Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

About This Event

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) brings one of Marilyn Monroe's most recognizable musical comedies to the Fox Tucson Theatre as part of the Marilyn Fox Film Series. The screening is listed for August 23 at 4:00 p.m. and is presented by the Fox Tucson Theatre, the nonprofit organization behind the event. In the film, Lorelei and her gold digger friend Dorothy set sail on a luxury liner bound for France, but their journey encounters complications as romance, money, and competing expectations collide.

Directed by Howard Hawks, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes stars Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, and Charles Coburn. The Fox's description places the film within Monroe's range as a performer, presenting it as a musical comedy in which she combines physical humor with high-glamour showmanship. Her performance includes "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," an enduring musical number that the series describes as a display of satire and star power. Alongside Monroe, Russell's presence gives the film its central friendship and comic partnership, with the two characters navigating the demands and distractions of their voyage together.

The screening is part of a four-film celebration of Monroe titled "Silver Screen Royalty in a Golden Age Palace: The Many Faces of Marilyn." The mini-festival is designed to look beyond the familiar Hollywood image and highlight the actor's versatility, comedic timing, and dramatic ability. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes represents the musical comedy portion of that program. The other films are Niagara (1953), identified as a film noir performance, Some Like It Hot (1959), described as a showcase for Monroe's comedy, and The Misfits (1961), her final completed film and a more stripped-back dramatic role.

The Fox Tucson Theatre provides the setting for the series in downtown Tucson. Originally opened in 1930, the theater is described by its own site as a fully restored Southwestern Art Deco masterpiece and a classic picture palace. Its historic design and acoustics are part of the presentation, connecting Monroe's films with a venue built during the era associated with Hollywood's golden age. The theater's broader programming includes film screenings, live events, youth arts and culture initiatives, and other activities supported by the Fox Theatre Foundation.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes offers Tucson audiences a chance to see Monroe in the role that the Fox series identifies as her "musical marvel" period, while also placing the film within a larger portrait of her career. The August 23 screening begins at 4:00 p.m. at the Fox Tucson Theatre. The event listing includes all-in ticketing information and checkout details, with a separate series arrangement for patrons purchasing multiple Marilyn weekend films. Other screenings in the series include The Misfits on August 22 and Some Like It Hot on August 22, allowing the individual film to be experienced as part of a broader downtown Tucson celebration of Monroe's work.