Marilyn Monroe – Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend

Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend – Song by Marilyn Monroe, from the movie Gentlemen prefere blondes. Released in 1953

This song was written by Jule Styne and Leo Robin for the Broadway production of Gentleman Prefer Blondes and was first performed by Carol Channing in 1949. Ethel Merman, the actress and singer known for her vibrant voice and magnetic stage presence, recorded it the following year.

The most iconic performance of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” is undoubtedly Marilyn Monroe’s in the 1953 film version of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. As playgirl Lorelei Lee, Marilyn created an indelible image while draped in pink satin and diamonds surrounded by a group of dapper suitors. Her own sultry voice was used for most of the song, but some rough patches were dubbed over with Marni Nixon’s vocals – specifically the high-pitched opening and the line “These rocks don’t lose their shape, diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” Although if 20th Century-Fox had their way, Marilyn’s vocals would have been entirely dubbed. Nixon told The New York Times in 2007 that the studio was unimpressed with the star’s “silly” voice, but Nixon thought it was perfect for the character and the song.

Nixon’s soprano voice was a familiar one in Hollywood; she also dubbed vocals for Natalie Wood in West Side Story, Deborah Kerr in The King and I and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady.

Monroe’s rendition of the song was ranked the 12th best film song of the century by the American Film Institute.

Monroe’s performance has been referenced by entertainers ranging from Madonna and Kylie Minogue to Geri Halliwell and Anna Nicole Smith. The music video for Madonna’s “Material Girl” specifically employs a similar set and costumes for the singer and her male dancers. The song was sampled by Megan Thee Stallion and Normani in 2020 for “Diamonds”, with the music video featuring a set and costumes evoking Monroe’s film performance. Monroe’s vocals can also be heard in the background throughout the song.

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