Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Showgirls Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw travel to Paris, pursued by a private detective hired by the suspicious father of Lorelei's fiancé, as well as a rich, enamored old man and many other doting admirers.

Director:

Howard Hawks

Writers:

Charles Lederer (screen play), Joseph Fields (based on the musical comedy by)

Stars:

Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jane Russell	...	Dorothy Shaw
Marilyn Monroe	...	Lorelei Lee
Charles Coburn	...	Sir Francis 'Piggy' Beekman
Elliott Reid	...	Ernie Malone
Tommy Noonan	...	Gus Esmond Jr.
George Winslow	...	Henry Spofford III
Marcel Dalio	...	Magistrate
Taylor Holmes	...	Mr. Esmond Sr.
Norma Varden	...	Lady Beekman
Howard Wendell	...	Watson
Steven Geray	...	Hotel Manager

Storyline

Lorelei and Dorothy are just "Two Little Girls from Little Rock", lounge singers on a transatlantic cruise, working their way to Paris, and enjoying the company of any eligible men they might meet along the way, even though "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend." Based on the Broadway musical based on the novel.

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Plot Keywords:

bechdel test failed | screwball comedy | dancer | based on stage musical | song | 

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Taglines:

The Two M-M-Marvels Of Our Age In The Wonder Musical Of The World!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

August 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Howard Hawks' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Filming Locations:

MGM Studio Borehamwood London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$2,260,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$12,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In her very last interview, (10 years after making "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,") Marilyn Monroe recalls the lack of respect studio execs had for her, but makes a point of mentioning co-star, Jane Russell: "I remember when I got the part in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Jane Russell, she was the brunette in it and I was the blond. She got $200,000 for it, and I got my $500 a week, but that to me was, you know, considerable. She by the way, was quite wonderful to me."

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Goofs

When the ship is shown docking, the tops of the funnels have a wide red band but, seconds later, when the whistle is shown blowing, they are entirely black.

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Quotes

Lorelei Lee: Dorothy. Mr. Esmond and I are getting married.
Dorothy Shaw: To each other?
Gus Esmond: Of course to each other. Who else to?
Dorothy Shaw: Well, I don't know about you Gus, but I always figured Lorelei would end up with the Secretary of the Treasury.

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Connections

Spoofed in Chicago (2002)

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Soundtracks

Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)
(1850) (uncredited)
From "Lohengrin"
Music by Richard Wagner
Played at the wedding

User Reviews

Light, lively and entertaining

Lorelei and Dorothy may well claim to just be two little girls from Little Rock, but if that's the case then they certainly have no intention to remain that way. Lorelei wants a rich man regardless of looks or age while Dorothy wants good looks and a body to match. On board a transatlantic cruise on their way to Paris, the pair find plenty of both types of men but, despite temptation Lorelei genuinely intends to remain faithful to the millionaire she has already hooked – Gus Esmond. Meanwhile Dorothy gets the attention of quite a nice gentleman who seems like he really likes her.

Opening with a great bit of a sassy musical number this film goes into the credits with an atmosphere and approach that it pretty much keeps consistent throughout the whole film. The story is very much driven by the gold-digging female stereotypes of Lorelei and Dorothy and, although quite light, it does enough to keep things moving and interesting. It is greatly helped by the delivery, which is superficial, sparky and fun. The musical numbers (and indeed the whole film) are colourful and engaging thanks to the good direction from Hawks. The script provides plenty of amusing material and although it does lack depth and massive laughs, it is generally very entertaining.

The cast are a big part in it and I was surprised by how good the lead pair were. I've never really rated Russell or Monroe in terms of being good actresses but here they suit their character and work off one another well. Their characters are not anything other than exaggerated cliché but they are fun none the less; they have slightly different characters but each seems to be to their strengths and they deliver the script well. The male characters are very much a side issue but generally they are well played by Reid, Coburn, Noonan and a couple of others.

Generally then this is not the film to come to if you are looking for real substance and depth but it delivers the goods in regards fizz and fun. The musical numbers are colourful and entertaining, while the script is lively and benefits from good delivery from a well cast Monroe and Russell. A "classic" film that is fun over 50 years later and accordingly is well worth seeing.