In this classic musical comedy from director Howard Hawks (Bringing Up Baby), Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) is a beautiful showgirl engaged to be married to the wealthy Gus Esmond (Tommy Noonan), much to the chagrin of Gus’ rich father (Taylor Holmes), who thinks that Lorelei is just after his money. When Lorelei goes on a cruise accompanied only by her best friend, Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell), Gus’ father hires Ernie Malone (Elliot Reid), a private detective, to follow her and report any questionable behavior that would disqualify her from the marriage.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
This film is part of the Marilyn Monroe at 100 series.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Cinema Studies Screening & Lecture with Jeff Hughes on September 10
1953. 91 m. Howard Hawks. Disney. US. English/French. Rated NR.
Tickets: $11 (members), $16 (nonmembers)
"Those two faces are incredible in juxtaposition: Russell is worldly, amused, intensely in touch: Monroe is sublimely unfocused and beatific. A joy."
"Howard Hawks adds sly sexual insinuation to the blatantly sexual antics of Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in this scintillating 1953 adaptation of the stage musical based on Anita Loos's novel."
SPECIAL EVENTS
Cinema Studies Screening and Lecture with film scholar Jeff Hughes
Thursday, Sep. 10 2026, 1:30
- Jeff Hughes holds multiple degrees from the Martin Scorsese Department of Cinema Studies at New York University, focusing his research on American political cinema, the movie musical and the films of Sidney Lumet. He is currently in the American Studies program at Rutgers-Newark. During his 20-year absence from academia, he authored four plays and two musicals, and founded Boardwalk Theatre Company, an organization dedicated to after-school education in underserved communities such as Asbury Park, NJ. He was the recipient of the 2009 Richard Rodgers Awards, administered by the American Academy of Arts & Letters. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of DaBearsBlog.com, the nation's leading Chicago Bears website, which is celebrating its 20th season in 2025.
Tickets: $35 (members), $40 (nonmembers), $35 (students)
This film is part of the Marilyn Monroe at 100 series.
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