View source for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953 film)

{{short description|1953 musical comedy film by Howard Hawks}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
| image          = Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) film poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Howard Hawks]]
| screenplay     = [[Charles Lederer]]
| producer       = [[Sol C. Siegel]]
| based_on       = ''[[Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (musical)|Gentlemen Prefer Blondes]]'' <br> by [[Anita Loos]] <br> [[Joseph Fields]]
| starring       = [[Jane Russell]]<br />[[Marilyn Monroe]]
| music          = [[Eliot Daniel]]<br />[[Lionel Newman]]<br />'''Songs:'''<br />[[Jule Styne]] ''(music)''<br />[[Leo Robin]] ''(lyrics)''<br />[[Hoagy Carmichael]] ''(music)''<br />[[Harold Adamson]] ''(lyrics)''
| cinematography = [[Harry J. Wild]]
| editing        = [[Hugh S. Fowler]]
| distributor    = [[20th Century Fox]]
| released       = {{film date|1953|7|1|Atlantic City|ref1=<ref>{{cite web |url=http://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/50847#3 |title=Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - Details |website=AFI Catalog of Feature Films |access-date=June 22, 2018 |archive-date=June 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611162413/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/50847#3 |url-status=live }}</ref>|1953|07|15|New York}}
| runtime        = 91 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English<br />French
| budget         = $2.3 million<ref name=budget>{{cite book |last=Solomon |first=Aubrey |date=2002 |title=Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WIZwZOz8LHsC |location=Lanham, Maryland |series=The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series |volume=20 |publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]] |page=248 |isbn=9780810842441 |access-date=November 6, 2014 |archive-date=October 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029185304/https://books.google.com/books?id=WIZwZOz8LHsC |url-status=live }}</ref> or $2.7 million<ref name="jump">{{cite magazine|title=With 20th's Widescreen Jump|magazine=Variety|url=https://archive.org/details/variety196-1954-12/page/n3/mode/1up?|page=4|date=1 December 1954|access-date=9 August 2024}}</ref>
| gross          = $5.3 million<ref name=gross>{{cite book |last=Solomon |first=Aubrey |date=2002 |title=Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WIZwZOz8LHsC |location=Lanham, Maryland |series=The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series |volume=20 |publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]] |page=89 |isbn=9780810842441 |access-date=November 6, 2014 |archive-date=October 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029185304/https://books.google.com/books?id=WIZwZOz8LHsC |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
'''''Gentlemen Prefer Blondes''''' is a 1953 American [[musical film|musical]] [[comedy film]] directed by [[Howard Hawks]] and written by [[Charles Lederer]]. The film is based on the [[Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (musical)|1949 stage musical of the same name]], which in turn is based on the [[Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (novel)|1925 novel of the same name]] by [[Anita Loos]]. The film stars [[Jane Russell]] and [[Marilyn Monroe]], with [[Charles Coburn]], [[Elliott Reid]], [[Tommy Noonan]], [[George Winslow]], [[Taylor Holmes]] and [[Norma Varden]] in supporting roles.

The film is filled with comedic situations and musical numbers, choreographed by [[Jack Cole (choreographer)|Jack Cole]], while the music was written (among others) by [[Hoagy Carmichael]], [[Harold Adamson]], [[Jule Styne]] and [[Leo Robin]]. The songs by Styne and Robin are from the Broadway show, while the songs by Carmichael and Adamson were written especially for the film.

Monroe's rendition of "[[Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend]]" and [[Pink dress of Marilyn Monroe|her pink dress]] are part of [[popular culture]] and are considered iconic; the performance has inspired and been recreated by various artists as an [[Homage (arts)|homage]].

==Plot==
Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw are American [[showgirl]]s and companions, although the two are very different. Lorelei thinks more of a man's financial wealth and likes men who can support her passion for diamonds, such as her fiancé Gus Esmond Jr., who can provide all of her financial needs. Dorothy prefers men who are attractive and fit, and she does not care about their wealth.

