Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: A Critical Edition

Lorelei's Central Europe

Lorelei spends most of chapter five on a train traveling east across central Europe or in one of three cities there: Munich, Vienna, and Budapest. Specific locations for those three cities can be seen by zooming in on the map. Locations outside those cities are references to places associated with other characters.

The revised text of the book edition of Blondes includes two new locations that did not appear in the magazine, both in Vienna. The Hotel Bristol is identified as the location Lorelei stays, and where two of her suitors come into uncomfortably close contact. Second, the Chapeau Rouge is identified as a cabaret Lorelei goes to with Mr. Eisman in the evenings.

Interestingly, the Chapeau Rouge and another location on the map of Central Europe appear to be the two places where Anita Loos made errors with real life locations. There does not seem to be a record of a Chapeau Rouge in Vienna--although there was one at that time in Budapest, Lorelei's subsequent destination. Also, while Lorelei stays at the Ritz in Budapest like she does elsewhere, there does not appear to have been a Ritz Hotel in Budapest at that time (although there is one today).

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