Musicals—8

Last week we talked about the all-time great musical, Singin’ in the Rain. Following right on its heels the next year was another gem—Gentlemen Prefer Blondes [1953]. And while I appreciate Singin’ in the Rain and don’t begrudge its first place slot on all the lists, one of my personal favorites is Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

And the most famous song is probably Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend, which Monroe sings with appropriate gusto. If you haven’t seen it, take a look at this glamorous production number: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knLd8bfeWtI.

I certainly acknowledge that Diamonds is a terrific song, Monroe was never better, and it’s the kind of number that if you saw it in person would have you leaping to your feet at the end, and applauding like mad. And yet… for me, the best song in the film is one whose genesis is the story. Because Diamonds is a song that Monroe’s character sings because it’s her job as a showgirl. But there another song that’s prompted by a bad turn of events.

The story of the film has Loreli and Dorothy [Jan Russell] going by ship to Paris on Loreli’s fiancé’s dime. But the fiancé’s father thinks Loreli’s just after his son’s money, so he sends a private detective on the boat to catch Loreli in the arms of other men and thus dissuade his son from the marriage. Loreli actually doesn’t do anything on the boat except flirt, but one of her flirtations is with an older man who has a diamond mine and, if she’s sweet to him, well, maybe he’ll give her a bauble. And he does. But that won’t get her in trouble until later.

The two girls leave the boat and head right for the shops, buying out Paris by just charging everything they buy to the hotel that the fiancé is underwriting. But, tired after all their shopping, when they get to the hotel, they’re met by the private detective—who had passed himself off as a wealthy young man, and Dorothy had fallen hard for him on the boat, not realizing he was a P.I. But he now shows compromising pictures of Loreli to them to explain why the fiancé is no longer footing their bills. So they don’t have a room to sleep in and take their bags and leave. They sit down in a café, totally broke, and sing a song. Take a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ern7QwMd7XM.

When Love Goes Wrong Nothing Goes Right is my favorite song from the film for a number of reasons. Both women get to share their sadness—we see them only able to pay for one cup of coffee. Sure, they don’t know where they’re sleeping tonight and can’t pay for a meal either, but what do they care about, broke and hungry? Love. That’s why we like ‘em. They know what’s important. And there’s something so innocent about their search for love. This song tells the story of the film—enduring all for love, in the hope it will turn out right in the end… and can you guess if it does?

Copyright © Diane Lake

15Sep19

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