Lorelei plans to wed Gus in France, but they are forbidden to travel together by Gus's strict father Esmond Sr., who despises Lorelei although he hasn't met her. Lorelei decides to travel to France with or without Gus, and before she leaves, he gives her a [[Circular letter of credit|letter of credit]] to cover expenses upon her arrival, and promises to later meet her in France. However, he also warns her to behave, noting that his father will prohibit their marriage if Esmond Sr. hears rumors of misdeeds. Gus and Lorelei are unaware that Esmond Sr. has hired private detective Ernie Malone to spy on Lorelei.
[[Image:Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Movie Trailer Screenshot (19).jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[Jane Russell]] as Dorothy Shaw]]
During the Atlantic crossing, Malone immediately falls in love with Dorothy, but she has already been drawn to the members of the male US Olympic team who are also on board. Lorelei meets the rich and foolish Sir Francis "Piggy" Beekman, the owner of a diamond mine, and is attracted by his wealth. Although Piggy is married, Lorelei naively returns his geriatric flirtations, which annoys his wife, Lady Beekman.

Lorelei invites Piggy to the cabin that she shares with Dorothy, where he recounts his travels to Africa. Malone spies through the window and takes pictures of them but is seen by Dorothy as he walks away. She tells Lorelei, who fears for her reputation. They devise a scheme to intoxicate Malone and search him to recover the incriminating film while he is unconscious. They find the film in his pants, and Lorelei prints and hides the negatives. Revealing her success to Piggy, she persuades him to give her Lady Beekman's tiara. However, Malone reveals that he had planted a recording device in Lorelei's cabin and has heard her discussion with Piggy about the pictures and the tiara. Malone implies that Lorelei is a gold digger and when Dorothy scolds him for his actions, he admits to being a liar. However, Dorothy reveals to Lorelei that she is falling for Malone, and Lorelei chastises her for choosing a poor man when she could easily have a rich one.
[[Image:Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Movie Trailer Screenshot (34).jpg|thumb|left|[[Marilyn Monroe]] as Lorelei Lee performing "[[Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend]]". On the right is [[George Chakiris]] (uncredited).]] 
The ship arrives in France, and Lorelei and Dorothy spend time shopping. However, they discover that Lorelei's letter of credit has been canceled and are then evicted from their hotel because of the information that Malone shared with Esmond Sr. They are forced to find work as showgirls in Paris, headlining a lavish [[revue]]. When Gus appears at their show, Lorelei rebuffs him and then performs "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend". Meanwhile, Lady Beekman has filed charges regarding her missing tiara, and Lorelei is arraigned for theft. Dorothy persuades Lorelei to return the tiara, but they discover that it is missing from her jewelry box. Piggy tries to deny his part in the affair when Malone catches him at the airport.

Dorothy stalls for time in court by pretending to be Lorelei, disguised in a blonde wig and mimicking her friend's breathy voice and mannerisms. When Malone appears in court and is about to unmask Dorothy, she reveals to Malone in covert language that she loves him but would never forgive him if he hurts Lorelei. Malone withdraws his comments but then reveals that Piggy has the tiara, exonerating Lorelei.

Back at the nightclub, Lorelei impresses Esmond Sr. with a speech on the subject of paternal money and argues that if Esmond Sr. had a daughter instead of a son, he would want the best for her. He agrees and consents to the marriage. A double wedding is held for Lorelei and Dorothy and their grooms.

