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. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896 – December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and writer of the classic Hollywood era. ... American film producer Sol C. Siegel (1903 - 1982) first worked as a reporter for The New York Herald Tribune and later as a sales executive for a recording company. ... Anita Loos (April 26, 1888 – August 18, 1981) was an acclaimed American screenwriter, playwright and author. ... Joseph Fields (February 21, 1895 - March 3, 1966) was a Tony Award-winning American playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, and film producer. ... Charles Davies Lederer (born December 31 1906 - died March 5 1976) was an American film writer and director. ... With Bob Hope in 1944. ... Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962), was a Golden Globe award winning[1] American actress, model, Hollywood icon[2], and sex symbol. ... Harry J. Wild was a film and television cinematographer Wild worked at RKO studios from 1931 through the 1950s. ... Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... January 7 - President Harry S. Truman announces the United States has developed a hydrogen bomb. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... Director Herbert Brenon with actress Alla Nazimova on the set of War Brides, 1916 A director is a person who directs the making of a film. ... Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896 – December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and writer of the classic Hollywood era. ... With Bob Hope in 1944. ... Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962), was a Golden Globe award winning[1] American actress, model, Hollywood icon[2], and sex symbol. ... Charles Douville Coburn (June 19, 1877 – August 30, 1961) was an Oscar-winning American film and theater actor. ... For the fictional character on the TV show Scrubs, see Elliot Reid Elliott Reid (born January 16, 1920), is a character actor. ... Tommy Noonan (born Thomas Noon) (29 April 1922 - 24 April 1968) was a comedy genre film performer, screenwriter and producer. ... Actor Taylor Holmes (May 16, 1872-September 30, 1959) appeared in over 100 plays in his five decade career as an actor on Broadway. ... Norma Varden, (20 January 1898-19 January 1989) was an English actress with a long film career in Hollywood. ... Sample from a screenplay, showing dialogue and action descriptions. ... Charles Davies Lederer (born December 31 1906 - died March 5 1976) was an American film writer and director. ... Hoagland Howard Hoagy Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader. ... Harold Adamson (1906-1980) was an American lyricist during the 1930s and 1940s. ... Jule Styne (December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was a British-born American songwriter, especially famous for a series of Broadway Musicals, which included several very well known and frequently revived shows. ... Leo Robin (April 6, 1900 - December 29, 1984) was an American composer and songwriter. ...

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 is Monroe's self-ironic turn as the gold-digging Lorelei Lee that the film is often remembered for.[1] 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. Monroe sings the song surrounded by well-dressed men. ... This article is about the American entertainer. ... Kylie Ann Minogue (pronounced [1]) (born May 28, 1968) is a Brit and Grammy award-winning Australian pop singer-songwriter and actress. ... For other persons of the same name, see Anna 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. This article is about the literary concept. ... Anita Loos (April 26, 1888 – August 18, 1981) was an acclaimed American screenwriter, playwright and author. ... A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... Ruth Taylor (1961 — 18 February 2006) was a Canadian poet and editor. ... Publicity photo for the movie The Big Noise, taken ca 1928 Alice White is also the name of the fictional character who is married to Perry White. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: empty page If you disagree with its speedy deletion, please explain why on its talk page or at Wikipedia:Speedy deletions. ... Mack Swain (February 16, 1876 - August 25, 1935) was an American actor and vaudevillian, prolific throughout the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. ... John C. Wilson (August 19, 1899 - October 29, 1961) was an American theatre director and producer. ... Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theatre combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ... Carol Elaine Channing (born on January 31, 1921 in Seattle, Washington) is an American singer and actress. ...

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. But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes: The Illuminating Diary Of A Professional Lady is a 1927 novel written by Anita Loos. ... Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955) was a splashy musical movie based on a work by Anita Loos, author of the novel and play Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, which had been turned into a smash film with Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe two years before. ... Jeanne Crain Jeanne Elizabeth Crain (May 25, 1925 – December 14, 2003) was an American actress. ...

Plot

Dorothy Shaw (Russell) and Lorelei Lee (Monroe) are showgirls and best friends. Lorelei is engaged to Gus Esmond (Noonan), who is willing to do and buy anything for her. His father (Holmes) does not approve of her. A chorus line is a substantial group of dancers who together perform synchronized routines, usually in musical theatre. ...

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 has to behave because if his father hears of bad behavior, they will never be allowed to marry.

Esmond Sr. has hired a private detective, Ernie Malone (Reid) to spy on Lorelei. Malone ends up falling in love with Dorothy.

Lorelei meets Sir Francis "Piggy" Beekman (Coburn) 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 (Varden) 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 is persuaded by Dorothy to return it, but she finds it missing. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Gus has come to see the show and Dorothy tells Lorelei that she has to get the money for the tiara from him. In the meantime, she allows the police to arrest her saying that she is 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 is 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 is 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.

Reception

At the time of its release, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was both critical and commercial success, with Monroe receiving the best reviews of her career to date [2].

The best-known song from the film is "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend."

See also

• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (musical)
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (book)
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (play)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes original cast album, Sony CD, 2006. ... Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (book) is a comic novel written by Anita Loos first published in 1925. ...

External links

• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at the Internet Movie Database
• Memorable Quotes