Close your eyes and imagine Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in drag. If this image is instantly hilarious to you, you will be among the 95% or more who consider Billy Wilder's "Some Like it Hot" to be one of the greatest American comedies.
But there are always some people, such as myself, who are sufficiently humor-impaired, non-conformist, and/or overly critical so as not to get the joke. Cartoonish mobsters, empty-headed blondes, unlikely romances and Lemmon camping it up under a wig and false breasts may provide the elements of a great comedy, but only if the script allows and the pieces fit together.
"Some Like it Hot" stars Curtis and Lemmon as
Prohibition era Chicago jazz musicians who
witness the Valentine's Day Massacre. The
surviving gangsters seek to kill them as well,
forcing Curtis and Lemmon to dress up as women
and join a traveling all-girl's band. Our
cross-dressing heroes take turns romancing
whispering dunce Marilyn Monroe, then have an
unlucky reunion with the gangsters in a Florida
hotel.
After seeing "Some Like it Hot", I trolled the
internet for reviews of the film. Without
exception, everybody felt that the film was both
a hoot and a masterpiece, leaving this grumpy
critic uninvited to the party. Feel free to take
the following comments with a grain of salt.
Nevertheless, it would be dishonest to change a
grade or a review based upon the opinions of
others rather than the film itself.
Compare "Some Like it Hot" to my favorite
star-in-drag flick, "I Was a Male War Bride".
Cary Grant clearly dislikes having to dress as a
woman, and men who see him dolled up only make
caustic remarks. Jack Lemmon, on the other hand,
has a wonderful time as a transvestite, and has
an elderly male paramour (Joe E. Brown). Curtis
in drag also has a suitor, a tactless underage
bellboy. All the film's characters readily accept
Lemmon and Curtis as women, when no one over the
age of ten would be fooled. Cary Grant also makes
a better Cary Grant than does Tony Curtis. A jury
would have to decide which crime merits the
greater punishment: Curtis' trespass on a yacht,
or his Cary Grant impersonation. Finally, while
"War Bride" provides a believable female lead in
Ann Sheridan, Monroe is simply a male's fantasy
woman. She's gorgeous, stupid, willing and
vulnerable.
Curtis convinces Lemmon to romance Brown, so that
Curtis can romance Monroe on Brown's yacht. Why
would Lemmon agree to this? Curtis is risking
getting arrested, and risking his (her?) cover,
which if blown would risk their lives. Lemmon
himself has an interest in Monroe, and has no
motivation to help Curtis. Lemmon also risks his
cover in spending an evening with frisky Brown.
Most confusing of all, Lemmon actually enjoys
dancing with Brown, and is so taken with the
wealthy but aged lecher that he seriously
considers marrying him. Curtis, who spent earlier
scenes sanctimoniously criticizing Lemmon for his
lust, suddenly changes his character to become a
risk-taking playboy.
The Chicago mobsters arrive at the same Florida
hotel that Curtis and Lemmon are staying at. This
coincidence is beyond remarkable. Despite the
fact that law enforcement agents have made their
presence in the hotel known, and that the
gangsters have registered there as guests, and
that the hotel is a public place, there is
another mob shootout. Curtis, running for his
life from the mobsters who have spotted him,
takes time off to run up on stage, dressed as a
woman, and kiss Monroe. Monroe is so impressed by
this that she leaves the band to join Curtis in
his escape.
Anyone who has made it this far into the review
is likely thinking, 'it's a COMEDY, stupid'.
Admittedly, I feel like the guy who didn't like
the film "Antz" because the characters acted more
like people. But I feel that characters should
have plausible motivations for their actions, and
I didn't find that in "Some Like it Hot". (55/100)
Billy Wilder's classic comedy stars Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis as a pair of unemployed musicians who inadvertently become witnesses to the St. Valent...More at Family Video
Comedy of Errors DVD - Billy Wilder's legendary cross-dressing comedy, Some Like It Hot, satisfies on split levels: silly and sophisticated, sweet and...More at Barnes and Noble
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