Some Like It Hot (1959) User Reviews (513)

A Legendary Comedy

[EijnarAmadeus · 9/10 · 5 August 2008]

With Billy Wilder's steady direction, the great casting, and Wilder/Diamond's sparkling script Some Like It Hot has become one of the most enjoyed comedies of cinema history. The story itself is pure comedy gold; the unhappy jazz-musicians Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) are witness to the St. Valentine massacre in 1929 and flees from Chicago with an all-girl-band who's headed for Miami, dressed up as "Josephine" and "Daphne". Soon both are hooked on Sugar Kane (Marylin Monroe), the band's lead singer - but things gets more complicated when arrived in Miami, Daphne attracts a elderly playboy and the gangster of Chicago arrives at the Floria-hotel to have a mafia-meeting.

The work of the three participants in center is truly great; Marylin Monroe is at her most sexy and charming, Tony Curtis' brilliant control and Jack Lemmon is truly priceless at his peak. The movie paces fantastically throughout opening scenes of Chicago, onto the train-ride (features fantastically funny moments of brilliant comedy timing) and arriving at the hotel in Florida, and the situations that occurs with the band, with playboy Osgood Fielding III, Marylin Monroe and the mafia. And Billy Wilder shows his talent with keeping such a sparkling screenplay brilliantly paced and edited, never rushing itself - and Wilder sneaks in some fine moments of noir with the Chicago-gangsters brutality and cruelness. And the movie is a altogether different experience as a comedy than anything before it, the absurdity and quirkiness of Curtis and Lemmon in a transvestite-comedy is fantastically funny, and the final dialog between Osgood Fielding and Daphne/Jerry seemingly came out of the blue, and surprised me just as much today as it did back in 1959. Some Like It Hot is nothing less than a must-see in comedy, and cinema history.

Marilyn Monroe. Enough said.

[silva-w-pius · 9/10 · 4 January 2014]

"Movies should be like amusement parks" filmmaker Billy Wilder once said "People should go to them to have fun". So If Some Like It Hot was an amusement park: it would Thorpe Park, mixed in with Legoland, added with a dash of Disney land. Some Like It Hot is the granddaddy of comedies, the Godfather of laughs and the Mike Tyson of punch lines. Heck! Watching this film is like getting into the ring with Muhammad Ali, as you're constantly hit with fast paced gags. Even when you're least expecting it you're hit with a punch line so funny it leaves your side aching, or a piece of slapstick comedy that leaves your eyes running. Even the fade out line has been regarded as the funniest and most famous in history. Once you hear it, you'll guarantee never ever, ever to forget it. Trust me, it's hilarious!

After playing witness to a routine gangland shooting, two penniless Chicago musicians, Joe and jerry decide it is the perfect opportunity, to remain safe and get paid a easy buck when they decide to take up residence in an all girl band heading to Florida, crossed-dressed as Josephine (Tony Curtis) and Daphne (Jack Lemmon). But with the only simple aim of getting paid and avoiding the mob, things soon get a little more tricky when a ditsy singer named Sugar (Marilyn Monroe) captures the heart of' Josephine' and a eccentric playboy millionaire falls for 'Daphne'.

Some Like It Hot is one of those rare occasions, where everyone involved is at the very peak of their powers. Billy Wilder's directing is subtle but instrumental in loading every scene with comedic material ready to pop out like a wound up jack in the box. The writing is excellent, it constantly moves at a furious pace. Imagine Usain bolt on roller blades with jet pack attached to his back, and still that's not even as fast as how the dialogue rips through every scene. People may say that the comedy is too high concept, but for me that's the very reason it's so damn funny , as well a begin genius, because it means that the jokes will stand the test of time and span all generations because it's so easy to understand. Anyway who likes having jokes explained to them? No one!

But you can't talk about Some Like It Hot, without mentioning Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, who were absolutely perfect for their roles, each adding a feeling of assuredness to theirs, as well as bucket full's of originality with every facial expression as well as every line. Initially I was not convinced by Marilyn Monroe, as I felt she was slightly overrated, but in her role as Sugar, she brings a lot of composure to the role adding balance to the high energy of Tony and Jack, but still getting her laughs not through straight jokes but by simply being able to deliverer every air headed line with great delivery and timing. Whilst still being able to remain sweet, helpless and innocent, even as she plunges picks into a solid cube of ice with great fury, as she talks about her weakness for Saxophone players.

Some Like It Hot it like a magician of comedy, you never know what to expect next, as with every new scene you so excitedly anticipate what piece of comedic magic it will pull out of its sleeve. For me Some Like It Hot is the funniest comedy film I have ever seen, even though it is almost 55 years old, its comedy is still so accessible and funny too!

