The public is invited to the Sippican Historical Society and Marion Council on Aging’s summertime collaboration The Best of Marilyn. Beginning on Tuesday, Aug. 4 and continuing over the following three weeks, the organizations will present a selection of Marilyn Monroe’s most popular and acclaimed films.

The selection for Tuesday, Aug. 4th is "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." Co-starring Jane Russell, the film chronicles two lounge singers from Little Rock, Arkansas who work their way to Paris on a transatlantic cruise, enjoying the company of eligible men they meet along the way. The 1953 musical features Monroe as guileless fortune teller Lorelei Lee, with Russell as her practical sidekick.

Tuesday, Aug. 11th will feature "The Seven Year Itch." Costarring Tom Ewell and Evelyn Keyes, the film tells the tale of a married man who falls for the blond bombshell upstairs while his wife is on vacation. The 1955 comedy was directed by Billy Wilder, and is mostly immediately recognizable for its iconic image of Monroe standing atop a subway grate, skirts billowing.

The 1961 film "The Misfits" is the third film in the series, to be shown on Tuesday, Aug. 18. It features Monroe as a sensitive divorcee who gets mixed up with modern cowboys roping Mustangs in the desert. Directed by John Huston, the film’s all-star cast includes Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift, Eli Wallach and Thelma Ritter.

The series wraps up with Aug. 25’s screening of the legendary comedy, "Some Like It Hot." The 1959 film co-stars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as musicians on the run from gangsters, masquerading as members of an all-girl band. Produced, directed and co-written by Billy Wilder, the farce features Monroe as a simple, singer/ukulele player with a soft spot for saxophone players and men with glasses. Along with Curtis and Lemmon’s performances, Monroe’s naïve portrayal helped make "Some Like It Hot" one of the highest regarded comedies of all time.

The Best of Marilyn matinees will be held in the front room of the Music Hall, 164 Front St., and offered free of charge to the public. Parking is available across the street at Island Wharf. Films begin at 11 a.m., and attendees are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch to enjoy during the presentation. For more information, contact the Sippican Historical Society at 508-748-1116.