Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Screening: 10th January 2004
Introduced by David Gainsborough Roberts
USA 1953
Directed by Howard Hawks
Leading players ~ Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn.
Synopsis
Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell) and Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) work together as singers on a cruise boat crossing the Atlantic on their way to find themselves a millionaire each in Paris. On board Lorelei meets Sir Francis Beekman, a rich, elderly diamond merchant played marvellously by that great character actor, Charles Coburn.In the end both girls get the men of their choice and a double wedding takes place.
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While I do not think Marilyn Monroe’s 19th film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was her best, it was a major stepping stone in her career. The storyline is basically a vehicle for Monroe to entertain us with such numbers as Bye Bye Baby, When Love Goes Wrong and the unforgettable Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend.As a teenager I fell in love with her - a one-sided affair that has lasted for 40 years. One of the first acquisitions I bought for my memorabilia collection was the red sequined dress she wore while singing Two Little Girls From Little Rock, with Russell in the opening scene of the film.
Marilyn had not done much singing or dancing in previous movies but she excels with Russell, with whom she got on very well. Later, she was to complain that while she got only $100,000 for the film, Russell was paid $1,000,000. ‘And I am the blonde,’ she would later tell friends. Betty Grable was originally considered for Marilyn’s part but the studio decided to take a chance with the unpredictable young star.
Hawks was nearly driven mad by her constant lateness and continual retakes; Marilyn demanded ten takes for the Bye Bye Baby number. A colourful, entertaining film and I love every minute of it.
David Gainsborough Roberts
