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.

There can be no denying it - As it was so clearly evident here in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the marvellous wonder of Technicolour and the dynamic radiance of Marilyn Monroe were, without question, made for each other.In this slick and sassy Musical/Comedy from 1953, Monroe plays showgirl, Lorelei Lee, a somewhat clueless gold-digger, who isn't all that concerned about a guy's age or looks, just as long as he's got plenty of cash to throw around in order to buy her expensive presents.Even though Monroe, as usual, looked positively sensational here, I personally think that her talent as an actress was totally wasted in this silly, shallow and preposterous film.With plenty of sexual innuendo squeezed into its dialogue, the highlight of this moderately entertaining picture was (again) the gorgeous Marilyn, in a hot-pink, strapless dress, doing a sizzling "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" number.The only reason to watch this film is to see Marilyn Monroe at her absolute loveliest.

Best friends Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) and Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell) are nightclub singers traveling to Paris on a transAtlantic cruise. They encounter many enamored men including the US Olympic Team, a Private Eye, and a diamond rich man.Based on the Broadway musical, director Howard Hawks is able to coax a truly fun performance from Monroe. Her magnetism is undeniable. Her bubbly personality outshines even Jane Russell.There are some fun jokes mostly sexual in nature as expected. The songs are good including the iconic "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend". That particular song production is especially fun. It makes the movie. And it's especially great to have Monroe and Russell actually sing most of the songs.

With Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, filmed in 1953, directed by Howard Hawks is a pleasant musical heyday of Hollywood, with two very beautiful and graceful actresses who performed spontaneous and very well prepared roles that show how a beautiful woman can conquer any man with flirtatious glances and movements, while these within the materialistic philosophy of the time, as a film critique, show how money is the best arm to let her fall in love particularly if some jewels (diamonds) are included. Cheerful and jovial music, sensual dances, simple and innocent humor. Ninety minutes of diversion from a simple script that captivates and entertains the viewer. A beautiful Marilyn, innocent, naive and with great force as an actress and Jane Russell as his charming companion and contrast of her personality and intelligence. Nice film