Musical Mondays Week 19 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

[Cameron H. 23786]

I'm really tired and I think I'm coming down with something so you're just going to have to pretend I wrote something really witty here...

 

We watched...

 

[Cam Bert 8145]

One of the things I like about comedies of this era is the word play. The dialogue is often sharp and there is good turns of phrase, but there was one joke in the movie that for the life of me I just didn't get. At the very start they are boarding the boat and the Olympic team is drooling over them. Athlete A turns to Athlete B and says "Suppose the ship hit an iceberg (side note a legit concern in 1924 I'd imagine) and sank, which one would you save from drowning?" To which Athlete B response "Those girls couldn't drown."

 

At first I thought they couldn't drown because everybody would be trying to save them. If that was the case shouldn't he have said "wouldn't" instead of "couldn't"? I mean unless in his mind he thinks there isn't even a remote chance that this girls aren't save and he's so sure of it he knows it for a fact. Even then "won't" makes more sense. Is it suppose to be the are not of this Earth so it's impossible for them to drown. They are in capable of it! Therefore they could not drown. I know it's just a silly joke but in a movie full of so many good one liners and comebacks this was a real clunker I thought.

[Cameron H. 23786]

One of the things I like about comedies of this era is the word play. The dialogue is often sharp and there is good turns of phrase, but there was one joke in the movie that for the life of me I just didn't get. At the very start they are boarding the boat and the Olympic team is drooling over them. Athlete A turns to Athlete B and says "Suppose the ship hit an iceberg (side note a legit concern in 1924 I'd imagine) and sank, which one would you save from drowning?" To which Athlete B response "Those girls couldn't drown."

 

At first I thought they couldn't drown because everybody would be trying to save them. If that was the case shouldn't he have said "wouldn't" instead of "couldn't"? I mean unless in his mind he thinks there isn't even a remote chance that this girls aren't save and he's so sure of it he knows it for a fact. Even then "won't" makes more sense. Is it suppose to be the are not of this Earth so it's impossible for them to drown. They are in capable of it! Therefore they could not drown. I know it's just a silly joke but in a movie full of so many good one liners and comebacks this was a real clunker I thought.

 

Ugh! I felt gross about the joke I had here. Not that I was being gross, I just didn't like saying it. They're talking about their breasts being flotation devices.

 

And, upon further consideration, that's a real fucked up joke. It's not so much "which one would you save" so much as "which one would you let die."

[tomspanks 9039]

After watching this, my immediate reaction was that Marilyn was a comic genius.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

After watching this, my immediate reaction was that Marilyn was a comic genius.

THANK YOU! I also highly recommend "How to Marry a Millionaire" (which I don't think technically is a musical but is HYSTERICAL none the less!)

 

Yahoo posted this article after Ghostbusters came out last summer and it perfectly highlights why I think Chris Hemsworth is fucking brilliant in that role. (Yes it is relevant to this conversation lol)

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

I liked Marilyn a lot more in 'The Prince and the Showgirl', in terms of her comedic timing and line delivery, but she was pretty great in this too. I found her raison d'etre a little galling - she was a cartoon character in the way she'd go weak at the sight of diamonds and her process of convincing the old dude to give her the tiara was pretty sketchy - but that's the character, not the performer.

 

Anyone got a theory as to the significance of the title? Because THIS gentleman preferred Jane Russell. Or is it saying 'Gentlemen [rich dudes?] prefer blondes, Pole Vaulters and Private Investigators prefer Brunettes'? I'm not sure I saw anyone prefer blondes - Jane got plenty of attention too.

 

I also want a whole other spin-off movie about the rich little boy who thinks Marilyn is a burglar. It's a damn shame that the last time we see him is in the blanket/tiny hands moment.

[SaraK 1980]

I really enjoyed this movie though Lorelai constantly calling her fiancee 'daddy' and 'lover' made me squeamish. Thankfully he wasn't around that much so we didn't have that the whole movie. But I found it hilarious and laughed out loud several times.

 

Jane Russell is my new fashion idol - I desperately want that black jumpsuit she wore during the song with the Olympic team using the weird gymnastic gym on a cruise ship.

 

The only nitpicky thing is that I was SURE that the recording of Lorelai and Piggy was going to come back to save her. I was honestly shocked it never came back! It had him explicitly stating that he was giving it to her!

