollywood, Monterey County has hosted stars and starlets, mostly on the Peninsula, but not exclusively. Salinas, too, has seen its share of silver-screen celebrities. Over the decades, Marilyn Monroe, Bruce Willis, James Dean, Burl Ives and many others have spent time in town. Sex symbols as well as acting and directing legends have appeared on the Salinas stage. Marilyn, a return visitor Exactly when Marilyn Monroe and her husband, Joe DiMaggio, passed through town is uncertain.

They were married Jan. 14, 1954, in San Francisco and divorced Oct. 31, 1955. Reports were that they spent at least one night in a North Main Street motel. Marilyn, of course, was no stranger to Salinas.

In 1948, she came here to help promote a diamond sale at Carlyle's Jewelers, 362 Main St. The store had hired a starlet named Noreen Nash, but Nash had to cancel. So Monroe filled in. On that trip, she checked into a room at the Jeffrey Hotel in the 200 block of Main Street. Before her abrupt arrival, she'd been baking in the sun in Palm Springs.

Her nose had burned. It had begun to peel. Still, Marilyn showed up. She stood behind the counter at Carlyle's. Patrons squeezed in.

Marilyn flashed her brilliant smile. She chatted in an amiable way and autographed pictures of herself. That day, the jewelry store sold lots of diamonds. During the same Salinas trip, Monroe was taken to Castroville, where she was crowned the town's first Artichoke Festival Queen. Bruce, Billy Bob and Cate Patrons strolling about Oldtown Salinas in October 2002 had to blink twice when they got to the corner of Main and Gabi-lan streets.

There stood Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton and Cate Blanchett. Not wax museum look-alikes, either. They were here in the lead roles of MGM's "Bandits," a true-life bank heist 17 ABOVE: Billy Bob Thornton and Bruce Willis are shown in Salinas during the filming of the movie "Bandits." submitted photo TOP: Marilyn Monroe makes a guest appearance at Carlyle's Jewelry on Main Street in Salinas, archives.