Some Like It Hot (1959) - Billy Wilder

Not afraid to take on taboo subjects, and easily shifting from one film genre to the next, Billy Wilder may be one of the most versatile and confident filmmakers of all time. In fact, I had to remind myself, after watching Some Like It Hot, that this was the same guy that made Double Indemnity (an influential film noir) and The Lost Weekend (a dark drama about alcoholism). From the first moment of Some Like It Hot - big band music blaring, sirens wailing, and a sudden gun fight breaking out between a hearse full of mobsters and the police (where no one seems to even attempt to duck the oncoming bullets) - we know we are in for a farcical, fast-paced comedy where nothing and everything is as it seems.

I love this movie. I enjoy watching it every time I see it. It keeps you completely engaged from the beginning to the end with a witty script, carefully choreographed scenes, and amazing performances by Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon.

What I Liked Best

The acting is great! Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in and out of drag are fully committed and hilariously spontaneous in their roles. Lemmon especially is a revelation. He fully embraces his feminine side - skipping along the beach in a woman's bathing suit, flailing is arms around in delight and dancing cheek to cheek with an enamored wooer (the comedic Joe E. Brown). It's true comedy, and he sells it 100%. Marilyn Monroe is also a delight to watch. She easily dances between being vulnerable and cute in one moment, and amazingly sultry and sexy in another. Each of them draws me into the film with their spot-on histrionics and subtleties, and keeps me joyfully watching.

I'm not sure the acting would be what it is, however, without the direction of Billy Wilder. Wilder is fully capable of creating moody, cinematic films full of shadowy mystery, but in Some Like It Hot he keeps the "filmmaking" simple and uses his genius in the meticulous blocking of each scene of the film. I can almost see the big X on the floor where he's asked an actor to run to a stop, take a breath of air, look left with curiosity, look right with delight, and then say...; or how he's instructed an actor of how exactly to flip her hair; or a whole row of actors to lift their hats all at the same time in greeting. This is where the true farce of the film comes out - the comedy routine that is both surprising and expected. And it keeps us hooked.

The script is the final piece of the puzzle that makes this film a classic. It's full of campy character names like Toothpick Charlie, Beanstalk and Spats (the mob leader who amazingly enough wears spats), and witty dialogue that bounces back and forth between characters with ease and comedy. In one of the many very funny moments of the film, Jack Lemmon dressed in drag as "Daphne" arrives at the hotel to the delight of Joe E. Brown's character Osgood who immediately begins to pursue her...him...her:

Osgood: Which of these instruments do you play?

Daphne: Bull Fiddle.

Osgood: Fascinating. Do you use a bow or do you just pluck it?

Daphne: Actually, most of the time I SLAP it.

Osgood: You must be quite a girl.

Daphne: Wanna bet?

It's delightful, and progressive (for the time). In fact, the film is full of sexual innuendos that add to the hilarity of seeing two men in drag, and how they struggle with maintaining all of their identities.

What I Didn't Like

Marilyn Monroe's dresses designed by Orry-Kelly. They ooze sex. Her breasts are barely contained in the sheer tops. I had to do a double-take to actually believe that I was seeing what I was seeing. And I think most people will certainly do a triple take, if not simple drool. Okay, it's awesome. Monroe looks amazing at size 12 (and pregnant) as she shimmies and croons. I'm probably just jealous.

Would I Recommend This Film?
Absolutely. 100%! This is a classic. Even though some people walked out of the original previews, I know that most of us in this day and age can handle men dressing in drag and woman wearing dresses with their breasts hanging out. Right? And if you're worried about it being a campy, over-the-top farce - it's not! The comedic talent of the actors, Wilder's direction and the script elevates this film to be the classic comedy that it is. Trust me.

Billy Wilder: director

Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond (screenplay): writers

Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Joe E. Brown: cast

2h: running time

english: language