Two musicians dressed as women join an all-girl band to escape the mobsters' vendetta

[ma-cortes · 8/10 · 30 October 2012]

Legendary comedy masterpiece from filmmaker Billy Wilder and IAL Diamond that Won Oscar and another 13 wins & 8 nominations . Immensely charming comedy set among Chicago and Miami , being starred by an all-star-cast . When two unemployed musicians witness a mob hit , the St Valentine massacre in Chicago carried out by mobster chief (George Raft) they flee the state in an all female band disguised as women and headed for Florida , but further complications set in. There appears a gorgeous singer , Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe) , who is object of pursuit by the musicians (Jack Lemmon , Tony Curtis) who cannot reveal their identity because are dressed as women in order to getaway from killer gangsters' retaliation .

Rightly enjoyable and fun-filled , milestone comedy which neatly combines humor , mirth , entertaining situations and amusement . This noisy comedy is intelligently and pleasingly written to gives us lots of fun , laughters and smiles . Mordantly funny , though by time of premiere was rated as bad taste and some discomfort ; however , is todays considered a real classic movie . Billy Wilder kept the studio Paramount happy , the picture consistently made money and was hit at box office . Flawless comedy with a trio of sensational protagonists , including an unforgettable Marilyn who parades sexily at her best and more relaxed and enticing than ever . The hit of the show is undoubtedly for the fetching Marilyn Monroe who gives one of the best screen acting and sings marvelous songs as ¨Running wild¨, ¨I'm through with love¨ and the immortal ¨I wanna be loved you¨. Magnificent performances from Jack Lemmon as angst-ridden musician dressed in drag and sensational Tony Curtis as a philander young , playing his Gary Gray Grant impression . Furthermore , a splendid secondary cast , a variety of notorious actors who make sympathetic interpretations such as Pat O'Brien , George Raft , Mike Mazurski , Nehemia Persoff and , of course, smitten Joe E Brown , including his now-classic closing line .

The motion picture was very well directed by Billy Wilder who includes several punchlines . Billy was one of the best directors of history . In 1939 started the partnership with Charles Bracket on such movies as ¨Ninotchka¨ , ¨Ball of fire¨ , making their film debut as such with ¨Major and the minor¨ . ¨Sunset Boulevard¨ was their last picture together before they split up . Later on , Billy collaborated with another excellent screenwriter IAL Diamond . Both of them won an Academy Award for ¨Stalag 17¨ dealing with a POW camp starred by William Holden . After that , they wrote/produced/directed such classics as ¨Ace in the hole¨ , the touching romantic comedy ¨Sabrina¨ , the Hickcoktian courtroom puzzle game ¨Witness for the prosecution¨ and two movies with the great star Marilyn Monroe , the warmth ¨Seven year itch¨ and this ¨Some like hot¨. All of them include screenplays that sizzle with wit . But their biggest success and highpoint resulted to be the sour and fun ¨¨The apartment¨. Subsequently in the 60s and 70s , the duo fell headlong into the pit , they realized nice though unsuccessful movies as ¨Buddy buddy¨ ,¨Fedora¨ , ¨Front page¨ and ¨Secret life of Sherlock Holmes¨, though the agreeable ¨Avanti¨ slowed the decline . The team had almost disappeared beneath a wave of bad reviews and failures . ¨Some like hot¨ rating : Above average , essential and indispensable watching ; extremely funny and riveting film and completely entertaining . It justly deserves its place among the best comedy ever made . One of the very funniest films of all time and to see and see again . It's the kind of movie where you know what's coming but , because the treatment , enjoy it all the same .

Some Like It Hot - The Classical Comedy

[hsm2310 · 8/10 · 2 October 2012]

There is always a thing about Classics, even before you absorb the first frame; you are burdened with huge expectations. But, Some Like It Hot is one of those jet planes where you got to tight your seat belt and forget everything else to enjoy the joyride or you would fall off your seat.

I feel casting in a movie is one of the most under discussed elements of movie making amongst general public but it plays a very significant role in the success of a movie and SLIH is the prime example of it. Apart from Jack Lemmon, none of the protagonists were known for their superior acting skills and they would not have made the cut for a Billy Wilder piece. But, in retrospect, who other than Tony Curtis who had a boyish look and at the same time possessed sharp features could have played a saxophone playing woman charmer who could cross dress to be a part of a woman band. You can only get a flawless performance from a bad actor only if he/she is playing himself/herself and that is the exact reason why Marilyn Monroe wows you in every scene of Some Like It Hot. She is playing a dumb, vivacious and vulnerable damsel who can sing, doesn't mind sleeping with a charming guy whenever she gets a chance and then dips herself in a whiskey bottle when left all alone with herself. Jack Lemmon with a broad muscular jawline was surely the one who had a better chance of getting caught as someone not in the right clothes, but that is very small price to pay, as an actor of his caliber was indispensable to the cause of SLIH. He has an amazing sense of timing when it comes to humor; he is almost chaplinesque when it comes to expressions and the confidence with which he delivers his lines puts him right at the top of stack.

