How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

How to Marry a Millionaire teamed Marilyn Monroe with Lauren Bacall and the great Betty Grable as three gorgeous gold-digging models who rent an expensive playgirl penthouse in Sutton Place, New York with a plan to trap three millionaires to pay the rent.

They have to eat hamburgers and sell all their furniture so they can pay the rent, but they do all meet rich men – and only one of them with a wife . . .

‘Loco’ Dempsey (Grable) is the funniest of the ladies as she pursues skittish tycoon Waldo Brewster (Fred Clark) to a ski lodge in Maine, naively thinking she’s on her way to an Elks convention.

Schatzi Page (Bacall) is the caustic “brain” who plunges after rich industrialist J.D. Hanley (William Powell), but is a bit too cold and biting for her own good. Pola (Marilyn) is a near-sighted confection constantly walking into walls without her glasses who sets her (short) sights on J. Stewart Merrill (Alex D’Arcy).

But, of course, each of the girls meets a poor, better matched young man. Loco meets Forest Ranger, Eben (Rory Calhoun) on her winter weekend in Maine, Pola meanders into Freddie Denmark (David Wayne) on a plane ride to Kansas City, and Tom Brookman (Cameron Mitchell) camps on Schatzi’s doorsteps (he actually has zillions but she doesn’t know it).

Pola
Marilyn Monroe
‘Loco’ Dempsey
Betty Grable
Schatzi Page
Lauren Bacall
Freddie Denmark
David Wayne
Eben
Rory Calhoun
Tom Brookman
Cameron Mitchell
Waldo Brewster
Fred Clark
J.D. Hanley
William Powell
J. Stewart Merrill
Alexander D’arcy
Mike, the elevator man
George Dunn
Benton
Percy Helton
Mr Otis
Tudor Owen
Antoine
Maurice Marsac
Bennett
Rankin Mansfield
Tony
Jan Arvan
Emir
George Saurel
Mrs Salem
Hope Landin

Director
Jean Negulesco