==Cast==
<!--- Cast and order per opening tombstone credits --->
{{Cast listing|
* [[Jane Russell]] as Dorothy Shaw
* [[Marilyn Monroe]] as Lorelei Lee
* [[Charles Coburn]] as Sir Francis "Piggy" Beekman
* [[Elliott Reid]] as Ernie Malone
* [[Tommy Noonan]] as Gus Esmond Jr.
* [[George Winslow]] as Henry Spofford III
* [[Marcel Dalio]] as the magistrate
* [[Taylor Holmes]] as Mr. Esmond Sr.
* [[Norma Varden]] as Lady Beekman
* [[Howard Wendell]] as Watson
* [[Steven Geray]] as the hotel manager
* [[Henri Letondal]] as Grotier (uncredited)
* [[Noel Neill]] as passenger (uncredited)
* [[Jean Del Val]] as Ship's Captain (uncredited)
* [[George Chakiris]] as Man in "Diamonds" song pursuing Lorelei (uncredited)<ref name= classic >{{cite web	
| url = https://www.classicmoviehub.com/blog/marilyn-behind-the-icon-gentlemen-prefer-blondes/
| title = Marilyn: Behind the Icon – Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
	| last =  Vitacco-Robles
	| first = Gary
	| date = July 6, 2020
	| website =  Classic Movie Hub
	| publisher = 
	| access-date = September 1, 2024
	| quote =  }}</ref><ref name=Blondes/>
}}

==Production==

Director [[Howard Hawks]] had never before made a musical film, but he owed Fox one more film, so he agreed. The stage musical, starring [[Carol Channing]], had already been running for two years on [[Broadway theater|Broadway]] when Fox paid $250,000 for the film rights.<ref name=Ebert/> The original intention was a vehicle for [[Betty Grable]] and [[Ginger Rogers]];<ref name=Ebert/> however, after the success of Monroe's appearance in ''[[Niagara (1953 film)|Niagara]]'' (1953), the studio believed it had a more potent, and less expensive, [[sex symbol]] than Grable.<ref name=Ebert>{{cite web
	| url = https://www.rogerebert.com/features/working-with-complete-fantasy-on-the-legacy-of-gentlemen-prefer-blondes
	| title = Working with Complete Fantasy: On the Legacy of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
	| last = Boyes
	| first = Laura
	| date = March 6, 2024
	| website = RogerEbert.com
	| publisher = 
	| access-date = September 1, 2024
	| quote = }}</ref><ref name=Blondes>{{cite web
	| url = https://hometownstohollywood.com/film-reflections/films-of-the-1950s/gentlemen-prefer-blondes-1953/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFBqt9leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSIStHvu0q186bZHrSrQidQArHejLdTYI5MmiM5-bQ2reZq4LoT0_0ncBw_aem_xkkS6m7mJd3OkzaW0PF1Fg#:~:text=20th%20Century%20Fox%20originally%20bought%20the%20rights%20to,potent%20and%20less%20expensive%20sex%20symbol%20than%20Grable
	| title = Hometowns to Hollywood: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
	| last = 
	| first = 
	| date = 24 April 2019
	| website = hometownstohollywood.com
	| publisher = 
	| access-date = September 1, 2024
	| quote =  }}</ref>

Although Hawks is credited as the sole director of the film, Russell and assistant choreographer [[Gwen Verdon]] contend that all musical numbers were actually staged by Jack Cole.<ref name=Ebert/> Russell said, "Howard Hawks had nothing to do with the musical numbers. He was not even there."<ref name="McCarthy">{{Cite book |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |title=Howard Hawks: The Grey Fox of Hollywood |date=1997 |publisher=Grove Press |isbn=0-8021-1598-5 |edition=1st |location=New York |pages=508 |oclc=35919352 }}</ref> Hawks later confirmed this in an interview with author [[Joseph McBride (writer)|Joseph McBride]]: "I did a musical called ''Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'', and I didn't do the production numbers. I didn't have any desire to."<ref name="McBride">{{Cite book |last=McBride |first=Joseph |title=Hawks on Hawks |date=2013 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |isbn=978-0-8131-4431-3 |edition=illustrated [second] |location=Lexington |pages=212 |oclc=867742212 |orig-year=1982}}</ref>

An uncredited [[George Chakiris]], future [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actor]] (as Bernardo in ''[[West Side Story (1961 film)|West Side Story]]'', 1961 version), can be glimpsed as one of the wealthy men pursuing Marilyn in "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend".<ref name= classic/><ref name=Blondes/> Two other uncredited "suitors" in this musical number are [[Larry Kert]] and [[Matt Mattox]].

