Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

...Except when it comes to Rita


In 1953 Twentieth Century-Fox was casting the film adaptation of the Broadway hit, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. For the part of Dorothy Shaw they had already cast the raven haired beauty, Jane Russell but they had yet to cast the blonde, golddigger role of Lorelie Lee. They had toyed with the idea of casting Betty Grable in the part but after the sensation Marilyn caused in her previous movie, Niagara, she got the part hands down. Now with Jane and Marilyn cast, the studio concocted a fued between them as rival "sex symbols". However, it was far from the truth. They got along well and became great friends. Anyway, in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes she vamped around with Jane Russell, turned heads and immortalized the song, Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend. When filming started on Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Marilyn didn't even have a dressing room. The biggest star of Fox actually had to demand a dressing room, after all she was the blonde of the title.


Lyrics to "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"

The French are glad to-die for love
they delight in fighting-duels
but I prefer a man who lives-
and gives-expensive-jewels.


A kiss on the hand may be quite continental
but diamonds are a girl's best friend
A kiss may be grand-but it won't pay the rental
on your humble flat-or help you at the auto-mat
men grow cold as girls grow old
and we all lose our charms in the end
but square cut or pear shaped these rocks don't lose their shape
diamonds are a girl's best friend!
Tiffany's! Cartier! Black star. frost gorum.
Talk to me Harry Winston tell me all about it!

There may come a time when a-lass needs a lawyer
but diamonds are a girl's best friend
There may come a time when a-hard-boiled employer 
thinks you're awful nice-but get that ice or else no dice.
He's your guy when stocks are high-
but beware when they-start to descend
It's then that those louses go back to their spouces
diamonds are a girl's best friend

I've heard of affairs that are-strictly platonic
but diamonds are a girl's best friend
and I think affairs that you-must keep platonic-
are better bets-if little pets get big bagets
Time rolls on and the youth is gone 
and you can't straiten out when you bend
but stiff back or stiff knees you stand strait at
---------Tiffany's-----------
---------diamonds------------
---------diamonds------------
I don't mean rhinestones-but diamonds-
are a girl's best
--------best friend!!!-------
 

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