Lillian Lorraine reportedly was a large influence on Anita Loos in the creation of the character of Lorelei for the novel "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". Although her affair with Ziegfeld was over by the end of the 1910s, her box office drawing power kept her in a number of his productions of the period. Lorraine's fame waned in the 1920s, and she worked for a period in vaudeville. Lorraine's first marriage was to Frederick M. Gresheimer. They married on March 27, 1912 after meeting on a beach. Ten days later, Lorraine announced that the marriage had been a mistake and that the couple
But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes Blondes". Both books began as sketch series originally published in "Harper's Bazaar" magazine. Loos had planned on retiring after writing "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" in order to care for her partner, John Emerson. However, she had promised "Harper's Bazaar" a sequel, so Loos and Emerson did not leave for Europe until shortly after the sequel had been published. The sequel to "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" is also narrated by Lorelei, the bubbly blonde; however, she tells the tale of her friend, Dorothy, a bright talented young woman who grew up in a carnival company; she is discovered by Charlie, who helps her