“A landmark encounter in the battle of the sexes” (Dave Kehr), Howard Hawk’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is as subversive as it is lavish. The ultimate musical, it made Marilyn Monroe a Hollywood legend and proved that diamonds are indeed a girl’s best friend. Featuring Betty Quirk and Dolly Monroe on stage performing a Gentlemen-themed double-act, this is a can’t-miss LADIES of BURLESQUE screening!

Monroe is Lorelei Lee, the original “Material Girl.” A showgirl with prowess, Lorelei can “stand on a stage with a spotlight in her eye and still see a diamond inside a man's pocket.” Blindingly blonde and admirably ambitious, Lorelei knows how to exploit the men who are out to exploit her. And with her best friend Dorothy Shaw—played by the original “Outlaw” Jane Russell—at her side, Lorelei can’t be beat. That is until she and Dorothy embark on a cruise to Paris, only to be spied upon by a private detective (Elliott Reid) hired by the rich father of Lorelei’s newly-minted fiancé. Convinced that she is a gold-digger (and rightfully so), the father is hot to catch Lorelei in the act—hilarious, compromising (mis)adventures ensue.

Gloriously gaudy and loaded with queer iconography—Russell’s muscle-man poolside number is a highlight here—Gentlemen is not your typical Hollywood musical fare. The costumes, the musical numbers, and of course the inimitable onscreen duo of Monroe and Russell all contribute to the film’s status as one of the most iconic of all time.