Some Like It Hot (Collectors Edition)
starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis,
Jack Lemmon, George Raft, Pat
OBrien
Some Like It Hot
Maybe nobodys perfect, as one character in this masterpiece suggests.
But some movies are perfect, and Some Like It Hot is one of them. In
Chicago, during the Prohibition era, two skirt-chasing musicians, Joe and
Jerry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), inadvertently witness the St.
Valentines Day Massacre. In order to escape the wrath of gangland chief
Spats Colombo (George Raft), the boys, in drag, join an all-woman band
headed for Florida. They vie for the attention of the lead singer, Sugar
Kane (Marilyn Monroe), a much-disappointed songbird who warbles Im
Through with Love but remains vulnerable to yet another unreliable
saxophone player. (When Curtis courts her without his dress, he adopts
the voice of Cary Grant--a spot-on impersonation.) The script by director
Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is beautifully measured; everything works,
like a flawless clock. Aspiring screenwriters would be well advised to throw
away the how-to books and simply study this film. The bulk of the slapstick
is handled by an unhinged Lemmon and the razor-sharp Joe E. Brown,
who plays a horny retiree smitten by Jerrys feminine charms. For all the
gags, the film is also wonderfully romantic, as Wilder indulges in just the
right amounts of moonlight and the lilting melody of Park Aven ue Fantasy.
Some Like It Hot is so delightfully fizzy, its hard to believe the shooting of
the film was a headache, with an unhappy Monroe on her worst behavior.
The results, however, are sublime. --Robert Horton
Some Like It Hot is ranked number one on the American Film Institutes
Top 100 Laughs; making the film basically the funniest movie of all-time.
Yet, I couldnt refrain from asking myself if this movie really deserves the
number one spot, or even Tootsie at number two; perhaps there IS
something about transvestitism that appeals to the general public, mind
you, if theyre done skillfully. I feel Im in no position to argue. With that said
this delightful comedy has a little something for everyone to enjoy.
After being nearly arrested for entertaining in an illegal backdoor dive and
gambling club two musicians named Joe and Jerry, played by Tony Curtis
and Jack Lemmon, flee the scene and quickly start looking for jobs
elsewhere. After hearing that a certain opening is available for a
saxaphone and bull fiddle player Jerry tries to convince an agent that he
and Joe can qualify for the engagement -- the only catch is that they have
to be women. Joe refuses the idea and suggests the alternative and play
at a dance located 100 miles out-of-town. In an effort to provide
themselves with transportation Joe charms his way with a woman to
borrow her car located at a parking garage. While there Joe and Jerry
witness a mob massacre; narrowly escaping death themselves. In fear of
their lives the two flee the state, joining an all-girl band masquerading as
women and head out by bus to Florida.
During this bus ride the two men encounter an attractive blonde named
Sugar Kane Kowalczyk, played by a voluptuous, then pregnant Marilyn
Monroe. From the very first meeting she comes across as a not particularly
bright, bottle-sipping ukulele player who wants nothing more but to marry a
nice, kind man with lots of money -- like a millionaire with glasses. As the
story progresses Joe takes a fancy to Sugar and funny complications
ensue. The band eventually arrive in Florida, and Joe and Jerry, now
calling themselves Josephine and Daphne, instead of fleeing on arrival
decide to play out their stint at a hotel lounge. Meanwhile, Joe attempts to
win the affection of Sugar while pretending to be an English millionaire
equipped with glasses and a yacht. But their amusing absurdities come to
a halt when the mob from Chicago, headed by Spats Colombo (George
Raft), catches up with them by odd chance at the same hotel.
There are two reasons why Some Like It Hot works and why so few of the
same kind of movies that followed have been a success. 1) The cast. I
mean, really, in addition to the superb character actors, Pat OBrien and
Joe E. Brown, you just cant go wrong with Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and
Marilyn Monroe. The two men play off each other so well and theyre a
delight to watch. And to top it off you have Marilyn Monroe, in what Ive
always considered was the last triumph in her film career before making
her final picture The Misfits a year or so later. 2) Billy Wilder as director.
Wilder has such a strong ability for comedy on screen it is unparalleled, HE
is unparalleled; watch any or all of this mans movies and youll understand
why hes considered one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century.
Presently, Some Like It Hot is working on being nearly 60 years old, and it
doesnt seem dated one bit.
For More 5 Star Customer Reviews and Lowest Price:
Some Like It Hot (Collectors Edition) starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack
Lemmon, George Raft, Pat OBrien - 5 Star Customer Reviews and Lowest Price!