Some Like It Hot (1959)

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Robert Thoeren (story) and
Michael Logan (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 March 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Family | Music | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

The movie too HOT for words!

Plot:

When two musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.

Plot Keywords:

Band | Witness | Yacht | Musician | Massacre

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Marilyn Monroe	...	Sugar Kane Kowalczyk
Tony Curtis	...	Joe - 'Josephine' / 'Junior'
Jack Lemmon	...	Jerry - 'Daphne'
George Raft	...	Spats Colombo
Pat O'Brien	...	Det. Mulligan
Joe E. Brown	...	Osgood Fielding III
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Little Bonaparte
Joan Shawlee	...	Sweet Sue
Billy Gray	...	Sig Poliakoff
George E. Stone	...	Toothpick Charlie
Dave Barry	...	Beinstock
Mike Mazurki	...	Spats' henchman
Harry Wilson	...	Spats' henchman
Beverly Wills	...	Dolores
Barbara Drew	...	Nellie
Edward G. Robinson Jr.	...	Johnny Paradise
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Al Breneman	...	Bellhop (uncredited)
Marian Collier	...	Olga (clarinet player) (uncredited)
Pat Comiskey	...	Spats' henchman (uncredited)
Joan Fields	...	Band member (uncredited)
Mary Foley	...	Band member (uncredited)
Paul Frees	...	Funeral director / Josephine (voice) (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Mobster at banquet (uncredited)
Harold 'Tommy' Hart	...	Official #2 (uncredited)
Ted Hook	...	Official #1 (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Tom Kennedy	...	Bouncer (uncredited)
Jack McClure	...	Spats' henchman / driver (uncredited)
Penny McGuiggan	...	Band member (uncredited)
Laurie Mitchell	...	Mary Lou (trumpet player) (uncredited)
Colleen O'Sullivan	...	Band Member (uncredited)
Helen Perry	...	Rosella (uncredited)
Fred Sherman	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)
Tito Vuolo	...	Mozzarella (uncredited)
Sandra Warner	...	Emily (band member) (uncredited)
Grace Lee Whitney	...	Band member (uncredited)

Directed by
Billy Wilder

Writing credits
Robert Thoeren		(story) (as R. Thoeren) and
Michael Logan		(story) (as M. Logan)
Billy Wilder		(screenplay) and
I.A.L. Diamond		(screenplay)

Produced by
I.A.L. Diamond	....	associate producer
Doane Harrison	....	associate producer
Billy Wilder	....	producer

Original Music by
Adolph Deutsch

Cinematography by
Charles Lang		(as Charles Lang Jr.)

Film Editing by
Arthur P. Schmidt

Art Direction by
Ted Haworth

Set Decoration by
Edward G. Boyle

Makeup Department
Agnes Flanagan	....	hair stylist
Emile LaVigne	....	makeup artist
Alice Monte	....	hair stylist
Allan Snyder	....	makeup artist: Miss Monroe (uncredited)

Production Management
Allen K. Wood	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sam Nelson	....	assistant director

Art Department
Tom Plews	....	property master

Sound Department
Fred Lau	....	sound

Special Effects by
Milt Rice	....	special effects
Daniel Hays	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Polly Burson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Gray	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bernie Abramson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Floyd McCarty	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Don Stott	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bert Henrikson	....	wardrober
Orry-Kelly	....	gowns: Marilyn Monroe

Music Department
Matty Malneck	....	song supervisor
Eve Newman	....	music editor

Other crew
John Franco	....	continuity
Jack Cole	....	choreographer (uncredited)
Evelyn Moriarty	....	stand-in: Marilyn Monroe (uncredited)
Alpha Steinman	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Paula Strasberg	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)
John Veitch	....	location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Ashton Productions
• Mirisch Corporation, The

Distributors

• United Artists (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (1959-1976) (Norway) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1959) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1964) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2000) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2000) (France) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (Italy) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Alamode Film (2002) (Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Cinemien (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinema Mondo (2007) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Egmont Entertainment (????) (Finland) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2001) (Finland) (DVD) (special edition)
• FS Film Oy (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Fazer Musiikki Oy/Fazer Video (1988) (Finland) (VHS)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (????) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1985) (2002) (Finland) (TV)
• Nelonen (2006) (Finland) (TV)
• SF Norge A/S (2001) (Norway) (DVD)
• TV2 Norge (2008) (Norway) (TV)
• TV3 (1988) (1992) (Finland) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1997) (1998) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Hotel del Coronado  accomodations

Also Known As:

Not Tonight, Josephine! (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Mexico:A | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Singapore:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #19281) | Brazil:Livre | USA:PG-13 (DVD version) | Finland:K-16 (1959) | Finland:S (1987) | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | France:-12 (original rating) | France:U (re-rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 (re-release) | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (video rating) (1989) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Coronado Beach, Coronado, California, USA

Company:

Ashton Productions

Trivia:

The railroad passenger car that was used in this movie (Clover Colony) is now at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee where it can be used in excursion/local service.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Sugar performs "I Wanna Be Loved by You," we see her back is bare as she turns away from us. When she boards Junior's boat, there is now a transparent strap across her back joining her dress. When she enters the salon moments later, the strap is gone.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mulligan: All right, Charlie; that the joint?
Toothpick Charlie: Yes, sir.
Mulligan: Who runs it?
Toothpick Charlie: I already told you.
Mulligan: Refresh my memory.
Toothpick Charlie: Spats Columbo.
Mulligan: That's very refreshing; what's the password?
Toothpick Charlie: "I've come to Grandma's funeral." Here's your admission card.
[he gives Mulligan a mourning armband]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In: (#2.25)" (1969)

Soundtrack:

Randolph Street Rag

A well timed comedy with a wonderful dialogue

Some Like it Hot will have a Danish re-premiere on Marilyn Monroes 75th birthday June 1st 2001, and making the text for some advertising material in that connection I saw the movie again and liked it more than ever. Most comedies about men in womens' clothings have a vulgar humour. This is, of course, not the case for films like "Tootsie" and "Some Like it Hot" in which Billy Wilder using black and white instead of colours turns down the importance of the change of sex in many ways so that you can concentrate on the comedy which is extraordinarily well timed with a spiritual dialogue. The acting of Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Marilyn Monroe, not to mention Joe E Brown, Pat O'Brien and George Raft is out of this world, and of course it is possible to make a mafia war comical. Some scenes almost remind you of a Marx Brothers' movie. Like when a small berth in a train sleeping car in a few seconds is overcrowded with beautiful girls mixing Manhattan-drinks in their hot-water bottle while Jack Lemmon is desperately trying to remind himself that -- just then -- he is a girl, and Marilyn Monroe in seconds (with her back towards the camera!) produces perfect small, square ice-cubes out of a huge ice block. The music is enchanting like the Marilyn Monroe-songs which are all so well known.