There aren’t many cinematic confections more fluffy or sugary than Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, which stars Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe as American showgirls on a cruise ship bound for Paris. Monroe plays Lorelei who is beautiful, ditzy and unrepentant about using her looks to persuade wealthy gentlemen to part with their riches. Russell is the more street smart and down-to-earth Dorothy who couldn’t care less about money and would prefer to find love, although she doesn’t have a lot of time for love with all the effort it takes to keep Lorelei out of trouble.
Monroe arguably plays the more interesting character, and certainly the one that the film revolves around, but I thought Russell was the real star of the film, adding a mischievous sparkle to all her scenes and making the whole production just look like a darn lot of fun.
The film’s signature song, “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” is more remembered for Monroe’s performance, but Russell has the last word when she reprises the number in a platinum blond wing while imitating Lorelei in a raucous courtroom scene. It succeeds as a brilliant send-up as well as a great performance in its own right.
From beginning to end, this isn’t a movie that takes itself seriously, but Lorelei’s cynical scheming lends it a sardonic edge. Her point, that wealth outlasts beauty, is hard to argue with, and in the end she emerges victorious, through little effort of her own. But Russell gives a performance that tempers what could have been a crassly materialistic message by suggesting that a sense of fun can trump both beauty and wealth.
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