Nobody’s perfect, but director Billy Wilder’s riotous, gender-bending comedy sure is with peerless performances and a sterling screenplay.
After accidentally becoming witnesses to a Chicago gang shooting, jazz musicians Joe and Jerry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) have no money and nowhere to hide, forcing them to take a gig with an all-female band at a Florida resort. Armed with bad wigs and even worse falsettos, Joe and Jerry transform into Josephine and Daphne, a cover that quickly tests their mettle as Joe pursues the band’s bombshell of a singer (a radiant Marilyn Monroe), a lecherous millionaire playboy pursues Jerry, and the mob boss who started it all pursues both men. Nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Lemmon, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, with the inimitable Orry-Kelly winning for Best Costume Design – Black and White. [121 min; comedy; English]
“The madcap energy is right up there with Bridesmaids or 30 Rock, and it’s a shame to imagine that its black-and-white veneer would keep people away.” – Matt Patches, Polygon
“The film is an outrageous, hilarious, and amazingly unpretentious trip through a funhouse of sexual identities.” – Chris Cabin, Slant Magazine
“Some Like It Hot was released in 1959 but its effervescence and sparkle are timeless. I guarantee that it will make you laugh out loud.” – Anupama Chopra, Film Companion
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