I am excited to say this will be the 100th post here on Blame Mame! I can't wait to write 1,000 more! I really am appreciative to the followers and other readers who make their daily stops by the blog. I love seeing your comments on the entries and over on the Blame Mame Facebook page!
If you weren't able to read between the lines through past posts, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is pretty much my favorite movie of all time! And with a cast that includes two of my top ladies (Marilyn Monroe & Jane Russell), musical numbers to die for, and stunning Travilla designed gowns... how could this film now be at the top of everyone's list?
Some of you may know this and some of you may not, but there was a musical number cut from the film before its theatrical release. Whenever I found this out I was so excited, but then I learned it may be lost forever. Most of the time the film that was cut from films literally was left 'on the cutting room floor.' How could there be a musical number from my favorite movie that I will never get to see?!?
I haven't been able to find out much about it, but I do know it was titled Four French Dances and would have been toward the end of the film when the girls make it to France. My best guess would be that it would have come right before the 'Diamond's Are A Girl's Best Friend' number because Lorelei and Dorothy can be scene in the costume when Mr. Esmund goes backstage to talk to the girls. From the productions stills stills I have seen, it looks like it would have been an amazing number. If you are interested, you can see a small clip from the scene in the film's trailer. Marilyn and Jane can be seen walking on a ladder. [around the 2.12 mark]
I also heard of another musical number that was cut from the film titled 'Down Boy'. I know the number was performed by Marilyn... possibly in the scene where she is dancing with Piggy in the gold lame gown on the ship. I think I read somewhere it was cut because the gown was too risque to be shown in theaters. I know I have heard the music from the number somewhere, but that was over 5 years ago and I cant find it again. If anyone knows where I can find the music, please let me know!
And as if that weren't enough, there is also a costume that was unused from this film that can be seen in wardrobe test for the film. The costume looks very revealing at first glance, but it is just another illusion by the master designer Travilla. I wonder when Marilyn would have worn it?
You can find more images from the Four French Dances number behind the cut...
WOW! WOW! WOW! "GPB" is one of my all-time faves, too, and I'm *loving* that you've found out about the lost number. This is GOLD! Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteI love the stage design and the costumes for the French number. How sad that we can't see it. This is one of my favorite movies as well. I have no idea how many times I've seen it.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 100th post!
love your blog!
ReplyDeletei believe the costume marilyn is wearing was intended for the 'diamonds are a girl's best friend' number. i remember reading that choreographer jack cole had wanted marilyn to look like a giant diamond necklace for this number.
also, from the book 'hollywood costume design', by david chierichetti: due to marilyn's notoriety regarding her nude pics in playboy magazine, the studio nixed this costume & told travilla to design an 'absolutely sexless' dress for monroe. travilla came up with the pink strapless dress, made of upholstery satin and lined with felt to make it even stiffer, but "on monroe, it moved sensually anyway" travilla remembered.
That hot pink dress Sexless? On he contrary set against that scarlet red backdrop and the black and white Tux's of the male dancers that strapless confection is about just has sexy as it gets.
ReplyDeleteInteresting information - I always thought the cut number in the black and yellow costumes with the Eiffel Tower set piece was "Sunshine" from the Broadway score (about the girls traveling around Paris). I didn't realize they had written another number for the film. It's a terrible shame they changed "It's Delightful Down in Chile" (Lorelei's song with Sir Francis Beekman in the Broadway score) with some other number that got cut ... the original is absolutely charming. Though, I admit, the addition of "When Love Goes Wrong" is a great addition to the film score.
ReplyDeleteThat costume that looks as if Marilyn is almost naked...you wondered where she'd wear it, i have the answer for that. It was going to be the costume for the "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" number. They had to change it because they couldn't get it past the censor.
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