Opening Statement

Critics and audiences alike loved Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Monroe found her place in sexy comedy. And it has aged well. It’s still charming and sharp-witted and very, very fun. Monroe and Jane Russell pair together perfectly, and the Olympic swimming team as background doesn’t hurt – by Felicia Elliott, May 1, 2017

The Hawksian Women: Dorothy and Lorelei

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, based on a novel and Broadway musical by Anita Loos, fits this recurring pattern in Hawks’s films, but is unique among the films he directed in that both of the central characters are women. But it’d be hard to say it passes the famous Bechdel Test, as each is obsessed with men, albeit in different ways – by Patrick Brown, May 1, 2017

Scenessential: Love and Diamonds

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is full of wonderful music and comedy but two sequences stand out. Each is a showpiece for stars Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe, highlighting what makes these dynamic stars great. Like the best movie musicals, though, these scenes aren’t just fluff – by Aaron Pinkston, May 2, 2017

First Viewing: Cult of Celebrity

But where does that power come from? Is it the icon, or the woman? It’s hard for me to tell as I watch her performance so many years removed from her initial stardom. Have I been brainwashed by her brand, manipulated by her iconography into associating her with something more grand? – by Zachary Davis, May 3, 2017

Gentlewomen Prefer Brunettes

It seems like the classic scenario of the blonde in the spotlight, her dark-haired friend shunted just off to the side. But the part isn’t written that way and Russell certainly doesn’t play it that way. She’s on fire every second she’s on screen, but she’s on fire in a way that feels specifically designed to appeal to women – by Sarah Gorr, May 3, 2017

Filmography: Marilyn Monroe

Although Marilyn Monroe is credited in about 30 films, she only starred in 12. This modest number is due to two things: her early death at age 36, and a contract dispute with 20th Century-Fox during which she refused to do movies as a way to exert her power and influence and get the production company to give her more money and more creative power – by Felicia Elliott, May 4, 2017

Related Review: The Girl Can't Help It

The Girl Can’t Help It is an extraordinarily funny and entertaining film, much like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I wouldn’t call this a straight-out parody of the Hawks film, but Tashlin is definitely playing off its mass appeal and star. The cynical way it looks at how Jerri rises to prominence and how the men around her look at her is an obvious commentary on the Marilyn Monroe figure and just how ridiculous it can be at times – by Aaron Pinkston, May 5, 2017