Image: 20th Century Fox
About This Quiz
Sometimes all you want from a night at the movies is a classic gold-digger comedy, and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" delivers in spades ... er, diamonds! Test your knowledge of this delightful song-and-dance movie with our quiz!
Who played the two leads?
Theda Bara and Jean Harlow
Betty Grable and Katharine Hepburn
Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell
Monroe and Russell, playing a dumb blonde and sharp-witted brunette, went together like pie and ice cream. They were reported to be good friends on the set, too.
Marilyn Monroe and Jane Mansfield
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What were the names of the two showgirls?
Betty and Veronica
Lorelei and Dorothy
Of course, Monroe was the sexy "Lorelei Lee." Russell played the down-to-earth, sardonic "Dorothy Shaw."
Carole and Therese
Marie and Donnie
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In the movie's opening number, Lorelei and Dorothy refer to themselves as two what?
"Gold-Diggers With Hearts of Gold"
"Fools for Love"
"Little Girls from Little Rock"
The song tells the classic story of small-town girls who went to the big city to make their fortune. Their claims of innocence and naivete are a little undercut by their form-fitting, glittery red dresses, split up the skirt to reveal a lot of leg.
"Misunderstood Ladies"
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What does Dorothy say when Lorelei and Gus Esmond announce they're getting married?
"Oh, that's ever so wonderful!"
"Will I be a maid of honor?"
"When?"
"To each other?"
Marilyn Monroe might have stolen the show as bombshell Lorelei, but Jane Russell got the best lines. When Lorelei shows Dorothy her diamond, Dorothy says, "It looks like it should have a highball around it."
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Why does it seem unlikely that nebbishy Gus will be able to marry Lorelei?
he's a commitment-phobe
he's too young
his father doesn't approve
Gus, the son of a wealthy tycoon, doesn't have a commitment problem. He's besotted with Lorelei, but his father isn't likely to give his blessing to the marriage.
he's secretly already married
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Where does much of the action in "Gentlemen" take place?
a Broadway theater
an airport during a storm
an ocean liner
Lorelei was supposed to be sailing to Europe with Gus to get married there. When he backs out, because of his father, Lorelei goes anyway, in hopes of getting him to follow her there. Dorothy goes along as Lorelei's "chaperone."
a tropical island
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What is the name of the ship Lorelei and Dorothy will sail on?
the Lady Jane
the Ile de France
The ship's name is clearly mentioned twice: once when Lorelei mispronounces it, and a second time when Gus corrects her. Fun fact: the ship used in the film was previously used for "Titanic" (the 1953 film, obviously not the 90s version with DiCaprio and Winslet).
the Antoinette
the Lusitania
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Who catches Dorothy's eye on the docks?
Malone
a young, handsome steward
the U.S. Olympic fencing team
Usually, you'd expect traveling Olympians to be the team in a specific sport, like fencing or swimming. But no: in "Gentlemen," the entire Olympic team is traveling at once, on one ship. Except the women athletes -- they seem to have taken a different ship. (Nobody ever said musical comedies had to make sense).
the entire U.S. Olympic team
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What line of work is Malone in?
engineering
insurance
private investigation
Malone has been hired by Gus Esmond, Sr,, to watch Lorelei's activities and report back. Esmond Sr. is convinced that Lorelei will be unfaithful to his son on the transatlantic trip, and he wants documented proof.
radio news
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What is going on while Dorothy sings "Isn't Anyone Here for Love?"
the two girls dress for dinner
the ship sets sail for Europe
the Olympic team works out
Jane Russell fell in the pool while filming the number. The director, Howard Hawks, liked the accidental pratfall and left it in.
dinner is served in the dining room
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While Lorelei is interested in rich men, what kind of man does Dorothy like?
good-looking
Dorothy says that if they're "tall, dark, and handsome" she just can't help herself. Lorelei disapproves, and tries to find a suitable rich man for Dorothy to meet onboard.
smart
loyal
talented
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What goes wrong with Lorelei's attempt to set Dorothy up with Mr. Spofford?
he's already married
he has terrible manners
he's implied to be gay
he's a child
Lorelei picks "Mr. Henry Spofford" off the passenger manifest and is shocked when he appears to be about 10 years old. We don't learn exactly how old he is, but he tells Dorothy that he's old enough "to appreciate a good-looking girl."
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When Malone first meets Dorothy, with what does he try to impress her?
his brains
his money
Malone tries to give the impression that he's a wealthy man. This immediately falls flat, as Dorothy hates men who use their wealth to pick up women.
his manners
his fluent French
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What is Malone's first name?
Dick
Ernie
At first, Malone poses as a rich man when he tries to get into Dorothy's good graces. If he'd told her his first name, this might have fallen through: We're pretty sure there's never been a rich man who went by "Ernie" in the course of human history.
Matthew
Sam
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What is the nickname of the diamond-mine owner, Beekman?
Joe
Red
Piggy
The Englishman, Beekman, owns a diamond mine in South Africa. Naturally, this makes him of great interest to Lorelei, who loves diamonds.
Studs
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What item does Lady Beekman supposedly carry with her everywhere?
a lock of her husband's hair
her passport
mace
her tiara
Why Lady Beekman carries her tiara instead of wearing it, we never find out. But it's a good excuse (narratively) for her to show Lorelei what a tiara is and how it's worn.
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What item does Malone twice bring to Dorothy?
cigarettes
Malone twice tells Dorothy, "Here's your cigarettes," or "Here's those cigarettes." Back in the days when people believed "more doctors smoke Camels," this wasn't as morally suspect as it now seems: giving a lady a cigarette or a light was still seen as a gentlemanly act.
chewing gum
her shoes
a towel
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What does Dorothy see Malone do that arouses her suspicions?
sends a telegram
dusts for fingerprints
picks a lock
takes a photograph through a window
Malone photographs Lorelei and Piggy through the porthole. He doesn't see Dorothy, but she sees him and realizes what his true line of work is.
