Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953 film) not much more is needed when patrons can look at Russell-Monroe lines as displayed in slick costumes and Technicolor." "Harrison's Reports" wrote: "Both Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe are nothing short of sensational in the leading roles. They not only act well, but the sexy manner in which they display their song, dance and pulchritude values just about sets the screen on fire and certainly is crowd-pleasing, judging by the thunderous applause at the preview after each of the well-staged musical numbers." John McCarten of "The New Yorker" wrote that the two leads "have a good deal of enthusiasm, and
Sex symbol Sex symbol A sex symbol is a famous person or fictional character widely regarded to be very sexually attractive. The term "sex symbol" was first used in the mid-1950s in relation to the popularity of certain film stars and pin-up models, including Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, and Raquel Welch. This concept was a reflection of the post-World War II increase of sexual and economic emancipation of women. In the 20th century, sex symbols could be male as well as female: actors such as the romantic Sessue Hayakawa and the athletic Douglas Fairbanks were popular in the 1910s and 1920s. Archetypal