Some Like it Hot

Monday night’s RBC film club showing of the Billy Wilder comedy Some Like it Hot (1959) was to commemorate the death of American film actor Tony Curtis that took place on the 29^th September 2010 at his Nevada home. It was the film studio Universal that changed the stars name from Bernie Schwartz to Anthony Curtis later to become Tony. He started his film career as glamorous pin up but went on to make some remarkable movies mainly between Trapeze in 1956 and The Outsider in 1961. This period also included tonight film along with Sweet Smell of Success 1957, The Vikings 1956, The Defiant Ones 1958 and Spartacus 1960. There were other films of note but they become far and few between. 

Tony Curtis

As well as Curtis, Wilders Oscar nominated film starred two other movie legends Marilyn Munroe and Jack Lemon with supporting roles from the likes George Raft, Joe E Brown and Pat O’Brien. The story, for those that have never seen the film, involves two struggling musicians Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) who witness the Saint Valentines Day massacre. Spotted by the perpetrators the two have to hot foot it out of town. To help with their escape they decide to join an all-girl band disguised as woman eventually known as Josephine and Daphne and travel by train to a gig in Florida. While on their travels both “men” fall for the bands vocalist and ukulele player Sugar Kane (Munroe). While in Florida Curtis dons a further persona in the form of “Junior” the heir to Shell Oil hoping to woo Sugar. To complicate matters even further Osgood Fielding the 3^rd falls for Daphne whom he wishes to marry! Well, nobody’s perfect.