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What do Lorelei and Piggy appear to be doing in the photos?
embracing
The photos that Malone took through the window definitely look incriminating, just as Dorothy feared. They could provide ammunition for Gus Esmond Sr. to derail his son's wedding.
kissing
getting undressed
counting money
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When Lorelei and Piggy appear to be embracing, what's really going on?
he was giving her the Heimlich maneuver
she was giving him the Heimlich manuever
he was looking for an olive she dropped down her sweater
he was demonstrating how a python squeezes its prey
Dorothy, knowing that Malone just took photos, asks Lorelei what she and Piggy were doing. Lorelei explains that Piggy was showing her how a python squeezes a goat. And "I was the goat," she says, downcast.
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Where does Lorelei get stuck?
an elevator
a closet
a porthole
Lorelei is trying to escape Malone's room, which she's gotten locked into. Young Henry Spofford helps her out, in perhaps the movie's funniest scene.
a wine barrel
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Which of these is NOT in the drink that Lorelei makes for Malone?
gin
sleeping pills
vodka
all of these are in the drink
The girls, who want to get the incriminating film of Lorelei and Piggy, first give him the drink, then spill water on him in order to have an excuse to take his pants off. That's where they suspect, correctly, the film is hidden. Ah, the 1950s, when date-rape-like behavior was considered funny!
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What does Lorelei want from Piggy, in exchange for saving his reputation?
a fur coat
a raw diamond
a racehorse
his wife's tiara
Lorelei saved Piggy by getting the incriminating photos away from Malone. Though Piggy tries to interest her in furs or a racehorse, Lorelei knows she's a queen, and every queen deserves a crown!
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In what European city do the girls arrive?
London
Paris
Paris is the City of Love, but the love isn't going to last. The unfortunate "Piggy" affair is about to catch up with Lorelei and Dorothy.
Rome
Trieste
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What do Dorothy and Lorelei first do in Paris?
check into their hotel
go shopping for clothes
This scene is a fashionista's dream. Among the classic designers whose storefronts are shown are those of Elsa Schiaparelli and Cristobal Balenciaga, now legends of couture.
have coffee and pastries
see the Eiffel Tower
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Who is waiting at the hotel for Lorelei and Dorothy?
Lady Beekman
Malone
an insurance agent
all of these
Lady Beekman is seeking the return of her tiara, which she believes that Lorelei stole (thanks to her deceitful husband). Lorelei insists that the tiara was a gift, and that she has no intention of returning it.
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Finish the lyric, "When Love Goes Wrong, ________."
" ... a Little Champagne Helps."
" ... We Go to Paris."
"...Nothing Goes Right."
After leaving the hotel, Lorelei and Dorothy break into song at a cafe. They're pretty cheery given that they're stranded in Paris without any money to speak of.
" ... Move On."
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What kind of work do Lorelei and Dorothy find in Paris?
modeling
washing dishes
selling flowers
singing in a cabaret
Lorelei and Dorothy are "Les Chanteuses Amercains" at a cabaret. This is where Lorelei performs the famous "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" number.
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What color is the dress that Lorelei wears during the iconic "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" routine?
black
pink
According to imdb.com trivia, the original costume design called for Monroe to be dressed in bands of black velvet and diamonds, like a giant necklace. This was deemed too racy, and the result is the pink dress and gloves everyone remembers. (Oddly, no one objected to the somewhat bondage-themed candelabras in the cabaret, made of women in black vinyl seemingly strapped into place.)
red
white
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Who is in the audience when Lorelei performs the "Diamonds" number?
Gus
Gus has chased Lorelei to Paris, as she predicted. But seeing her onstage espousing an anti-romantic, gold-digger has a cooling effect on his ardor, and he tells her "We're through." (Sure you are, Gus!)
Gus Sr.
Malone
Piggy
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When Lorelei finally agrees to give back the tiara, what does she discover?
it's been stolen from her
Oh no! Curse this shocking, yet inevitable, setback!
it's not real
it's been badly damaged
it never belonged to Lady Beekman
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What does Dorothy do in an attempt to help Lorelei?
goes to talk to Lady Beekman
asks for help from Malone
appears in court disguised as Lorelei
Dorothy goes to court in a blonde wig and imitates her friend's breathy voice and innocent manner. She's stalling for time, while Lorelei tries to find the tiara.
buys a tiara of fake diamonds
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Who ultimately proves to have the tiara?
Lady Beekman
Piggy Beekman
Malone reveals this to the court, having been won over to the cause of trying to help Dorothy and Lorelei. When the tiara is located, all charges against Lorelei are dropped.
Malone
a hat-check girl from the cabaret
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Who gives a speech near the end in defense of women pursuing and marrying rich men?
Dorothy
Lorelei
Lorelei tells Gus Sr. that while men might not marry a girl solely because she's pretty, "it helps," and it's the same with women liking rich men. She also points out that Gus Sr. would probably rather his daughter, if he had one, marry a man with money than one without. She wins Gus Sr. to her side, and tells him, "I can be smart, when it's important."
Malone
Gus Jr.
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Who directed "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"?
Harry Cohn
Howard Hawks
DIrector Howard Hawks made screwball comedies, gangster films and more. His source material for "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" was a 1920s novel of the same name, by author Anita Loos.
Orson Welles
Ed Wood
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The movie ends with whose wedding?
Lorelei's
Dorothy's
both
In the end, Lorelei is marrying Gus, and Dorothy is getting hitched to Malone. (Props to Tarantino fans who caught the "Kill Bill" reference, btw.)
it wasn't a wedding; it was a wedding rehearsal
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20th Century Fox