Editorial Review:

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Maybe "nobody's perfect," as one character in this masterpiece suggests. But some movies are perfect, and Some Like It Hot is one of them. In Chicago, during the Prohibition era, two skirt-chasing musicians, Joe and Jerry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), inadvertently witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. In order to escape the wrath of gangland chief Spats Colombo (George Raft), the boys, in drag, join an all-woman band headed for Florida. They vie for the attention of the lead singer, Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), a much-disappointed songbird who warbles "I'm Through with Love" but remains vulnerable to yet another unreliable saxophone player. (When Curtis courts her without his dress, he adopts the voice of Cary Grant--a spot-on impersonation.) The script by director Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is beautifully measured; everything works, like a flawless clock. Aspiring screenwriters would be well advised to throw away the how-to books and simply study this film. The bulk of the slapstick is handled by an unhinged Lemmon and the razor-sharp Joe E. Brown, who plays a horny retiree smitten by Jerry's feminine charms. For all the gags, the film is also wonderfully romantic, as Wilder indulges in just the right amounts of moonlight and the lilting melody of "Park Avenue Fantasy." Some Like It Hot is so delightfully fizzy, it's hard to believe the shooting of the film was a headache, with an unhappy Monroe on her worst behavior. The results, however, are sublime. --Robert Horton

Description:
When Chicago musicians Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) accidentally witness a gangland shooting, they quickly board a southbound train to Florida, disguised as Josephine and Daphne, the twonewestand homeliestmembers of an all-girl jazz band. Their cover is perfect...until a lovelorn singer (Marilyn Monroe) falls for Josephine, an ancient playboy (Joe E. Brown) falls for Daphne, and a mob boss (George Raft) refuses to fall for their hoax! Nominated* for 6 Academy Awards(r), Some Like It Hot is the quintessential madcap farce and one of the greatest of all film comedies (The Motion Picture Guide). *1959: Director, Actor (Lemmon), Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography (B&W), Art Direction (B&W), Costume Design (B&W, winner)

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"Runnin' wild, lost control
Runnin' wild, mighty bold
Feelin' gay, reckless, too
Carefree mind all the time, never blue
Always goin', don't know where
Always showin', I don't care
Don't love nobody
It's not worthwhile
All alone
Runnin' wild."

The above is the lyrics to one of the songs sung by Marilyn Monroe in this classic film (directed by Billy Wilder) with an emphasis on comedy but that also has elements of romance and crime drama.

Briefly, 1929 Chicago musicians Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) accidentally witness a gangland shooting ordered by mob boss "Spats" Colombo (George Raft, who is perfectly cast). They thus quickly board a train to Florida, disguised as "Josephine" and "Geraldine" (later "Daphne"), the newest members of an all-girl jazz band. Things really get hot when the band's ukulele player Sugar Kane (Monroe) falls for Cary Grant sounding "Shell Oil" Junior (Curtis again) and a relic playboy named Osgood Fielding III (Joe E. Brown) falls for "Daphne." Complicating these budding romances is "Spats" Colombo who also is in Florida looking, with his henchmen, to snuff out the only two witnesses of his gangland shooting.

There is unforgettable and hilarious dialogue between Osgood and "Daphne" at the end of the movie. As well, the most unforgettable line in this entire movie is the very last line and it's delivered by Osgood. (After this last line is delivered, the screen fades to black with jazz music blaring.)

All actors do a good job in their parts. There is a fantastic chemistry between Tony Curtis (who plays Joe/ Josephine/ "Shell Oil" Junior) and Jack Lemmon (who plays Jerry/Geraldine/Daphne). (Note that Tony Curtis' "Josephine" voice was dubbed by another actor as Curtis couldn't speak high enough.) I have to give special kudos to Jack Lemmon who, in my opinion, does an outstanding job throughout this movie. (He's the one who says the line that titles this review.)

This movie has lots of energy from its opening credits to its end. This is partly due to the acting but also partly due to the distinctive jazz music that can occasionally be heard in the background.

There are ten songs in this movie, four performed by Marilyn Monroe. (Note that this movie was released three years before Monroe's death.)

