Everything about Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Film totally explained
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a 1953 film adaptation of the 1949 stage musical, released by
20th Century Fox,
directed by
Howard Hawks and starring
Jane Russell and
Marilyn Monroe, with
Charles Coburn,
Elliott Reid,
Tommy Noonan,
Taylor Holmes, and
Norma Varden in supporting roles. The
screenplay by
Charles Lederer is augmented by the music of songwriting teams
Hoagy Carmichael &
Harold Adamson and
Jule Styne &
Leo Robin. The songs by Styne and Robin are from the Broadway show, while the songs by Carmichael and Adamson were written especially for the film.
The movie is filled with comedic gags and musical numbers. While Russell's down-to-earth, sharp wit has been noted by most critics, it's Monroe's turn as the gold-digging Lorelei Lee for which the film is often remembered. Monroe's rendition of the song "
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" is considered an iconic performance that has been copied by the likes of
Madonna,
Kylie Minogue and
Anna Nicole Smith.
The story line first appeared in
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: The Illuminating Diary of a Professional Lady, a 1925
novel by
Anita Loos. It was adapted for the stage in 1926, and then a 1928
silent movie, starring
Ruth Taylor,
Alice White,
Ford Sterling, and
Mack Swain, which, as of now, is apparently lost.
John C. Wilson directed the Broadway
musical with
Carol Channing as Lorelei Lee that served as the basis for this screen version.
Loos wrote a sequel to her novel entitled
But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes, with further adventures of Lorelei and Dorothy. The 1955
Gentlemen Marry Brunettes used only the book's name and starred Russell and
Jeanne Crain playing characters who were the daughters of Dorothy Shaw.
Plot
Dorothy Shaw and Lorelei Lee are
showgirls and best friends. Lorelei is engaged to Gus Esmond, who is willing to do and buy anything for her. His father doesn't approve of her. Lorelei and Gus are planning to sail to France and get married, but Esmond Sr. stops his son. Lorelei wants to go to France anyway and Dorothy accompanies her. Gus warns Lorelei that she's to behave because if his father hears of bad behavior, that'll never be allowed to marry. Esmond Sr. has hired a private detective, Ernie Malone to spy on Lorelei. Malone ends up falling in love with Dorothy. Lorelei meets Sir Francis "Piggy" Beekman who owns a diamond mine. Lorelei uses her charm to entice him.
Lorelei invites him over to the cabin. Unknown to them, Malone is spying through the window and takes pictures of them flirting. Dorothy sees him. She tells Lorelei that Malone has the pictures and the two come up with a scheme to get the film. They invite him to their cabin for drinks and turn the heat up. Lorelei mixes him a strong drink and puts sleeping pills in it. They find the film in his trouser pocket. Piggy is relieved that his wife won't see the pictures. Lorelei suggests to him that as a thank you, he should give her his wife's tiara, persuading him with her charms. Malone has been audiotaping them. In Paris, the women spend everything they have. When they arrive at the hotel, they find out that Lady Beekman doesn't know the truth about the tiara. Considering Lorelei a thief, Gus has stopped her line of credit.
Without money or a place to live, Lorelei and Dorothy get jobs as nightclub singers. Beekman somehow steals back the tiara. When the police come after Lorelei, she's persuaded by Dorothy to return it, but she finds it missing. Gus has come to see the show and Dorothy tells Lorelei that she's to get the money for the tiara from him. In the meantime, she allows the police to arrest her saying that she's Lorelei. At the court, she pretends to be Lorelei. The insurance man has poor sight and only remembers Lorelei's blond hair, unable to recognize that Dorothy is wearing a wig. Dorothy puts on a show in the middle of the courtroom, annoying the judge.
Malone and Esmond Sr. arrive at the airport and see Piggy, who tells Malone to tell Lorelei that he's sorry for what he did. Malone agrees to tell her, and leaves. They arrive at the court to testify against Lorelei, but Dorothy is on the stand and tells Malone that she's in love with him but will never forgive him if he does anything to hurt Lorelei. Malone refuses to testify against her. He realizes who has the tiara and tracks it down to Beekman who is still at the airport. He brings the tiara to the court. Lorelei tells the elder Esmond, "I don't want to marry your son for his money, I want to marry him for your money." She gets his permission to marry his son. The two girls proceed to have a double wedding. Dorothy marries Malone and Lorelei marries Gus.
Cast
Reception
At the time of its release,
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was both a critical and commercial success, with Monroe receiving the best reviews of her career to date.
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