Marilyn Monroe dress, which prompted veteran star Joan Crawford to describe her behavior as "unbecoming an actress and a lady" to the press. While "Niagara" made Monroe a sex symbol and established her "look", her second film of the year, the satirical musical comedy "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", established her screen persona as a "dumb blonde". Based on Anita Loos' bestselling novel and its Broadway version, the film focuses on two "gold-digging" showgirls, Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw, played by Monroe and Jane Russell. The role of Lorelei was originally intended for Betty Grable, who had been 20th Century-Fox's most popular "blonde bombshell"
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953 film) Theatre, a spectacle that got a lot of publicity for both actresses and for the film. Loos wrote a sequel to her novel entitled "But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes", with further adventures of Lorelei and Dorothy. The 1955 "Gentlemen Marry Brunettes" musical film used only the book's name and starred Russell and Jeanne Crain playing completely new characters. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953 film) Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a 1953 American musical comedy film based on the 1949 stage musical of the same name. It was directed by Howard Hawks and stars Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe, with Charles Coburn, Elliott Reid,