Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955)

Two Broadway showgirls, who are also sisters, are sick and tired of New York as well as not getting nowhere. Quitting Broadway, the sisters decided to travel to Paris to become famous.

Director:

Richard Sale

Writers:

Anita Loos (novel), Mary Loos (written for the screen by)

Stars:

Jane Russell, Jeanne Crain, Alan Young

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jane Russell	...	Bonnie Jones / Mimi Jones
Jeanne Crain	...	Connie Jones / Mitzi Jones
Alan Young	...	Charlie Biddle / Mrs. Biddle / Mr. Henry Biddle
Scott Brady	...	David Action
Rudy Vallee	...	Rudy Vallee
Guy Middleton	...	Earl of Wickenware
Eric Pohlmann	...	M. Ballard
Robert Favart	...	Hotel Manager
Guido Lorraine	...	M. Marcel
Ferdy Mayne	...	M. Dufond
Boyd Cabeen	...	Pilot
Howard Tracy	...	Chauffeur (as Edward Tracy)
Leonard Sachs	...	M. Dufy
Gini Young	...	Blonde
Carmen Nesbitt	...	Blonde

Storyline

Two Broadway showgirls, who are also sisters, are sick and tired of New York as well as not getting nowhere. Quitting Broadway, the sisters decided to travel to Paris to become famous.

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Plot Keywords:

romantic rivalry | showgirl | 

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Taglines:

See 'em sizzle in the big, buxom, beautiful musical!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

6 February 1956 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

So liebt man in Paris

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Russ-Field Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jane Russell, Rudy Vallee, and Alan Young do their own singing, while Jeanne Crain and Scott Brady are dubbed.

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Quotes

David Action: If all brides are beautiful, why are there so many ugly wives?

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Connections

References Oklahoma! (1955)

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Soundtracks

Gentlemen Marry Brunettes
Music by Herbert W. Spencer and Earle Hagen
Lyrics by Richard Sale
Sung by Johnny Desmond over opening and closing credits

User Reviews

It Coulda' Been a Contenda'

Okay, first let me come clean with my biases: I'm a Jane Russell fan. Even recognizing how amazing Marilyn Monroe was, etc, etc... Even in 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes', I've personally always preferred Jane Russell's 'wise-cracking dame' screen persona to Marilyn's blowsy bubble-head. But that said...

While I agree that "Gentlemen Marry Brunettes" is by no means a great film, even if one lowers the bar to generic 50's musical standards. Still, I do think its greatest sin is in not being "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". It wouldn't seem half so bad if it didn't instantly invite comparison to a classic 'relative' ("Gentlemen Prefer Blondes").

Yet and still the production values are generally very high. Costumes by Travilla, additional fashions by Dior, and the period location filming in Paris and Monte Carlo alone really is (almost) worth sitting through the movie for.

As an earlier commentator pointed out, I do think it was a mistake to make Jane play an 'air-head'. One of her strenghts as a performer/film personality is that her basic integrity usually shone through on screen. It's a shame to hide that.

The biggest mistakes (in my opinion) are that neither Jane, nor Jeanne Crain were given a 'solo-number'. It may seem a small thing, but if one reflects on the shining moments of "Blondes", one's mind immediately goes to Marilyn's "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" and Jane pushing the muscle men around in "Ain't There Anyone Here For Love?". It's in these two scenes where both performer's personalities (Marilyn, the 'sizzling' blonde bombshell; and Jane, the raven-haired, self-effacing flirt) really shine. No such scenes exist in "Brunettes" for either character.

Further, while I like Jeanne Crain as a performer, I can't help feeling that the story needed another kind of 'contrast' to replace that dynamism between blonde Marilyn and brunette Jane in "Blondes". Playing the 'what if' game for a moment: imagine (with a slight plot shift)a young RITA MORENO as Jane Russell's Cuban 'half-sister' or 'cousin'? Just a little 'twist' like that would have added an element of thematic and visual tension that is missing in "Brunettes". OR... since the film was set in Europe, how about Gina Lolobrigida as Jane's Italian cousin, giving the movie added continental flair? Still... I say take "Brunettes" for what it is: a handsomely-mounted relic of Hollywood's last fling with pure, unadulterated fluff musicals! Put cotton in your ears and soak in the costumes and location shooting!