Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in drag – what’s not to like?
Considered as one of the best farcical comedies of all time, Some Like It Hot is a beloved classic movie starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe.
Curtis and Lemmon play two musicians who play the underground music scene in Chicago during the prohibition era. Their performances in the speakeasies soon get them into trouble though, after they witness a horrific gang execution (loosely based on the infamous Valentine’s Day Massacre). As the only two witnesses to the crime, the pair must escape the clutches of a notorious gangster called Spats (George Raft), and do so by pretending to be women musicians in an all-girl band on their way to sunny Florida.
In full drag costume, Lemmon and Curtis soon immerse themselves with the other ladies, and attempt the blend in (whilst keeping their obvious excitement at being around a gaggle of beautiful women to a minimum). They soon fall victim to the natural, and mythological, beauty of Miss Monroe who plays Sugar – a ukulele player whose past relationships have driven her to life on the road (and drinking).
What ensues is a raucous comedy film with plenty of witty script moments, comedic set pieces and slapstick humour.
A little on the long side, this movie could be shaved by about thirty minutes, but apart from that it is still a very funny and touching movie. In particular, Lemmon who becomes the film’s fall guy most of the time, offering some of the best comedy rants I have ever seen, and providing the sidekick to Curtis’ superior mind (a little bit like Pinky and The Brain).
Brilliantly timed and enduring in its approach, Some Like It Hot is a mainstay in American comedy.
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