This talented pairing of Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe was made in movie heaven. It appears on many lists of "must see" films. Based on a somewhat naughtier 1925 book and a 1949 Broadway Musical (starring Carol Channing). It's intended to be a farce, and more of an entertainment than a true musical, as the story is certainly not to taken seriously. Every time the two girls perform, something magical happens and there are several good musical numbers. "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend" is the signature Monroe musical number of all time. An unbelievable cast including the "USA Olympic Swimming Team". Although many critics called the swim team's performance "gay", my wife just loves it. Charles Coburn as "Piggy" is the original "dirty old man" and squeezes Marilyn tightly while imitating an anaconda snake in a tall tale about his African Safari. He lets her wear his wife's famous diamond tiara to keep her quiet and she naively believes that he gives it to her as a gift. A police chase travels to France to find the "stolen" and missing diamond-encrusted crown. The boy millionaire is quite annoying, and so is her nerdy fiancé, but skipping over that nonsense still can't spoil the magic of this wonderful classic movie, with the reddest and pinkest Technicolor anyone has ever seen!

With its bright, technicolor imagery, slight bawdiness, memorable music numbers, and iconic lead performances, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" has become something of a cinematic legend. Of course, it does not hold nearly the same legacy as a film like "The Godfather" or "Citizen Kane", but it is still among the most iconic and referenced classic film musicals of all time. This has much to do with the lovely Marilyn Monroe's memorable performance. She is certainly highly attractive in this movie, but her performance is memorable for more than just her looks. She's genuinely hilarious in this movie, and her character is so over the top at times that its obvious this film is (at least in part) meant to be highly satirical.While this movie is remembered more for the sex appeal of its leads, its still a great film. It has a sharp sense of humor, and these supposedly objectified women play their comical characters with the greatest timing and wit imaginable. The musical numbers are also fantastic. Hearing Jane Russel and Marilyn Monroe sing is more beautiful and heartwarming than is realistically conceivable.

This was Marilyn's first musical comedy, and my favorite, partly because is includes Jane Russell as an equal, making a musical comedy team. Generally, when you have a comedy team, you want them clearly differentiated from each other, both physically and personality -wise, but not so different that they can't relate to each other. Here, their hair color is as different as can be, Jane is a little taller, has a more elongate face, and MM tends to often quint her eyes vs. Jane's round eyes. Jane tends to be forthright and loud. Marilyn tends to be more devious, often with a naïve little girl persona. This contrast is most vividly displayed in how they sing "Bye Bye, Baby". Jane is prancing around in front of a men's Olympic team, singing loud and up tempo. MM then sings it slowly, softly, sexily, with feeling, to her shy nerdy fiancé(Gus), who is prohibited by his father from sailing to France with Marilyn. Besides his father being rich, Marilyn feels comfortable with Gus because he's shy, brings her gifts all the time and is easily manipulated. Also, Jane's attitude in what she most wants in a husband superficially is as different from Marilyn's as their hair color. Marilyn is a gold-digger first. If they happen to be young, handsome and/or athletic, as Jane likes, that's an added bonus.The script has Marilyn traveling to Paris, as a showgirl. Jane, also a show girl, accompanies her as a sort of chaperone, charged with trying to keep her out of compromising situations, to satisfy Gus's father, who suspects she is just a dumb blonde gold digger, who doesn't love Gus. Gus's father secretly sends a detective(Mr. Malone) to check up on Marilyn's doings. Thus, Jane and Malone have opposite goals as relates to documenting some scandalous incident. At first, Jane hates him, but then she realizes she's attracted to him.Malone takes a seemingly compromising photo of Marilyn being embraced by an elderly monocled diamond mine owner(Charles Coburn, as Piggy). By trickery, the girls steal the roll of film and have the picture developed to show to Piggy, inducing him to give Marilyn his wife's expensive tiara(headpiece) to keep her quite about the apparent incident. Apparently, even without the photo, Malone communicates what he saw to Gus's father. As a result, his financial support of the girls is cut off and Gus tells Marilyn their relationship is finished. Well, Piggy's wife discovers her tiara missing, and assumes Marilyn stole it, because she was so impressed when shown it. In turn, Marilyn discovers it missing from her jewelry box....The rest of the story I leave for you to discover for yourself, except to say that there is a predictable happy ending.Despite the most memorable song being "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend", we might think of the theme song being "Two Little Girls from Little Rock", since the pair sing it in the very beginning, before the title shows up, and again at the end. Marilyn sings "Diamonds are..." in a lavish stage production, dressed in flashy pink, as are the chorus dancers, Marilyn being surrounded by their male partners. This is later followed by Jane's very dynamic version in a courtroom, with blonde wig, to resemble Marilyn whom she was impersonating. This scene will probably be the comedic highlight of the film for you.The 3 songs I have mentioned in the above were composed by Jule Styne and Leo Robin for the prior stage version of this story. Two lesser songs were composed by Hoagy Carmichael and Harold Adamson for this film version: "When Love Goes Wrong", sung by Marilyn, and "Anyone Here for Love?", sung by Jane in the presence of the Olympic team.Malone asks J.R. how 2 girls so different in their attitudes toward men can be such good friends? I don't remember her response, but I will say they trust each other and don't compete for the same men.Marilyn is characterized as being ignorant about most things, but claims she tries to act dumb, because that's what men want.Available as part of the Marilyn Premier DVD Collection, as well as on it's own.The subsequent "Gentlemen Marry Brunettes" I haven't seen, but is said to be a spoof of the musical comedy genre, with Jane sometimes trying to imitate Marilyn. It's rating is very low, but some reviewers say it is nonetheless quite entertaining.

GENTLMEN PREFER BLONDES is quite popular and somewhat humorous musical comedy. The protagonists are two entertainers traveling to France and experience a series of romantic complications related to the rich and stupid millionaires on one side and a determined and pretty-private detective on the other side. The film in a way making fun of stereotypes of ideal girlfriends and ideal husbands. Dumb blonde (she has a valid reason for her behavior) wants only the rich. Sarcastic and somewhat cynical brunette wants only pretty or handsome. All this is pretty well packed with a lot of laughter, song and dance. Otherwise I would have vomited. The director was able to get the best out of this story. One of the protagonists is a counterweight to the other protagonists. Completely different characters who support and love each other. I have a feeling that the men in this film are dumb. Women eventually receive exactly what they asked for. The film has a charm, abounds mostly caricatured characters, excellent dance lilting points and witty dialogues and relationships.Jane Russell as Dorothy Shaw and Marilyn Monroe as Lorelei Lee are completely different characters but both acting like a couple walking magnets. Just to look at them and in the second time you eat out of their hands. Marilyn Monroe as compared to Lorelei behaves quite frankly. The performance in ecstasy. I still say that she's a good actress. However, she seems to be too good in what is not always nice to see in the film. Jane Russell is a counterbalance, but not better, her character is even more provocative and unintelligible in certain situations. Both lack of character and charm.This is a fluffy comedy.