I am not sure when was the concept of black humor introduced in the world of cinema, but, SLIH has to be one of the better examples from the old times where black humor is integrated in the comedy. The black humor is there only to make its presence felt and nothing more. Other than that SLIH is a fun filled journey of Gerald (Lemmon) and Joseph (Curtis), two musicians on the run from dangerous Chicago gangsters who are after their lives. They find their safe house in an all-woman band that is off to Florida for a string of performances. This is where they meet the gorgeous Sugar (Marilyn) and try their luck on flattering her. It is all about how Joseph manages to get ahead in the race and Gerald like a true friend tags along without any explaining or pleading by Joseph. This is what makes SLIH sweet. The necessary salt is added to the movie by little moments like women having a party on train, Sugar hiding whiskey in her stocking, Fielding (Joe Brown) hitting on Dalphe (Gerald disguised as a woman) and further complications that set in because of these. What makes this classical comedy special is the fact that it makes you laugh at so many occasions without being slapstick or cheap or using the chaos technique. And when it doesn't make you laugh, it makes you smile. Most importantly, the movie stays with you.

The manner in which the movie begins, it suddenly makes you wonder - that's too much of real car chasing and shooting for a black and white movie of 40's and then you realize it's done in 1959 and the movie was intentionally produced in black and white. The first scene itself is a cracker and will create a cocktail of emotions, with words like liquor, crime, party, death, music all floating around at the same time. There are plenty of scenes where the camera pans out from one object to another capturing multiple things with different moods and complexion in the same scene and that is a technique which I guess wasn't used quite frequently back then. Make-up job of Curtis and Lemmon is too good for those times and it would have been so important for that to have been correctly done as that is absolutely central to the whole plot. Marilyn's costumes are way modern and she carries them effortlessly.

Some Like It Hot is without any doubt a classic but, probably in no other movie would have the last line played such an important role as in this. The finishing frames where Joe Brown utters the unexpected leave you pleasantly surprised and I am sure it would have had far better impact on the audience 50 years back.

One of the Best Comedies of the Cinema History

[claudio_carvalho · 10/10 · 1 October 2010]

In 1929, in Chicago, the musicians and friends Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) flees from the night-club where they are playing during a police raid. Without any money, they seek a job position for saxophone and bass players in another band and they are invited to play in a concert for one night only in a distant town. Joe borrows the car of a former girlfriend to travel and when they arrive in the parking garage, they witness the "Saint Valentine's Day Massacre" led by the infamous mobster Spats Columbo (George Raft). The criminals discover Joe and Jerry hidden in a corner and when the killers are ready to execute them, they succeed to escape. Joe and Jerry disguise, dressing like women and they head to Florida by train with an all-girl band using the names of Josephine and Daphne. They get close to singer Sugar Kane Kowalczyk (Marilyn Monroe) and Joe falls in love with her but she believes he is a woman. Meanwhile the millionaire Osgood Fielding III (Joe E. Brown) harasses Daphne inviting her to visit his yacht. When Spats and his henchmen arrive in the same hotel where Joe and Jerry are lodged for a mafia convention, the two musicians feel that they are in a dangerous situation.

Yesterday Tony Curtis died and I decided to watch "Some Like it Hot" again. This film is another masterpiece of Billy Wilder and certainly one of the best comedies of the cinema history. Jack Lemmon is hilarious and responsible for some of the funniest moments especially when Osgood flirts with Daphne. Marilyn Monroe performs the perfect dumb blonde stereotype. Last time I had seen this movie was on 18 August 2000. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "Quanto Mais Quente Melhor" ("The Hotter, the Better")

The Perfect Comedy

[claudette-crivelli · 10/10 · 29 July 2006]

Why a man would want to marry another man? asks Tony Curtis, Security! Jack Lemmon replays without missing a beat. Clearly he had put the question to himself before and had arrived to a perfectly sensible conclusion. Everything in this gem of a movie had been thought so cleverly and as it turned out so prophetically, that the world of our three characters, a world of prohibition and gang wars could be today and more than likely will be tomorrow. Billy Wilder analyzes human nature with an acid eye and a glorious panache for underlining our most endearing features. Our frailties. Marilyn Monroes is at her pick, the sadness in her eyes a startling metaphor in a comedy about wanting. Tony Curtis with an Eve Arden's pout is so beautiful, so charming, imitating Cary Grant and trying to be himself that, in my mind he'll be always be in a frock. And, of course, Jack Lemmon, throwing himself into the part, body and should. Only perfection can allow to end its course with a line like "Nobody's perfect"

Billy Wilder's screwball masterpiece with Curtis, Lemmon and the immortal Marilyn handed the best comedy roles of their careers.