According to Monroe's last interview before her death, she was paid her usual contract salary of $500 a week,<ref name=Bramesco/> for a total of $18,000,<ref name=Ebert/> while Russell, the better-known actress at the time, earned $200,000.<ref name=Ebert/><ref name=Bramesco>{{Cite news |last=Bramesco |first=Charles |date=2023-07-01 |title=Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at 70: Marilyn Monroe remains a dazzling star |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/01/gentlemen-prefer-blondes-70-years-marilyn-monroe-howard-hawks-comedy |access-date=2023-08-29 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=2023-08-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230829142201/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/01/gentlemen-prefer-blondes-70-years-marilyn-monroe-howard-hawks-comedy |url-status=live }}</ref>{{efn|name=Hughes|Jane Russell was still under contract to [[Howard Hughes]] at the time.<ref name=Ebert/>}}

==Release==
[[File:Tri-City Drive-In Ad - 23 September 1953, Loma Linda, CA.jpg|thumb|left|[[Drive-in theater|Drive-in]] advertisement from 1953.]]

===Box office===
The film earned $5.3&nbsp;million at the box office worldwide, and was the [[1953 in film|seventh-highest-grossing film of 1953]],<ref name=gross/> with $5.1&nbsp;million in North America,<ref name="champs">{{cite magazine |date=January 6, 1960 |title=All Time Domestic Champs |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=34}}</ref>{{efn| title=Variety| Another account in ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' said the film earned $4.8 million domestically.<ref name="jump"/>}} while Monroe's next feature, ''[[How to Marry a Millionaire]]'' (also 1953), was the [[1953 in film|fourth-highest]].

===Critical reception===
The film received positive reviews from critics. Monroe and Russell were both praised for their performances even by critics who panned the film.<ref>{{cite news |first=Frank J. |last=Prial |title=Voice of the Many, but Rarely Herself |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/theater/06marni.html,%20Frank%20J.&_r=0 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 6, 2007 |access-date=November 6, 2014 |archive-date=June 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628213500/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/theater/06marni.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/P/Prial,%20Frank%20J.&_r=0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Bosley Crowther]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called Howard Hawks' direction "uncomfortably cloddish and slow" and found the gags for Russell "devoid of character or charm," but concluded, "And yet, there is that about Miss Russell and also about Miss Monroe that keeps you looking at them even when they have little or nothing to do."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Crowther |first=Bosley |date=July 16, 1953 |title=The Screen In Review; Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' at Roxy, With Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1953/07/16/archives/the-screen-in-review-gentlemen-prefer-blondes-at-roxy-with-marilyn.html |newspaper=The New York Times |page=17 |access-date=July 17, 2020 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=July 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717105510/https://www.nytimes.com/1953/07/16/archives/the-screen-in-review-gentlemen-prefer-blondes-at-roxy-with-marilyn.html?searchResultPosition=6 |url-status=live }}</ref>

''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote that Hawks "maintains a racy air that brings the musical off excellently at a pace that helps cloak the fact that it's rather lightweight, but sexy, stuff. However, not much more is needed when patrons can look at Russell-Monroe lines as displayed in slick costumes and Technicolor."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Brogdon |first=William |date=July 1, 1953 |title=Gentlemen Prefer Blondes |url=https://variety.com/1953/film/reviews/gentlemen-prefer-blondes-2-1200417560/ |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=6 |access-date=July 17, 2020 |archive-date=November 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121062432/http://variety.com/1953/film/reviews/gentlemen-prefer-blondes-2-1200417560/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

