by John Greco
Say, suppose the ship hit an iceberg and sinks. Which one of them do you save from drowning?”
“Those girls couldn’t drown.”
Filmed in Technicolor with its brassy gaudy colors and gold digging women on the hunt for wealthy men, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” could be looked at as a poster child for capitalism, a farcical battle of the sexes in a war where men did not stand a chance. The two female stars had more curves to throw than two pitchers in a nine inning baseball game. Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell were the male sexual fantasies of the 1950’s, caricatures of real women with the kind of bodies teenage boys only saw in magazines keep under their beds, and they exploited it full tilt. Artfully, Marilyn and Jane work their way through every male in the film, succeeding in every battle. They always came out on top.
The film gets off to an extraordinary start with the sexually suggestive (though it was toned down in the final cut) “Just Two Girls from Little Rock” song and dance number. Director Howard Hawks films the two ladies unashamed, staring at the camera, almost daring every man in the audience to come forward and challenge their attitude. However, the most memorable sequence in the picture is Monroe’s big number, “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” with all its garish color and consumerist ideology built into every note. Monroe eats up the screen; she and the audience both know this is the main showpiece of the film. It is pure Hollywood gaudiness and entertaining as hell. You may notice a young George Chakiris, future leader of The Sharks in “West Side Story,” as one of the chorus boys in this number.
Unlike most Hawks films the men here are objects to be ogled. For example, there is the swimming team filled with beefcake, which Dorothy (Jane Russell) eyes like they were a rich creamy dessert. In most of the films’ situations the men are just ineffectual, rather plain looking types, who think and act like thirteen year olds, submissive to the women in the film. Charles Coburn’s philandering diamond mine millionaire, Piggy is henpecked to his stuffy wife. Tommy Noonan’s spectacled wearing lover boy is continually wrapped around Lorelei’s finger.
While Hawks is not typically thought of as a women’s director he has always had strong and sexually intriguing female characters in his films, Feathers (Angie Dickinson) in “Rio Bravo,” Slim (Lauren Bacall) in “To Have and Have Not” and Sugarpuss O’Shea (Barbara Stanwyck) in “Ball of Fire” seem far more secure in their sexual beings than the men in the respective films. Feathers leave John T. Chance (John Wayne) flustered while Slim leaves Bogie’s Steve Martin with a dangling cigarette and a whistle. Then there is the naive professor (Gary Cooper) who does not have a fighting chance against Stanwyck’s leggy stripper.
Based on Anita Loos novel and the hit Broadway musical that ran for almost two years with Carol Channing in the role of Lorelei Lee, 20th Century Fox won a bidding war to make the film. Music and lyrics were by Jules Styne and Leo Robin. The sparkling screenplay, written by Charles Lederer, is filled with sharp and witty lines, one or two that would face the censor’s wrath and had to be trimmed. Granted, the storyline is lightweight fluff but that is not what we are here for.
For Marilyn Monroe this was the film that would cement her status as a star and the supreme sex symbol of the 1950’s. She sparkles and gleams practically jumping off the screen in every scene. Aging film queen Betty Grable wanted the role of Lorelei Lee badly but lost out to the younger and upcoming Monroe. Jane Russell, certainly no slouch in the sexy and steamy category, holds her own against Marilyn and at one point does an astonishing impersonation of her during the French courtroom scene.
As an aside, Monroe’s pink dress, the one worn for the “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” number was auctioned off about a year ago for a winning bid near $315,000.
How ‘Gentleman Prefer Blondes’ made the ‘Elite 70’
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John, a very entertaining post on a very entertaining film. It took me more than one viewing, separated by several years, before I came to appreciate this film. Maybe I was comparing it too critically to the sophistication of Minnelli-style MGM musicals or the polished contrivance of the Astaire-Rogers films, but by the third viewing I was able to appreciate this film for its gaudy, bawdy, farcical Hawksian humor and, of course, for the unique charms of its stars. In a lot of ways this is the archetypal early Marilyn performance, before she discovered the Actors Studio and decided to get serious. For her part, Russell performs with her tongue firmly in cheek–all brainy sass to Marilyn’s mercenary predator masquerading as an innocent. And could Charles Coburn ever make a misstep with comedy? His scene with Marilyn (and George “Foghorn” Winslow) when she’s stuck in the porthole–“Why, your hand, it’s as small and soft as a child’s”– is just side-splittingly funny. A very insightful point you made about Dorothy and Lorelei being right in line with Hawks’s savvy women who know how to use their sexual allure to control their men. For me the standout musical number is, of course, Marilyn’s performance of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” but Russell gets the standout comedy bit with her hilarious courtroom imitation of Marilyn that you referred to.
