Some Like it Hot (1959)

Written by Billy Wilder & I. A. L. Diamond

Directed by Billy Wilder

1998 List Ranking: 14

2007 List Ranking: 22

To get right to the point, I went into Some Like it Hot expecting to see a comedy about crossdressing men. While I did get that (although the “comedy” isn’t quite to my liking), what I got more of was a surprisingly nuanced (for the 1950’s) look at sexism and homosexuality. As a film, Some Like it Hot was average. As a guidepost for the future of cinema, Some Like it Hot is a trailblazer.

Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon

Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) are two struggling musicians desperately in need of cash in prohibition-era Chicago. Accidental witnesses to a mob hit, they disguise themselves as women and join an all-female band heading south to Florida for three weeks. Along the way, they’ll fight each other for the attention of Sugar (Marilyn Monroe), fight off the advances of other men, young and old alike, and fight to stay alive as the mob gets ever closer to discovering where they are.

“Josephine” and “Daphne” in their first foray as women

I don’t recall ever seeing anything with Tony Curtis before, but I enjoyed his work in the film. He balances three different personas (his “normal” self, “Josephine”, and “Shell Oil, Jr.”, a character he invents to land Sugar) and does them all fairly well. Of the two leads, I generally found him to be the funnier of the two. I’ve always loved Jack Lemmon’s work, but here, he didn’t really do anything for me. As Jerry, Jack Lemmon just plays…Jack Lemmon, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s also fairly predictable. As “Daphne”, Lemmon is actually rather grating, so I found myself getting annoyed with his version of a woman. His experience as a woman is important to the message of the film, however, so he gets a little bit of a pass.

Monroe as Sugar

Monroe, however, is the clear star of the film, even if her performance doesn’t warrant it. From what I understand, her behind-the-scenes issues severely plagued the production, and it’s not like she gives an amazing performance. It’s clear that the film, and director Billy Wilder (or, perhaps more accurately, the studio), desperately wanted Monroe to be front and center, as she gets a few solo numbers with the band to show off her…talents. Unfortunately, nothing she does is particularly memorable. I’ve never seen a performance by Monroe (besides a small part in 1950’s All About Eve), but there wasn’t anything in the film that I didn’t expect from her. Monroe’s life was tragic, however, and knowing those details does paint her performance in a somewhat more positive light.

Osgood and Jerry/”Daphne”

Even if the film itself felt average, there were some great things about it. From the beginning, the car stunts through the streets of Chicago were pretty impressive for 1959, feeling fairly real and shocking. There is also a fun sequence later in the film where the film intercuts between the two dual dates of Joe/“Josephine” and Jerry/“Daphne”. Where Joe is slowly seducing Sugar, Jerry is being romanced by Osgood, a handsy millionaire who doesn’t understand what “no” means. They’re both interesting and they balance each other well, with Joe’s date being more romantic and Jerry’s being more silly.

Joe tries to talk sense into “Daphne”, who is intent on marrying Osgood

Osgood is a great segue into what the film highlights. As women, Joe and Jerry almost immediately begin dealing with just what it’s like to be a woman. From the uncomfortable clothes to the unwanted advances of men, Joe and Jerry (particularly Jerry) start to understand just how hard women have it. The film doesn’t go as far as perhaps a more modern film would, but it definitely shows the changing culture regarding the battle of the sexes and traditional gender norms. There is also an interesting touch on homosexuality, still a very taboo subject for the time. It’s not a subject that the film spends a lot of time on, but there is a strong subtext, an unspoken theme throughout the film. A modern remake would, most likely, lean into that aspect a little harder, but I was surprised that this film touched on it as much as it did.

I’ve written before about the dreaded Hays Code, a set of decency guidelines which films had to follow to be accepted as appropriate for general audiences. Some Like it Hot was made without the consultation of the Code and its governing body, which would have forced the production to cut most of the story. By this point, the Code was on its last legs, and this film is considered now to be one of the final blows that led to its demise.

I wanted to laugh a little more than I did during Some Like it Hot, but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by the underlying messages and themes of the film. Curtis and Lemmon may not look like the obvious choices, but their stint as women is a great way to start looking at the power of women, and the stress and the frustrations that men’s microagressions can cause.

FINAL GRADE: B-