[Cameron H. 23786]

Yeah, calling someone "daddy/mommy" or "lover" is the grossest thing ever.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

I really enjoyed this movie though Lorelai constantly calling her fiancee 'daddy' and 'lover' made me squeamish.

 

 

Me too. I found myself fervently hoping that his name was 'Danny' and that it was her pronunciation of the word. Later, when I heard his name stated a few times, my heart quietly sank.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Anyone got a theory as to the significance of the title? Because THIS gentleman preferred Jane Russell. Or is it saying 'Gentlemen [rich dudes?] prefer blondes, Pole Vaulters and Private Investigators prefer Brunettes'? I'm not sure I saw anyone prefer blondes - Jane got plenty of attention too.

I think I may have an answer for this.

 

So this was originally a book written in 1925 and the whole book is narrated through Lorelei's eyes. I read online that it's complete with any spelling and grammatical errors that the character would actually make and that delights me. So I believe that since we get more of Dorothy in this movie then the title becomes more confusing.

 

Also it was first made into a Broadway musical in 1949 starring Carol Channing, and they never ONCE considered her to adapt the role for the film. The role of Lorelei was first offered to Betty Grable but since Marilyn was extremely desirable and 10 year younger they cast her instead, planning on keeping Betty and casting her as Dorothy, but the studio decided that two blondes would be competing and "borrowed" Jane Russel from a different studio and cast her in the role. AKA the best decision they could have ever made.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

I really enjoyed this movie though Lorelai constantly calling her fiancee 'daddy' and 'lover' made me squeamish. Thankfully he wasn't around that much so we didn't have that the whole movie. But I found it hilarious and laughed out loud several times.

I know people who do that with their SO in this year of 2017 and it definitely wigs me out. Like I had a discussion about why I disliked it and my friend was like, "I don't see it any differently than someone saying 'babe' or 'baby,'" and I was like noooo it's so different ahhhhh grossss.

[Cam Bert 8145]

Anyone got a theory as to the significance of the title? Because THIS gentleman preferred Jane Russell. Or is it saying 'Gentlemen [rich dudes?] prefer blondes, Pole Vaulters and Private Investigators prefer Brunettes'? I'm not sure I saw anyone prefer blondes - Jane got plenty of attention too.

I wondered about this a lot too but if you look at who got attention from whom. The men that were interested in Marilyn where the rich and the business men. I guess in a sense they were more refined and therefore gentlemen. The men that were into Jane Russell more were the athletes, private investigators, more common folk. Also as stated in the bad joke above, most liked both.

 

However a little more research showed told me that this was based on a Broadway show which was based on a book. The book is told from Lorelie's point of view so that might play into it. The book had a sequel and it was called "But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes" so maybe it should be seen as a two part story and the full title being "Gentle prefer blondes but they marry brunettes."

 

Sadly no love shown for raven haired women everywhere.

[tomspanks 9039]

THANK YOU! I also highly recommend "How to Marry a Millionaire" (which I don't think technically is a musical but is HYSTERICAL none the less!)

 

Yahoo posted this article after Ghostbusters came out last summer and it perfectly highlights why I think Chris Hemsworth is fucking brilliant in that role. (Yes it is relevant to this conversation lol)

 

I know, I need to catch up on all the Marilyn movies. I'm kind of holding out until there are good deals and I'll just buy them all.

That Yahoo article was right on the money. Loved hemsworth in the movie (before he got possessed). Him covering his eyes instead of his ears makes me lol every time.

 

Anyone got a theory as to the significance of the title? Because THIS gentleman preferred Jane Russell. Or is it saying 'Gentlemen [rich dudes?] prefer blondes, Pole Vaulters and Private Investigators prefer Brunettes'? I'm not sure I saw anyone prefer blondes - Jane got plenty of attention too.

 

Because Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (the 1955 sequel)?

 

I'm thinking they were poking fun at the old trope of the "dumb blonde" bombshell with whom you have fun, but you wouldn't bring her home to meet dear mother.

 

ETA: Cam Bert AND Taylor anne beat me to it.

[Cam Bert 8145]

I think I may have an answer for this.

 

So this was originally a book written in 1925 and the whole book is narrated through Lorelei's eyes. I read online that it's complete with any spelling and grammatical errors that the character would actually make and that delights me. So I believe that since we get more of Dorothy in this movie then the title becomes more confusing.

