Musical Mondays Week 19 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

I thought that Lorelei's big mistake was being too greedy with Piggy: if she was leading him on for a few of his nice diamonds, that would be one thing, but to covet his wife's tiara that she loves so much that she carries it around with her rather than leave it locked up in her cabin? Surely she'll realise that it will be missed in quick time? If it had have been a bag full of diamonds or a necklace that wouldn't have been missed, he wouldn't have raised the alarm, out of embarrassment.

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

I thought that Lorelei's big mistake was being too greedy with Piggy: if she was leading him on for a few of his nice diamonds, that would be one thing, but to covet his wife's tiara that she loves so much that she carries it around with her rather than leave it locked up in her cabin? Surely she'll realize that it will be missed in quick time? If it had have been a bag full of diamonds or a necklace that wouldn't have been missed, he wouldn't have raised the alarm, out of embarrassment.

Yeah, Lorelei is not without her self-control issues, which is why Dorothy acting as her "chaperone" is so much fun to watch, and so much fun for Dorothy. Dorothy is much more controlled of the two but she also loves to sing and cavort with... the boys. But what is also so wonderful to watch is that she gets as much fun out of being a spectator to Lorelei's fun as she does with her own fun. Sure, she might give a couple "dealer passes"-type quips (and holy hell, what a great line), but It's a show for her as well as the viewer. She loves it, and loves Lorelei.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I think the idea of both Marylin Monroe and Jane Russell living happily ever after, in any context, is appealing to all of us, especially to people who love the art they put out into the world. You know, like the peeps who participate on this board! Plus, Jane Russell is DEFINITELY a better partner, platonic or romantic, than Joe DiMaggio.

Jane was married three times but only divorced once. Her first husband was Bob Waterfield, a star football player (so she definitely liked the Olympian type). She was married to him around 25 years when they divorced. Her other two husbands died but her third marriage was also around 25 years. No fly-by-night type, she. (She herself passed just 6 years ago.)

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

True Story Time: I have this photo framed on my wall.

 

 

Jane Russell is quoted as saying she was surprised they didn't get asked to make prints of their more popular assets lol.

Here's another picture from Wikipedia.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Count me on Team Dorothy/Lorelei as well. That's what really made this movie for me, their genuine friendship and love for each other. I wasn't completely sold on Dorothy's love for Ernie Malone but I did really like his "You don't mind if I like you better?" line and her "Well we settled that argument in a hurry." response. That was playful and fun. I could see Lorelei's love for Gus but it still seems like an odd pairing. I would like to see the prequel where they meet and what makes her decide he's different than the other millionaires.

 

As to someone else's point about "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" being an odd number for the movie, was any gemstone besides diamonds ever mentioned in this movie? Surely if Lorelei was the "I'll suck up to you if you give me jewelry"-type wouldn't emeralds or rubies do just as well? I suppose it could be a budget decision so only diamonds had to be used but still...

 

Lorelei's taking things potentially too far for the tiara didn't make sense to me until just now. When she first sees it she says something like "I love finding new ways to wear diamonds." I think this was literal. The tiara was new so it had be hers. Plus maybe she figured if she hadn't heard of one before then others in her circle hadn't so she could "lord" it over them? Not sure.

[tomspanks 9039]

Did you know that the diamond industry was partly responsible for the iconic diamonds number?

 

For the diamond industry, there would be no advertising quite like a movie, Bergstein writes.

“Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” was a Broadway musical about Lorelei Lee, a gold-digger from Arkansas who sings a song called “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” dripping with satire and self awareness. The audience is in on the joke, and her gold-digging ways are not presented kindly.

 

A woman named Dorothy Dignam headed up the N.W. Ayer publicity department, and she wasn’t going to let an opportunity like this pass her by. “There were still too many dips in the diamond market, too many postwar economic ups and downs, to let a home run like ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ go unheralded,” writes Bergstein. “She bombarded her [Hollywood] contacts with this new rallying cry: Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. The song, along with Gerety’s successful tagline ‘Diamonds are forever,’ provided two definitive pop-culture statements about the role jewels should play in people’s lives.”

 

Source

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Did you know that the diamond industry was partly responsible for the iconic diamonds number? Source

That article was amazing! I never knew that diamonds were only popular in the last 80 years. Kind of like how lobster used to be served to prisoners and now is a delicacy.

 

ETA: This also potentially explains why I only remember diamonds being mentioned in the movie.

[EvRobert 1684]

I keep going back to this movie (not literally but figuratively) and wondering if a) it could be made today and if it was how would it be different and c) who would they cast? I don't think they could or would. Or if they did it not being successful. I can't think of any actors that could match Jane Russell and Marilyn's chemistry (just like there has never been any serious attempts to remake the Hope/Crosby Road movies, because who do you replace Hope and Crosby with?).

