Some Like It Hot

In honor of the film's 50th anniversary, The Jules Verne Festival and The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation presented Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot at the Million Dollar Theater in Los Angeles. The event focused on Tony Curtis' achievements and contributions to film and Los Angeles in general. Prior to the film, Tony Curtis came onto the stage and received a very well-deserved standing ovation. Curtis began discussing his early career and spoke about his first meeting with Marilyn Monroe. Shortly thereafter, Curtis received an award for his contributions to the city of Los Angeles.

Some Like It Hot tells the story of two struggling musicians, Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (John Lemmon), who witness The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. In fear of getting murdered themselves, they desperately try to flee the city. They quickly realize the only job that will pay their way is an all-girl band. Our lead characters hilariously become Josephine and Daphne, and plan to drop the act as soon as they arrive to Florida. Further complications prevent the plan from going through, and so begins the brilliance of one of the funniest films of all-time.

If you have ever wondered what a good director is supposed to do, this is the film to watch. For years, legends surrounded production problems of the film. Legend goes, Marilyn Monroe required 47 takes to perfect a specific line of dialogue. If that's not grueling enough, another scene required Monroe to rummage through some drawers and say "Where's the bourbon?" 40 takes later, Wilder had pasted the correct line in one of the drawers. Unfortunately, Monroe was confused which drawer contained the line, so Wilder pasted it in every drawer. 59 takes later, they finally got the shot. Amazingly, Billy Wilder makes everything look so easy, a true testament to his ability as a filmmaker.

The film plays beautifully, with 1950s sexual innuendo cleverly inserted and often times flying over the audience's head. Some Like It Hot is filled with laughs, so much so that we were unable to hear every piece of dialogue. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon brilliantly play their respective characters and display excellent chemistry throughout the film. If you have seen the film, you know about the classic line spoken at the end of the film. Being in a theater and seeing the film with 2,500 people was sensational; the entire theater erupted in laughter and applause, bringing the classic film back to life.