Classy Classic

Rating: 8/10 (26 October 2007)

Only at the threat of facing the firing squad do Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis don women's wardrobes in hopes of escaping murdering mobsters. So begins the picture, which in 1999, topped the American Film Institute's best comedy of all time list, Some Like It Hot (their inclination for laughter seems curious as Tootsie was listed second). The duo dressed-in-drag join an all-female band headed to Florida to entertain the wealth. In transit they meet the bodacious Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), a real woman, with whom they befriend, secreting alcohol and sharing tales of past loves gone wrong. Chaos soon ensues as the cross-dressing escapees try to stay below the radar of the suspicious band-leader, are courted by women-hungry millionaires, and fall head-over-heels in love with Sugar Kane.
Jack and Tony keep the outrageous action moving non-stop. Marilyn hypnotizes all in sight. Despite these, much of the film's comedic value impinged on the societal tension of the era. In 1959, this film challenged the mores of erotic decency, however, nearly half a century later, little is left of its lusty Eros now awash in contemporary hyper-sexual society. What remains is a classy comedy interwoven with magic, myth, and mystery. As the film's original audience enters their golden years Some Like It Hot will be remembered for its glorious and care-free style.