Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Directed by: Howard Hawks | 91 minutes | comedy, romance, musical | Actors: Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn, Elliott Reid, Tommy Noonan, George Winslow, Marcel Dalio, Taylor Holmes, Norma Varden, Howard Wendell, Steven Geray, Henri Letondal, Leo Mostovoy, Alex Frazer, George Davis, Alphonse Martell, James Moultrie, Fred Moultrie, Jean De Briac, George Chakiris, Peter Camlin, Harry Carey Jr., Jean Del Val, Ray Montgomery, Robert Nichols, Charles Tannen, Charles De Ravenne, John Close, James R. Young, William Cabanne

Madonna has never made a secret of who her idols are. Hollywood legend Jean Harlow, the sex symbol of the 1930s, is one of them. Maybe not everyone knows that. But that Madonna has a lot of admiration for Marilyn Monroe is very clear. Especially in the eighties she missed every opportunity to imitate her idol. Not only did she give herself the same platinum blonde haircut as Marilyn Monroe, she also willingly posed in an ivory halter dress that looked suspiciously like the dress her idol wore in the movie ‘The Seven Year Itch’ (1955). The famous music video accompanying her hit single “Material Girl,” in which the singer in a bright pink dress and bejeweled plays a cat-and-mouse game with a group of men, was also a straight and shameless copy of the show Monroe staged around the song ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ in the film ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ from 1953. Madonna herself labeled the video clip as a tribute to her great idol.

Marilyn Monroe stars in ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ as Lorelei Lee, who is touring the country with her best friend Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell) in a successful revue show. The girls couldn’t have been more different. Dorothy, a brunette, believes in true love and is totally unimpressed by how much money a man has. The blond Lorelei, however, likes to be dazzled by nothing more than money and jewels. In addition, Dorothy is bold, sarcastic and very protective of her friend, who is naive and too trusting. When Lorelei falls for dorky heir Gus Esmond (Tommy Noonan), it turns out his wealthy and suspicious father (Taylor Holmes) has hired private detective Ernie Malone (Elliott Reid) to uncover incriminating information about the blonde golddigger. The girls leave for Europe by boat, and since Gus isn’t coming, Malone is sent to keep an eye out. He immediately falls for Dorothy, who, despite his double agenda, actually likes him. On the boat, the ladies meet diamond merchant Lord ‘Piggy’ Beekman (Charles Coburn) and his wife (Norma Varden), whose dazzling diamond tiara is causing a stir.

In ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’, the film that definitively confirmed her stardom in Hollywood, Marilyn Monroe plays the part that brought her the most success; that of the naive but beautiful dumb blonde. Later in her career, she grew tired of playing the same roles over and over and tried to be taken seriously as an actress by taking acting classes and marrying the intellectual Arthur Miller. Yet her stereotypical roles in films such as ‘The Seven Year Itch’, ‘How to Marry a Millionaire’ (1953) and ‘Some Like It Hot’ (1959) earned her the status of a film legend. In ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’, Monroe is assisted by her good friend Jane Russell (‘The Outlaw’, 1943), allegedly the only one who could call the diva, who was known for her capriciousness, to order. It is a film adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name by Joseph Fields, which in turn was based on a novel by Anita Loos. Screenwriter Charles Lederer supplemented the whole with witty dialogues. Shot in Technicolor, the film stands out for its beautiful, vibrant colors. Catchy songs like ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ and ‘Two Little Girls from Little Rock’ also add to the high entertainment value.

Because ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’, directed by the legendary Howard Hawks, is of course purely about entertainment. Although the story is entertaining, it is wafer thin, most of the characters are caricatures and the film offers absolutely no food for thought. Monroe is at her best when she gets to play the seductive dumb blonde, complete with high and fragile voice. However, she has to lose out compared to the equally beautiful Russell, who plays a much more interesting character and also has a more powerful voice, which makes the songs she sings much more convincing. Russel is also regularly allowed to express himself cynically, which results in very entertaining dialogues (Dorothy: “”The chaperone’s job is to see that no one else is having any fun, but nobody chaperones the chaperone. That’s why I’m so right for this job” “). She also steals the show at the end of the film in a court scene in which she gives an equally stunning and hilarious imitation of her co-star. The cast is complemented by solid actors like Tommy Noonan, Elliott Reid and Charles Coburn who manage to hold their own alongside the two dazzling divas.

More than five decades after its release, ‘Gentleman Prefer Blondes’ has lost very little of its power of persuasion. The film does not have much substance, but that is more than made up for by the catchy songs, the beautiful colors and the appealing cast. Of course Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe attracts the most attention because of her iconic status and unique appearance, but in fact it is Jane Russell who steals the show with her overwhelming performance. This is typically one of those movies where you don’t have to think. Just stretch out on the couch with a snack and a drink within reach. Pure entertainment and an absolute must for La Monroe fans!