Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Director:

Howard Hawks

Writers:

Charles Lederer (screenplay)
Joseph Fields (musical comedy) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 July 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The Two M-M-Marvels Of Our Age In The Wonder Musical Of The World!

Plot:

Lorelei and Dorothy are just "Two Little Girls from Little Rock", lounge singers on a transatlantic cruise...

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Diamond | Surveillance Device | Drugged Drink | Pier

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jane Russell	...	Dorothy Shaw
Marilyn Monroe	...	Lorelei Lee
Charles Coburn	...	Sir Francis 'Piggy' Beekman
Elliott Reid	...	Ernie Malone
Tommy Noonan	...	Gus Esmond
George Winslow	...	Henry Spofford III
Marcel Dalio	...	Magistrate
Taylor Holmes	...	Mr. Esmond Sr.
Norma Varden	...	Lady Beekman
Howard Wendell	...	Watson
Steven Geray	...	Hotel Manager
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Aladdin	...	Musician (uncredited)
William Cabanne	...	Sims (uncredited)
Peter Camlin	...	Gendarme (uncredited)
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Winslow - Olympic team (uncredited)
George Chakiris	...	Dancer (song "Diamonds") (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Proprietor (uncredited)
John Close	...	Coach (uncredited)
George Davis	...	Cab driver (uncredited)
Jean De Briac	...	Gendarme (uncredited)
George Dee	...	Gendarme (uncredited)
Jean Del Val	...	Ship's captain (uncredited)
Charles De Ravenne	...	Purser (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Chez Louis Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Robert Foulk	...	Passport official (uncredited)
Alex Frazer	...	Pritchard (uncredited)
Robert Fuller	...	Featured Dancer (uncredited)
Ed Fury	...	Olympic Team Member (uncredited)
Chuck Hicks	...	Boxer (uncredited)
Larry Kert	...	Featured Dancer (uncredited)
Henri Letondal	...	Grotier (uncredited)
Alphonse Martell	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Matt Mattox	...	Featured Dancer (uncredited)
Ray Montgomery	...	Peters - Olympic team (uncredited)
Alvy Moore	...	Winston - Olympic team (uncredited)
Leo Mostovoy	...	Phillipe (uncredited)
Fred Moultrie	...	Boy dancer (uncredited)
James Moultrie	...	Boy dancer (uncredited)
Noel Neill	...	Well-Wisher (uncredited)
Robert Nichols	...	Evans (uncredited)
Ron Nyman	...	Featured Dancer (uncredited)
Alfred Paix	...	Pierre (uncredited)
Ralph Peters	...	Passport official (uncredited)
James H. Russell	...	Olympic Team Member (uncredited)
Rolfe Sedan	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Harry Seymour	...	Louie, Captain of Waiters (uncredited)
F. Philip Sylvestre	...	Steward (uncredited)
Charles Tannen	...	Ed - Malone's contact (uncredited)
Lee Theodore	...	Featured Dancer (uncredited)
Dick Wessel	...	Chez Louis Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Max Willenz	...	Court clerk (uncredited)
James R. Young	...	Stevens - Olympic team (uncredited)

Directed by
Howard Hawks

Writing credits
Charles Lederer		(screenplay)
Joseph Fields		(musical comedy) and
Anita Loos		(musical comedy)

Produced by
Sol C. Siegel	....	producer

Original Music by
Leigh Harline		(uncredited)
Lionel Newman		(uncredited)
Hal Schaefer		(uncredited)
Herbert W. Spencer		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Harry J. Wild		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Hugh S. Fowler

Art Direction by
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)
Joseph C. Wright

Set Decoration by
Claude E. Carpenter		(as Claude Carpenter)

Costume Design by
Travilla

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Allan Snyder	....	makeup artist: Miss Monroe (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Helmick	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)
E. Clayton Ward	....	sound

Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Clyde Taylor	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe director
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
James Blakeley	....	post-production coordinator (uncredited)

Music Department
Eliot Daniel	....	vocal director
Earle Hagen	....	orchestrator
Bernard Mayers	....	orchestrator
Lionel Newman	....	musical director
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestrator (as Herbert Spencer)

Other crew
Jack Cole	....	choreographer
Leonard Doss	....	technicolor color consultant
Herman Levin	....	stage presenter
Oliver Smith	....	stage presenter
Marni Nixon	....	voice double: high notes for Marilyn Monroe (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (released by)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1962) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Brazil) (DVD) (English, Spanish & Portuguese subtitles)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Howard Hawks' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (UK) (complete title) (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:14A (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Canada:G (video rating) | Portugal:M/6 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #16244) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Marilyn Monroe kept insisting on retakes despite approval of takes by director Howard Hawks. When Fox asked Hawks how production could be sped up he retorted: "three wonderful ideas: Replace Marilyn, rewrite the script and make it shorter, and get a new director."

Goofs:

Continuity: Lorelei's hair in her "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" number is straight. But when she is backstage, minutes after having finished, her hair is curly.

Quotes:

Lorelei Lee: If you've nothing more to say, then pray, scat!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Disconnected (1983)

Soundtrack:

A Little Girl from Little Rock

Great spectacle!

I think some people are too harsh on this movie. No, it doesn't saying anything revelatory about the human condition but that's not its intent. It is very good escapist fare. Monroe and Russell keep us enthralled with their glamor, song and dance numbers, and the occasional sharp one-liner. The plot is perfunctory. While Monroe is obviously the one most associated with the film in the public's consciousness, I personally think Russell is just as good if not better (I'm not saying that because I'm a brunet as well!) A question many Monroe fans ask is whether at this point onward in her career Monroe was playing Lorelei or whether in real life she 'was' Lorelei? Whatever the case, I recommend this movie if one is in the mood for glitzy glamorous Hollywood spectacle, 7/10.