R.D. – Thanks – Yes, both Monroe and Russell have their moments and Coburn, as you mention, never made a mistep in any comedy he was in. He is fantastic in THE MORE THE MERRIER, THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES and of course THE LADY EVE. One of those character actors that always enhance a film.
Every time I see this film, I like it more. Its view of marriage as a business transaction was so subversively counter to everything the 1950s were telling people. You could marry for love or money and be happier with the latter. I also think Marilyn is so incredibly funny, as are the visual gags, like turning Pinky’s head into a diamond. This is everything a smart musical should be and a perfect bellwether of its time. Thanks for the great write-up!
Marilyn – Good point about the film’s subversive behavior toward the sanctity of marriage. Yes, this is classic Monroe, organic, innocent and as R.D. mentioned before the Actors Studio turned her head. Thanks again.
Interesting review with some really good ideas on the consumerist subtext to the movie. It has been ages since I watched it last and I probably should give it a reviewing myself. I love your line ‘The two female stars had more curves to throw than two pitchers in a nine inning baseball game. ‘, which is a fantastic opening gambit. If you don’t mind I’ve got a few typo issues to look at. Toward the end of para.1 you use keep instead of kept; in para. 2 you talk of Howard Hawks unashamed filming, which may possibly be unashamedly; in para. 3 Piggy should probably be followed by a comma to clause it out of the sentence, while you would probably use by his stuffy wife rather than to his stuffy wife; later in the same paragraph you would probably use bespectacled, or spectacle wearing, rather than spectacled wearing; finally in para. 4 you would probably talk about sexual being rather than sexual beings, whilst Feathers leaves, rather than leave. I’m enjoying your reviews very much John and thank you for putting me on to this excellent website.
Thanks Rohan, I guess I need a proof reader. WitD is a great website with somes excellent contributors. Hope you explore it a bit.
…and I thought I was the only one to spot George Chakiris among the chorus boys. An enjoyable review of a delightful film— and you open your review with one of the funniest lines from the picture. The more I see of Marilyn, with whom I’ve been in love all these years, the more I appreciate her artistry— her charming speaking voice, her singing and dancing and most of all her acting ability. So what if she took a long time in her dressing room? Did folks think being a huge star with so much riding on her performance was easy? Billy Wilder said he nearly had a nervous breakdown waiting for Marilyn while filming “Some Like it Hot,” and yet although he had set aside several days for the scene with Tony
Curtis on the beach, Marilyn surprised them all by doing the whole thing in one afternoon, turning in a charming performance, a highlight of the movie.
“Gentleman Prefer Blondes” looks better as time passes. It’s fun to realize how much our attitudes and social conventions have changed. And observing all this by watching a musical with such rich entertainment value relieves us of the current obligation to adopt that ultra-serious academic posturing.
More and more I am aware of the superb craftsmanship of this picture. Every shot a masterwork of composition, the color beautifully designed and rendered, the editing incisive and invisible, the lighting lending a sense of three-dimensionality, the sound level beautifully calibrated for from scene to scene, the directing of the actors obviously subtle and evocative and……. oh, I could go on and on. Thanks once again for a smart review. Time and again I’ve been able to trust you as I’ve trusted no-one else for choosing a title to view. And thanks for taking movies seriously as the great art form of the last century.
Yours,
Dave
Dave, thanks for the kind words, and I do agree this film has aged well and even improving as time goes by. Hawks was a master of many genres as he proves here with the musical. A sparkling gaudy entertainment.
I’m with Marilyn on the sly subversion of this film– I love it. Both leads are indeed hilarious, with Marilyn more then showing what all the fuss has been about the last 60 or so years. A few other films are as subversive as this one on marriage (Hitchcock’s NOTORIOUS, and SUSPICION, Vidor’s BEYOND THE FOREST, much Ray of the period, etc) but this one is second two none, and the two alluring bombshells help this point even more.
Great film, great essay John. Hope it’s the first of many around here.
Jamie, – thanks so much for the good words. It is amazing as your watch many films from the 50’s, and even in the 40′,s how much “sly subversion” made made it into the films of those periods. Definitely adds another level to it all.
