No, I will not be talking about country music or Shania Twain, but this line aptly describes what either of the two main characters could have said during the 1959 classic comedy Some Like It Hot.
This cleverly written and directed comedy by Billy Wilder follows two men, Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon), who stumble upon the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre mob hit in Chicago in 1929 and must get out of town. There is only one way out, to join an all-girls musical group who are headed to Florida to play some gigs. All seems quite straightforward, except the two men must masquerade as women in order to join the band and escape the danger.
Things heat up when the pair fall for the sultry ‘Sugar’ Kane Kowalczyk (Marilyn Monroe), the stunning though rather dim-witted ukulele player and singer who always picks the wrong type of man. When the group finally arrives in Florida, complications continue to grow, firstly because Jerry/Daphne is being wooed by millionaire bachelor Oscar Fielding III (Joe E. Brown), and secondly because the gangsters involved in the hit check into the hotel where the ‘girls’ are playing. Hijinks ensue.
Some Like It Hot is a motion picture that holds up to this day. The 1950s was quite a conservative decade, and in order to succeed this film had to sneak around the censors by writing double entendres and using other such clever manipulations that could imply more liberal ideas in a covert way. Many of the lines Marilyn Monroe and the ‘imposters’ speak while together are in this vain, as is the memorable and iconic last line spoken by Joe E. Brown to Jerry/Daphne on the boat at the end of the movie.
The superb acting performances that can be found in Some Like It Hot must also be highlighted. Marilyn Monroe is excellent, though typecast, as the stunning blonde. Joe E. Brown has supreme comic timing and is hilarious to watch. His visage lends to his comedic execution, much like the performances of modern-day actors Jim Carrey and Mr. Bean star Rowan Atkinson. Tony Curtis gives a strong portrayal, but the actor who blows everyone else away is Jack Lemmon. His facial expressions, mannerisms, movements, voice, and overall embodiment of the character can only be described as perfection. It is this performance that influenced Heath Ledger’s Oscar winning role as the Joker in the 2008 Christopher Nolan movie The Dark Knight. It seems bizarre, but you can definitely see the similarities when you watch both pictures.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention the jazz music that is a reference to the title of the film; referring to ‘hot jazz’, this is the style played by the all-girls band. It emphasizes the 1920s setting along with being filmed in black and white, a wise choice considering it could have been shot in colour. If you are in the mood for a classic comedy that is funny, smart and stylish, try watching Billy Wilder’s Some Like It Hot. It won’t leave you cold.