Some Like It Hot was a huge success when it was released. Made for $2.9 million, it grossed $40 million. It was nominated for six Oscars, including best director, actor (Jack Lemmon), and screenplay; it won one. Here is some interesting background and trivia about the film. Here is the review by the New York Times. Here is another contemporary review—please read it. And here is the late Roger Ebert's review, which really gets at what this film is about—and it's the gangsters or the music. Please read it!
Here is Jack Lemmon and Joe E. Brown tangoing. It doesn't end up where it starts—as one can say so much of the movie.
And the famous ending. I haven't heard you all laugh this much in a while.
So a certifiable classic, pretty much universally acclaimed as one of the great comedies and farces ever.
1. When I asked what you thought of the film, only a few offered responses. So what did you think of the film? Like? Dislike? Why? What stayed with you from it?
2. How do you think it has held up in the 58 years since it was released? Did this bring up problematic issues or questions the way Seven Brides for Seven Brothers did? Did you find it off-putting or offensive? If you see this as different than the Donan musical, what makes it different? If you see them similar, how so?
3. Why do you think that this has held up for critics and many viewers (perhaps even yourself)? You don't have to agree or support what you write, but think about what has made this movie considered by contemporary critics and film writers as...well, if not the greatest, then certainly one of the greatest American comedies (and in the BFI poll, 42nd greatest film) ever?
4. Two sentence response to what you've seen of Vertigo?
See you all tomorrow.
1) I liked it. What stayed with me is probably the scene where the girls try to throw a party in the boys’ beds. That scene is so crazy because you feel like they could be caught at any moment. The movie has really good plot. I liked how there were multiple stories happening at once that all connected. The costumes were also really fun because people don’t dress like that anymore.
ReplyDelete2) This might be stupid, but I was kind of uncomfortable with the boys being around what was supposed to be an all girls band. The girls should be safe and comfortable around each other but the whole time there are these two guys secretly intruding on their space and occasionally sexualizing them. However, overall, it wasn’t offensive to me. It didn’t ever make me think of Seven Brides.
3) It’s slapstick, which I think is enjoyed across time. The high jinks are almost confusing but surprisingly simple. It probably resonated with so many of us because it set the scene for modern comedy and the theatric innovation that followed.
4) It doesn’t really feel like the greatest movie of all time. Its interesting but not thrilling because I’m not super connected to the characters.
ReplyDelete1. I enjoyed the film because I liked the comedy aspect of it and I also enjoyed being able to see Marilyn Monroe as I had never actually seen any of her work before. One part that stuck with me was the scene that switched back and forth from Sugar and Joe on the boat to the tango scene with Jerry. I think the comedic juxtaposition of the two scenes shows the type of comedy the film contains. I also liked the scene when Joe is heading down to his date with Sugar and he almost forgets to take of his earrings and then finally takes them off at the very last second. I think the suspenseful comedy used in this scene was very successful.
2. I think this movie has kept up so long because it has very iconic actors and creates this "cross-dressing" model for a movie that has been used numerous times after. I thought that sometimes the whole "cross-dressing" thing could borderline on offensive at many moments, but I personally didn't find it ver offensive. I thought the last movie was much more obvious in its problematic nature.
3. I think this movie was successful among critics and audiences because it really represents the best comedy of its kind, with the classic funny, suspenseful gags. The characters are very likeable and comedic and the plot line is engaging.
4. So far in Vertigo, I am confused as to the plot of the movie as I tried to explain it to someone after class and failed. Besides the confusion of the plot, which I'm sure is intended, I am intrigued by the mystery and am eager to finish the film.
ReplyDelete1. I enjoyed Some Like it Hot, mostly because it was so funny. I also liked the movie because the plot was amazing -- completely groundbreaking for its time. One scene that stayed with me was when Joe met Sugar on the beach. Jerry, dressed as Daphne, sees the two flirting and try's to sabotage their relationship by showing Sugar that Joe is really Josephine. Jerry does this by taking Sugar up to Josephine's room but once they get to the room Josephine is in the bath. After Sugar tells Josephine about the 'rich' man she had just met she leaves the room, and Joe gets out of the bath revealing that he was still dressed as a man. I enjoyed this scene because when Daphne was running Sugar up to the room I was on the edge of my seat.
