Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Grade: B+
Considering that choosing films for the Blind Spot Series is very much like a TBR (TBW?) it’s amazing I stuck with it this long. Truth be told I’m very much a mood watcher like a mood reader and I didn’t want to watch any of the movies on my list.
I wound up watching this Marilyn Monroe/Jane Russell classic and completely enjoyed it.
Gentlemen has got to be most famous for Marilyn Monroe’s version of Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend (which I swear I have seen bits of this since I was a tiny girl!) Monroe plays Lorelei Leigh a big-hearted gold -digger whose off on a cruise with her best friend Dorothy (Jane Russell) whose mostly into a guys looks.
Lorelei’s future father-in-law has a Detective on her tail to catch her if she screws up and since there’s a diamond mine in her way that’s probably going to happen.
This was a fun film. I liked both actresses. They had good chemistry together and I liked that Dorothy really cared for Lorelei. The clothes. The cute little joke with the kid. I even liked the musical numbers. Though the court version of Diamonds was a little weird. I actually think Lorelei might be my favorite of Marilyn’s roles. (Granted I haven’t seen that many.) But she’s not wrong about a woman deserving and liking nice things.
And I did get a kick out of her lust for that tiara.
I think my main hang-up is like with all these romances/comedies from Old Hollywood. A part of me can’t help always think- Not a good sign for your future. Why are you letting him physically pull you around like that? You’re getting married? How long have you known each other 3 days?
Otherwise Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a cute fun Hollywood musical & a pretty good way to end the summer!
Recommend: Yes. Worth it for Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe and finally seeing the whole Diamonds performance.
I’ll have to check that one out! I stink my favorite old movie will always be Sabrina though. Even with the ginormous age difference, I still love it.
I haven’t seen the original Sabrina but it’s on my wishlist to checkout! Age differences are not a big deal to me as I used to be in love with Robert Redford and Paul Newman in high school and even then they were old enough to be my grandfathers 🙂 All depends on how its done though!
Hah. My niece had a crush on Alec Baldwin when she was 12. Always makes me laugh, though she was WAY too young for him. I’m excited for you to see Sabrina, though! Humphrey Bogart is definitely an acceptable older love interest.
Yeah, they’re irresistible together. We deserve a movie about them, and cut out the men.
Agreed!
I’ll have to check this out one day, can’t believe I haven’t yet watched one Marilyn Monroe film. They both look so insanely stunning. I think I recall watching a documentary on Monroe which talked about how Jane and Marilyn were good friends. 😃
I had heard that as well! Jane Russell definitely has a big sister vibe to her. It’s been a while but I also would recommend Some Like it Hot and How to Marry a Millionaire for some good fun Marilyn roles.
good
I agree about the instant love and romance often portrayed in film. I guess we’re all supposed to buy into the fantasy and we usually do! I love M.M.’s performance as Lorelei. BTW, the book Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is FABULOUS. Thanks for a fun blog. You can catch mine @ maxmcmanus.com.