[gbrumburgh · 10/10 · 18 April 2001]

Admittedly biased, "Some Like It Hot" can certainly stand on its own merit with or without my thunderous round of applause. More than a decade ago, I had the privilege of performing both the Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon roles in "Sugar," the musical adaptation of "Some Like It Hot" which originally starred Tony Roberts, Robert Morse and Elaine Joyce on Broadway in the 70s. Though it hardly compares to the film's original (how could it???), the musical nevertheless is still a big hit with live audiences. I can't remember ever having a better time on stage than I did with "Sugar," and it's all due to the irrepressible talents that instigated it all.

In the 1959 classic, Curtis and Lemmon play two ragtag musicians scraping to make ends meet in Prohibition-era Chicago during the dead of winter who accidentally eyewitness a major gangland rubout (aka the St. Valentine's Day Massacre). Barely escaping with their lives (their instruments aren't quite as lucky), our panicky twosome is forced to take it on the lam. Scared out of their shoes (sorry), the boys don heels and dresses after they connect with an all-girl orchestra tour headed for sunny Florida. Killing two birds with one stone, they figure why not go south for the winter while dodging the mob? Once they hit the coast, they'll ditch both the band and their humiliating outfits.

Enter a major detour in the form of luscious Marilyn Monroe as Sugar Kane, given one of the sexiest (yet innocent) entrances ever afforded a star. Snugly fit in flashy 'Jazz Age' threads, a blast from the locomotive's engine taunts her incredible hour-glass figure as she rushes to catch her train to Florida. The boys, stopped dead in their high-heeled tracks by this gorgeous vision, decide maybe the gig might not be so bad after all. As the totally unreliable but engagingly free-spirited vocalist/ukelele player for the band, Sugar gets instantly chummy with the "girls" when they cover for her after getting caught with a flask of booze. As things progress, complications naturally set in - playboy Curtis falls for Monroe but has his "Josephine" guise to contend with, while Lemmon's "Daphne" has to deal with the persistently amorous attentions of a handsy older millionaire.

What results is an uproarious Marx Brothers-like farce with mistaken identities, burlesque-styled antics, and a madcap chase finale, all under the exact supervision of director Billy Wilder, who also co-wrote the script. Lemmon and Curtis pull off the silly shenanigans with customary flair and are such a great team, you almost wish THEY ended up together! Curtis does a dead-on Cary Grant imitation while posing as a Shell Oil millionaire to impress Marilyn; Lemmon induces campy hilarity in his scenes with lecherous Joe E. Brown (who also gets to deliver the film's blue-ribbon closing line). As for the immortal Monroe, she is at her zenith here as the bubbly, vacuous, zowie-looking flapper looking for love in all the wrong places. Despite her gold-digging instincts, Monroe's Sugar is cozy, vulnerable and altogether loveable, getting a lot of mileage too out of her solo singing spots, which include the kinetic "Running Wild," the torchy "I'm Through With Love," and her classic "boop-boop-a-doop" signature song, "I Wanna Be Loved by You."

The film is dotted with fun, atmospheric characters. Pat O'Brien and George Raft both get to spoof their Warner Bros. stereotypes as cop vs. gangster, Joan Shawlee shows off a bit of her stinger as the by-the-rules bandleader Sweet Sue, Mike Mazurki overplays delightfully the archetypal dim-bulbed henchman, and, if I'm not mistaken, I think that's young Billy Gray of "Father Knows Best" fame (the role is not listed in the credits) playing a snappy, pint-sized bellhop who comes on strong with the "girls."

For those headscratchers who can't figure out why the so-called "mild" humor of "Some Like It Hot" is considered such a classic today, I can only presume that they have been brought up on, or excessively numbed by, the graphic, mindless toilet humor of present-day "comedies." There was a time when going for a laugh had subtlety and purity - it relied on wit, timing, inventiveness and suggestion - not shock or gross-out value. It's the difference between Sid Caesar and Andrew "Dice" Clay; between Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon and Chris Farley and David Spade; between "I Love Lucy" and "Married With Children"; between Lemmon's novel use of maracas in the hilarious "engagement" sequence, and Cameron Diaz's use of hair gel in a scene that ANYBODY could have made funny. Jack Lemmon could do more with a pair of maracas than most actors today could do with a whole roomful of props. While "Some Like It Hot" bristles with clever sexual innuendo, today's "insult" comedies are inundated with in-your-face sexual assault which, after awhile, gets quite tiresome -- lacking any kind of finesse and leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. I still have hope...

