Film Studies: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) Annotated Bibliography

This annotated bibliography delves into the film 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' (1953), directed by Howard Hawks, exploring its narrative, themes, and historical context within Hollywood cinema. It analyzes scholarly articles that discuss the film's storyline, focusing on the characters of Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) and Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell) and their quest for love and social position. The bibliography examines the film's themes, including its portrayal of societal values, feminism, and the American Dream, while also evaluating its contribution to the musical comedy genre and its impact on Marilyn Monroe's career. The annotations summarize and critique articles that discuss the film's production context, commercial success, and critical reevaluation, providing a comprehensive overview of the film's significance in film history and cultural studies. The analysis also considers the film's adaptations and its enduring appeal, highlighting its use of visual elements and original music.

Running head: HOLLYWOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT
Hollywood and Entertainment
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1HOLLYWOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT
The Hollywood industry has served as a major source of entertainment not only for
the people of the United States of America but also for the people from the other parts of the
world1. Hollywood is reputed for the quality cinemas that they having been since the
beginning of the 20th century2. In addition to this, the numerous genres of movies that they
offer to the audiences have served for a source of delight for people of all ages. One of the
major genres of movies which gained popularity in the 20th century was the musical comedy
which was not only known for their high quality of comic timings but also for their original
musical score as well3. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) is one such musical comedy which
gained much popularity in the 1950s and at the same time was much appreciated by the
audiences as well4. As a matter of fact, the film saw the emergence of the iconic heroine of
the 20th century, namely, Marilyn Monroe. This annotated bibliography will discuss about the
movie from the perspective of its storyline, its themes and other related aspects.
Jeffers-McDonald, Tamar. "Hollywood Romantic Comedy of the Fifties. A Critical
Study of Film Genre." Miscelánea: A Journal of English and American Studies 50
(2014).
This article discusses about the diverse musical comedies of the early and the middle
part of the 20th century which ultimately led to the emergence of the genre of musical
comedy. The article undertakes a detailed analysis of various musical comedies along with
the movie “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”. The movie revolves around the character of Lorelei
Lee played by Marilyn Monroe and Dorothy Shaw played by Jane Russell5. The movie while
1 Jeffers-McDonald, Tamar. "Hollywood Romantic Comedy of the Fifties. A Critical Study of Film
Genre." Miscelánea: A Journal of English and American Studies 50 (2014).
2 Duncan, Stephen R. "Judy Holliday, the Red Scare, and the (Miss-) Uses of Hollywood’s Dumb Blonde
Image." Smart Chicks on Screen: Representing Women's Intellect in Film and Television (2014): 9.
3 Duncan, Stephen R. "Judy Holliday, the Red Scare, and the (Miss-) Uses of Hollywood’s Dumb Blonde
Image." Smart Chicks on Screen: Representing Women's Intellect in Film and Television (2014): 9.
4 Gritten, David. 2018. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Review". Telegraph.Co.Uk.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/7324427/Gentlemen-Prefer-Blondes-review.html.
5 Jeffers-McDonald, Tamar. "Hollywood Romantic Comedy of the Fifties. A Critical Study of Film
Genre." Miscelánea: A Journal of English and American Studies 50 (2014).

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describing the idiosyncrasies of the American society narrates the story of these two girls and
their quest for love as well as a meaning social position within the American society6. In his
regard, the two characters of Lorelei and Dorothy present contrasting pictures whereas
Lorelei is more concerned with diamonds and social position Dorothy is concerned with
love7. This aspect of Lorelei’s character becomes apparent from her love for diamonds and
also through her recantation of the song “Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend”8. In the movie,
the two girls through a series of adventures or misadventures ultimately find not only love but
social recognition as well. The movie directed by Howard Hawks featured some of the most
prominent actors of that era like Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn and others9.
The movie under discussion here was an adaptation of a stage musical named “Gentlemen
Prefer Blondes: The Intimate Diary of a Professional Lady” (1925) and this in turn was based
on the novel of the same name by the authors Anita Loos and Joseph Fields10. The movie
under discussion here is often seen to a turning point in the genre of musical comedies and
also as the starting point of the illustrious acting career of Marilyn Monroe11.
The strength of the article lies in the fact that the article not only undertakes a detailed
analysis of the movie under discussion but at the same time tries to trace the importance or
the contribution that the movie has made towards the entire genre of the American musical
comedy which was a major genre of movie in the 20th century. The weakness of the article is
the fact that the article dwells too much on the narrative as well as the prominence of the
movie and does not shed any light on the themes of the movie.
6 Jeffers-McDonald, Tamar. "Hollywood Romantic Comedy of the Fifties. A Critical Study of Film
Genre." Miscelánea: A Journal of English and American Studies 50 (2014).
7 Dyer, Richard. Heavenly bodies: Film stars and society. Routledge, 2013.
8 "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)". 2018. Imdb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045810/.
9 "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)". 2018. Imdb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045810/.
10 Gritten, David. 2018. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Review". Telegraph.Co.Uk.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/7324427/Gentlemen-Prefer-Blondes-review.html.
11 Gritten, David. 2018. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Review". Telegraph.Co.Uk.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/7324427/Gentlemen-Prefer-Blondes-review.html.

3HOLLYWOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT
WiLson, LesLie Kreiner. "The censor, the steam fitter and Anita Loos: or, the silent
film adaptation of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1928)." Journal of Adaptation in Film &
Performance8, no. 2 (2015): 107-122.
This article tries to shed light on the themes as well as the important ideas that the
movie “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” tries to convey to the audience. For example, the author
explicitly states that the starting line of Jane Austen’s novel “Pride and Prejudice” that “It is a
truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in
want of a wife” in a reverse manner forms the central theme of the movie12. The movie shows
the struggle of Lorelei to secure a position within the society and also her desire to gain
diamonds13. For the achievement of this particular purpose she decides to marry a rich man
who could afford to buy her diamonds. During the entire course of the movie she is being to
make manipulations in order to achieve this particular end. In this particular context the lines
of Lorelei in the movie where she says that “Don't you know that a man being rich is like a
girl being pretty? You might not marry a girl just because she's pretty, but, my goodness,
Doesn't it help?” becomes important to note14. Furthermore, at the same time, it can be said
that feminism forms an important theme of the movie since the movie clearly shows the
efforts of the two girls to come out of the stereotypes of the society and gratify their desires
on their own terms15. The movie through the journey of the two girls at the same time sheds
light on the follies and foibles of the American society of the 20th century which was ruled by
the men of wealth. The strength of the article is the fact that the article under discussion here
12 Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice (International Student Edition)(Norton Critical Editions). WW Norton &
Company, 2016.
13 WiLson, LesLie Kreiner. "The censor, the steam fitter and Anita Loos: or, the silent film adaptation of
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1928)." Journal of Adaptation in Film & Performance8, no. 2 (2015): 107-122.
14 "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)". 2018. Imdb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045810/.
15 Gritten, David. 2018. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Review". Telegraph.Co.Uk.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/7324427/Gentlemen-Prefer-Blondes-review.html.

4HOLLYWOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT
is one of the very few ones which undertakes a detailed analysis of the themes of the movie.
The weakness of the article is the fact that the article fails to offer an analysis of the movie on
the basis of the contribution which it made towards the Hollywood industry.
Duncan, Stephen R. "Judy Holliday, the Red Scare, and the (Miss-) Uses of Hollywood’s
Dumb Blonde Image." Smart Chicks on Screen: Representing Women's Intellect in Film
and Television (2014): 9.
The article discusses about the movie from the perspective of its relevance in the
Hollywood industry. For example, the article clearly states that the producers of the movie
were able to save a reach out to a much larger audience through the effective usage of the
production house of “20th Century Fox” and its reputation within the Hollywood industry16.
Furthermore, the use of the popular stars of the time ensured the fact that the financial
success of the movie. The movie was not only appreciated by a larger audience than it was
expected by the directors and the producers of the movie but at the same time was a
commercial success as well17. The movie tried to use the cultural background of the nation of
America to reach out to a much larger audience. For example, in the 20th century it was seen
that the audiences from the diverse parts of the world were much interested in the culture of
the USA and the movie by effectively showing this ensuring of a wider audience group18.
Furthermore, the author at the same time states that it was the effective portrayal of the
culture of the nation and also the portray of two girl’s desire to gain social and romantic
independence in a society where women did not have much freedom contributed in a
significant manner towards the aesthetics as well as the emotional appeal of the movie. The
16 Duncan, Stephen R. "Judy Holliday, the Red Scare, and the (Miss-) Uses of Hollywood’s Dumb Blonde
Image." Smart Chicks on Screen: Representing Women's Intellect in Film and Television (2014): 9.
17 Duncan, Stephen R. "Judy Holliday, the Red Scare, and the (Miss-) Uses of Hollywood’s Dumb Blonde
Image." Smart Chicks on Screen: Representing Women's Intellect in Film and Television (2014): 9.
18 Fusco, Katherine. "Better Travel Through Brand Names: The Couture Grand Tour in Paris Is a Woman's
Town and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." MFS Modern Fiction Studies 62, no. 1 (2016): 1-24.

5HOLLYWOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT
strength of the article lies in the fact that this is one of the very few movies which dwells on
the appeal of the movie rather than its theme or plot. The weakness of the article can be said
to be fact that the article fails to locate the movie in the broader context of the musical
comedy of the American cinema, the genre to which the movie belongs and also fails to shed
light on the prominence of the movie.
Wood, Bethany. "Gentlemen Prefer Adaptations: Addressing Industry and Gender in
Adaptation Studies." Theatre Journal66, no. 4 (2014): 559-579.
The author Wood in this article not discusses about the influence of the movie under
discussion here within the Hollywood industry but at the same time discusses about the
various adaptations of the movie in the subsequent times. The movie makes the effective use
of visual as well as original musical has contributed in a significant manner not only towards
the beauty of the movie but at the same time towards the emotional pleasures of the movie as
well19. In addition to this, it is seen that the movie has been reevaluated several times after its
initial production in the year 1953. However, at the same time, it needs to be said that the
various reevaluations and also the adaptations that the movie has undergone in the recent
times has not only reinvigorated the movie but at the same time has recreated the aura of this
classical movie20. The most important thing, however, to note in all these modern day
adaptations of the movie is the fact that these adaptations have failed to not only reignite the
aura that Marilyn Monroe rendered to the movie but also the initial success that the movie
gained in the 20th century at the time of its production21. This clearly indicates an important
trend within the Hollywood industry wherein the successful movies of the past era are being
19 Wood, Bethany. "Gentlemen Prefer Adaptations: Addressing Industry and Gender in Adaptation
Studies." Theatre Journal66, no. 4 (2014): 559-579.
20 Wilson, Leslie Kreiner. "Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of Anita Loos: A Girl Like I as Prequel to
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." The Popular Culture Studies Journal (2016): 186.
21 Cohan, Steven. "‘This industry lives on gossip and scandal’: female star narratives and the Marilyn Monroe
biopic." Celebrity Studies 8, no. 4 (2017): 527-543.

6HOLLYWOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT
redirected with the inherent desire of gaining kind of commercial success. The strength of the
article lies in the fact that the article is one of the very few ones which discusses about the
various modern day adaptations of the movie from the perspective of the original one.
However, the weakness of the article can be said to be the fact that the article fails to
undertake a detailed analysis of the movie.
To conclude, the genre of American musical comedy was at one point of time not
only a very success movie genre but was also much appreciated by the audiences as well.
This genre of comedy tried to offer the much needed entertainment to the people through the
use of the follies as well as foibles of the American society itself. However, at the same time,
it was seen that these movies also tries to use various important themes like feminism, gender
equality and others to not only offer entertainment to the audience but also to discuss about
the important issues that affected the human society. This becomes apparent from an analysis
of the famous American movie “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”.

7HOLLYWOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT
References
Aldrich, Krista Ann. "Breaking the Binary: Sex Power, Sentiment, and Subversive Agency in
Anita Loos’ Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." (2018).
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice (International Student Edition)(Norton Critical Editions).
WW Norton & Company, 2016.
Cohan, Steven. "‘This industry lives on gossip and scandal’: female star narratives and the
Marilyn Monroe biopic." Celebrity Studies 8, no. 4 (2017): 527-543.
Duncan, Stephen R. "Judy Holliday, the Red Scare, and the (Miss-) Uses of Hollywood’s
Dumb Blonde Image." Smart Chicks on Screen: Representing Women's Intellect in Film and
Television (2014): 9.
Dyer, Richard. Heavenly bodies: Film stars and society. Routledge, 2013.
Fusco, Katherine. "Better Travel Through Brand Names: The Couture Grand Tour in Paris Is
a Woman's Town and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." MFS Modern Fiction Studies 62, no. 1
(2016): 1-24.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). 2018. Imdb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045810/.
Gritten, David. 2018. "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Review". Telegraph.Co.Uk.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/7324427/Gentlemen-Prefer-Blondes-
review.html.
Jeffers-McDonald, Tamar. "Hollywood Romantic Comedy of the Fifties. A Critical Study of
Film Genre." Miscelánea: A Journal of English and American Studies 50 (2014).

8HOLLYWOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT
Wagner, Johanna M. "Repositioning Lorelei's Education: Mind, Body, and Sex (uality) in
Anita Loos' Gentleman Prefer Blondes." College Literature 44, no. 4 (2017): 644-674.
Wilson, Leslie Kreiner. "Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of Anita Loos: A Girl
Like I as Prequel to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." The Popular Culture Studies
Journal (2016): 186.
WiLson, LesLie Kreiner. "The censor, the steam fitter and Anita Loos: or, the silent film
adaptation of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1928)." Journal of Adaptation in Film &
Performance8, no. 2 (2015): 107-122.
Wood, Bethany. "Gentlemen Prefer Adaptations: Addressing Industry and Gender in
Adaptation Studies." Theatre Journal66, no. 4 (2014): 559-579.