It says something about Hawks that he created one of the most iconic film musical numbers in — is it? — his only musical. John’s talk about female power reminds me of an episode in Joyce Carol Oates’s Monroe bionovel Blonde: It’s the premiere of this film and Monroe and Russell are working the crowd. Jane tells Marilyn there’s one thing they could do to drive the crowd of men wild. “Strip?” Marilyn assumes. “Kiss,” Jane explains. I don’t know if that’s something Jane Russell would ever suggest, but I wonder what Howard Hawks would have thought of the possibility.
Samuel, – I have heard of Oates’ novel but have not read it. Hawks does handle the musical like he was born to it. And it was his only film in this genre. Thanks for your thoughts.
Samuel and John, I’ve just had a look at the section on this movie in Todd McCarthy’s book on Hawks, which says that choreographer Jack Cole directed all the musical numbers and Hawks wasn’t present on the set during filming of those sections. Jane Russell is quoted as saying: “Howard Hawks had nothing to do with the musical numbers. He was not even there.” If that is right, it makes me think that really Cole should have had a credit as co-director – he also worked with Monroe on a lot of other films, including ‘Some Like It Hot’. But the musical numbers do fit together seamlessly with the rest of the film, anyway!
I really like what you have to say here John on this film and Hawks’ films in general regarding sexually confident females. What’s fascinating is that he’s able to turn their sexual personas back at the males in an often intimidating fashion, not just as a come-on. As you stated, they are more confident in their sexuality than the males in most cases by a long shot. Instead of the typical “male gaze” perspective, these ladies call the shots and they are controlling the sex. This is a really fun movie that captures the essence of the two stars. The “diamonds” number is an all-time classic.
Great work, John!
I found Charles Coburn’s performance of Piggy especially interesting in its maintaining, amidst many pratfalls, a gusto for life. He’s amusing without being ridiculous, don’t you think?
Thanks Jim,
Coburn is always a joy to behold. Totally agree.
While I’m NO fan of this film I still read through this essay with fascination and lingered on every well thought out word. This is an insightful essay that almost has me swayed to sit through this one again for another try.
My only problem with the film is that there seems to be too much gloss and not enough emphasis on the story and, as I have always said, Monroe is like Sushi: an acquired taste. You love her or you hate her…
Hey Dennis,
I agree about Monroe, people either seem to love her or don’t see what the big deal was all about. I am probably more in the first camp having a fondness for her as a comedienne. In this film particularly there seemed to be a nice blend of what I will call devious innocence. Anyway, thanks for the kind words and hopefully you give the film another shot.
You’re absolutely right about the Hawks women – I was just watching a scene from Rio Bravo the other day, and boy does Angie sizzle. In Hawks films, the women are not just objects to be ogled or mysterious others, they’re part of the gang, still different from the guys but as human, complicated, and identifiable as anyone.
Hawks was a supremely talented director in terms of feminist ideals. Quite remarkably so for his gender, environment, and time period actually.
And speaking of sizzling, Bacall in TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT burned up the celluloid when she asked Bogie if he knew how to whistle.
“Filmed in Technicolor with its brassy gaudy colors and gold digging women on the hunt for wealthy men, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” could be looked at as a poster child for capitalism, a farcical battle of the sexes in a war where men did not stand a chance. The two female stars had more curves to throw than two pitchers in a nine inning baseball game. Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell were the male sexual fantasies of the 1950′s, caricatures of real women with the kind of bodies teenage boys only saw in magazines keep under their beds, and they exploited it full tilt. Artfully, Marilyn and Jane work their way through every male in the film, succeeding in every battle. They always came out on top.”
Magnificent opening here John, and a terrific maiden appearance T WitD all told. As I just mentioned to Jim Clark under his own terrific review, this film always had an emotionally distancing effect on me, having to do with the fact that there is no character to rally around. The men are feckless, the women shallow and dim-witted. Yet this is as heated and stylish a film as you could hope for and Hawks brings in a uniquely vicious and tone and narrative. “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” is a real classic.
Thanks as always Sam and glad to be on board.
Great review, John – I do agree that Russell and Monroe come across as male fantasies, but I’d have to say undercutting that to some extent is the great friendship between them. You’d expect that two such glamorous characters might be stabbing each other in the back all the time, but not at all – they are really a female version of the male buddies in so many of Hawks’ films. According to Todd McCarthy’s biography of Hawks, Russell and Monroe became close friends in real life while making the movie, and that warmth comes across. I love the courtroom scene where Russell does her impression of Lorelei!
Thanks Judy! The courtroom scene with Russell is a highlight for sure. Good point on the two as “female versions of the male buddies in so many of Hawk’s film.” There is a nice camaraderie between them.