Having ultimate faith in my fellow film devotees, THAT is why "Some Like It Hot" will (and should be) considered one of THE screwball classics of all time, and why most of today's attempts will (and should be) yesterday's news.

In this brilliant comedy, Marilyn was breathtakingly beautiful...

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 8/10 · 27 June 2007]

Any camera loved Marilyn the best… In all her films, Marilyn dominated any photographer not just because of her ability with a script but ceaseless attention to the camera... More than anyone else on the set, she knew the importance of her sex appeal…The 'fifties belonged to Marilyn, and in that decade it almost seemed as if the world belonged to her also…

Sugar is one of Monroe's most loved and memorable character... She presents herself as a sensitive woman quick to feel compassion or affection, sensual and readily impressionable which is Sugar Kane... It was her greatest role and certainly her greatest film...

The film opens in 1929 Chicago during Prohibition, where Spats Colombo (George Raft) and his gang gun down seven men in a car garage… A couple of small-time Jazz musicians witness it and flee…

To avoid the mob, Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) disguise themselves as women and attach themselves to an all-girl band… Joe calls himself Josephine and Jerry calls himself Daphne…

The orchestra takes a train to play an engagement in Florida... On board, the two men have a hard time keeping cool with all the beautiful girls around, especially during a late-night pajama party in a Pullman sleeper… Needless to say, Joe falls in love with the sensual Sugar (Marilyn Monroe), a luscious ukulele player and singer with the troupe…

Once in Florida, Jerry meets a really wealthy bachelor Osgood Fielding (Joe E. Brown).

Of course, Jerry is still dressed as Daphne, and the seven time divorcée proceeds to pursue Daphne… Joe wants to romance Sugar but knows that he needs a wealthy front…

The boys think they are safe until the gangsters arrive at the same Miami hotel to attend a gangsters' convention…

Marilyn sang three songs in the film: "I'm Through with Love," "I Wanna Be Loved By You," and "Running Wild."

The movie's closing line is one of the most celebrated in movie history…The film won an Oscar for Best Costume Design and was nominated for six Academy Awards…

Irresistibly funny this black-and-white shot comedy is a definite must-see!

What's Not To Like?

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 15 November 2005]

Some people still say this is the greatest comedy ever made in Hollywood. Who am I to argue? Even after 45 years, it's still very funny and not the least bit dated. It is one of the true classics in the history of film.

I know one thing: Marilyn Monroe never looked hotter!

The film is a wonderful combination of comedy, action, suspense and romance with great old-time gangster scenes played out first in Chicago and then in Miami Beach. George Raft and Nehimiah Persoff are just great as gangsters.

The stars, though, are Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis but you can also enjoy performances from famous known actors like Pat O'Brien and Joe E. Brown.

The action scenes are in the beginning and end. In the middle, the bulk of the film, is the main story featuring comedy and romance. Lemmon has the best lines in the film and his facial expressions alone evoke lots of laughter.

This film is so famous that there is no need going into detail, but for some younger person reading this, don't worry about this being an old-fashioned, boring black-and-white film your parents or grandparents liked but you would find boring. You'll have fun watching this, too, I guarantee it.

A gender-bending comedy ahead of its time

[psionicpoet · 30 April 2004]

What Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis do in "Some Like it Hot" would be par for the course in modern movies – every other month, similar fish-out-of-water movies premiere with men posing as women ("Tootsie"), women posing as men ("The Associate"), black people posing as white people ("White Chicks"), and on and on. What makes "Some Like it Hot" different is two things: the strength of its comedy, and the presence of Marilyn Monroe, then at the height of stardom.

Lemmon and Curtis turn in admirable performances both as Joe and Jerry, and as Josephine and Daphne. Tony Curtis does Lemmon one better by creating a third identity, "Junior", in order to woo Sugar Kane (Monroe).

Tying the pair's story into the Chicago Valentine's Day Massacre, where a gang war spilled over into a parking garage, leaving a number of people lined up against the wall and shot, is a deft touch (though the serious tone of these gang sequences contrasts sharply with the bulk of the movie).

