Alerts are turned of folks as I have no time presently. I may reappear again on Ciao but not for the...
Alerts are turned of folks as I have no time presently. I may reappear again on Ciao but not for the forseeable future. Take care and have a great Summer
Member since:27.10.2006
Reviews:289
Members who trust:111
Some Like it Hot has become a classic in so many ways. Filmed in 1959, in black and white, it had a great cast, hilarious plot and seems to have stood the test of time. I know lots of younger viewers do not like black and white films but it fits with this film and the period it is set in so well, plus is still a very funny film, although obviously a little dated now. I have had the video a while, as I just enjoy watching this film when I want some light, entertaining fun. Having said that the story is not entirely about a light hearted subject.
The film is set in America during the prohibition. One cold winter's two out of work musicians are struggling to find work, after the joint they are playing at is raided. They need to find work or starve. All that seems to be on offer is an opening for two female musicians. When they witness a mass murder by the mob they need to get out of town and quick. With no work on the horizon for a male Saxophone and a male double bass player, they decide to give the two openings for such musicians in an all girl band another glance. The catch is though that they will definitely only take female musicians.
I won't spoil the film for those few of you who may not have seen Some Like It Hot but
at times it borders on farce, whilst at other times the humour is more subtle. When Jerry and Joe eventually end up in Florida romantic complications set in, that are more than a little strange. It's odd isn't it that when two men dress up as women, although they do not really look like women, they are often still sort of attractive.
The main players are a youngish Marilyn Monroe alongside an equally youngish Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. I always loved Jack Lemmon and his comedy, however Tony Curtis does not do bad at all either. As he flits between being the male Sax player, the owner of Shell Oil with authentic sounding Cary Grant accent and the female Sax player in the All Girl Band, he takes on all roles comfortably.
George Raft as the leader of the gangsters is perfect, although his role is fairly brief. Equally good, but brief, is Pat O'Brien playing a role he had so many times before but never quite in a film like this. I love so many of the characters from the cheeky bell boy at the hotel to Beinstock the leader of the all girl band to Osgood Fielding the third who falls for Lemmon in drag, thinking that he is a female.
Among the Cast there is:- Marilyn Monroe as Sugar Kane Kowalczyk Tony Curtis as Joe - 'Josephine'/'Junior' Jack Lemmon as Jerry - 'Daphne' George Raft as Spats Colombo Pat O'Brien as Detective Mulligan Joe E. Brown as Osgood Fielding the third. Nehemiah Persoff as Little Bonaparte Joan Shawlee as Sweet Sue Billy Gray as Sig Poliakoff George E. Stone as Toothpick Charlie Dave Barry as Beinstock Mike Mazurki as Spats' henchman Harry Wilson as Spats' henchman Grace Lee Whitney as Rosella Beverly Wills as Dolores Barbara Drew as Nellie Edward G. Robinson, Junior. as Johnny Paradise
So as you can see there is quite a cast. Well it is if you are my age I suppose, younger readers may not have heard of quite so many of the actors. However do not let the age of this film and the fact that it is in black and white prevent you watching what is consistently voted one of the funniest films of all time.
The soundtrack is equally good and has some classics such as:- I'm Through With Love by Gus Kahn, Matty Malneck, Jay Livingston and performed by Marilyn Monroe
I Wanna Be Loved By You by Bert Kalmar, Herbert Wood, Harry Ruby and performed by Marilyn Monroe
Some Like It Hot by Matty Malneck and I.A.L. Diamond and performed by Marilyn Monroe
Runnin' Wild by A.H. Gibbs, Joe Grey, Leo Wood and performed by Marilyn Monroe
Down Among the Sheltering Palmsy Olmar-Brockman
Sugar Blues by Williams-Fletcher.
By the Beautiful Sea by Harry Carroll, Harold Atteridge
Sweet Georgia Brown by Ben Bernie, Maceo Pinkard, Kenneth Casey
La Cumparsita was written by Gerardo Matos Rodríguez
The Marilyn Monroe tracks show her at her very best singing period. I know during the filming Marilyn was not always up to scratch at this time for learning lines etc. However no-one can fault her sensual singing performances in this film.
Classic lines for me are:- Sugar played by Marilyn Monroe 'Real diamonds! They must be worth their weight in gold!
Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis as Jack gets more into the role of a girl more than he should 'Jerry: Have I got things to tell you! Joe: What happened? Jerry: I'm engaged. Joe: Congratulations. Who's the lucky girl? Jerry: I am!'
Finally Jack Lemmon guessing that they will never pull of impersonating females as he watches Sugar walk, 'Will you look at that! Look how she moves! It's like Jell-O on springs. Must have some sort of built-in motor or something. I tell you, it's a whole different sex!'
Of course there are far more funny lines in this great film and I just hope I have not spoiled anyone's viewing. Check it out next time it is on the TV or buy yourself a copy for around £6. It will be money well spent!
Running Time 120 minutes Director Billy Wilder
Thanks for reading (C) Eiley 2008
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Production Year: 1956 - Comedy - Director: Joshua Logan - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray, Betty Field, Hope Lange, Eileen Heckart, Arthur O'Connell, Casey Adams, Hans Conried, Robert Bray
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Great review, I've always meant to get round to watching this. Elle x
eve6kicksass 10.02.2008 07:24
I can't imagine anyone disliking this film, despite its age; one of the funniest films of all time...though I must confess I like TOOTSIE even more....Great review on this classic! Chris x
hlmccarron 03.02.2008 20:16
I've never seen this but it sounds like perfect sunday afternoon viewing material. Good review x
When Chicago musicians Joe and Jerry accidentally witness a gangland shooting, they ... more
quickly board a southbound train to Florida, disguised as Josephine and Daphne, the two newest - and homeliest members of an all-girl jazz band. Their cover is perfect?...
Maybe "nobody's perfect", as one character in this masterpiece suggests. But some movies ... more
are perfect, andSome Like It Hotis one of them. In Chicago, during the Prohibition era, two skirt-chasing musicians, Joe and Jerry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), i...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Great acting, great directing, great script,great laughs Disadvantages: Hearing the bass still playing when Jack Lemmon isn't even playing anymore!
joannahudson 15.06.2001 (18.06.2001)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Some Like It Hot (DVD)
![Some Like It Hot [1959] [DVD]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78536301.jpg "Some Like It Hot [1959] [DVD]")
very helpful by (91%):
helpful by (9%):
