The movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, starring Marilyn Monroe, topped the box office charts in 1953. The actress portrayed a "dumb blonde" in the movie. Monroe sang the well-known song about diamonds being a girl's best friend in this movie. We'll fill you in on every detail of what transpired during the production of this renowned film.
On the surface, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes appears to be a musical about two man-hungry ladies who board a cruise ship and seduce an American Olympic squad that is openly homosexual. Nevertheless, appearances may be misleading, and hidden under the seductive sets, catchy songs, and the pointless storyline is a narrative of female camaraderie that would make Thelma and Louise blush. Despite the men's best efforts to display their strength, wealth, and street smarts, the 1953 classic by Howard Hawks sinks or swims on the chemistry between Marilyn Monroe's Lorelei Lee and Jane Russell's Dorothy Shaw.
Scroll down to see more facts about the movie!
On the surface, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes appears to be a musical about two man-hungry ladies who board a cruise ship and seduce an American Olympic squad that is openly homosexual. Nevertheless, appearances may be misleading, and hidden under the seductive sets, catchy songs, and the pointless storyline is a narrative of female camaraderie that would make Thelma and Louise blush. Despite the men's best efforts to display their strength, wealth, and street smarts, the 1953 classic by Howard Hawks sinks or swims on the chemistry between Marilyn Monroe's Lorelei Lee and Jane Russell's Dorothy Shaw.
Scroll down to see more facts about the movie!
Source: © Gentlemen Prefer Blondes / Twentieth Century Fox
- The ship that was utilized in the film was the same one that was previously used in Titanic (1953), and it had been renovated to resemble the SS Ile de France, which is referred to explicitly in the movie.
Source: © How to Marry a Millionaire / Twentieth Century Fox, © Gentlemen Prefer Blondes / Twentieth Century Fox
- Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, who portrayed Lorelei's companion Dorothy in several of their moments together, coordinated all of their emotions. To assist them to attain synchrony in their dance routines, a choreographer was engaged. The actresses were purposefully placed so that they even walked in harmony, and the females moved in step with each other the entire time.
- The women swiftly climbed up and down stairs in high heels for the first musical number, where Russell and Monroe sang the song "Little Girl from Little Rock" while wearing red gowns. Jane was cautious at this time and kept gazing at her feet. Marilyn, though, never lowered her gaze.
Source: © Gentlemen Prefer Blondes / Twentieth Century Fox
- On the set, Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell grew close. Russell claimed in an interview that Monroe was extremely sensitive to everything, even the rudeness of the males on the set. Jane was the only one who could get Marilyn to exit her trailer and begin filming during the most trying times.
- It wasn't intended for Dorothy to fall into the pool in the episode. It happened by mistake. Yet, the director chose to include the sequence in the movie after seeing it.
Source: © Gentlemen Prefer Blondes / Twentieth Century Fox
- Originally, Lorelei, the main character was supposed to be played by Betty Grable, another actress. But, in order to save money, the movie's producers chose Marilyn Monroe for the part.Grable received one of the largest salaries of any actress at the time, which amounted to $150,000. Monroe, however, only earned $18,000, which was much less. In addition, Marilyn was already well-known at the time because to her role in the film Niagara.
- It would have been better if Marilyn Monroe's appearance in the classic rendition of the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" had been edgier. The actress was scheduled to wear a fishnet-covered dress with scattered rhinestone embellishments that mimicked diamond jewelry. Marilyn ended up performing in a fuchsia-colored dress since the outfit was deemed to be excessively exposing.
Source: © Gentlemen Prefer Blondes / Twentieth Century Fox, © 20th Century Fox / Wikipedia
Source: © Gentlemen Prefer Blondes / Twentieth Century Fox
- All of the dancers were forced to put black mesh on their heads for the rendition of the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" during the performance. Marilyn Monroe received special treatment because she was intended to be the sole blonde in the film's original plot. By turning their temples gray, the male actors' light hair was also covered up.
Source: © Gentlemen Prefer Blondes / Twentieth Century Fox
- Anita Loos, an American novelist and screenwriter, wrote the book on which the movie was based. Nonetheless, there were a number of variations between the book and the movie's narrative. For instance, Dorothy does not encounter a private investigator while traveling in the book.Instead, she first encounters a hapless magazine editor. In the movie's climax, Lorelei finds a new friend who offers to pay for a film with her in it rather than the man who paid for her trip.
- Monroe's companion Tommy Noonan, who portrayed her character's fiancé, disliked kissing her. He described the kiss to a crew member as feeling "like being swallowed alive." When Monroe learned about it, she became so anxious that she started weeping and locked herself in the makeup area. Her coworkers had a difficult time calming her down and persuading her to carry on.
Source: © Gentlemen Prefer Blondes / Twentieth Century Fox
- A decision was made to create a movie with a similar premise two years after the film's debut. Gentlemen Marry Brunettes was the film that came after Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. This time around, Jane Russell acted in the movie sans Marilyn Monroe.The subsequent movie's story has little to do with the storied original. Two Broadway performers who are sick of living in New York tell their experience. In order to further their professions and look for spouses, they move to France.
Source: © Gentlemen Prefer Blondes / Twentieth Century Fox
- The Broadway premiere of the musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes took place in 1949. Actress Carol Channing took the starring role and was the first person to perform the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." Channing was never a candidate for the character of Lorelei in the movie, according to the film adaptation's writers.
- I can be brilliant when it's essential, but most guys don't like it, Monroe's character famously says to her fiancé's father at the end of the movie. Monroe was the only author of this line.
Source: © Gentlemen Prefer Blondes / Twentieth Century Fox
- Originally, Monroe and Russell were supposed to be replaced by other female singers. Marilyn's voice was at first thought to be ludicrous. The movie directors then had a change of heart and decided to leave everything as it was after hearing recordings of the women singing.Only a few words of the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," which called for an operatic rendition, were rendered by professional singer Marni Nixon. By the way, Nixon was the one who originally noted that Monroe's voice was the most appropriate.