The movie does an excellent job building the far-fetched stakes of the movie ever-higher, from their finding refuge from vengeful gangs in a women's jazz band, to their showdown in the Florida hotel, to the eventual revealing of Curtis' and Lemmon's identities. The movie's surprisingly suggestive and risque content is at odds with the time frame of the movie, and even with the period of the movie's creation. The many smart double-entendres and plays on words are very well-written, and alternate between lowbrow and highbrow comedy,

The films only fault might be a couple of overlong musical numbers, performed either by the whole band or soloed by Sugar Kane. Though to be expected in a Marilyn Monroe film, these musical acts are literal "show stoppers" that bring the comedic momentum of the film to a screeching halt. However, it is easy to over look these minor defects in the movie as a whole, because by and large it is quite funny – no wonder it s considered a classic – and after all, "nobody's perfect".

It's pretty hot.

[OllieSuave-007 · 7/10 · 13 September 2015]

It's a classic comedy starring Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as two musicians who witness a mob hit and, to protect their identities, disguise themselves as female musicians and flee the state with a female band disguised, only to find themselves being chased by men and the mob.

Curtis and Lemmon are like a mismatched couple, bickering and becoming frustrated with one another as they go through their misadventures on the road. It serves up some chuckles and humor and helps with the film's steady-moving plot. Marilyn Monroe as female lead Sugar Kane is surely the highlight of the movie and did what I think is one of her most iconic roles, bubbly, innocent-acting and vulnerable in her acting and singing two show-stopping songs. Her spellbinding beauty is sure to charm anyone and she had some good chemistry with Curtis.

However, the film does suffer a little from Curtis and Lemmon's at times overzealous acting and the lack of suspense from the pursing-mob subplot. Overall, though, it's not a bad film and is good for some laughs.

Grade B-

Many have tried but few have succeeded in coming close to matching it.

[mark.waltz · 10/10 · 17 February 2017]

There are four Oscar worthy performances in this Billy Wilder comedy classic. Marilyn, Jack, Tony and Joe all shine in the beaches of Florida where sweet Sue and her band, featuring luscious Miss Monroe and two real dogs perform in an all female band. The problem is that the dogs aren't real women: they're musicians hiding from the mob, having witnessed a St. Valentine's Day massacre style hit. Mob head George Raft wants them dead, so what's the best way to hide? Dress up as a woman of course!

Drag goes back to the silent era in cinema, so the concept is far from new, but the writing, directing, black and white photography all come together with excellent editing that perfects the timing of all the gags. Joe E. Brown, who had done his share of drag in film, takes a shine to jack Lemmon here, getting some great moments and the tag line that has become a classic, much like Marie Dressler's final quip in "Dinner at Eight".

It is considered an Oscar sin that Marilyn Monroe did not get a nomination for this part. "Jello on springs!", Jack Lemon comments, but it's the Cary Grant like portrayal of Tony Curtis the gets her attention, making her think that he owns the huge yacht that really belongs to Brown.

So many great moments, from Monroe's two big songs to Lemmon and Brown's tango. It later became a hit Broadway musical (practically forgotten today), but nothing can diminish the perfection of this film, one for the ages. Without it, I doubt we'd have " Victor/Victoria", "La Cage Aux Folles" or "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert".

Monroe should receive credit for coming across as highly relatable and someone easy to root for

[kevin_robbins · 7/10 · 20 June 2021]

Some Like it Hot (1959) is a movie I recently watched on Amazon Prime. The storyline involves two traveling band members that are being hunted down after witnessing a murder by a gang. The band members decide to dress as girls and join a traveling female band. Their new bandmember is a knockout that is going to make hiding their identity a challenge. This movie is directed by Billy Wilder (Sabrina) and stars Marilyn Monroe (Gentlemen Prefer Blonds), Tony Curtis (Spartacus), Jack Lemmon (Grumpy Old Men) and Pat O'Brien (Angels with Dirty Faces). The storyline for this is super cheesy but has some rollercoaster twists and turns as Lemmon and Curtis hide their identity. Monroe should receive credit for coming across as highly relatable and someone easy to root for. The scenarios are ridiculous but entertaining and it is fun to watch this movie unfold. I'd score this a better than average 7/10 and highly recommend watching this.

The only reason I made it through this is to try to understand those who like it

[leonardfranks · 1/10 · 11 May 2009]

Every genre has to be judged by its own standards. To be good, a drama film should be interesting, a mystery film should be mysterious and surprising, a musical should have good songs, a horror film should be frightening, and more to the point here, a comedy should be funny. There. I said it. A comedy should at some point have some joke that is in some way amusing. This seems to me to be a pretty solid and logical test of quality. And going by it, Some Like it Hot is not a good movie. In fact, it's an utterly terrible movie. Don't accuse me of being unable to deal with subtle humor; I can. P.G. Wodehouse and Henry Fielding are subtle, and I really like them. This isn't subtle. This is really in your face and painfully, dreadfully unfunny. There seriously isn't one joke in this that isn't massively predictable and totally unamusing. And as for the acting? They're not brilliant performances. They're really, really annoying, and it made me happy when all three of the main characters just stopped talking. This is a comedy, and a comedy is supposed to be funny. This isn't funny, and so it's a catastrophic failure. I suppose I'm happy for those of you as can find something to enjoy here, but I really don't get what it is.

