Some Like It Hot: Classic, Dud or Something Inbetween?

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Prompted by it coming #5 or summat in a greatest film poll on channel 4 in the uk. I just wondered what ilxor's opinions were on this, the so-called "funniest film ever made". It's not, is it?
We all know that's a toss-up with 'Top Secret!' and 'Staggered' with Martin Clunes. (I've not forgotten 'Wilt' mind you).

It just doesn't deliver enough bellylaughs. Most of the gags are pretty corny, and Tony Curtis only makes you chuckle in his Cary Grant scenes. What it might be, however, is *one of* the greatest comedies ever filmed, because the whole setup is a perfect comic situation, with classic motifs, gender-confusion/campness, blokes in brain-rotting lust, real danger of violence combined with panto chase scenes. In this context Curtis is fine, particularly as his (pretty) masculinity suits the crossdressing theme ideally.
Men will always like this film for one particular reason, and she is fabulous throughout.
So for me it is somewhere in between.

― pete s, Sunday, 21 March 2004 00:56 (twenty-two years ago)

the scenes on the train always make me laugh

― ryan (ryan), Sunday, 21 March 2004 00:58 (twenty-two years ago)

oh and that Cary Grant stuff is hilarious too!

― ryan (ryan), Sunday, 21 March 2004 00:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I kind of phrased that wrong; i meant the only time he makes you chuckle is in those scenes.
And even if you're not laughing, you're enjoying Lemmon's performance throughout.

The train scenes are great; they fit in with the 'great setup' idea for me as they make you squirm, feel turned on, uncomfortable etc.
That part's beautifully written.

― pete s, Sunday, 21 March 2004 01:04 (twenty-two years ago)

'Staggered' - that was an interesting film in terms of my relationship history. My then girlfriend was so pissed off with me for choosing that film to see at the cinema that we had a massive row afterwards which was almost terminal.

It was "Jack & Sarah" hat finished us off for good though. I've never been able to stand Richard E. Grant since. He has a one trick pony expansive smile and errr...that's it.

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Sunday, 21 March 2004 01:08 (twenty-two years ago)

completely brilliant from beginning to end. i like "the apartment" more for personal reasons, but "some like it hot" is as perfect as film comedies get. gangsters, marilyn and jack lemmon in drag - really, what more could you ask for?

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Sunday, 21 March 2004 01:24 (twenty-two years ago)

The Apartment is one of my favourites; there's really no choice between them for me.

― pete s, Sunday, 21 March 2004 01:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I used to really like the apartment a LOT but more and more the doormat quality of Lennon's character gets to me. The second a friend saw Lemmon wearing that goofy hat in obliviousness and said "you LIKE that guy?" I realized the dream was over.

Some Like It Hot is hysterical except for the violent stuff. Billy Wilder said his original idea was just a comedy based around the Valentine's Day Massacre. I think he should have left that element out once he hit on the Marilyn Monroe and cross-dressing material. Or at least not made it SO brutal (especially that big speech by the mob boss in the climax).

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 21 March 2004 02:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I think it's a genuine masterpiece. It's full of glorious things, a trio of stars brilliantly used plus some top secondary cast, lots of good lines and situations and the best final punchline of any fim ever. I'm not sure it's my favourite Wilder, but he's one of my few favourite directors, so I'm sure it would still make my top 20 or so movies.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 21 March 2004 11:08 (twenty-two years ago)

very very funny movie! jack lemmon's performance is really wonderful (tony curtis too obv), the way he relishes his drag persona is just great.

the dvd interview with tony curtis is completely priceless and impossible to describe.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 21 March 2004 18:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Magical, but definitely not Wilder's best (I'd say Ace in the Hole or The Apartment), or even funniest (for my money, Foreign Affair, Stalag 17 and Sabrina have more, better, gags).

Lemmon and Curtis are definitely his best leading pair, though (with Ed G Robinson and Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity a close second).

― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Sunday, 21 March 2004 19:47 (twenty-two years ago)

you gotta see that interview.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 22 March 2004 05:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Have you dudes seen The Fortune Cookie? Wilder/Lemmon/MATTHAU pretty damn funny.
If Martin hadn't already metioned SLIH's exquisite kicker of a final line, I would here.

― huck, Monday, 22 March 2004 05:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Ace in the Hole is the BLEAKEST movie I've ever seen. Not to say I didn't love it, I did. It was just really BLEAK, there isn't a likable character in the movie, not even the freaking guy trapped under the rocks is really that likeable.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 22 March 2004 06:14 (twenty-two years ago)

A few years ago, there was a musical made about the Floyd Collins incident (appropriately titled Floyd Collins) that was the basis of Ace in the Hole. It's incredible.

