But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes director and Bob Waterfield (Russell's husband) with Robert Bassler as executive producer, from a screenplay by Mary Loos and Sale, based on the novel "But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes" by Anita Loos. Anita Loos was the author of the novel and play "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" which had been turned into a smash film with Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe in 1953. This film was not as well received as the earlier one. Anita Loos had entitled her book But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes, but the studio dropped the first word from the title for the film. But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes But Gentlemen
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953 film) the film; as a result, the characters have become extremely popular in pop culture. Bosley Crowther of "The New York Times" called Howard Hawks' direction "uncomfortably cloddish and slow" and found the gags for Russell "devoid of character or charm," but concluded, "And yet, there is that about Miss Russell and also about Miss Monroe that keeps you looking at them even when they have little or nothing to do." "Variety" wrote that Hawks "maintains a racy air that brings the musical off excellently at a pace that helps cloak the fact that it's rather lightweight, but sexy, stuff. However,