Some Like It Hot is a highly original comedy, which set the tone for all sex/men in drag/on the run from the mob movies to follow.

The movie stars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as Joe and Jerry, two jazz musicians who escape from the FBI after an underground gig, where illegal booze was being sold, is raided. Broke and with no prospects, things get worse after they witness a gangland massacre ordered by gangster Spats Colombo (George Raft).

On the run from the mob, they pose as women, taking on the guises of Josephine and Daphne, after a job is available in an all girl band traveling to Florida. Finding it hard to adopt to their new surroundings, both men fall head over heals for the sultry Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), a singer who has aspirations to marry a millionaire.

Whilst in Florida, Joe tries to win Sugar’s affections by posing as an oil magnate and Jerry has his hands full when he receives the un-wanted attention of a randy old millionaire.
Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are both great. As men they make butt ugly women, but they both manage to pull it off thanks to their great comic timing, excellent costumes and a hilarious script by director Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond.

Marilyn Monroe does what she does best putting on an incredibly sexy and often funny performance. The sexual tension between Monroe and her male co-stars is strong, which would have made it very hard for Curtis and Lemmon to control themselves on screen.

The American Film Institute recently named Some Like It Hot as the best comedy of all time, and it is easy to see why. The performances, writing and direction are great, and many of the jokes have successfully stood the test of time. It treats the themes of sex and cross dressing with class and a sharp wit while also revealing a very naughty side. Its influence on the genre has been broad and deserves the kudos that it receives.