The Return of Diana Dors to Marbella

She was one of the first major international actresses to visit a Marbella that, in the second half of the 20th century, began to open up to tourism and promised to become a mandatory stop for celebrities, artists, and intellectuals. Her arrival occurred during the filming of scenes for the movie 'Holiday in Spain', directed by Jack Cardiff in 1960. She didn't have a prominent role in the production, but her walk in a bikini along the central La Fontanilla beach was a symbol of modernity, freedom, and the opening up of a Marbella that was, like the rest of the country, constrained by the rigidity of Franco's regime. And now, more than 60 years after the filming, British actress Diana Dors, known as the English Marilyn, returns to Marbella and to the El Fuerte hotel, where she stayed during the filming days of a movie that incorporated an innovative system releasing scents during its projection. She does so through 'Diana, Holiday in Spain 2025', the contemporary reinterpretation by the Cordoban artist Marifé Núñez, which commemorates one of the moments that have marked the international projection of the hotel and the city. The work, commissioned by the El Fuerte Marbella hotel, depicts a mature, empowered, and vital woman driving a red convertible in front of a hotel establishment that, after a profound renovation, barely retains any resemblance to the one that opened its doors in 1957 and that, three years later, hosted not only Dors but also actor Peter Lorre, who participated in the movie. The work can be visited until November 11 at the El Fuerte Marbella facilities. "Dors is no longer just a movie star, but a symbol of luxury, freedom, and ageless female power. Many of the guests who visit us are interested in our past. And this painting reflects part of that legacy, which we want to preserve and share. When the past meets the present, something becomes magical and unique," says Isabel Luque García, advisor to the Fuerte Group. The vice president of the Fuerte Foundation also recalls that the filming of the movie, which also featured Elizabeth Taylor, was "a real whirlwind in Marbella due to the glamour of the stars and the modernity it brought to Marbella."