''[[Harrison's Reports]]'' wrote: "Both Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe are nothing short of sensational in the leading roles. They not only act well, but the sexy manner in which they display their song, dance and pulchritude values just about sets the screen on fire and certainly is crowd-pleasing, judging by the thunderous applause at the preview after each of the well-staged musical numbers."<ref>{{cite journal |date=June 27, 1953 |title='Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' with Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell and Charles Coburn |url=https://archive.org/stream/harrisonsreports00harr_1#page/n117/mode/2up |journal=[[Harrison's Reports]] |page=102 |access-date=July 17, 2020 |volume=XXXV |number=26}}</ref>

[[John McCarten]] of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' wrote that the two leads "have a good deal of enthusiasm, and occasionally their exuberance offsets the tedium of one long series of variations on the sort of anatomical joke that used to amuse the customers of [[Minsky's Burlesque|Minsky]] so inordinately."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=McCarten |first=John |date=July 25, 1953 |title=The Current Cinema |url=https://www.newyorker.com/search/q/mccarten%20gentlemen%20prefer%20blondes%20 |magazine=The New Yorker |page=46 |access-date=17 July 2020 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=17 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717092926/https://www.newyorker.com/search/q/mccarten%20gentlemen%20prefer%20blondes%20 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Britain's ''[[The Monthly Film Bulletin|Monthly Film Bulletin]]'' praised Jane Russell for her "enjoyable Dorothy, full of gusto and good nature," but thought that the film had been compromised from the play "by the casting of Marilyn Monroe, by the abandonment of the 20s period and the incongruous up-to-date streamlining, by inflating some bright, witty songs into lavish production numbers, and by tamely ending the whole thing by letting two true loves conventionally come true. There is too, a lack of grasp in Howard Hawks' handling, which is scrappy and uninventive."<ref>{{cite journal |date=September 1953 |title=Gentlemen Prefer Blondes |journal=[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]] |volume=20 |issue=236 |page=131 }}</ref>

On [[review aggregation|review-aggregation]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 88% based on 88 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Anchored by Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell's sparkling magnetism, ''Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' is a delightfully entertaining 1950s musical."<ref name="tomatoes">{{cite web |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gentlemen_prefer_blondes/ |title= Gentlemen Prefer Blondes |publisher= [[Flixster]] |work= [[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date= 2023-08-29 |archive-date= 2023-03-31 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230331053724/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gentlemen_prefer_blondes |url-status= live }}</ref>

German film director [[Rainer Werner Fassbinder]] declared the film one of the ten best ever.<ref name="Gentlemen Prefer Blondes">{{cite web| title=Gentlemen Prefer Blondes| url=https://artsemerson.org/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=42D54B7F-25C1-478E-A074-02FAFD43D1F8| website=[[Emerson College|ArtsEmerson]]| access-date=17 July 2020| archive-date=8 March 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308090822/https://artsemerson.org/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=42D54B7F-25C1-478E-A074-02FAFD43D1F8| url-status=dead}}</ref>

