No. 19. “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”
GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1949). By Jule Styne (music), Leo Robin (lyrics), and Joseph Fields & Anita Loos (book). Adapted from the novel by Anita Loos
December 1949. You’re watching the new musical adaptation of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The novel by Anita Loos was immensely popular when it debuted, receiving adaptions as a comic strip, stage play, and silent movie—but that was all over 20 years ago. The spoofy plot about gold-digging flappers, contemporary when it was written, is now a nostalgic throwback. As the musical opens, two former showgirls, Lorelei Lee (the titular blonde) and her friend/chaperone Dorothy Shaw, board a Paris-bound oceanliner to get away from prohibition. Lorelei fears Gus Esmond—her sugar daddy who is funding this trip—will discover a secret from her past and, craving financial security, spends the voyage looking for a new wealthy beau. Dramatically, it seems more aligned with the musical comedies of old than the integrated Golden Age musicals, but the score is particularly tuneful with songs that feel specifically written for the characters and situations. The composer, Jule Styne, is a familiar voice in Hollywood but has only written one Broadway musical prior to this. The highlight of the evening is a truly unique star turn from newcomer Carol Channing as Lorelei. Her voice and line deliveries are like nothing you’ve ever heard before. When Esmond catches Lorelei dancing with another man in act 2, Channing stops the show with a solo about undependable men and the preferred certainty of fine jewels, “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.”
While Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the musical, has its admirers (even more-so for the 1953 film), the reputation of “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” far exceeds that of the musical. In its original context, the song had an edge of social commentary on women’s lack of power in relationships and society, though today it tends to play as an unironic celebration of glamour and opulence. …Blondes launched Carol Channing’s career, and “Diamonds…” became a signature number. Jule Styne became one of Broadway’s most prolific composers (and occasional producers), writing over 20 musicals and showing a particular knack for writing star vehicles, including shows for Carol Burnett, Sammy Davis Jr., Judy Holliday, Angela Lansbury, Mary Martin, Ethel Merman, Patricia Routledge, Barbra Streisand, and Leslie Uggams.
Recommended Recording: ”Diamonds a Girl’s Best Friend,” Gentlemen Prefer Blonds (1953 Film Soundtrack)
It’s entirely likely neither “Diamonds…” nor …Blondes would be much discussed today were it not for Marilyn Monroe’s performance in the 1953 film. The movie follows the main gist of the original plot, but resets it to the 1950s, among other liberties with the book and score. Monroe’s Lorelei is a marvelous performance—she may play dumb, but she also has an innocent and sincere affection for all the men she get entangled with, and gets the better of them in the end. The film recontextualizes “Diamonds…” as a diegetic stage performance. Channing’s clownery gave way to Monroe’s sophisticated sexuality, and the performance—in a pink dress on a red stage flanked by dancers—is a cultural milestone. It served as the inspiration for Madonna’s “Material Girl” music video, and continues to be referenced today, including the 2020 single “Diamonds” by Megan Thee Stallion/Normani and the 2024 Oscar performance of “I’m Just Ken.”
Alternate Performances
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes has received 5 cast recordings, including a 1962 Original London Cast and a short-lived 1995 revival. “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” has been covered by such varied artists as Cristina Aguilera (in film Burlesque), Beyoncé, T Bone Burnett, Emmylou Harris, Eartha Kitt, Ethel Merman, Kylie Minogue, Della Reese, and Anna Nicole Smith. Carol Channing has performed “Diamonds…” on two different Muppet shows.
Original Broadway Cast (1949) & Lorelei (1974): …Blondesmade a star out of Carol Channing, whose quirky personality and performance style perfectly matched the role of Lorelei. The 1949 OBCR is a delightful capture of the show as originally intended, and “Diamonds…” in particular shows off a versatility for Channing you might not know existed. The first three lines are practically unrecognizable! In 1974, Channing led a revised version of …Blondescalled Lorelei. It used a flashback framing device to allow the more mature Channing to recreate her first great success. The show toured extensively—seeing all manner of textual and personnel changes—before playing on Broadway for nearly a year. Channing drew in audiences, but the production was not well received by anyone.
Moulin Rouge! (2001 film and 2019 Broadway Cast): Baz Lurman reimagined “Diamonds” for the 21st century in his movie Moulin Rouge!. The song to introduce Nicole Kidman as Satine, the titular nightclub’s star. This versions leans into 1953’s sultry tone while also quoting Madonna’s “Material Girl.” When Mouline Rouge! was adapted for the stage in 2019, “Diamonds…” again became Satine’s intro, now incorporating a few more diamond-related songs into the mix: “Diamonds Are Forever” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”
2012 Encores! Cast - Megan Hilty starred in this Encores! revival of …Blondes in the midst of her turn in Smash, the TV show about making a fictional Marilyn Monroe musical. Hilty’s performance brings back the original musical comedy energy of the song and does not reference Monroe at all. This delightful recording is the most comprehensive recording of the complete score.
Is it Covered by The Rat Pack, Audra McDonald, or Glee?
Rat Pack: Friend of the Pack Lena Horne recorded “Diamonds” on her 1958 album Give the Lady What She Wants.
Glee: “Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend” appears in a mash-up with “Material Girl” in season 4 episode 15 (“Girls (and Boys) on Flim”), Marley (Melissa Benoist) and Unique (Alex Newell) perform it as part of a “mash-up with a movie song” assignment. While preparing for the number, Marley is torn between two romantic prospects, and a friend compares men to diamonds, encouraging Marley to “collect as many as [she] can.”
Audra McDonald appeared in 1986 a production of Lorelei at Good Company, our favorite Fresno-based dinner theater.
In the Wings
Song No. 20 drops next week—we’re practically 1/5 of the way through all 100 Showtunes! While you wait for that to drop, you may want to read about Carol Channing’s claim to fame as the first celebrity to perform in a Super Bowl Halftime Show. Come to think of it, Beyoncé sang “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” has performed with Muppets, and done a Super Bowl Halftime Show. Has anyone seen Carol Channing and Beyoncé in the same room at the same time?
