A Bumper CD Reissue for the ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ Soundtrack

The Gentlemen Prefer Blondes soundtrack has been reissued on CD by Sepia Records.

In addition to the original six-track album – featuring the full, uncut performances from the 1953 movie, plus Jane Russell’s reprise of ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ – the reissue also includes the French version, with Marilyn’s vocals sung by Claire Leclerc, and Jane’s by Anita Love.

The remaining nine bonus tracks are a feast for music lovers, starting with Betty Grable’s ‘Down Boy.’ Darryl F. Zanuck, head of Twentieth Century-Fox, had originally bought the rights to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with Betty in mind, before casting Marilyn instead.

‘Down Boy’ was written for Blondes, but later cut from the movie. A brief glimpse of Marilyn (in her famous gold lamé dress) dancing with Charles Coburn is all that remains of the filmed performance, which Grable later revived in Three for the Show (1955), artfully interspersed with the hit ballad, ‘Stranger in Paradise.’

Jack Allen – author of Marilyn by Moonlight, and owner of Marilyn’s ‘Down Boy‘ demo (not included) – has contributed an essay to the booklet accompanying this release.

Charlotte Austin’s demo for ‘I’m Falling in Love’ – another Blondes reject – follows. Daughter of crooner Gene Austin, Charlotte also played bit parts How to Marry a Millionaire, starring Marilyn and Betty Grable; and in another Monroe movie, There’s No Business Like Show Business.

She had a supporting role in Grable’s last film, How to Be Very, Very Popular (1955); and in 1957, she played Loco – Betty’s Millionaire character – in the unaired pilot episode of the spin-off TV series, but was replaced by Barbara Eden for the show’s two-year run.

And then there’s composer Hoagy Carmichael’s own demo for ‘The Things I Want to Talk About’ – a duet, later retitled ‘The Conversation’ – and another recording by Jane Russell and co-star Elliot Reid which never made the cut.

Hoagy’s demo for ‘When Love Goes Wrong’ also appears, along with a full version in which Marilyn is joined by studio ‘ghost singer’ Eileen Wilson, replacing Jane Russell for contractual reasons on a later LP.

A rehearsal version of Marilyn and Jane’s reprise of ‘Two Little Girls From Little Rock’ for the Blondes finale follows, plus another version from Marilyn and Eileen Wilson, and a full, vocals-only performance by Marilyn and Jane.

The booklet also boasts a selection of the film’s funniest lines, and a short essay by Greg Schreiner, president of Marilyn Remembered.

Overall, this is a superb, and definitive collection doing justice to this classic movie on its 70th anniversary. (One can only hope for a future vinyl release!)

And finally, Sepia Records has also released albums by Jane Russell and Betty Grable, as well as a 1962 cast recording for a London production of the original Broadway musical, starring Dora Bryan as Lorelei Lee.