Finally, the DVD itself (the one released in 2001) is perfect in picture and sound quality. It has one disappointing extra of Billy Wilder movie trailers. (I'm not judging the DVD on this since extras are optional not mandatory.) Also, be aware that there are no English subtitles but there is closed captioning.

In conclusion, this is a hilarious classic comedy starring the legendary Marilyn Monroe!! I guarantee that if you see this movie, you won't get "the fuzzy end of the lollipop."

(1959; 2 hr; 16 scenes; black and white; wide screen)

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Average Rating:

Rating: - "Boy, would I love to borrow a cup of that sugar!!"
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"Runnin' wild, lost control
Runnin' wild, mighty bold
Feelin' gay, reckless, too
Carefree mind all the time, never blue
Always goin', don't know where
Always showin', I don't care
Don't love nobody
It's not worthwhile
All alone
Runnin' wild."

The above is the lyrics to one of the songs sung by Marilyn Monroe in this classic film (directed by Billy Wilder) with an emphasis on comedy but that also has elements of romance and crime drama.

Briefly, 1929 Chicago musicians Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) accidentally witness a gangland shooting ordered by mob boss "Spats" Colombo (George Raft, who is perfectly cast). They thus quickly board a train to Florida, disguised as "Josephine" and "Geraldine" (later "Daphne"), the newest members of an all-girl jazz band. Things really get hot when the band's ukulele player Sugar Kane (Monroe) falls for Cary Grant sounding "Shell Oil" Junior (Curtis again) and a relic playboy named Osgood Fielding III (Joe E. Brown) falls for "Daphne." Complicating these budding romances is "Spats" Colombo who also is in Florida looking, with his henchmen, to snuff out the only two witnesses of his gangland shooting.

There is unforgettable and hilarious dialogue between Osgood and "Daphne" at the end of the movie. As well, the most unforgettable line in this entire movie is the very last line and it's delivered by Osgood. (After this last line is delivered, the screen fades to black with jazz music blaring.)

All actors do a good job in their parts. There is a fantastic chemistry between Tony Curtis (who plays Joe/ Josephine/ "Shell Oil" Junior) and Jack Lemmon (who plays Jerry/Geraldine/Daphne). (Note that Tony Curtis' "Josephine" voice was dubbed by another actor as Curtis couldn't speak high enough.) I have to give special kudos to Jack Lemmon who, in my opinion, does an outstanding job throughout this movie. (He's the one who says the line that titles this review.)

This movie has lots of energy from its opening credits to its end. This is partly due to the acting but also partly due to the distinctive jazz music that can occasionally be heard in the background.

There are ten songs in this movie, four performed by Marilyn Monroe. (Note that this movie was released three years before Monroe's death.)

Finally, the DVD itself (the one released in 2001) is perfect in picture and sound quality. It has one disappointing extra of Billy Wilder movie trailers. (I'm not judging the DVD on this since extras are optional not mandatory.) Also, be aware that there are no English subtitles but there is closed captioning.

In conclusion, this is a hilarious classic comedy starring the legendary Marilyn Monroe!! I guarantee that if you see this movie, you won't get "the fuzzy end of the lollipop."

(1959; 2 hr; 16 scenes; black and white; wide screen)

<>

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Rating: - "Hot and Bothered"
One of the funniest movies ever made. To see Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in drag is in itself, sweet, but the whole story is side-splitting. Jack's and Tony's characters must dress as women and join a girls' band to escape being massacred by mobsters. Marilyn is one of the band members and immediately starts getting very chummy with them, explaining all kinds of personal information under the category of "girl talk." These two men are drooling over her and she is none the wiser. Then a wealthy elderly man (Joe E Brown) falls in love with one of the "girls" and his attempts to seduce "her" is hilarious. You must re-view this film every few years to have a "complete life."

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Rating: - THE GREAT COMEDY
I'm still floored. This film is pure magic. Amazing script, hilarity, tense drama, romance. This film really shook up gender roles in American culture. So many comedic cues live on in modern comedies still being made. Lemmon gets every laugh, Curtis plays both parts flawlessly and Monroe is cute and as charming as any actress could be. One of the films you don't want to end, but it'll end on a classic note. I love this film and I know it'll live on forever.

