Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
d. Howard Hawks, 1953
One of Howard Hawks' greatest films may also be Marilyn Monroe's best movie, 1953's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Though not one of Hawks' best known works (that title would go to Bringing Up Baby or The Big Sleep), it's certainly one that has worked its way into the American consciousness. Whether it be through Madonna's "Material Girl" video, which pays tribute to a scene in the film, or because it features Monroe in her quintessential role as gold-digging lounge singer, the film is certainly one of the key films of the 1950s. Shot in glorious Technicolor by Harry J. Wild, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is probably the best example of Hollywood glamour in the 50s, and the musicals number here are never less than amazing. Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe play two young women on their way to Paris, where Monroe plans to marry a rich man played by Tommy Noonan. His father, however, disapproves of his choice and hires a detective to spy on her while on the cruise. The detective falls in love with Jane Russell and other stuff happens. That Gentlemen Prefer Blondes manages to be an enormous entertainment (I would place it above Singin' in the Rain) is certainly an achievement, but that it also manages to satirize and portray the American capitalist mindset is why it'll be remembered.
