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Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
1953 Comedy / Musical / Romance
Review
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is
the film in which Marilyn Monroe gave what was arguably her funniest
and most seductive performance, the one in which she exploited her dumb
blonde sex kitten persona to greatest effect. This is the film
that made her a Hollywood icon and sowed the seeds of the Marilyn
myth. Here she is partnered with the equally eye-catching Jane
Russell in one of Hollywood’s great double acts. Best remembered
for Monroe’s show-stopping rendition of Diamond’s Are A Girl’s Best Friend
in a Parisian nightclub, the film resonates with charm and good humour,
whilst also making an effective satire on the politics of marriage.The film is loosely based on a 1949 musical of the same title, which in turn was inspired by Antita Loos’s 1925 novel. Jane Russell starred in a far less successful follow on film, Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955). Howard Hawks would seem to be a strange choice to direct a musical comedy, but he had already directed several classic screwball comedies, including the hilarious Bringing Up Baby (1938), I Was a Male War Bride (1949) and Monkey Business (1952) (in which Monroe had a supporting role). Gentlemen Prefer Blondes shows that, in the last lap of his career, Hawks still hadn’t lost his knack for making audiences laugh. © CinemaForever.com 2009 Write a review for this film... User Comments
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Director:
Howard Hawks
Starring: Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn, Elliott Reid, Tommy Noonan Synopsis
Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw are showgirls who think of nothing but
catching the man of their dreams. Lorelei believes she has
already landed her man, a wealthy heir named Gus Esmond who can’t help
showering her with expensive presents. Dorothy has more romantic
notions about marriage and is determined to marry for love, nor for
money. Lorelei and Gus agree to get married in Paris, so the
former sets off on a liner bound for France with her friend Dorothy
whilst the latter waits for a discrete length of time before joining
her. During the crossing, Lorelei meets the owner of a diamond
mine and wastes no time subjecting him to her seductive charms, even
though he is at least thirty years her senior. Unfortunately for
Lorelei, Gus has hired a private detective to keep an eye on her...
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