Plot: What’s it about?
Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell) and Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) are the lounge singers aboard a luxury liner, which is en route to Paris. The two come from rather humble backgrounds, but plan to make the most of this cruise and their venture to France, which means singing like never before, making some money, and of course, meeting some of the eligible men on board. The girls have fun with the various gentlemen they happen to run into, but they want to meet just the right one, one that’s handsome, nice, and has a ton of cash to spend on them. Lorelei is supposed to get hitched to a wealthy man, but he bores her to death and as the ship sails, she starts to watch the other men on the cruise, with wandering eyes. Is money what really makes the world go around, or in the case of romance, is the heart what determines the end result?
I’m always pleased to see classic films released on this format and since I am a big fan of Marilyn Monroe, I was thrilled to see has Fox issued five of her efforts, as part of The Diamond Collection. Inside that selection of films is this one and of course, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes more than deserves a place within The Diamond Collection. This film is very well made and thanks to Howard Hawks’ excellent direction, all the elements seem to come together in bright, shining form, especially the two leading ladies. Marilyn gives her usual charming performance and Jane Russell is good also, the two make for a powerful on screen duo, to be sure. The light, comic setting works well indeed, as the movie is loads of fun to watch, but could have been different, had a more serious or substance based approach been taken. I like this movie a lot and recommend it without hesitation, but fans of Marilyn will want to consider the entire box set, to scoop up the four flicks, in addition to the bonus sixth disc, which is very cool. But whether you choose the whole box or just this disc, make sure you don’t miss this movie, it is well worth the time and effort.
The visual of Marilyn in her pink dress and studded with diamonds, surrounded by men in fine tuxedos is immortal, much like the woman herself. I realize she has passed on of course, but Marilyn was such a dynamic performer, her legacy will remain forever through her films, for future generations to fall in love with. Her performance here is a glamorous one and she fits that bill well, just oozing sex appeal and grace. I do think her presence is very visual in tone, but her acting is good also, though not to the extent it would evolve to later on. Marilyn seems natural with the comedic setting and shines, even if mostly getting by with her looks and charm, as she often did. This is one of her most memorable efforts and even if lacking in substance at times, her performance here is one that fans simply cannot miss, so make sure you don’t. You can also see Marilyn in such films as The Prince and the Showgirl, The Seven Year Itch, Bus Stop, All About Eve, and There’s No Business Like Show Business. The cast also includes Jane Russell (Road to Bali, Double Dynamite), Charles Coburn (The Devil and Miss Jones, A Royal Scandal), and Tommy Noonan (A Star is Born, I Shot Jesse James).
Video: How does it look?
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is presented in a full frame transfer. As with the other releases in this series, some restoration work has been done as with the other releases, the work shows and the image looks terrific. The print looks very clean and shows minimal wear signs, which allows the other elements to come through in fine form. The colors are deep and rich, but never too much so, while flesh tones are natural and warm, no problems in the least here. Also impressive is the contrast, which shows stark blacks and even shadow levels, no detail is lost here at all. This is a great visual treatment for a terrific movie, I commend Fox for their efforts here.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release includes a newly created stereo mix, but you can also choose the original mono as well, which is a welcome touch. This movie has some great musical moments, so I had hoped for a nice treatment and low & behold, that’s what we have here. Of course, the experience is not as rich or dynamic as more modern effort, but as far as stereo goes, this mix comes through just fine and never disappoints. The musical portions sound good, as do the various sound effects and score sequences, solid work indeed. No issues with the dialogue either, vocals are clean and crisp throughout, with no volume inconsistencies to report. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a couple promotional item stills, a restoration comparison, brief MovieTone newsreel piece, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
