[5] Blonde Lorelei Lee (Ruth Taylor) and her brunette friend Dorothy Shaw (Anita White), are each seeking a wealthy husband They learn that the richest man in the world, the bachelor Henry Spoffard, is boarding a luxury liner to Europe.
[6][7] St. Clair directed Louise Brooks in two films for Paramount before pre-production began on Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, each satiric comedies released in 1926: A Social Celebrity and The Show-Off.
[10] The Anita Loos novel Gentleman Prefer Blondes (1925) inspired at least three popular spin-offs: Dwyer reports Dixie Dugan, “a cynical flapper,” were “thinly disguised” tributes to the actress Louise Brooks.
[15] Both director Malcolm St. Clair and novelist Anita Loos screen-tested actors for the role of Dorothy Shaw in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, including Louise Brooks, but settled on Antia White.
[18] Dwyer notes that the movie was “quite a success” with New York Times critic Mordaunt Hall, who described it as “splendid” and Alice White “an excellent selection” to perform the character Dorothy Shaw.