Review of Some Like It Hot (1959) by Jeffrey C — 08 Jul 2013

"Well, nobody's perfect.".

The American Film Institute ranks Billy Wilder's 1959 comedy classic Some Like it Hot to be the greatest comedy of all-time. While I don't think it's the greatest comedy ever made (I have a strong preference for Singin in the Rain), Some Like it Hot is, I admit it, pretty funny, more funny than I anticipated.

In Some Like it Hot, two male musicians, Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) are looking for jobs when they witness a mob killing in a car garage. In order to hide out from the gangsters, the two men disguise as two female musicians, Josephine and Daphne, and join an all-girl band, led by Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe). Joe starts to develop a crush on Sugar, but disguised as a millionaire. Daphne/Jerry, however, gets into a situation where a man named Osgood (Joe E. Brown) starts do develop a crush on him, and leads into marriage territory. When the gangsters, led by Spats Columbo (George Raft) head into the hotel to investigate, Joe and Jerry have to escape before they're caught.

Now, when I first heard about Some Like it Hot, I didn't know what to expect. I thought it would be stupid for two men to hide out as women. But with a cast like Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe, I decided to give it a shot, and I'm glad I did. Some Like it Hot has a very entertaining cast. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are pretty hilarious as the two musicians in their situations. The situations they get into are just plain hilarious. In one of my favorite scenes, Lemmon is sleeping in a train, and Monroe comes in his compartment, and they decide to have a girl party. The other girls decide to join in, leading up to a scene of pure crazy comedy. I'm telling you that I have never laughed so hard in my life. It's that funny.

What really made Some Like it Hot work for me is, of course, Marilyn Monroe. She's a fantastic singer and a fantastic actress. Her attractive looks are just perfect for the role and makes the film that much funnier.

The jazzy score is also a highlight. I enjoyed it the most when a trumpet uses it's elephant sound whenever Marilyn comes into the picture. That's called pure genius.

Not only is there good comedy, but there's also great action as well. The scenes with the gangsters go into some heavy gun shootings, one scene by Edward G. Robinson Jr. coming out of a cake, and they're supposed to shock the audience, but I believe it to be part if the characters. The violence leads into the comedy, making Some Like it Hot a more entertaining film.

While I don't believe it to be the greatest comedy ever made, Some Like it Hot comes close, with some hilarious comedy, great performances, and Marilyn Monroe. If you haven't seen it yet, then go to the nearest store and get a copy right now. You don't know what you're missing.