Gentlemen Marry Brunettes Gentlemen Marry Brunettes Gentlemen Marry Brunettes is a 1955 technicolor romantic Western musical comedy film produced by Russ-Field productions, starring Jane Russell and Jeanne Crain, and released by United Artists. It was directed by Richard Sale, produced by the 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 two years before.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953 film) and Adamson were written especially for the film. Depsite the film's title, Monroe was paid her usual contract salary of $500 a week, while Russell, the more known and experienced actress of the two, earned $200,000. While Russell's down-to-earth, sharp wit has been noted by most critics, it was Monroe's turn as the gold-digging Lorelei Lee for which the film is often remembered. Monroe's rendition of the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" and her pink dress are considered iconic, and the performance has inspired homages by Beyonce , Madonna, Geri Halliwell, Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, Anna Nicole Smith,