Some Like It Hot (1959)

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Robert Thoeren (story) and
Michael Logan (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 March 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Family | Music | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

The movie too HOT for words!

Plot:

When two musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.

Plot Keywords:

Band | Witness | Yacht | Musician | Massacre

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 8 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Nov. 27

5:45 PM

TCM

Cast

Marilyn Monroe	...	Sugar Kane Kowalczyk
Tony Curtis	...	Joe - 'Josephine' / 'Junior'
Jack Lemmon	...	Jerry - 'Daphne'
George Raft	...	Spats Colombo
Pat O'Brien	...	Det. Mulligan
Joe E. Brown	...	Osgood Fielding III
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Little Bonaparte
Joan Shawlee	...	Sweet Sue
Billy Gray	...	Sig Poliakoff
George E. Stone	...	Toothpick Charlie
Dave Barry	...	Beinstock
Mike Mazurki	...	Spats' henchman
Harry Wilson	...	Spats' henchman
Beverly Wills	...	Dolores
Barbara Drew	...	Nellie
Edward G. Robinson Jr.	...	Johnny Paradise
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Al Breneman	...	Bellhop (uncredited)
Marian Collier	...	Olga (clarinet player) (uncredited)
Pat Comiskey	...	Spats' henchman (uncredited)
Joan Fields	...	Band member (uncredited)
Mary Foley	...	Band member (uncredited)
Paul Frees	...	Funeral director / Josephine (voice) (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Mobster at banquet (uncredited)
Harold 'Tommy' Hart	...	Official #2 (uncredited)
Ted Hook	...	Official #1 (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Tom Kennedy	...	Bouncer (uncredited)
Jack McClure	...	Spats' henchman / driver (uncredited)
Penny McGuiggan	...	Band member (uncredited)
Laurie Mitchell	...	Mary Lou (trumpet player) (uncredited)
Colleen O'Sullivan	...	Band Member (uncredited)
Helen Perry	...	Rosella (uncredited)
Fred Sherman	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)
Tito Vuolo	...	Mozzarella (uncredited)
Sandra Warner	...	Emily (band member) (uncredited)
Grace Lee Whitney	...	Band member (uncredited)

Directed by
Billy Wilder

Writing credits
Robert Thoeren		(story) (as R. Thoeren) and
Michael Logan		(story) (as M. Logan)
Billy Wilder		(screenplay) and
I.A.L. Diamond		(screenplay)

Produced by
I.A.L. Diamond	....	associate producer
Doane Harrison	....	associate producer
Billy Wilder	....	producer

Original Music by
Adolph Deutsch

Cinematography by
Charles Lang		(as Charles Lang Jr.)

Film Editing by
Arthur P. Schmidt

Art Direction by
Ted Haworth

Set Decoration by
Edward G. Boyle

Makeup Department
Agnes Flanagan	....	hair stylist
Emile LaVigne	....	makeup artist
Alice Monte	....	hair stylist
Allan Snyder	....	makeup artist: Miss Monroe (uncredited)

Production Management
Allen K. Wood	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sam Nelson	....	assistant director

Art Department
Tom Plews	....	property master

Sound Department
Fred Lau	....	sound

Special Effects by
Milt Rice	....	special effects
Daniel Hays	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Polly Burson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Gray	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bernie Abramson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Floyd McCarty	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Don Stott	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bert Henrikson	....	wardrober
Orry-Kelly	....	gowns: Marilyn Monroe

Music Department
Matty Malneck	....	song supervisor
Eve Newman	....	music editor

Other crew
John Franco	....	continuity
Jack Cole	....	choreographer (uncredited)
Evelyn Moriarty	....	stand-in: Marilyn Monroe (uncredited)
Alpha Steinman	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Paula Strasberg	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)
John Veitch	....	location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Ashton Productions
• Mirisch Corporation, The

Distributors

• United Artists (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (1959-1976) (Norway) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1959) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1964) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2000) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2000) (France) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (Italy) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Alamode Film (2002) (Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Cinemien (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinema Mondo (2007) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Egmont Entertainment (????) (Finland) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2001) (Finland) (DVD) (special edition)
• FS Film Oy (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Fazer Musiikki Oy/Fazer Video (1988) (Finland) (VHS)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (????) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1985) (2002) (Finland) (TV)
• Nelonen (2006) (Finland) (TV)
• SF Norge A/S (2001) (Norway) (DVD)
• TV2 Norge (2008) (Norway) (TV)
• TV3 (1988) (1992) (Finland) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1997) (1998) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Hotel del Coronado  accomodations

Also Known As:

Not Tonight, Josephine! (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Mexico:A | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Singapore:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #19281) | Brazil:Livre | USA:PG-13 (DVD version) | Finland:K-16 (1959) | Finland:S (1987) | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | France:-12 (original rating) | France:U (re-rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 (re-release) | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (video rating) (1989) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Coronado Beach, Coronado, California, USA

Company:

Ashton Productions

Trivia:

Stories of the difficulty that cast and crew had with Marilyn Monroe during the making of this film have grown to almost mythical proportions. In the "farewell" telephone conversation between Monroe and Tony Curtis, her side-to-side eye movements clearly reveal that she was reading her lines directly from an off-screen blackboard. According to Curtis, Monroe was routinely 2 to 3 hours late to the set, and occasionally refused to leave her dressing room.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Osgood says that his yacht is named "New Caledonia" but the life rings and motor launch say "Caledonia II."

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mulligan: All right, Charlie; that the joint?
Toothpick Charlie: Yes, sir.
Mulligan: Who runs it?
Toothpick Charlie: I already told you.
Mulligan: Refresh my memory.
Toothpick Charlie: Spats Columbo.
Mulligan: That's very refreshing; what's the password?
Toothpick Charlie: "I've come to Grandma's funeral." Here's your admission card.
[he gives Mulligan a mourning armband]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Nel cuore della notte (2002)

Soundtrack:

Sugar Blues

What's Not To Like?

Some people still say this is the greatest comedy ever made in Hollywood. Who am I to argue? Even after 45 years, it's still very funny and not the least bit dated. It is one of the true classics in the history of film.

I know one thing: Marilyn Monroe never looked hotter!

The film is a wonderful combination of comedy, action, suspense and romance with great old-time gangster scenes played out first in Chicago and then in Miami Beach. George Raft and Nehimiah Persoff are just great as gangsters.

The stars, though, are Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis but you can also enjoy performances from famous known actors like Pat O'Brien and Joe E. Brown.

The action scenes are in the beginning and end. In the middle, the bulk of the film, is the main story featuring comedy and romance. Lemmon has the best lines in the film and his facial expressions alone evoke lots of laughter.

This film is so famous that there is no need going into detail, but for some younger person reading this, don't worry about this being an old-fashioned, boring black-and-white film your parents or grandparents liked but you would find boring. You'll have fun watching this, too, I guarantee it.