Set in Prohibition era Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon play best friends who are in a band together. One that just so happens to play nightly in an illegal bar, made to look like a funeral home. They use witty codes such as they have to order "coffee" with a little bonus. The boys beat it as soon as they see the place is about to be raided. The bosses get out on bail, and start to go after the boys because they are witnesses. They try to find jobs in Chicago but as soon as they find out they are being hunted, and the only job available is in a all girl band going right away down to Florida for a three week job. They take it in a desperate rush to leave the city. In the band is Marilyn Monroe, and that's when things starts to get complicated.
Here is a link to watch the full movie:
Some Like it Hot
Jack Lemmon-Daphne/Jerry/Geraldine
Tony Curtis-Joe/Josephine/Shell Oil Jr.
Marilyn Monroe-Sugar
Trivia:
Marilyn Monroe required 47 takes to get "It's me, Sugar" correct, instead saying either "Sugar, it's me" or "It's Sugar, me". After take 30, Billy Wilder had the line written on a blackboard. Another scene required Monroe to rummage through some drawers and say "Where's the bourbon?" After 40 takes of her saying "Where's the whiskey?", 'Where's the bottle?", or "Where's the bonbon?", Wilder pasted the correct line in one of the drawers. After Monroe became confused about which drawer contained the line, Wilder had it pasted in every drawer. Fifty-nine takes were required for this scene and when she finally does say it, she has her back to the camera, leading some to wonder if Wilder finally gave up and had it dubbed.
Billy Wilder referring to Marilyn Monroe while making the movie: "We were in mid-flight, and there was a nut on the plane." Indeed, Wilder publicly blasted Monroe for her behavior, and she was not invited to the wrap party.
Tony Curtis has said that he asked Billy Wilder if he could imitate Cary Grant for his stint as the millionaire in the movie. Wilder liked it and they shot it that way. Apparently, Grant saw the parody of himself and stated, "I don't talk like that."
Marilyn Monroe was pregnant during the filming, as a result she looked considerably heavier. Due to her pregnancy, most of the publicity still photos were posed for by both Sandra Warner (who had an uncredited role as one of the band members) and Monroe's frequent stand-in Evelyn Moriarty with Monroe's head superimposed later.
Marilyn Monroe wanted the film to be shot in color (her contract stipulated that all her films were to be in color), but Billy Wilder convinced her to let it be shot in black and white when costume tests revealed that the makeup that Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon wore gave their faces a green tinge.
When Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon first put on the female make-up and costumes, they walked around the Goldwyn Studios lot to see if they could "pass" as women. Then they tried using mirrors in public ladies rooms to fix their makeup, and when none of the women using it complained, they knew they could be convincing as women. There is a scene on the train recreating this moment.
Jerry Lewis was offered the role of Jerry/Daphne but declined because he didn't want to dress in drag. When Jack Lemmon received an Oscar nomination for the role that Lewis gave up, Lewis claims he sent him chocolates every year to thank him and now regrets not taking the part.
Sugar: Real diamonds! They must be worth their weight in gold!
Sugar: Water polo? Isn't that terribly dangerous?
Junior: I'll say. I had two ponies drowned under me
Joe: What are you worried about? This job is going to last a long time.
Jerry: Well, suppose it doesn't?
Joe: Jerry, boy, why do you have to paint everything so black? Suppose you got hit by a truck. Suppose the stock market crashes. Suppose Mary Pickford divorces Douglas Fairbanks. Suppose the Dodgers leave Brooklyn!
Jerry: [Jerry notices the badge of an undercover agent at a nearby table] Joe...?
Joe: Suppose Lake Michigan overflows.
Jerry: Well, don't look now, but the whole town is underwater!
Junior: Look, if are you interested in whether I am married or not?
Sugar: Oh, I'm not interested at all.
Junior: Well, I'm not.
Sugar: That's very interesting!
[at the booking office, trying to be hired]
Joe: What kind of a band is this, anyway?
Sig Poliakoff: You gotta be under twenty-five.
Jerry: We could pass for that.
Sig Poliakoff: You gotta be blonde.
Jerry: We could dye our hair.
Sig Poliakoff: And you gotta be girls.
Jerry: We could...
Joe: No, we couldn't!
Bouncer: [examining a golf bag] What's in here?
Spats' Henchman: My golf clubs. The putter, niblick, number three iron...
Bouncer: [pulling out a Tommy sub-machine gun] What's this?
Spats' Henchman: My mashie!
Jerry: We're up the creek and you want to hock the paddle!
Jerry: Oh, why did I let you talk me into this?
Joe: I thought you weren't speaking to me.
Joe: [referring to Jerry] He has an empty stomach and it's gone to his head.
Daphne: [in the berth, with the lady band members passing food around and a corkscrew's been brought] Girls, keep it down! You'll wake up the neighbours downstairs, now Josephine... WATCH THAT CORKSCREW!
Sugar: If my mother could only see me now.
Joe: I hope *my* mother never finds out.
Jerry sees Joe impersonating a wealthy yachtsman to flirt with Sugar]
Sugar: [to Joe] This is my friend Daphne, she's a Vassar girl.
Daphne: I'm a what?
Sugar: Or was it Bryn Mawr?
Junior: [firmly to Jerry] I heard a very sad story about a girl that went to Bryn Mawr. She squealed on her roommate... and they found her strangled with her own robe strap!
Daphne: Yes, we've got to be very careful who we choose for a roommate.
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