― Prude (Prude), Monday, 22 March 2004 06:47 (twenty-two years ago)

eight years pass...

roolz over Tootsie

bet Sotosyn is annoyed by the great Joe E Brown

― Literal Facepalms (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 31 March 2012 18:57 (thirteen years ago)

nobody's perfect

― Race Against Rockism (Myonga Vön Bontee), Sunday, 1 April 2012 07:37 (thirteen years ago)

one year passes...

this is on pbs right now.

― tɹi.ʃɪp (Treeship), Sunday, 26 January 2014 06:17 (twelve years ago)

i don't understand the plot yet. why are there only women on this train? because they are a band? did jack lemmon and tony curtis dress up as women just so they could sneak on the train and perv on the women?

― tɹi.ʃɪp (Treeship), Sunday, 26 January 2014 06:24 (twelve years ago)

iirc they're jazz musicians who witnessed the st. valentine's day massacre, then disguised themselves as women and joined up with a touring band to try to avoid mob reprisal: comedy ensues

― one way street, Sunday, 26 January 2014 06:31 (twelve years ago)

that makes more sense. marilyn monroe just said she joined this band to get away from male saxophone players. she gets into relationships with them and then they rob her; this has happened six times in the past two years.

― tɹi.ʃɪp (Treeship), Sunday, 26 January 2014 06:34 (twelve years ago)

this guy who is like sixtyish years old just said that his mom made him divorce his last wife because she smoked. this movie is nuts.

― tɹi.ʃɪp (Treeship), Sunday, 26 January 2014 06:37 (twelve years ago)

Joe E Brown, goddammit

http://nighthawknews.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/poster-whens-your-birthday_01.jpg

― eclectic husbandry (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 26 January 2014 08:56 (twelve years ago)

I want to hear Treeship's final verdict.

― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Sunday, 26 January 2014 14:46 (twelve years ago)

This was the first film I got on DVD.

― channel 9's meaty urologist (WilliamC), Sunday, 26 January 2014 14:49 (twelve years ago)

eight years pass...

There was something in that cake that didn't agree with him.

My compliments to the chef. Nobody leaves the room until I get the recipe.

― Build My Gallows Hi Hi Hi (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 2 July 2022 01:59 (three years ago)

[tango music stinger]

― Build My Gallows Hi Hi Hi (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 2 July 2022 02:05 (three years ago)

six months pass...

Just started doing a Nehemiah Persoff Little Bonaparte imitation but my daughter, who is familiar with the movie and saw the Broadway musical on Thursday, said there was no such character in the show.

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 January 2023 01:14 (three years ago)

Wait, Grace Lee Whitney is supposedly in this?

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 January 2023 01:17 (three years ago)

Seems so.

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 January 2023 01:18 (three years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw1t7OCESUw

― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Sunday, 8 January 2023 01:20 (three years ago)

Supposedly one of the virtuosos in the Society Syncopators.

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 January 2023 01:21 (three years ago)

TS: "Some Like it Hot" vs "Addicted to Love"

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 January 2023 01:26 (three years ago)

I watched this with my college friend and his parents in their apartment in Naples FL. He and I were out to each other at the time, but not to our parents. His parents loved the film and wanted to show it to us. They were delighted by it. They were nice people and I tried to laugh, but it made me cringe and I was so embarrassed. I still can’t stand the film

― Dan S, Sunday, 8 January 2023 01:41 (three years ago)

Hmm. The Grace Lee Whitney thing is mentioned several places but nothing totally convincing.

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 January 2023 02:15 (three years ago)

― Dan S

I love Jack Lemmon, especially when he holds maracas. Both actors are so willing to go even more queer than the script allows.

― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 8 January 2023 02:19 (three years ago)

Picture sort of looks like her but…

― Farewell to Evening in Paradise (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 8 January 2023 02:23 (three years ago)

two years pass...

Just saw it on the big screen. It's interesting that Curtis is the more convincingly feminine (and had a better ass than Monroe, according to Orry-Kelly), but Lemmon revels in his femininity more and has more of the funny lines as far as gender goes. But Curtis doing Cary Grant is hilarious, all the more funny because he can't sustain it and his NYC accent keeps coming out.

― Josefa, Sunday, 7 September 2025 23:13 (six months ago)

Otm on every level

― hungover beet poo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 7 September 2025 23:13 (six months ago)

And it's undeniably one of the best Hollywood comedies. "I'm Daphne!" is lol.

― Josefa, Sunday, 7 September 2025 23:34 (six months ago)

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