Marilyn
Monroe's ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ on Derana
All time classics"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" will be telecast
on Derana on Friday 28 April at 8.45 pm. ‘Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes" is a novel written by Anita Loos that was published
in 1925, a Broadway play produced in 1926. A Broadway musical produced
in 1949, which Loos also wrote the book for, and two motion pictures.
The silent movie was released in 1928, and Loos also wrote the subtitles,
and the sound movie was released in 1953.
The
1953 20th Century Fox movie is a musical comedy/romance starring
Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe, with Charles Coburn, Elliott Reid,
Tommy Noonan, Taylor Holmes, and Norma Varden.
Directed
by Howard Hawks, the story was adapted by Charles Lederer.
It has songs by Harold Adamson, Hoagy Carmichael, Leo Robin and
Jule Styne.
The movie is packed with comedic gags and musical numbers. Jane
Russell's down-to-earth, sharp wit has been generally noted, but
overall it is Monroe's self-ironic turn as the gold-digging Lorelei
Lee that the film is remembered by. Monroe's rendition of the song
"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" is considered an iconic
performance that has been copied by blonde bombshells ranging from
Madonna to Anna Nicole Smith.
Dorothy
Shaw (Russell) and Lorelei Lee (Monroe) are showgirls and best friends,
"just two little girls from Little Rock." Superficially,
Lorelei appears to be the more vacuous of the two -- her life's
dream is to marry someone rich and she will use almost any means
to achieve her goal. Her persuasive powers have ensured that she
is engaged to Gus Esmond (Noonan), who is willing to do anything
for her ... and has the means to BUY anything for her. His father,
Mr. Esmond, Sr. (Holmes), however, does not approve of Lorelei and
thinks she's just a scheming gold digger.
Plans
are made for Lorelei to sail to France, where she and Gus will be
married once he arrives. Mr. Esmond sends private detective Ernie
Malone (played by Reid) along to spy on Lorelei. Dorothy and Lorelei
board the ship bound for Paris and Lorelei finds herself entangled
in a series of screwball mishaps.
Malone
falls in love with Dorothy while he's spying on Lorelei. He tries
to warn Dorothy about her friend, but she tells him, "Now listen,
Malone, let's get something straight. Nobody talks about Lorelei
but me." In the meantime, Lorelei meets Sir Francis "Piggy"
Beekman (played by character actor Coburn) who gives her a diamond
tiara. Malone sends a bad report to Esmond, who stops the wedding
and cuts Lorelei off financially. Dorothy and Malone have a falling
out when she discovers his real identity and the trouble he is causing
Lorelei.
Stuck
in Paris without any money or a place to live, Lorelei and Dorothy
get a job entertaining. Beekman cannot tell his wife, Lady Beekman
(Varden), the truth about the tiara and it is reported stolen. Malone
is convinced that Lorelei is a jewel thief. Beekman steals back
the tiara and when Lorelei is questioned she no longer has it. It
is discovered in Beekman's bag by Malone and all is resolved in
the end.
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