TheHoward Hawks-directed film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) became a showcasefor the rapidly rising Marilyn Monroe, but was also part of a well-establishedHollywood trend. In those years, successful Broadway musicals were turned intomovies. Nowadays, it’s usually the other way around.
Thestage musical of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, with a book byplaywright-novelist-bon vivant Anita Loos and songs by Jule Styne and LeoRobin, debuted in 1949 to long lines outside the box office. A recent revival,captured on a CD released on Masterworks Broadway, stars Megan Hilty as thetitular blond, Lorelei Lee. The production has the virtue of making no doubtfulconcessions to changing times—no stumbling attempts to wean “Bye Bye Baby” on rapor rock-out “A Little Girl From Little Rock.” The effervescent melodies andlyrics still bubble like a freshly uncorked bottle of champagne.