Recent reviews have noted that the film is groundbreaking for its depiction of female friendships and agency for women. Writing for ''[[Bust (magazine)|Bust]]'' magazine, Samantha Mann wrote, "Throughout the entire film, the main characters Lorelei (Marilyn Monroe) and Dorothy (Jane Russell) display consistent loyalty to one another. There is no back-stabbing, shit-talking, or degrading one another to come out on top or gain the affection of a man. The women remain steadfast in their loyalty to one another, and tolerate no one speaking ill of the other. Providing support and comfort to one another takes priority over finding ways to secure their desired men."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mann |first1=Samantha |title="Gentlemen Prefers Blondes" Is A Feminist Buddy Comedy |url=https://bust.com/movies/195595-gentlemen-prefer-blondes.html |website=[[Bust (magazine)|Bust]] |access-date=20 July 2022 |date=January 24, 2019 |archive-date=27 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220827124341/https://bust.com/movies/195595-gentlemen-prefer-blondes.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Caroline Siede of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' wrote the story may appear to be a "90-minute misogynistic punchline about the desperate schemes of two devious social-climbing showgirls, ditzy Lorelei Lee (Monroe) and witty man-eater Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell). Thankfully, ''Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' is quite the opposite. It's a cheeky social satire about gender and class that doubles as a celebration of female ingenuity and solidarity, all glammed up in a ballgown and diamonds."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Siede |first1=Caroline |title=Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is bubbly and smart, just like Marilyn Monroe |url=https://www.avclub.com/gentlemen-prefer-blondes-is-bubbly-and-smart-just-like-1835919873 |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |access-date=20 July 2022 |date=July 5, 2019 |archive-date=20 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220720031239/https://www.avclub.com/gentlemen-prefer-blondes-is-bubbly-and-smart-just-like-1835919873 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Accolades===
{{Anchor|Accolades|Awards|aftermath}}Monroe and Russell left their handprints and footprints in cement in the forecourt of [[Grauman's Chinese Theatre]] in a spectacle that generated a great deal of publicity for the actresses and the film.<ref>{{cite news |title=Actresses Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell putting signatures, hand and foot prints in cement at Grauman's Theater, 1953 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=June 17, 1953}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!  style="text-align:center; width:210px;" | Date of ceremony
!  style="text-align:center; width:360px;" | Award
!  style="text-align:center; width:320px;" | Category
!  style="text-align:center; width:280px;" | Recipients 
!  style="text-align:center; width:040px;" | Result
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Writers Guild of America Awards 1953|February 25, 1954]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000710/1954|title=Writers Guild of America, USA: Awards for 1954|website=[[IMDb]]|access-date=November 11, 2014|archive-date=March 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301003251/http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000710/1954|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Writers Guild of America Awards]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Writers Guild of America Awards 1953|Best Written Musical]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Charles Lederer]]  
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | March 8, 1954<ref name="PhotoplayAwards">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/photoplayjanjun100macf_9/page/n345/mode/2up?q=monroe |title=Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1954) |date=1954 |publisher=New York, MacFadden Publications, Inc. |others=Media History Digital Library}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Super |first=John C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=24EZAQAAIAAJ |title=The Fifties in America |publisher=[[Salem Press]] |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-58765-203-5 |location=Ipswich, MA |page=376}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Photoplay]] Gold Medal Awards
| style="text-align:center;" | Gold Medal Actress
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Marilyn Monroe]]
|{{Won}}{{efn|Also for her performance in ''How to Marry a Millionaire''<ref name="PhotoplayAwards"/>}}
|}

== See also ==
* ''[[Gentlemen Marry Brunettes]]'', a 1955 musical film based on the 1927 novel ''[[But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes]]'' starring Russell and [[Jeanne Crain]] but playing completely new characters

== Notes ==

{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953 film)}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{AFI film}}
* {{TCMDb title}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqPu6bdgULU Blondes Prefer Gentlemen (1961 US Navy training film)]

{{Gentlemen Prefer Blondes}}
{{Howard Hawks}}
{{Charles Lederer}}
{{Anita Loos}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1953 films]]
[[Category:1953 musical comedy films]]
[[Category:1953 romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:1950s American films]]
[[Category:1950s buddy comedy films]]
[[Category:1950s English-language films]]
[[Category:1950s female buddy films]]
[[Category:1950s feminist films]]
[[Category:1950s romantic musical films]]
[[Category:1950s satirical films]]
[[Category:1950s sex comedy films]]
[[Category:20th Century Fox films]]
[[Category:American buddy comedy films]]
[[Category:American female buddy films]]
[[Category:American feminist comedy films]]
[[Category:American musical comedy films]]
[[Category:American romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:American romantic musical films]]
[[Category:American satirical films]]
[[Category:American sex comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language buddy comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language musical comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic musical films]]
[[Category:English-language sex comedy films]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:Films based on musicals]]
[[Category:Films based on romance novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Howard Hawks]]
[[Category:Films produced by Sol C. Siegel]]
[[Category:Films scored by Lionel Newman]]
[[Category:Films with songs by Harold Adamson]]
[[Category:Films set in Paris]]
[[Category:Films set on ships]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Charles Lederer]]