Looking back to the pop culture references of the past 50 or
so years, it would be easy to say that the most universally accepted and iconic
of all sex symbols has to be Marilyn Monroe. She was always portrayed as the
dumb blonde with the beautiful figure who was easy to please and was wanted by
every man that had the pleasure of having her in their sights. This exact
persona was used by Howard Hawks in his 1953 classic musical film Gentlemen
Prefer Blondes.
Lorelai Lee and Dorothy Shaw are best friends and co-stars
of their very own cabaret show. Lorelai is a beautiful blonde who loves men
based on their wealth while Dorothy is a brunette who falls for every good
looking man she meets. Lorelai is set to marry Gus Esmond, the heir to a large
fortune which sparks Lorelai’s interest. However, Gus’ father is against the
marriage and sets a private detective to follow Lorelai and collect
incriminating evidence as she and Dorothy take a cross-Atlantic cruise to
France where she hopes to ultimately tie the knot with Gus. As Lorelai vies for
other options of rich men, Dorothy slowly drifts into the arms of a handsome
and charming young man who turns out to be the private detective. Lorelai lands
in a fix as a married man on the ship falls for her charm leading to
unfortunate circumstances.
The film is considered a classic musical film which was
remade from a classic Broadway musical. The star cast of Marilyn Monroe and
Jane Russell carry the film with their femme fatale identities shining through
their onscreen characters. The film truly accentuates the sex symbol that is
Marilyn Monroe, from every detail of her lips and talking to her shaking hips
during dance routines. It was a big break for her since it was one of her first
starring roles in a big musical production.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a light-hearted musical which
spins together elements of drama and few comedic dialogues. All-in-all, it is a
fun movie to watch for its standout songs and style which reeks of a classic
1950s Hollywood film.
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