Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
(B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' (directed by Howard Hawks) is a fun comedy/musical starring Va-Va-Voom brunette Jane Russell & our curvacious blonde-in-question, Marilyn Monroe. The opening number "A Little Girl from Little Rock" sets the pace & fabulously introduces us to Dorothy (Russell) & Lorelei (Monroe) who shimmer in matching fire engine red costumes. After this intro, our bachelorette showgirls head-off on a luxury cruise from NYC to Paris. Dorothy is the 'romantic' girl seeking a well-built man to love, while Lorelei is the 'dumb blonde' who tends to fall for rich men. The cruise is paid for by Lorelei's millionaire boyfriend Gus Esmond Jr. (Tommy Noonan), who can't convince his father that Lorelei isn't a gold digger.
To make sure that Lorelei - ahem - behaves, Gus' father hires private detective Ernie Malone (Elliott Reid) to spy on her to see if she is 'marriage material'. Also aboard is Sir Francis 'Piggy' Beekman (Charles Coburn), a flirtatious, filthy rich British owner of a South African diamond mine who avoids his free-spoken wife (Norma Varden) on the ship while he hoggishly lusts after Lorelei. To that, Lorelei plays-up to Piggy; purrring for his wife's diamond tiara as a gift of his gratefulness for receiving her - ahem - attention. In the interim, Dorothy ends-up falling for private detective, Ernie. Hijinks ensue.
Howard Hawks is quite the versatile director; helming gangster flicks, Westerns, war films, straight comedies, film noirs, & now this musical. He does a swell job. Audiences & critics back in 1953 adored his film. But above all else, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' success can be attributed to the mega movie star charms of his two leads. I mean, the story is simple. Some songs pop, some are only okay. However, it is Marilyn Monroe & Jane Russell who single-handedly raise this movie musical to Classic status -- they sparkle. Marilyn Monroe is at her faux-innocent sexuality best, & Jane Russell is great as her amused, worldly, yet sultry pal. The banter btwn. the two characters is well done {like Hope & Crosby in a Road picture}. 'GPB' was one of Marilyn's 1st lead roles; catapulting her to superstardom. She was a wreck while shooting {as she was for most of her career}, but veteran Jane Russell took her under wings throughout the filming process.
Now, this movie is pretty suggestive for the 1950's. After that sexy opening, Lorelei tells Dorothy that she thinks her boyfriend is going to propose because she could see that 'he has a bulge in his pocket' -- she is, of course, talking about an engagement ring in his pocket. And when he presents her with said ring, asking if it is the right size, she replies, "Well it can never be too big, silly". Lorelei's flirting & scheming gets her butt stuck in a portal in once scene. And late in the proceedings, Dorothy imitates Lorelei in a hilarious court room scene; using a blonde wig & speaking in a breathy voice. The characters {and good humor} work because, despite their sexpot, wise-cracky personas, they're inherently likeable people to root for.
The film's most noted number, "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" features Marilyn Monroe adorned in that iconic pink gown against a red backdrop, surrounded by a chorus line of tuxedo-clad men flashing diamonds. Meanwhile, Jane's big solo is "Ain't There Anyone Here for Love?", in which she sings & dances with a group of Olympic athletes clad in flesh-colored bathing trunks. As mentioned above, all suggestive, but cheekily so. You know, this film's plot isn't its strong suit, and sure, some stereotypes & values are dated, but with two amazing show gals, some clever dialogue, the stunning Technicolor, beautiful costumes & elaborate song-&-dance numbers ... 'GPB' remains a thoroughly enjoyable, escapist entertainment for all.
To make sure that Lorelei - ahem - behaves, Gus' father hires private detective Ernie Malone (Elliott Reid) to spy on her to see if she is 'marriage material'. Also aboard is Sir Francis 'Piggy' Beekman (Charles Coburn), a flirtatious, filthy rich British owner of a South African diamond mine who avoids his free-spoken wife (Norma Varden) on the ship while he hoggishly lusts after Lorelei. To that, Lorelei plays-up to Piggy; purrring for his wife's diamond tiara as a gift of his gratefulness for receiving her - ahem - attention. In the interim, Dorothy ends-up falling for private detective, Ernie. Hijinks ensue.
Howard Hawks is quite the versatile director; helming gangster flicks, Westerns, war films, straight comedies, film noirs, & now this musical. He does a swell job. Audiences & critics back in 1953 adored his film. But above all else, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' success can be attributed to the mega movie star charms of his two leads. I mean, the story is simple. Some songs pop, some are only okay. However, it is Marilyn Monroe & Jane Russell who single-handedly raise this movie musical to Classic status -- they sparkle. Marilyn Monroe is at her faux-innocent sexuality best, & Jane Russell is great as her amused, worldly, yet sultry pal. The banter btwn. the two characters is well done {like Hope & Crosby in a Road picture}. 'GPB' was one of Marilyn's 1st lead roles; catapulting her to superstardom. She was a wreck while shooting {as she was for most of her career}, but veteran Jane Russell took her under wings throughout the filming process.
Now, this movie is pretty suggestive for the 1950's. After that sexy opening, Lorelei tells Dorothy that she thinks her boyfriend is going to propose because she could see that 'he has a bulge in his pocket' -- she is, of course, talking about an engagement ring in his pocket. And when he presents her with said ring, asking if it is the right size, she replies, "Well it can never be too big, silly". Lorelei's flirting & scheming gets her butt stuck in a portal in once scene. And late in the proceedings, Dorothy imitates Lorelei in a hilarious court room scene; using a blonde wig & speaking in a breathy voice. The characters {and good humor} work because, despite their sexpot, wise-cracky personas, they're inherently likeable people to root for.
The film's most noted number, "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" features Marilyn Monroe adorned in that iconic pink gown against a red backdrop, surrounded by a chorus line of tuxedo-clad men flashing diamonds. Meanwhile, Jane's big solo is "Ain't There Anyone Here for Love?", in which she sings & dances with a group of Olympic athletes clad in flesh-colored bathing trunks. As mentioned above, all suggestive, but cheekily so. You know, this film's plot isn't its strong suit, and sure, some stereotypes & values are dated, but with two amazing show gals, some clever dialogue, the stunning Technicolor, beautiful costumes & elaborate song-&-dance numbers ... 'GPB' remains a thoroughly enjoyable, escapist entertainment for all.