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 (novel) a wealthy man to buy it for her, and settles on Sir Francis Beekman, whom Lorelei calls ‘Piggie’. She is warned that he is a miser, but with flattery and the promise of discretion (as he is married), she manages to get him to buy the tiara for her. Meanwhile Dorothy takes up with an unemployed ballroom dancer named Gerry. They meet the Prince of Wales and Dorothy thinks it is divine; she is especially impressed with Coty, Cartier, and the ‘Eyeful’ Tower. While spends time with a French viscount, he spends hardly any money on her, leading her to