04/24/06 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), directed by Howard Hawks

watched w/ Leslie; VHS (personal copy) @ home

Another Marilyn Monroe classic, in the same year as "How To Marry A Millionaire" nonetheless. She was really cranking them out in those days. And might I add that she tended to play the same role in most of those movies as well. Not to totally put limitations on her scope as an actress, but c'mon, she was mostly just a pretty face who knew how to put on a good show. The role that this echoes of "Millionaire" is one of a young beautiful lounge singer (other movie, see: model) who with friend Jane Russell (see: Lauren Bacall), schemes to plan to take a crazy cruise liner adventure (see: rent posh Manhattan flat) attempting to flirt their way into rich men's pockets (see: rich men's pockets), all the while realizing that true love their hearts desire is right in front of them in the form of some poor (actually rich) schlep that's ga-ga over them. Utilizing their god-given talents they woo and wile their way to their end goal. Thrown into the calamitous mix on the cruise are rich tycoon with jewels and wife, nerdy rich fiance and seriously swooning private detective hired to watch the girls. Oh, and lots of singing/dancing numbers. I was told by certain parties that the singing routines where there simply because the two lead characters are lounge singers, so it's not technically a musical. Whatever...it is. It's a musical, but it's fun. If you break into random songs while sitting a French bistros in English, and have the entire community dive right into the chorus as you skip about merrily...it's a musical. If your scene-stealing pink dressed Marilyn dives into the arms of tuxedoed bachelors while crooning and being the basis of a classic Madonna "Material Girl" video...you might be a musical. Wait, I think I've stumbled onto a Jeff Foxworthy routine.

3 out of 5 stars