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Rating: - Story of my life. I always get the fuzzy end of the lollipop.

1959's classic Some Like it Hot is one of the best movies of all time, the end.

When Joe(Tony Curtis) and Jerry(Jack Lemmon) two best friends and musicians, accidentally witness a mob murder, they've got to drop everything and run away to the next best thing; which in this case happens to be dressing up as women and stowing away on an all women's band traveling to Florida.(of course!)

"Don't look now, the whole town is under water."

On the train they meet Sugar(Marilyn Monroe) the most beautiful disaster of a singer, who becomes great friends with them when Daphne(or known previously as Jerry) saves her from getting in trouble for carrying a flask.

If that wasn't enough Joe's falling for Sugar, and in his desperation dresses up as a billionaire in order to woo her; While at the same time Jerry seems to have forgotten he's really a boy, and is engaged to a millionaire himself!

A tale of great web tangling, lying, deceit, love, and a great, great deal of comedy.

A classic by any definition.

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Rating: - This movie is HOT, HOT, HOT...
I'm a recent member of the Billy Wilder fan club, but I'm quickly rising in the ranks for in all honestly I have yet to see a film he has done that has not met with my wildest of expectations. At the moment I've only seen four, but all four (`Sunset Boulevard', `The Apartment', `Double Indemnity' and now `Some Like it Hot'; in that order) are five star films and would most likely make my top 100 films of all time.

`Some Like it Hot' has been a film I have been itching to watch for a long time now. I remember seeing the stage production quite a few years back (at a dinky dinner theater at that) and I remember loving it, even if the production values were a little weak. The story was cute and well executed and I just knew that the film must be stellar, especially with Lack Lemmon in the lead (just love that guy). Still, I had never pushed myself hard enough to actually see the movie. That is until the other night when it was playing on TCM and I just knew I had to take the opportunity to actually watch this classic. I was so pleased with the end result, a comedy that works on every level brilliantly, that I had to watch it again immediately after the credits began to roll (the beauty of a DVR).

`Some Like it Hot' tells the story of two band members, Joe and Jerry, who wind up on the run after witnessing the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. With no where to go they decide to don drag costumes and join an all female band on the road to Florida. Once there both Joe and Jerry (or should I say Josephine and Daphne) meet many obstacles in their hideout, not the least of them is lead singer Sugar Kane Kowalczyk, the boozy blonde who has sworn off love until the right type of millionaire comes along. While Joe tries to become that millionaire, Jerry finds himself dodging the advances of Osgood Fielding III, a skirt chasing divorcee (multiple times now) who is enamored with Daphne's feminine charm. Couple this with the advancing threat of gangster and you have one perfectly complete comedy that hits its mark every single time.

The script is flawlessly crafted, delivery smart and sassy dialog as well as off the wall gags and brilliant character development, allowing us to get to know everyone in the cast and grow to appreciate their predicaments.

The script is embellished by the stunning cast. In all actuality it stuns me that only Lemmon was singled out as Oscar worthy (he was the only actor in the bunch to receive an Oscar nomination; losing to Charlton Heston) when in fact the entire cast is flawless. Yes, Lemmon is the comedic highlight, and his antics are surely best-in-show, but Tony Curtis should have also received a nomination alongside his screen partner for delivering a truly tender and believable performance as the lovelorn Joe. Marilyn Monroe, who won the Golden Globe for her performance, should have also received a nomination, for her performance is iconic. She is the superlative example of what an enticing ditzy blonde should be, and she sets the standard that so many other actresses have failed to live up to. Joe E. Brown steals every scene he's in as Osgood, and his lack of an Oscar nomination is truly saddening.

But this movie is all about Billy Wilder, a director who understands his actors and understands his material and works to deliver a complete film, one that covers all the bases so-to-speak and lives up to his name. So far I've seen four masterpieces by this man, and I have a feeling that the rest are just as impressive.

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