 

Also it was first made into a Broadway musical in 1949 starring Carol Channing, and they never ONCE considered her to adapt the role for the film. The role of Lorelei was first offered to Betty Grable but since Marilyn was extremely hot and 10 year younger they cast her instead, planning on keeping Betty and casting her as Dorothy, but the studio decided that two blondes would be competing and "borrowed" Jane Russel from a different studio and cast her in the role. AKA the best decision they could have ever made.

You beat me to it and did a better job. Jealous.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

You beat me to it and did a better job. Jealous.

I actually didn't know about the sequel so you gave good info!

[Cam Bert 8145]

Gross daddy stuff aside, was "Piggy" ever a nice nickname? I'm sure the kid in Lord of the Flies just loved being called it but this guy actually introduces himself as it and prefers it. That is a bit weird I thought. Maybe it's just an old British thing.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Although I preferred Jane Russell's rapier wit, I enjoyed how disarmingly cunning Lorelei could be.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

My love for Marilyn aside I genuinely think this moment is the greatest gift to cinema and people everywhere.

 

[SaraK 1980]

 

I know, I need to catch up on all the Marilyn movies. I'm kind of holding out until there are good deals and I'll just buy them all.

That Yahoo article was right on the money. Loved hemsworth in the movie (before he got possessed). Him covering his eyes instead of his ears makes me lol every time.

 

Hemsworth was my favorite part of that movie. The whole Mike Hat/My Cat sequence had me laughing ridiculously hard.

 

Although I preferred Jane Russell's rapier wit, I enjoyed how disarmingly cunning Lorelei could be.

 

Lorelei was a secret genius. I loved watching her con everyone that got in her way.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Gross daddy stuff aside, was "Piggy" ever a nice nickname? I'm sure the kid in Lord of the Flies just loved being called it but this guy actually introduces himself as it and prefers it. That is a bit weird I thought. Maybe it's just an old British thing.

I think it's a British boarding school thing. Two other movies, Ocean's 13 and Dressed to Kill, reference it. In Ocean's 13 Eddie Izzard's character is named Roman and his adversary's first name is Greco. George Clooney goes "Greco. <pause> Roman?" (referring to Greco-Roman wrestling) and Eddie replies "You've obviously never spent time in a British boarding school." Dressed to Kill is a Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movie. In there Dr. Watson meets an old classmate and they immediately greet each other with their school nicknames. The classmate's is "Stinky" and Dr. Watson's is "Fatso". I guess it's a thing where they take a hurtful name and try to make the best of it?

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I know people who do that with their SO in this year of 2017 and it definitely wigs me out. Like I had a discussion about why I disliked it and my friend was like, "I don't see it any differently than someone saying 'babe' or 'baby,'" and I was like noooo it's so different ahhhhh grossss.

That didn't squick me out as much as the kid helping Lorelei because she had a lot of "animal magnetism". Not to mention Piggy holding the kid's hand.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

That didn't squick me out as much as the kid helping Lorelei because she had a lot of "animal magnetism". Not to mention Piggy holding the kid's hand.

I have to admit the way the kid delivered that line had me genuinely laughing though lol. Like when he told Dorothy he was old enough to appreciate a beautiful woman lol.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

Not to mention Piggy holding the kid's hand.

 

I don't know, I think the porthole/blanket/hand/laryngitis sequence was a major highlight for the film. I liked that the kid didn't seem particularly precocious (he'd never get cast today) but was solemn and was thinking through his lines. By the time he started wisecracking under the blanket, I was sold. But then he was gone.

[Cam Bert 8145]

I was just looking up the young boy on IMDB. Apparently he was a hit because he was a young boy with a deep raspy voice. Carey Grant saw the kid and thought he good natural comedic timing and brought him to the attention of a director and he went on to have a little career. Sadly when he hit puberty his voice started normally out and his naturalness in front of the camera and quit acting at 12. This was one of his last films.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I have to admit the way the kid delivered that line had me genuinely laughing though lol. Like when he told Dorothy he was old enough to appreciate a beautiful woman lol.

I liked that line too. Just for some reason the other one weirded me. I realize that the character HAD to be a kid to show that all Lorelei's scheming could still have unintended consequences.