Set El Portal is celebrating Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday with a screening of her iconic film, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES!

On the Debbie Reynolds MainStage

Saturday, June 27, 2026 at 7:00pm

Tickets: $14

Fun Fact: Norma Jean Baker (Marilyn Monroe) attended 6th grade at Lankershim Elementary School on Bakman Avenue (around the corner from El Portal Theatre). She excelled in track and field and was affectionately referred to as “Norma Jean the Jumping Bean”.

The Monroe Forum Theatre, which has just been remodeled is dedicated to Marilyn, whose actual birthday is June 1.

Monroe's rendition of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" and her pink dress are part of popular culture and are considered iconic; the performance has inspired and been recreated by various artists as an homage.

The film is filled with comedic situations and musical numbers, choreographed by Jack Cole, while the music was written (among others) by Hoagy Carmichael, Harold Adamson, Jule Styne, and Leo Robin. The songs by Styne and Robin are from the Broadway show, while the songs by Carmichael and Adamson were written especially for the film.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a 1953 American musical comedy film directed by Howard Hawks and written by Charles Lederer. The film is based on the 1949 stage musical of the same name, which in turn is based on the 1925 novel of the same name by Anita Loos. The film stars Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe, with Charles Coburn, Elliott Reid, Tommy Noonan, George Winslow, Taylor Holmes, and Norma Varden in supporting roles.