Some Like It Hot (1959)

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

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Billy Wilder (screenplay), I.A.L. Diamond (screenplay)

Stars:

Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon

Top Rated Movies #135 | Won 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marilyn Monroe	...	Sugar Kane Kowalczyk
Tony Curtis	...	Joe / Josephine / Shell Oil Junior
Jack Lemmon	...	Jerry / Daphne
George Raft	...	Spats Colombo
Pat O'Brien	...	Detective 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

Storyline

After two Chicago musicians, Joe and Jerry, witness the the St. Valentine's Day massacre, they want to get out of town and get away from the gangster responsible, Spats Colombo. They're desperate to get a gig out of town but the only job they know of is in an all-girl band heading to Florida. They show up at the train station as Josephine and Daphne, the replacement saxophone and bass players. They certainly enjoy being around the girls, especially Sugar Kane Kowalczyk who sings and plays the ukulele. Joe in particular sets out to woo her while Jerry/Daphne is wooed by a millionaire, Osgood Fielding III. Mayhem ensues as the two men try to keep their true identities hidden and Spats Colombo and his crew show up for a meeting with several other crime lords.

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Plot Keywords:

sex comedy | comedy of errors | 1920s | disguise | all girl band | 

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Taglines:

The MOST comedy ever made! The BIGGEST comedy ever made! The HOTTEST comedy ever made!

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Genres:

Comedy | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Danny Kaye and Bob Hope were considered for the roles that went to Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis.

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Goofs

Jerry fits into the much-smaller Bellhop's uniform.

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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]
[...]

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Alternate Versions

The Soviet Union version was cut by ca. 20 minutes.

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Connections

Spoofed in The Curse of Monkey Island (1997)

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Soundtracks

Down Among the Sheltering Palms
(1914) (uncredited)
Music by Abe Olman
lyrics by James Brockman and Leo Wood
Performed by Society Syncopators

User Reviews

Awesome, it really is!

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.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 March 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Not Tonight, Josephine!

Filming Locations:

Coronado Beach, Coronado, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,883,848 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$83,169,282

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ashton Productions, The Mirisch Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1