Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Lorelei Lee is a beautiful showgirl engaged to be married to the wealthy Gus Esmond, much to the disapproval of Gus' rich father, Esmond Sr., who thinks that Lorelei is just after his money. When Lorelei goes on a cruise accompanied only by her best friend, Dorothy Shaw, Esmond Sr. hires Ernie Malone, a private detective, to follow her and report any questionable behavior that would disqualify her from the marriage.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a sparkling Howard Hawks musical comedy elevated enormously by Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, whose chemistry and comic timing are genuinely exceptional. Monroe's 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend' is an iconic sequence with strong visual direction, but the film's cinematography is otherwise fairly standard studio-era Technicolor work. The plot is a breezy, light confection — fun but thin, relying on mistaken identities and comic misunderstandings that are charming rather than inventive. Its novelty lies in the sharp gender-savvy subtext and the two leads' remarkable double-act, which gives the film a distinctive voice, though it works within conventional musical comedy frameworks. The ending wraps up neatly in the expected double-wedding fashion with little surprise.