My Fair Lady in 4K

Join us in conversation with Women in Film Deputy Director Maikiko James and Alliance of Women Directors board member and Events Director Sacha Smith as they reflect on the history of women nominees and winners at the Oscars. The wide-ranging talk covers the significance of women being recognized in male-dominated categories; milestone moments for women at the ceremony; what changes need to be made as the Academy approaches its 100th Oscars ceremony; and more.

Visitors are encouraged to explore the Stories of Cinema: Oscars gallery before or after the program.

 Join our museum educators as they highlight the best of the Academy Awards History gallery.   

In this 1953 musical comedy adapted from Anita Loos’s searingly funny 1925 novella—which also spawned a now-lost silent film in 1928 and a smash Broadway production in 1949—showgirl Lorelei (Marilyn Monroe) is resplendent in beautiful gowns, most notably in the pink satin dress designed by Travilla during the now-classic number “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Lorelei is seen throughout the picture in jewel tones and literal jewels, carefully selected to play up the lush Technicolor cinematography lensed by Harry J. Wild. Both effervescent and timeless, this witty gem showcases Monroe’s brilliant comic timing as well as her vocal chops. Premiering in the middle of the actress’s career and released the same year as Niagara and How to Marry a Millionaire, Howard Hawks’s film helped to plant Monroe in the hearts of the American public, making her one of the most famous people in the US.  

The pink satin gown worn in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is on view in Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon, located on Level 3 in the Rolex Gallery, beginning May 31, 2026.  

Programmed and note by K.J. Relth-Miller.