Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

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Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Movie Review

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a 1953 musical comedy film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. It is such a fun, crazy movie.

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“Don’t you know that a man being rich is like a girl being pretty?

You wouldn’t marry a girl just because she’s pretty,

but my goodness, doesn’t it help?“

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Yes, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is one of those classic movies that feel way too modern for its age and surely, owing to its infectious energy, weird humor and strong sexuality, it can be enjoyed immensely by today’s audiences. I admired its energy and the film was entertaining from beginning to end. Its oddball nature was perfect and the sexual aspects were so funny and delightfully cheesy.

Marilyn Monroe here proves that she was actually a very good actress. She gives such a great performance, full of charisma, vigor and charm. She was very good and of course beautiful. But to me Jane Russell was the real star here. Don’t get me wrong, both women are great, but she is more memorable and quite underrated here. She stole the show and her more down-to-earth, but still funny character was terrific. The two are so great together. The men are all fine, but these two women are the real stars.

What I found really interesting about Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is that vibrant, over-the-top sexuality. Rarely do we see women lust over men in such an evident and strong manner and this is the fifties we’re talking about. So crazy and weird. Watching Jane Russell in particular was such a delight as her obsession with handsome men perfectly clashed against Monroe’s obsession with rich, older guys.

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The film to me is very good, but never great as it somewhat loses its steam in the second half resulting in the film that is much funnier and much better in the first half. And that whole shenanigans with the jewelry could have been better executed. The movie was also way too superficial at times and way too entertaining. I wish that it featured some sophisticated moments along with the fun ones and we never really get to see some sort of a commentary here which is a real shame.

But it does succeed as a comedy because it can be quite funny at times and even hilarious. It also succeeds as a musical because, let’s be honest, these songs are so good and so catchy that everyone can enjoy them. Anyone Here for Love? isn’t that memorable as a musical number, but with that infectious energy and a great turn from Russell, it becomes unforgettable. The imagery there is also truly one of a kind as we watch her being so happy surrounded by those handsome sportsmen. Bye Bye Baby is a great number as it is so catchy and just a lot of fun. But of course the real highlight has to be Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend which is not only catchy and entertaining, but also technically brilliant and filled with awesome costumes and a superb set.

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It is weird that the film was directed by Howard Hawks as this is most certainly far from his usual style, but he proved how great he was when he made it so good anyway. The editing is mostly great, the film is consistently engaging, the acting is so good and the film is so well made with some gorgeous Technicolor at display. Overall, it isn’t great, but as these kinds of comedies go, it is pretty special in its own right.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes isn’t particularly sophisticated, but it is such a fun and funny film that feels so modern owing to its awesome mix of strong sexuality, weird and over-the-top humor and an infectious energy. Marilyn Monroe is so good here, but Jane Russell is even better and the two are such a great duo. The film is such a good comedy, but also a great musical as it is filled with many catchy songs and so well choreographed musical numbers. It’s unabashedly light and fluffy, but fun and charming nonetheless.