Musical Mondays Week 19 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Omg double ALSO! because Rachel Bloom took the inspo from this movie and made her parody so damn funny and I LOVE IT

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epuILDZ3KIo

Triple also! Years ago my family went to The Second City in Toronto (with Mike Myers and Ryan Stiles!). One of the bits was a musical number "Condoms are a girl's best friend" and the singer tossed out condoms to the audience.

[EvRobert 1684]

Let's just assume that the Olympic rowing, gymnast and track and field teams were all going to France together on the same boat, but to what end? We know why Dorothy and Lorelei were going (which is a bit weird that they'd have to provide their own line of credit for housing. Wouldn't the club/promoter they were working for put them up?) but why were these Olympians going?

[tomspanks 9039]

Let's just assume that the Olympic rowing, gymnast and track and field teams were all going to France together on the same boat, but to what end? We know why Dorothy and Lorelei were going (which is a bit weird that they'd have to provide their own line of credit for housing. Wouldn't the club/promoter they were working for put them up?) but why were these Olympians going?

 

Cross-training in the French Alps?

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Let's just assume that the Olympic rowing, gymnast and track and field teams were all going to France together on the same boat, but to what end? We know why Dorothy and Lorelei were going (which is a bit weird that they'd have to provide their own line of credit for housing. Wouldn't the club/promoter they were working for put them up?) but why were these Olympians going?

They weren't actually going there to work and that all happened after Gus cut them off financially. So they had to find jobs in order to get money and housing. Before that they solely relied on his line of credit to provide them with everything they needed.

[SaraK 1980]

Let's just assume that the Olympic rowing, gymnast and track and field teams were all going to France together on the same boat, but to what end? We know why Dorothy and Lorelei were going (which is a bit weird that they'd have to provide their own line of credit for housing. Wouldn't the club/promoter they were working for put them up?) but why were these Olympians going?

 

Well the 1952 Olympics were in Finland. Maybe they were going there.

[EvRobert 1684]

They weren't actually going there to work and that all happened after Gus cut them off financially. So they had to find jobs in order to get money and housing. Before that they solely relied on his line of credit to provide them with everything they needed.

 

Huh. I thought they were going to perform at a club. I totally didn't pick up that they were just going on vacation on Gus' dime.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I've got an answer regarding the Olympic team. According to Wikipedia, the 1924 Olympics were in Chamonix (Winter) and Paris (summer). Since the novel was written in 1925, I think it's safe to assume that's when the movie is set.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

Huh. I thought they were going to perform at a club. I totally didn't pick up that they were just going on vacation on Gus' dime.

 

Oh, yeah. They discuss it at the beginning. Gus was supposed to go (I think), but had to bail, and Lorelei is like "Well, I'm going anyway, and since he loves me so much, he's going to let me and pay for it."

[kateacola 2440]

 

Did you know...

 

Most of the song is Monroe's own voice but she needed help in two phrases – "These rocks don't lose their shape, diamonds are a girl's best friend", and at the beginning with a series of high-pitched "no's", all of which were dubbed in by the soprano Marni Nixon.

Marni Nixon dubbed quite a few female singing voices in musicals (and usually uncredited )

She dubbed Audrey Hepburn's singing in My Fair Lady

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

 

Oh, yeah. They discuss it at the beginning. Gus was supposed to go (I think), but had to bail, and Lorelei is like "Well, I'm going anyway, and since he loves me so much, he's going to let me and pay for it."

THANK YOU! It's always bugged me that they took a boat trip and Gus seemed to do so later when he shows up at the club but Gus' dad flies in. I forgot Lorelei and Gus were supposed to go on vacation together.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

THANK YOU! It's always bugged me that they took a boat trip and Gus seemed to do so later when he shows up at the club but Gus' dad flies in. I forgot Lorelei and Gus were supposed to go on vacation together.

I loved when Jane discovers the Olympic team, starts "salivating" and Gus reminds her she's the chaperone. "Now let's get this straight, Gus. The chaperone's job is to see that nobody else has any fun. But nobody chaperones the chaperone. That's why I'm so right for this job."

