Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw are American showgirls and best friends, although the two are very different. Lorelei thinks more of a man's financial wealth, especially men who can give her diamonds, such as her fiancé Gus Esmond Jr. Contrarily, Dorothy prefers men who are attractive and fit, and she does not care about their wealth. Lorelei plans to wed Gus in France, but they are forbidden to travel together by Gus's strict father Esmond Sr., who despises Lorelei as a fortune hunter, although he hasn't met her. Lorelei decides to travel to France with or without Gus; before she leaves, he gives her a letter of credit to cover expenses, promising to meet her in France. He also warns her to behave, noting that his father will prohibit their marriage if Esmond Sr. hears rumors of misdeeds. Gus and Lorelei are unaware that Esmond Sr. has hired private detective Ernie Malone to spy on Lorelei. During the Atlantic crossing, Malone immediately falls in love with Dorothy, but she initially is drawn to the members of the male US Olympic team who are also on the ship. Lorelei meets the rich and foolish Sir Francis "Piggy" Beekman, owner of a diamond mine, attracted by his wealth. Although Piggy is married, Lorelei returns his geriatric flirtations, which annoys his wife, Lady Beekman. Lorelei invites Piggy to the cabin that she shares with Dorothy, where he recounts his travels to Africa, imitating a python as an excuse to embrace her. Spying through the window, Malone takes pictures of the embrace, but Dorothy sees him as he walks away. To protect Lorelei's, reputation, they devise a scheme to intoxicate Malone and search him to recover the incriminating film while he is unconscious. They find the film in his pants, and Lorelei prints and hides the negatives. Telling Piggy that she retrieved the film to protect his reputation, Lorelei persuades an intimidated Piggy to give her Lady Beekman's tiara as a reward. Having planted a recording device in Lorelei's cabin, Malone hears her discussion with Piggy about the pictures and the tiara. Malone confesses to Dorothy that he is a private detective, accusing Lorelei of being a gold digger, but Dorothy scolds him for his actions. Dorothy reveals to Lorelei that she is falling for Malone, and Lorelei chastises her for choosing a poor man when she could easily have a rich one. The ship arrives in France, and Lorelei and Dorothy go on a shopping spree. However, they discover Malone's report to Esmond Sr. has resulted in Lorelei's letter of credit being canceled and their eviction from their hotel. They find work as showgirls in Paris, headlining a lavish revue. When Gus appears at their show, Lorelei rebuffs him prior to going onstage to perform "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend". Meanwhile, Lady Beekman has filed charges regarding her missing tiara, and Lorelei is accused of theft. Dorothy persuades Lorelei to return the tiara, but they discover it is missing from her jewelry box. When Malone catches Piggy at the airport, Piggy tries to deny his part in the affair. Dorothy stalls for time by pretending to be Lorelei, getting arrested in her place while disguised in a blonde wig and mimicking her friend's breathy voice and mannerisms in court. When Malone appears in court and is about to unmask Dorothy, she reveals to Malone in covert language that she loves him but would never forgive him if he hurts Lorelei. Malone refrains from exposing Dorothy's impersonation, but then reveals that Piggy has the tiara, exonerating Lorelei. Back at the nightclub, Lorelei impresses Esmond Sr. with a speech reasoning that a woman marrying a rich man is like a man marrying a pretty woman; it isn't the only consideration, but a desirable one. She reasons to Esmond Sr. that if he had a daughter instead of a son, he would want the best for her. He acknowledges her common sense and consents to the marriage. A double wedding is held for Lorelei and Dorothy and their grooms.

Plot from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953 film)CC BY-SA 4.0