Classic comedy featuring several screen greats.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 27 December 2022]

Billy Wilder's Some like it hot is a fabulous crime comedy, which sees two musicians, Joe and Jerry disguise themselves as Josephine and Daphne in order to escape a criminal gang.

For my shame, this is the first film I've ever seen with Marilyn Monroe in, and all I can say is she was just sublime, surely one of Hollywood's most beautiful leading ladies, her presence is uplifting, enchanting, somewhat Hypnotic, she has a presence, you watch in awe.

This film is riotously funny, there is definitely a fair amount of slapstick, but for 1959, I'm surprised by just how dark some of the humour was, not what I was expecting, it's humour that feels as fresh now as it must have been during its release.

From the opening car chase sequences, to the first time we get to see Josephine and Daphne, to the raucous ending, it's a thrill ride.

Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon were terrific, Marilyn Monroe was just sublime, what a beauty.

10/10.

'Nobody's perfect.'

The ultimate desert island movie

[anton_abrahams · 10/10 · 4 April 2006]

I was never one of those kids who watched Star Wars over 100 times (actually just once or twice) and find that even the moves I rate in my top twenty can only bear watching a couple of times a year. This is the exception.

Every time I watch this film, I notice something else that makes me laugh - I cannot think of a weak performance or a dodgy line.

I love the fact that George Raft gives the impression that he was not told that it was a comedy and plays the chief mobster completely straight. Contrasting this with the silliness of some of his underlings is priceless stuff, though rarely slapstick (homage to Cagney aside).

Ultimately it's the tight and witty script matched by an excellent cast that makes this film a pleasure for me.

The funniest movie ever made?

[BratBoy-2 · 10/10 · 9 July 1999]

One of the all time great screen comedies, Some Like It Hot stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon at their best. Billy Wilder, one of the all time great directors, co-wrote and directed this fantastic movie.

Set in 1929, Lemmon and Curtis are out of work musicians who witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Fleeing for their lives, they disguise themselves as female musicians in order to get to Florida and away from the mob. This is where the fun begins.

Renamed "Daphne" and "Josephine" they try their best to keep their secret. But when "Josephine"(Curtis) meets sexy ukulele player Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe) you know he's going to blow his cover somehow. While Curtis tries to woo Monroe by pretending to be her dream man as she has told him, Lemmon is courted by Osgood Fielding (Joe E. Brown). Curtis adapts a Cary Grant accent and pretends to be frigid in the movie's funniest scenes. Lemmon seems to forget he's a boy and has so much fun with Fielding and adores the things he buys him. Between the cases of mistaken and pretend identities, the mobsters come to Florida for their Opera Lovers Meeting. It all winds up with a hilarious ending.

This movie is a gem from start to finish. Curtis, Monroe, and Brown are great in their parts. Monroe brings a funny and sexy vulnerability to Sugar and Curtis is great with his performance as "Josephine" and the stuffy millionaire who talks just like Cary Grant. Lemmon really steals the movie here. He invests Daphne with such enthusiasm that we can understand why he's falling for Osgood. He's having way too much fun and it's great to watch him. This is a true classic from start to finish. It's recommended for anyone who likes to laugh.

Grade:A+

Truly the best comedy every made.

[mls4182 · 10/10 · 12 January 2022]

Billy Wilder at the very top of his game. Absolutely hilarious with both broad and subtle humor.

Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis are both in top form and deserved Oscar nominations.

Still fresh after almost sixty years

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 29 November 2018]

Opening in 1929 in Chicago musicians Joe and Jerry witness a mob assassination, committed by Spats Colombo, so have to go on the run. There are jobs with a band that is heading to Miami... there is just one catch; they are all girls. By the time the train is ready to head south Joe and Jerry have become Josephine and Daphne. On the journey they get to know the other girls and as Joe talks to singer Sugar and learns how she hopes to meet a bespectacled millionaire with a yacht rather than the usual succession on no-good saxophone players (Joe plays the Sax). Once in Miami sets about becoming just that man while a real millionaire, Osgood Fielding III, is attracted to Jerry's 'Daphne'! If that weren't enough Spats is in in town for a mob conference.