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[SaraK 1980]

 

Oh, yeah. They discuss it at the beginning. Gus was supposed to go (I think), but had to bail, and Lorelei is like "Well, I'm going anyway, and since he loves me so much, he's going to let me and pay for it."

 

I somehow missed the whole reason Gus and Dorothy switched places. I got Gus and Lorelei were going to take the boat and then get married in Paris, and then Gus said he couldn't go...then the two women were getting on the boat? I feel like I missed a scene or some dialogue. To be fair, my dog was all out of sorts and barking at nothing, so maybe he distracted me during that crucial information.

[grudlian. 4725]

(side note, has Amy Sherman-Pallidino said anything about getting Lauren Graham's character's name in Gilmore Girls from this? Because I know she loves those screwball comedies and that wicked word play).

 

I don't know that Amy Sherman-Pallidino has confirmed it but Rory's full name is Lorelai Leigh Gilmore. So, probably not a coincidence even with both names spelled differently than Marilyn's character.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

I somehow missed the whole reason Gus and Dorothy switched places. I got Gus and Lorelei were going to take the boat and then get married in Paris, and then Gus said he couldn't go...then the two women were getting on the boat? I feel like I missed a scene or some dialogue. To be fair, my dog was all out of sorts and barking at nothing, so maybe he distracted me during that crucial information.

The downside to this movie is that a lot of things don't get their full proper scenes but rather exposition in lines in a different scene. So you don't really get to see Gus asking Dorothy to go in his place she's just suddenly there and he reminds her that she's only there to watch Lorelei's behavior. The same things happen with Dorothy and Malone's relationship because you actually only see them interact together twice and one of those times Dorothy explains what he said to her the night before to charm her so much. It's really a disservice to the plot cause I would have actually loved to watch Dorothy fully fall for this dude and vice versa played out before us. But it's already a pretty long movie so they probably had to make those hard cuts when filming.

[SaraK 1980]

The downside to this movie is that a lot of things don't get their full proper scenes but rather exposition in lines in a different scene. So you don't really get to see Gus asking Dorothy to go in his place she's just suddenly there and he reminds her that she's only there to watch Lorelei's behavior. The same things happen with Dorothy and the Malone's relationship because you actually only see them interact together twice and one of those times Dorothy explains what he said to her the night before to charm her so much. It's really a disservice to the plot cause I would have actually loved to watch Dorothy fully fall for this dude and vice versa played out before us. But it's already a pretty long movie so they probably had to make those hard cuts when filming.

 

Baxter is redeemed! (My dog, if that's not obvious)

 

I liked Dorothy and Malone together but I also wish we had seen more of their courtship before the word 'love' started getting thrown around. It seemed like they had dinner once, made out a little and then Dorothy found out he was a spy and hated that she loved him. But I suppose that's par for the course for all romantic movies.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

I liked Dorothy and Malone together but I also wish we had seen more of their courtship before the word 'love' started getting thrown around. It seemed like they had dinner once, made out a little and then Dorothy found out he was a spy and hated that she loved him. But I suppose that's par for the course for all romantic movies.

What I think saves this little disservice is that Lorelei mentions a lot how easily Dorothy falls in love with any dude that's tall, dark, and handsome.

[EvRobert 1684]

I don't know that Amy Sherman-Pallidino has confirmed it but Rory's full name is Lorelai Leigh Gilmore. So, probably not a coincidence even with both names spelled differently than Marilyn's character.

 

It is most certainly intentional then

[taylor anne photo 11311]

I wanna poll everyone on how they feel about Gus and Lorelei's relationship. Cause sure, I'm sure that Lorelei really does love him, that's not the issue I have, but I do have an issue with how little he trusts her! If there is such little trust on whether she's gonna cheat or not then this fuckin marriage is not going to last. I love the ending speech she gives his father cause she's like "please stop acting like he's not marrying me for my looks" but this whole movie is based on his distrust of her as a person, and that just gives me a sour taste in my mouth.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I wanna poll everyone on how they feel about Gus and Lorelei's relationship. Cause sure, I'm sure that Lorelei really does love him, that's not the issue I have, but I do have an issue with how little he trusts her! If there is such little trust on whether she's gonna cheat or not then this fuckin marriage is not going to last. I love the ending speech she gives his father cause she's like "please stop acting like he's not marrying me for my looks" but this whole movie is based on his distrust of her as a person, and that just gives me a sour taste in my mouth.

