The film follows showgirls and best friends Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) and Dorothy Shaw ( Jane Russell). The two women travel to Europe when Lorelei snags a proposal from the wealthy Gus Esmond ( Tommy Noonan). In fact, there are a number of more interesting ways to read Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. While the film has its’ share of flaws, this isn’t Marilyn Monroe gold-digging her way to Europe. Interestingly, the musical is quite complex when viewed through a feminist lens. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is one of Monroe’s most famous films. However, a number of these characters are stereotypical “dumb blondes”. Monroe, whose name and glamor have spanned the decades, played a number of iconic roles during her short career. The relationship between Marilyn Monroe and feminism can best be described as problematic. A craze in its day and with ageless appeal, this new Liveright edition puts Lorelei back where she belongs: front and center.Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. In this delightfully droll and witty book, Lorelei's glamorous pragmatism shines, as does Anita Loos's mastery of irony and dialect.

Masquerading as her diaries, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes follows Lorelei as she entertains suitors across Europe before returning home to marry a millionaire. Outrageous and charming, this not-so-dumb blonde has been portrayed on stage and screen by Carol Channing and Marilyn Monroe and has become the archetype of the footloose, good-hearted gold digger (not that she sees herself that way). This delirious 1925 Jazz Age classic introduced readers to Lorelei Lee, the small-town girl from Little Rock, who has become one of the most timeless characters in American fiction. Named one of the 100 Best Novels Ever Written in English ( The Guardian) Loos's classic tale shows that questions of women and power-more relevant today than ever-can come in the most alluring of packages. A craze in its day and with ageless appeal, this new Liveright edition puts Lorelei back where she belongs: front and center.

Gentlemen prefer blonds book