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:

male objectification | bechdel test failed | bare chested male dancers | screwball comedy | private detective | 

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Taglines:

You've never seen so much fun!

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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

Originally bought by Fox as a vehicle for Betty Grable. After the success of Niagara (1953) (which featured Marilyn Monroe), however, the studio believed they had a more potent and far less expensive sex symbol than Grable (who was earning around $150,000 per picture vs. Monroe's $18,000).

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Goofs

As Dorothy and Lorelei walk to their dressing room after the "Two Little Girls From Little Rock" number, Lorelei removes her hat with her right hand. When they enter the dressing room, Lorelei's hat is in her left hand.

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Quotes

Gus Esmond: [trying to have a serious talk with Lorelei, but she is bouncing up and down on the bed] Dear... dear... dear, stop that! It's most distracting.

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Connections

Referenced in Don't Drop Bombs (1989)

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Soundtracks

A Little Girl from Little Rock
(1949) (uncredited)
Music by Jule Styne
Lyrics by Leo Robin
Special Lyrics by Ken Darby and Eliot Daniel
Sung in a pre-title sequence as "Two Little Girls from Little Rock" by Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell (dubbed by Eileen Wilson (uncredited)) with Chorus
Also played in the score and sung at the wedding

User Reviews

Howard Hawks tackles a Broadway show and Marilyn Monroe.

As a demonstration of Hawks' versatility, this picture stands out. It's anything but a faithful adaptation of the Anita Loos story, but in Hawks skilled hands, it's as delightful and silly as his best screwball comedies, and an evocative example of the sexpot exploitation prominent in it's day. Monroe and Russell complement each other nicely as glamour babes beyond belief. The flamboyant musical numbers are deliriously fetishistic and there are some particularly hilarious bits involving a hoarse-voiced little boy and a dirty old man. Sensationally staged and provocatively primitive.