How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

How to Marry a Millionaire came on the heels of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and continued Monroe’s growing comedic repertoire. Unfortunately, it is a much less interesting film than Blondes. Monroe plays Pola, one of a trio of women on a mission to marry rich. Pola’s plot line is less developed than those of her two companions, but Monroe still manages to give the standout performance.

Pola’s defining quirk is that she wears glasses — but refuses to wear them because she thinks men do not like women that wear glasses. While a simple gag, it brings out some of Monroe’s strengths as a comedian. Pola is a klutz as a result of her poor vision, repeatedly running into walls, and Monroe sells these sight gags as a gifted physical comedian. She also amplifies her facial expressions to make up for the fact that she can’t actually see the face of whomever she is speaking with. In these moments Monroe’s face is alight with curiosity. Pola, like many of Monroe’s most endearing characters, always assumes the best in others, a trait which is made funnier by the fact that she cannot even see them.

Much of the plot of How to Marry a Millionaire makes little sense, and the film often burrows into uninteresting side stories. But it’s worth watching to see Monroe’s amusing performance as a woman looking for love and unable to find it, or find much of anything at all.

Rating: 2.5/5