IMDb > Some Like It Hot (1959)
Some Like It Hot
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Some Like It Hot (1959) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (See all 95 | slideshow) Videos (see all 13)
Some Like It Hot -- Trailer for the classic comedy Some Like It Hot, starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe
Some Like It Hot -- Clip: Beach
Some Like It Hot -- Daphne's plan to seduce Sugar Cane is foiled when all the girls join the party.
Some Like It Hot -- Joe, disguised as Junior, leads Sugar into believing that he's a single millionaire with a yacht.
Some Like It Hot -- Osgood Fielding puts the moves on Daphne.

Overview

User Rating:
Top 250: #88  (login to vote)
8.4/10   110,112 votes »
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Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Billy Wilder
Writers:
Billy Wilder (screenplay) and
I.A.L. Diamond (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Some Like It Hot on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
29 March 1959 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Comedy See more »
Tagline:
The movie too HOT for words! See more »
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. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 12 wins & 8 nominations See more »
NewsDesk:
(493 articles)
Ben Mankiewicz Talks TCM Classic Film Festival, Why 'Transformers' Is "Unwatchable" & The Movie He's Seen 40 Times
 (From The Playlist. 14 May 2013, 11:59 AM, PDT)
'The Bold and the Beautiful's' Katherine Kelly Lang says her voice was too chesty for 'Skatetown U.S.A.'
 (From Pop2it. 13 May 2013, 3:22 PM, PDT)
F. Scott Fitzgerald: Was he actually overpaid for his Hollywood work?
 (From EW.com - PopWatch. 29 April 2013, 12:14 PM, PDT)
User Reviews:
A gender-bending comedy ahead of its time See more (311 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Marilyn Monroe ... Sugar Kane Kowalczyk

Tony Curtis ... Joe

Jack Lemmon ... Jerry

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:
Sam Bagley ... Extra (uncredited)
Al Breneman ... Bellhop (uncredited)
Ted Christy ... Small Role (uncredited)

Marian Collier ... Olga (uncredited)
Pat Comiskey ... Spats' Henchman (uncredited)
James Dime ... Gangster Convention Greeter (uncredited)
Joan Fields ... Band Member (uncredited)
Duke Fishman ... Gangster at Convention (uncredited)
Mary Foley ... Band Member (uncredited)
Paul Frees ... Funeral Director / Speakeasy Waiter (voice) (uncredited)
Jack Gordon ... Gangster with Charlie (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)
George Lake ... Small Role (uncredited)
John Logan ... Small Role (uncredited)
Tiger Joe Marsh ... Small Role (uncredited)
Jack Mather ... Small Role (uncredited)
Jack McClure ... Spats' Henchman (uncredited)
Penny McGuiggan ... Trumpet Player (uncredited)
Laurie Mitchell ... Small Role (uncredited)
Colleen O'Sullivan ... Band Member (uncredited)
Joe Palma ... Small Role (uncredited)
Helen Perry ... Rosella (uncredited)
Danny Richards Jr. ... Fresh Bellboy (uncredited)
Scott Seaton ... Old Man (uncredited)
Fred Sherman ... Drunk (uncredited)
Carl Sklover ... Small Role (uncredited)
Bert Stevens ... Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey ... Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)
Ralph Volkie ... Small Role (uncredited)
Tito Vuolo ... Mozzarella (uncredited)
Sandra Warner ... Emily (uncredited)
Billy Wayne ... Small Role (uncredited)

Grace Lee Whitney ... Band Member (uncredited)
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Directed by
Billy Wilder 
 
Writing credits
Billy Wilder (screenplay) and
I.A.L. Diamond (screenplay)

Robert Thoeren (suggested by a story by) (as R. Thoeren) and
Michael Logan (suggested by a story by) (as M. Logan)

Produced by
I.A.L. Diamond .... associate producer
Doane Harrison .... associate producer
Billy Wilder .... producer
 
Original Music by
Adolph Deutsch (background score)
 
Cinematography by
Charles Lang (director of photography) (as Charles Lang Jr.)
 
Film Editing by
Arthur P. Schmidt (film editor)
 
Casting by
Phil Benjamin (uncredited)
 
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
Hal W. Polaire .... assistant director (uncredited)
 
Art Department
Tom Plews .... property
 
Sound Department
Fred Lau .... sound
 
Special Effects by
Milt Rice .... special effects
Daniel Hays .... special effects (uncredited)
 
Stunts
Paul Baxley .... stunt driver (uncredited)
Paul Baxley .... stunts (uncredited)
Polly Burson .... stunts (uncredited)
Joe Gray .... stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin .... stunt driver (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 .... wardrobe
Orry-Kelly .... gowns: Miss Monroe
Joan Joseff .... costume jeweller (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Matty Malneck .... song supervisor
Eve Newman .... music editor
Jack Dumont .... musician (uncredited)
 
Other crew
John Franco .... script 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)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Also Known As:
See more »
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
120 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
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 | Mexico:A | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Singapore:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #19281) | Brazil:Livre | Finland:K-16 (1959) | Finland:S (1987) | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | New Zealand:PG | Japan:G (2009) | USA:Not Rated | Netherlands:18 (original rating) (1959) | Denmark:A | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Hong Kong:I (2012)
Filming Locations:
Coronado Beach, Coronado, California, USASee more »
Company:
Ashton ProductionsSee more »

Did You Know?

Trivia:
A preview audience laughed so hard in the scene where Jack Lemmon announces his engagement that a lot of the dialogue was missed. It had to be re-shot with pauses (and the maraca gimmick) added.See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: When Osgood puts Daphne's shoe on, the luggage on the sidewalk behind him is in a straight line. When we cut back to Osgood, the luggage is no longer in a straight line, and other luggage is stacked on top of it.See more »
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]
[...]
See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Grave Danger: Volume 1 (#5.24)" (2005)See more »
Soundtrack:
Randolph Street RagSee more »

FAQ

Any recommendations for other comedies in which the main character(s) appear in drag throughout most of the movie?
What does the title mean? What do some like "hot"?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
See more »

User Reviews

   (Review this title)
26 out of 31 people found the following review useful.
A gender-bending comedy ahead of its time, 30 April 2004
Author: Nathan (psionicpoet@hotmail.com) from Troutdale, OR

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".

Was the above review useful to you?
See more (311 total) »

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