1953’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a musical comedy, directed by Howard Hawks and taken from the musical stage hit by Joseph Fields and Anita Loos. It’s about two showgirls who know what they want and how to get it. In short, Lorelei (Marilyn Monroe) and her friend Dorothy (Jane Russell) take a cruise ship to Paris, where Lorelei hopes to marry the wealthy Gus Esmond (Tommy Nooman). There are plenty of laughs, musical numbers and eligible gentlemen along the way that they might meet. Interestingly, I believe Dorthy and Lorelei’s friendship is just as engaging (if not more) than the romantic storylines pursued in the movie. That said, many of the films most memorable scenes work best with the back and forth banter shared between Monroe and Russell. For instance, the classic scene where Lorelei is holding a tiara almost always comes to mind first.
Lorelei: How do you put it around your neck?
Dorothy: You don’t, honey, it goes on your head!
Lorelei: You must think I was born yesterday.
Dorothy: Well, sometimes there’s just no other possible explanation.
Although many people nowadays, refer to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes as a Marilyn Monroe picture, let’s not forget co-star Jane Russell wonderful standout performance as showgirl Dorothy Shaw. There is no doubt in my mind that, without Russell’s savvy and relatable performance (often as a selfless foil for her co-star), Monroe would have struggled to carry the picture on her own. During the making of the film, Marilyn was suffering from severe bouts of stage fright and Jane Russell had to coax Marilyn often out of her dressing room. Russell was arguably instrumental in helping lift Marilyn’s confidence.
Personally, one of my favourite Russell lines from the film that gets plenty of attention these days goes something like…“You know, I think you’re the only girl in the world who can stand on a stage with a spotlight in her eye and still see a diamond inside a man’s pocket.” But when we talk about our favourite Jane Russell scenes I’m always reminded of Russell’s faux-Marilyn courtroom scene that comes not long after Marilyn’s iconic “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” showcase. Interestingly, in the courtroom scene Russell performs a shorter rendition of “Diamonds”. While it is not as famous as Marilyn’s musical number, it is very funny and a showstopper in its own right. But how did we get to this point and why did we need the scene?
Well, in the final act of the film, there’s a dispute over Lady Beekman’s missing tiara that gets Lorelei (Monroe) in all sorts of bother. In short Lorelei is accused of stealing the tiara and is called before a Paris court to answer the charge of theft. It is here that Dorothy (Russell) schemes to buy Lorelei some time by impersonating her at the court hearing about the whereabouts of the tiara. Russell comedic flair has the court believing that she is Lorelei, even breaking out in a song and dance. But soon after it appears the jig is up when Dorothy’s boyfriend strolls into the court hearing threatening to expose the ruse. Dorothy though quickly regains her composure impersonating Lorelei once again and begs the court to speak before she’s exposed.
In short, she reiterates to the court (but really she is letting her boyfriend know) that she is innocent and that her friend Dorothy would be devastated if Dorothy’s new flame spoke badly of Lorelei: “There’s a certain young man that Dorothy likes. In fact, she’s very fond of him. And Dorothy would never speak to this man again if he ever did anything to hurt me, Lorelei. So I think this young man had just better know that…well… well…Dorothy thinks she’s in love with him!”
This final admission of love from Dorothy (as Lorelei) is enough for Dorothy’s boyfriend to change his mind in revealing the truth of her courtroom antics and instead exonerates Lorelei.
Here below is that great song and dance courtroom scene. Enjoy!
Rearview Mirror 
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