Rapid-Fire Comedy Classic

Rating: 10/10 (3 March 2004)

In drag or drab, Lemmon & Curtis are marvelous together. Monroe's chemistry was terrific and natural for both of them, and Joan Shawlee never missed a chance to strut her stuff as Sorority Sue. The gags are riotous, the dialogue rich with jokes and film in-jokes, some subtle, some not-so-subtle. Joe E. Brown, mugging unabashedly, steals every scene he is. His tango with Lemmon is priceless. Georgie Raft does such an accurate deadpan spoof of himself that you're not quite sure whether he gets the jokes. He did. Nehemiah Persoff excels as Li'l Bonaparte. Another thing here is that the singing, enjoyable and untaxing, never gets in the way of the plot, and the pacing is frenetic throughout. the guys-in-drag bit had not been done before in a manner of such heartfelt empathy as Jack Lemmon gives it --
Treat yourself to this one; it deserves its reputation as one of the top comedy classics of all time.