Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 1953
I had never seen this movie, but it would be hard not to be aware of the iconic “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” number with Marilyn Monroe in a pink dress. Looking up Marilyn’s best movies, this one usually comes close to the top of the list, so I wound up buying it blind on a decent sale. Although Jane Russell got top billing, it is more Marilyn’s movie. She looks great and makes Jane Russell look old and plain in comparison. However, what I didn’t realize about the movie is there are a lot of musical numbers and other than the famous one, generally not very good, with the two stars hamming it up and shaking their assets a little more than necessary. There are also a lot of jokes about their looks and men’s reactions which seem tired, not to mention sexist. I will admit that there are a few funny scenes or gags (particularly invovling passenger Henry Spofford III) and generally the movie isn’t bad, though not that good, and not really what I would hope for. Monroe’s character is given some depth, an admitted gold digger, playing dumb, but she knows how to get what she wants and is still sweet, which makes for some complexity. Other characters are thinly drawn and don’t quite work, which I will cover in a spoiler. The movie was early in Monroe’s career, but she has all her mannerisms down, always looks good, and has some great comic instincts. That said, ultimately the plot is a letdown, mostly taking a backseat to the ho-hum musical numbers. I can’t give it more than a C+.
Written: 21 Mar 2020
Owned on: Blu-ray, Digital