Marilyn Monroe: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Funny musical glamorous comedy.Iconic diamonds are a girls best friend song.Only regret brought it full price and now its half the price.

great movie.

Una de las películas clásicas de Marilyn Monroe, también con la actuación de la hermosa Jane Russell, luce mejor que nunca en alta definición total. Vale la pena adquirir este filme en Blu-ray, ya que la transferencia brilla por su calidad y fidelidad. Divertida y simpática, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" es un título obligado para los coleccionistas fans del más grande icono femenino del séptimo arte, MM.

What did you dislike?Nary a thing.What did you like?Everything about this film, made just before big budget films went widescreen to compete with television. Director Howard Hawks has a wry touch with comedy, while playing up Jane and Marilyn as female buddies with a lot of chemistry together (more than they have with any man in the film). "Thelma and Louise" owes this film a great deal. It is unfortunate the actors the leads are paired with (Elliott Reed as Ernie Malone, and Tommy Noonan as Gus Esmond Jr.) have been forgotten, since both are excellent. Charles Coburn does his usual star turn as Sir Francis “Piggy” Beekman, and both Norma Varden as Lady Beekman and Taylor Holmes as Mr. Esmond Sr. are tops. The young George Winslow as Henry Spofford III is a hoot. Hawks did not direct the music/dance sequences, but they mesh with the rest of the film. Marilyn has the flashy role as Lorelei Lee, but is so mannered that I found myself cottoning to Jane as Dorothy Malone. No one had a more piercing gaze than this actress did; she sizes up everyone and everything around her in a flash. (Norma Varden played the woman in STRANGERS ON A TRAIN almost strangled by Bruno Antony, and she appears at the start of CASABLANCA.)What did you use this product for?To remind myself that filmmakers restricted by censorship (not just the Production Code, but also the HUAC investigation of Hollywood) can triumph over limitations, as can the crew, scenarists, and production staff. The actors are especially well cast. The film is a joy from start to finish. I watch it on a regular basis.

This is probably one of my very favorite Marilyn Monroe movies; just the perfect mix of comedy, dance, music, and eye-popping Technicolor. The Blu-ray looks amazing; clear crisp picture with just the right amount of film grain to look natural. The details are fantastic, too; you can even see Marilyn's jewelry with great clarity. The sound works just fine for a movie of its age; it does appear that some separation was done with some of the sound effects (noticed during the ringing of the bell for "Bye Bye Baby" where it came from a rear speaker, but nothing that is going to blow you away. Just clear sound that highlights the vocals of Marilyn and Jane Russell perfectly. The one drawback are the extras; very few to speak of. A few Marilyn trailers (which promote other Fox Blu-ray releases) and a short Fox Movietone Newsreel showing Marilyn & Jane Russell putting their handprints in the cement at Grauman's Chinese Theater. No restoration comparison, no interviews, no deleted scenes, and no commentary. Pretty disappointing when considering what an icon Marilyn is, even today. The one other oddity is that on the back of the case, the photo of "Marilyn" from "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" doesn't even look like Marilyn; either it's another model or she is so heavily photoshopped that it just doesn't look like her. A minor quibble. At least Fox seemed to put their best foot forward on the quality of the picture and sound, which truly is the bottom line for this release. If you're not familiar with the story, here it is in a nutshell. Jane Russell (playing Dorothy) & Marilyn (as Lorelei) are two showgirls looking for love. Dorothy is single, and Lorelei is tied to a nerdy man (played perfectly by Tommy Noonan) worth millions. Unfortunately, her boyfriend's dad doesn't approve of the relationship. In order to make his heart grow fonder, Lorelei separates herself from her honey by taking a cruise with Dorothy. Unbeknownst to the girls, the dad has the two followed by a detective. Dorothy falls for the detective which throws a wrench into the whole proceedings.A number of memorable musical numbers by Russell ("Anyone Here For Love?") and Monroe ("Diamonds"). These two make a great combo, as you can really feel a genuine friendship with their on-screen chemistry. Highly recommended as one of Marilyn's most entertaining movies!

An absolute delight from start to finish! Howard Hawks, one of Hollywood's most respected directors, turned his hand to this musical comedy which originated as a novel by Anita Loos, then became a stage musical by Loos and Joseph Fields. This motion picture adaptation was written by Charles Lederer, and his storyline and dialogue are a lot of fun.Jane Russell plays Dorothy Shaw, a man hungry brunette, and Marilyn Monroe plays Lorelei Lee, a money hungry blonde. They are introduced as showgirls singing "Two Little Girls From Little Rock" in the very first scene, before the opening credits. Then we find out they are also friends who are about to travel together by ship to France.The plot involves the pair becoming involved with a private detective, who is hired by Lorelei's fiancé's father to keep tabs on her, and with a wealthy diamond mine owner who gives Lorelei his wife's diamond tiara so he can continue seeing her.But the men in the picture, happily, are secondary to the genuine friendship between Dorothy and Lorelei. They are two ladies who pool their resources, mainly their wits, in order to survive in a male dominated world. You could call this an early feminist picture, but in an innocuous way, as both still desire men, but on their own terms.My favourite musical numbers are Russell's "Ain't There Anyone Here For Love?", performed with a group of male dancers playing athletes, the duet "When Love Goes Wrong", set at a Paris sidewalk café, and Monroe's classic "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend", which Madonna paid homage to in her "Material Girl" music video.The beautiful Technicolor cinematography is courtesy of Harry J. Wild. Charles Coburn is memorable as the sugar daddy Sir Francis Beekman, while Tommy Noonan plays Gus Esmond Jr., Lorelei's fiancé, and Elliott Reid plays the detective Ernie Malone.

When you're feeling down in the dumps, a movie like GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (20th Century Fox, 1953) is a sure cure, especially when it's got two cheery gals like Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in it to make you forget your troubles. They play a couple of showgirls on an ocean liner bound for Paris - Marilyn's trying to land a millionaire and Jane is her less material-minded pal. Merriment and mix-ups ensue before they end up at the altar with their respective Prince Charmings.Based on the Broadway hit by Anita Loos and directed by Howard Hawks, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES is a veritable showcase for its two leading stars, and is simply one of the most entertaining musical comedies of all time. Both ladies look absolutely stunning in those lush, '50s era Technicolor tones which are fully captured in Fox's fabulous Blu-ray edition. Marilyn's most iconic number, "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend", is a showstopper to be sure, and here it sparkles with a clarity that'll knock your socks off. The crystal clear audio is in 5.1 stereo and original mono and alternate Spanish and French languages with respective subtitles. The movie is formatted to its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio. Extras include a Fox Movietone News: "Marilyn and Jane in Cement", the original trailer, and other Marilyn coming attractions.GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES is one of those movies that just seems to hit the spot at each viewing. It's sheer fun, and it captures that happy, carefree spirit of the '50s in a way few films do.Highly recommended.