 

Gus struck me as decent, but insecure. After all, it was his father, not him, who sent Malone to spy on her.* He just seemed to suffer the normal sort of jealousy a person might feel if they were with someone who is - superficially, anyway - out of their league. I didn't think he was terrible to her, though.

 

*Right? Or am I misremembering...?

[taylor anne photo 11311]

 

Gus struck me as decent, but insecure. After all, it was his father, not him, who sent Malone to spy on her.* He just seemed to suffer the normal sort of jealousy a person might feel if they were with someone who is - superficially, anyway - out of their league. I didn't think he was terrible to her, though.

 

*Right? Or am I misremembering...?

I believe you are right, but he did task Dorothy with minding her because he had no confidence that she wouldn't be behaved. It just struck me as odd (even when I first saw this at like 13) that he didn't trust her. Which, I completely understand that insecurity but I'm really hoping that he came to the conclusion that they would be fine once they got married, or else he really is going to drive her away.

[SaraK 1980]

 

Gus struck me as decent, but insecure. After all, it was his father, not him, who sent Malone to spy on her.* He just seemed to suffer the normal sort of jealousy a person might feel if they were with someone who is - superficially, anyway - out of their league. I didn't think he was terrible to her, though.

 

*Right? Or am I misremembering...?

 

That's what I thought was happening as well. His dad didn't trust her, Gus mostly did but was extremely jealous of how she was perceived and assumed someone else would 'distract' her.

 

The main thing I didn't like about Gus was how tied to his father's opinion he was. If you love her, marry her! Though, I mean, his dad was right. Lorelei is endearing but a very transparent golddigger. I half expected her to be marrying the dad at the end after he bought into her "I deserve nice things too" speech.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I believe you are right, but he did task Dorothy with minding her because he had no confidence that she wouldn't be behaved. It just struck me as odd (even when I first saw this at like 13) that he didn't trust her. Which, I completely understand that insecurity but I'm really hoping that he came to the conclusion that they would be fine once they got married, or else he really is going to drive her away.

 

I felt like that was more of a propriety issue. A "single woman shouldn't be traveling alone" and all that. Seems weird now, but it would have been a big deal at the time. If she was alone it would have meant she was "available." The funny thing is Dorothy is like, "I don't care, bring on the dudes!"

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

That's what I thought was happening as well. His dad didn't trust her, Gus mostly did but was extremely jealous of how she was perceived and assumed someone else would 'distract' her.

 

The main thing I didn't like about Gus was how tied to his father's opinion he was. If you love her, marry her! Though, I mean, his dad was right. Lorelei is endearing but a very transparent golddigger. I half expected her to be marrying the dad at the end after he bought into her "I deserve nice things too" speech.

 

Is she a "gold digger," though? She's certainly mercenary, but if she was really a gold digger, I think it more likely that she would have been more serious about "Piggy." It seems to me, to her, "having money" is the same as someone saying I want someone with "a swimmer's body." If they have it, great, maybe I'll even hang out around a lot of pools, too, but it isn't like I'm going to turn down true love if they don't have one. And I'm also not going to jump from person to person just because they have a better body/more money.

[IMAHUGEHDTGMFAN 1837]

My home P.C. keeps rebooting so I'll post in about 7 hours or so when I get home and fix it and watch the movie... :S

 

Anyway... Good job so far!!!

 

 

P.S.: Madonna got the inspiration for the "Material Girl" music video from this movie and then there was the more recent Cover/ReMix for "Moulin Rouge"

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Question: How much of "Piggy" was a ruse? Was he really Lord Beekman, or Mr. Finch, or someone else?