Anyway, Some Like It Hot was released in 1959
and has been much loved ever since. Billy Wilder wrote, produced and directed
this hilarious American comedy which stars Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, Tony
Curtis and the latter’s unforgettable impression of Cary Grant. Monroe is an
interesting mix of cutesy and smouldering as Sugar Kane Kowalczyk, which I’m
led to believe impresses the opposite sex. She is a great comic actress, but to
me she’s such an iconic figure that I can’t think of her as any character. But
still, she’s pretty sassy. Tony Curtis, as Joe/Josephine, is often listed
before Jack Lemmon, who plays Jerry/Daphne, which must be due to his commanding
role in their bromance (for want of another word), as for me the latter is the
star of the show. My love for Lemmon’s mannerisms is what made The Apartment brilliantly comic,
which makes sense as Wilder was so impressed with him in Some Like It Hot that he built The
Apartment around him.
Wilder does
a wonderful job in that he doesn’t go for the easy laugh. I watched this film
with my dad and brother, and we all agreed that it was not nearly as scandalous
or seedy as it could have been. Before I explain this, I should probably
outline the plot for those who aren’t familiar with it: Joe and Jerry are
musicians who have travelled and played together for years. They flee a Chicago
mob’s fury by disguising themselves as women in an all-female band. When they
meet the beautiful and heart-broken Sugar Kane hilarity is unavoidable, as they
seek to woo her in spite of the other’s attempts and their respective
disguises. You can see where it might have all unravelled into chaos.
Nevertheless, Wilder keeps a firm grip on the plot, pacing and propriety of
this film with laudable dexterity. Every joke lands and no gesture is wasted as
men fall left, right and centre for the now glamorous Josephine and Daphne.
While the
cross-dressing makes for a form of humour familiar since Shakespeare reigned over
the world of entertainment, it also provides for an undertone of social
commentary. Don’t get me wrong; Wilder is most certainly focusing on the
comical side of things, but there is also a sensitivity to the identity of
modern women. Frequently, we hear the two disguised friends ask ‘How do they do
it?’, referring either to the discomfort of high heels, the knack to a delicate
swaying of the hips, or putting up with advances of less than acceptable male
company. In finding comedy in performing as women, Wilder pushes gender performativity
to the forefront of this movie, though it was not called that at the time. Then
again, it could be that I’m too accustomed to reading into things. Blame my
education. Still, I stand by this film, admiring both its fun and its little
comment.
Although we didn't know it at the time, my dad and brother were my challenge assistants, so here is their summary (just supplied via text): No film is perfect. But this one is pretty close.