This film may be in black and white and almost sixty years old but don't let that put you off; it is still fresh and very funny. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are great as 'Josephine' and 'Daphne'; they may not be the most beautiful of women but they do at least look feminine enough that one can believe they would be mistaken for women. Marilyn Monroe is on top form as Sugar; particularly in the scenes were she is wooed by Joe's 'Shell Oil Jnr' persona. The laughs come thick and fast combining elements of farce and slapstick. One might worry that 'fifties morality' would be a problem but the attitudes are far more modern than one might expect. Overall I'd definitely say this film is a must see.

As Marylin sings in this film "I couldn't aspire, to anything higher..." - a comedy masterpiece!

[Nic-8 · 9/10 · 8 February 2000]

What can you say about this movie that has not been said before?

A genuine classic, the basics run as follows... Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and the ever-fabulous Jack Lemmon...... the boys do drag, Marilyn sings occaisionally, looks edible in practically see-through dresses AND acts well to boot...

Lemmon and Curtis play musicians accidentally caught up in the St Valentine's Day Massacre... they go on the run in the only band which will hire them - an all female band which means their only option is to drag up and bluff their way along - and meet up with marginally alcoholic and slightly unhinged Marilyn.. some chaos ensues as Curtis tries to woo her and Lemmon unwillingly finds a suitor for himself...

The film is surprisingly touching in places but is basically a lovely silly comedy. It regularly appears in lists proclaiming it to be one of the 100 best movies of all time and quite rightly so. Marilyn - despite suffereing a miscarriage during filming - is on superb form, Jack Lemmon looks almost attractive in drag and Tony Curtis actually avoids being too slimy and annoying. The drag scenes are wonderfully underplayed and the classy use of black and white photography throughout helps make both the drag and the period setting look plausible.

Highlights include Tony Curtis's Cary Grant impression (for those of you uneducated in the fabulousness of Cary Grant check out Bringing Up Baby, also on this term), Jack Lemmon being romanced in great style - which leads to just about the best last line of a movie of all time - and Marilyn looking glorious of course.

If you've never seen this movie you really really should; if you already have then I am sure you need no persuasion to see it again!

Awesome, it really is!

[darth_sidious · 17 April 2001]

Sit back and enjoy this comedy, I don't believe in greatest this and that when it comes to films, but boy, this is superb.

The acting here is fantastic, all actors, even Monroe are on top form.

The direction by Wilder is superb, the guy's style in this picture is perfect. He directed this film in a very clever way, by using one camera for the majority of the scenes, he could easily edit the film together without studio interference.

The script is well written. The dialogue between Lemmon and Curtis is beautifully balanced.

Monroe is just too hot for the screen in this picture. Although, Monroe had major off-screen problems (83 takes to get things right) she is fantastic on-screen. She may not have the best lines, but what the heck! She plays the role very well.

Overall, this is awesome, it really is.

Stands the test of time

[pegbo · 10/10 · 14 June 2000]

I just saw this movie for the first time and I'm kicking myself for waiting so long!! It's a rare film that makes me laugh out loud, but I definitely made some noise watching this one! Jack Lemmon gave one of the most hysterical performances I've ever seen; add Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe, and one hell of a script and you have the classic comedy that all others must try to live up to. I'd give this move a 15 if they'd let me.

Cute!

[AnnaPagrati · 7/10 · 30 August 2021]

A great classic movie! Marilyn is a legend, so talented!

Passage of time has not been kind

[david-amos · 1/10 · 10 August 2007]

A film containing at least one of the best actors of the 50's and 60' Jack Lemmon. I feel he is the star of the film and carries to an extent some of the other performances. The film is well set in the 1929 period and faithful to the period detail. However I feel despite being a huge Jack Lemmon Fan that it has not faired well from the passage of time. With a lot of films of 40 to 50 years ago there is a tendency to view with rosy coloured glasses and not from having sat through it again and critically evaluated it. The humour is particularly dated and the plot with honesty thin. Okay it was a great film for its time, but films have improved in the 48 years since this was made.

An outrageous and hilarious comedy.

[bobsgrock · 10/10 · 2 March 2008]

Billy Wilder goes the limits in this outrageous and very funny comedy about two musicians going undercover as women to avoid the mob. It is a ridiculous premise, but Wilder and Diamond's script perfectly balances the comedy with scenes of love and romance. Curtis and Monroe have great chemistry together, and Lemmon is superb as the comedy relief in the "serious" scenes with George Raft. Even these are something to laugh at, but the film is not to be taken seriously; just to be laughed at. It has been almost fifty years since it was released and people still laugh at it. I have seen it three or four times and it is still as funny as seeing it for the first time. That is the true test of a comedy and Some Like It Hot passes with flying colors. A true comedy classic all the way around.