DIRECTOR: Howard Hawkes
BOTTOM LINE: “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953), directed by Howard Hawks, is a musical comedy starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell as two showgirls traveling to Paris. Lorelei Lee (Monroe) is engaged to a wealthy man but pursued by his suspicious father’s detective, while Dorothy Shaw (Russell) enjoys the attention of handsome suitors. The film blends romance, comedy, and iconic musical numbers.
In one of those numbers, Russell finds herself in an all-male gym where she cannot understand – but gives us the wink-wink that she really does understand – why all the boys in the gym won’t give her a second look. It’s Hawks’ version of the Jule Stein/Leo Robin Broadway smash with Russell singing “Ain’t There Anyone Here for Love,” while the boys only have eyes for themselves and their buddies. Meanwhile, Marilyn is more interested in a particular kind of rock, leading to an even more spectacular musical number called “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Like “Gilda” and its famous musical numbers “Put the Blame on Mame” and “Amado Mio,” an essential ingredient in the magic of “Gentlemen Prefer Blonds” is Jack Cole’s choreography.
Adapted from the play by Anita Loos and Joseph Fields and the Broadway musical by Stein and Robin.
Cinematography: Harry J. Wild
TCF
STREAMING: Amazon Prime, YouTube and Apple TV
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