[tomspanks 9039]

I keep going back to this movie (not literally but figuratively) and wondering if a) it could be made today and if it was how would it be different and c) who would they cast? I don't think they could or would. Or if they did it not being successful. I can't think of any actors that could match Jane Russell and Marilyn's chemistry (just like there has never been any serious attempts to remake the Hope/Crosby Road movies, because who do you replace Hope and Crosby with?).

 

[SaraK 1980]

I keep going back to this movie (not literally but figuratively) and wondering if a) it could be made today and if it was how would it be different and c) who would they cast? I don't think they could or would. Or if they did it not being successful. I can't think of any actors that could match Jane Russell and Marilyn's chemistry (just like there has never been any serious attempts to remake the Hope/Crosby Road movies, because who do you replace Hope and Crosby with?).

 

The main issue that I can think of is that any comedic duo besties that I would enjoy (like Tina/Amy or Anna Kendrick/Aubrey Plaza or Lennon Parham/Jessica St. Clair or even June/Casey Wilson) tend to turn their team ups into broad comedies with a lot of pratfalls. This one had a few physical moments but it was a lot more clever dialogue and great timing with silly escapades. I think it'd be hard to 'modernize' or even just recreate.

 

edit - to be clear, I don't mean that as a critique of the women I listed. They could all probably pull it off, its just not something they tend to do now.

[EvRobert 1684]

 

 

The main issue that I can think of is that any comedic duo besties that I would enjoy (like Tina/Amy or Anna Kendrick/Aubrey Plaza or Lennon Parham/Jessica St. Clair or even June/Casey Wilson) tend to turn their team ups into broad comedies with a lot of pratfalls. This one had a few physical moments but it was a lot more clever dialogue and great timing with silly escapades. I think it'd be hard to 'modernize' or even just recreate.

 

edit - to be clear, I don't mean that as a critique of the women I listed. They could all probably pull it off, its just not something they tend to do now.

 

That was my thought too. Most of the modern comic teams go more broad then we saw in this (and also tend to go more blue--not a criticism just an observation).

[tomspanks 9039]

There's a remake planned of A Star is Born with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, so apparently there's no rhyme or reason to anything.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

I'm surprised it took us this long to get to this obvious recasting!

 

[tomspanks 9039]

I fell into a black hole of transatlantic travel by ship and the food served on those ships. Some of my favs:

Children's menu (1924) - separate cakes for boys and girls

Dinner menu (1954) - turtle soup was a thing and also iced table celery (whatever that is)

[EvRobert 1684]

I fell into a black hole of transatlantic travel by ship and the food served on those ships. Some of my favs:

Children's menu (1924) - separate cakes for boys and girls

Dinner menu (1954) - turtle soup was a thing and also iced table celery (whatever that is)

 

Foie Gras aux truffles or iced table celery...

 

Americans are the worst (I'm blaming ugly Americans for this)

[EvRobert 1684]

There's a remake planned of A Star is Born with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, so apparently there's no rhyme or reason to anything.

 

But hasn't A Star Is Born been done like a hundred times (3 I think but still)

 

Of course, this is a remake of an older version of the book so what the hell do I know.

[tomspanks 9039]

But hasn't A Star Is Born been done like a hundred times (3 I think but still)

 

Of course, this is a remake of an older version of the book so what the hell do I know.

 

Only 2 movies: there is the Judy Garland version and then the Barbra Streisand version. I'm sure there have been other movies that were influenced by the story though.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

Not to bring everyone down from their Marilyn-Jane high or anything, but I thought it worth mentioning that this movie fails the Bechdel test. Miserably.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Not to bring everyone down from their Marilyn-Jane high or anything, but I thought it worth mentioning that this movie fails the Bechdel test. Miserably.

But Dorothy and Lorelei talk about "Europe, France" doesn't that count!?

[Cameron H. 23786]

Not to bring everyone down from their Marilyn-Jane high or anything, but I thought it worth mentioning that this movie fails the Bechdel test. Miserably.

 

But does it pass the Turing Test? I wouldn't be surprised if Dorothy was a goddamn replicant.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

But Dorothy and Lorelei talk about "Europe, France" doesn't that count!?

Apparently not. Look, it's even listed among the IMDb keyword searches linked to the film...

 

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Omfg those keywords.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

 

Only 2 movies: there is the Judy Garland version and then the Barbra Streisand version. I'm sure there have been other movies that were influenced by the story though.

2001: A Space Odyssey

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

But does it pass the Turing Test? I wouldn't be surprised if Dorothy was a goddamn replicant.

Well, duh. Lorelei is too. That's how they can change their voice for each song (or in the middle of a song).

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

Omfg those keywords.

I saw that when I first looked up this film on IMDb and that was my exact reaction as well.

 

And to Cinco Denio's 2001/Star is Born joke...