SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)

SHORT REVIEW: This film shows one can be risqué without being obscene. Billy Wilder’s Some Like It Hot is one of the classic comedies and is a compulsory watch for all film geeks. It is one of the best comedies of all time. This is thanks to a very sharp script performed to perfection by a stellar cast lead by Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and the very interesting Marilyn Monroe. This film deals with very strong adult content in a graceful way. Almost every scene makes a mockery of lust. Joe and Jerry (Curtis and Lemmon) drool over Sugar Kane (Monroe,) and when Joe and Jerry dress up as women they find men being to chase after them. The fun derives from laughing at the stupidity and desperation that stems from the characters lusts. I find it striking how intelligently and respectfully the film handles clearly adult content. At every turn there is an opportunity to delve into the gutter and play to the lower part of our natures. This film handles it self with a certain grace. Sure it makes dirty jokes but it does it through clever use of entendre. I kept thinking of what would happen if this film were remade today. This is actually a danger since Hollywood has decided it doesn’t need new product and is remaking every successful in its past. The classy handling of the content would be the first casualty. A remake of this film would probably end up looking more the Soul Plane than the original film. We used to have standards for our culture. This very adult movie shows this to be true. With the restrictions of how they had to conduct themselves, Billy Wilder and company were forced to actually be creative in how they constructed their work. Their work is the better for it. The cast of this film is marvelous. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis are perfected matched for their roles. Tony Curtis is at home in his conniving playboy part and Lemmon is a master of the frantic goofball. Lemmon is the heart of the film. His Jerry gives us the bulk of the comedy and plays up his cross-dressing the best. His scenes as Daphne when various men are hitting upon him are some of the best in the film. Curtis is no slacker either. He carries the weight of playing off of Marilyn Monroe for most of this film. This is no easy task. The woman had a talent to, let’s say filling up the screen. It is not a cakewalk to try to remain visible next to such a co-star. Curtis is weakest when cross-dressed as his female alter ego Josephine. He does shine when he creates the character Junior to woo the unsuspecting Monroe. Marilyn Monroe herself is very good in this film. Her appealing traits are obvious. Beyond her beauty, she is a good actress. Her role as Sugar Kane is more complicated than one may give it credit. The character calls for a good deal of talent to pull off. I have always felt that Monroe always didn’t get enough credit for her work. This is obviously due to her sex kitten image. It is easy to dismiss her as a pinup and little else. I think this has always been a mistake. This film proves her to be able to handle her own with some of the better comedic actors of her time. In closing, I recommend this film. I will warn that it is adult faire. This is a farce and that means there’s adult content. Tony Curtis doesn’t chase Monroe around because he wants to play chess. That disclaimer in place, you should remember that this was made in a time when the filmmaker respected the audience. Back then the audience was the focus which is opposite of today where the filmmakers make the films for themselves. Categories: film, review, Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, comedy, classic