Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953 film)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Howard Hawks
Screenplay by	Charles Lederer
Based on	Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos Joseph Fields
Produced by	Sol C. Siegel
Starring	Jane Russell Marilyn Monroe
Cinematography	Harry J. Wild
Edited by	Hugh S. Fowler
Music by	Hoagy Carmichael Jule Styne Eliot Daniel Lionel Newman
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release dates	July 1, 1953 (1953-07-01) (Atlantic City)[1] July 15, 1953 (1953-07-15) (New York)
Running time	91 minutes
Country	United States
Languages	English French
Budget	$2.3 million[2]
Box office	$5.3 million[3]

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a 1953 American musical comedy film directed by Howard Hawks and written by Charles Lederer. The film is based on the 1949 stage musical of the same name, which in turn is based on the 1925 novel of the same name by Anita Loos. The film stars Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe, with Charles Coburn, Elliott Reid, Tommy Noonan, George Winslow, Taylor Holmes and Norma Varden in supporting roles.

The film is filled with comedic situations and musical numbers, choreographed by Jack Cole, while the music was written by Hoagy Carmichael, Harold Adamson, Jule Styne and Leo Robin. The songs by Styne and Robin are from the Broadway show, while the songs by Carmichael and Adamson were written especially for the film. Despite the film's title, Monroe was paid her usual contract salary of $500 a week, while Russell, the better-known actress at the time, earned $200,000.

Monroe's rendition of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" and her pink dress are part of popular culture and are considered iconic; the performance has inspired and been recreated by various artists as an homage.