Some Like It Hot

Picture by immortalmarilyn.com

In "Some Like it Hot" (released 1959 by Billy Wilder, director of "Sunset Boulevard" and "The Apartment"), two musicians, Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) find themselves out of a job after the speakeasy they played at was raided by the police. After witnessing the "Valentine's Day Massacre," they disguise themselves as women and join a female musical group, where they meet Sugar Kane Kowalczyk (Marilyn Monroe). In order to keep hidden from Al Capone, the two musicians, Joe the sax player and Jerry the bass fiddler, travel to a Florida resort with the group. "Josephine" (Joe), in love with Sugar, decides to stay and make her fall in love with him by often ditching his drag and pretending to have a fortune. Meanwhile, a real millionaire by the name of Osgood Fielding III (Joe E. Brown) goes after Daphne (Jerry) and tries to get "her" to marry him.
This screwball comedy contained three of the best actors at the time, which becomes evident by the hilarious and smart dialogue between Monroe and her co-stars dressed in drag. Because the film pushed the limits of what was acceptable at the time, by dressing Monroe in skimpier than usual dresses and its risque' comedy, it became in instant hit.
Filmed in black and white for a sense of realism, the movie is given a timeless feel. Because people can still relate to the film today, it is given classic status. Director Billy Wilder is said to have been at his best during the making of this film.
Since this film, many other movies with the same premise of a man as a woman have been done. Some of them have been hits, but this one still remains one of the best I have seen. It started a bit slow and took a while for the film to actually take off, but I rarely grew bored of watching and managed to find something new to make me laugh every time I saw it. The hilarious ending sealed the deal for me. I give this film four and a half stars.