2. The movie held up pretty well despite the grainy film quality and how the movie is in black and white. There was maybe one offensive moment but it was not like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at all. I see this movie completely different then the musical because in Some Like it Hot there was only one offensive moment, but in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers it was offensive throughout.
3. I think critics would enjoy this movie because it was unique for its time, a movie like this was never made before. Critics would also enjoy this film because Marilyn Monroe was a lead role which would attract a large audience due to her fame. This is also a comedy which will have you laughing at all the scenes.
4. Vertigo is a great movie, and surprised me because I didn't expect the filming to be so clear, and in color. I really like the mystery and can't wait to see what ends up happening.
1. I really liked this movie. Not only was the comedy well done, the movie was also well made; for instance, the very beginning car chase scene felt more like an action movie, they clearly spent a lot of time on it as they had real cars crashing into each other. The seriousness of that scene was done on purpose, so that the comedic payoff of the wine being in the coffin instead of a body really worked, as it went against our expectations. One moment that stayed with me was the scene in which Jerry rushes Sugar up to their room so he can expose Joe for not being the rich millionaire, but he still somehow made it up in the bathtub. Not only was the fact that Joe beat Jerry there funny, but the next comedic moment when Joe rises out of the bathtub like he was possessed and we see he still has his 'male' suit on is really funny, and that caught me off guard. It was also a very good intense scene from Tony Curtis, you could feel the anger pulsing inside of him as he moved towards Jerry.
ReplyDelete2. I thought that this movie held up well. I did find some similar stuff to Seven Brides, in that Joe literally only wants sex from Sugar (at least at the start). But I found it a lot easier to ignore that stuff and have a lot of fun with this movie, I just let myself enjoy the comedy and not think about it, which is what you're supposed to do with these movies (I think).
3. The comedy in this film is sort of timeless. There are enough quick one liner's that even if one joke doesn't land with you, at some point a line will get you laughing. Also, we don't see many movies like this (at least with this type of humor). Usually with older movies, especially comedies, the comedic moments are done over and over again in other films, which makes the comedy cliché and cheesy. But for some reason this comedy still feels fresh in 2017 (because we, or at least I, haven't seen many movies with comedy like this). Also, I have to appreciate some of the serious themes of love in this. It really touched me when Monroe talked about dreaming of being with Joe, and that when she waked, she wished she could swim back out to him. That was particularly poetic, and relates to a basic human feeling of passion, lust, and love.
4. I really like Vertigo so far, but maybe not as the best movie ever (at least from the very beginning). Vertigo is a very well done mystery (so its hard to judge it only seeing the set up, and not the twist at the end, which I assume there will be), there's barely any exposition, and when it is done its realistic, and the cinematography just feels grand.
1. I love this movie! I think it’s so funny and I even thought it was hilarious when I was little because I was so young when I first watched it and I still remember a lot of the jokes. I think the movie is all just good hearted fun and I had a great time watching it. The actors made the material way funnier than it would have been without the great delivery. The acting has stayed with me, especially Daphne’s hilarious looks.
ReplyDelete2. I think this movie has held up extremely well. Honestly I would understand arguments about how the movie was demeaning towards women and how they made fun of women and Marilyn was the damsel in distress, but I truly didn’t feel offended at all. I think this feels different to me because i don’t think anything was said in this movie that outright offended me like in the Donan musical. I just don’t think that anything that was said or done was offensive like in the Donan musical, where literally everything they said was demeaning and treated women like objects. This movie didn’t make me feel defensive like I did watching the musical.
3. I think this movie has held up so well because the humor is appropriate for all ages. The physical humor is hilarious for kids, and the adults can understand the jokes more than the kids. I think any person could watch this movie and find it funny or at least enjoy it. It had the perfect balance of physical humor and acting, jokes, fun scenes, and glamour. I think it is hard to make a comedy that everyone in the family will love and this accomplishes that.
4. This movie seems really interesting. So far, I am totally sold on the spirit thing and I’m so excited because I love psychological and spiritual stuff like this.
1. I personally enjoyed the film because of how funny it was and how original it was. Cross dressing was probably not a typical plot line to a movie made in the 1950's, so i was impressed. I thought it was really well done and hilarious. It was really modern for its time, and i'm sure that it defied a lot of social norms.
ReplyDelete2. I don't think it was ever blatantly problematic beside when Jerry wanted to marry Osgood and Joe said "Jerry, a man can't marry another man!" but thinking about it, being gay was not something that was discussed and definitely was not popular. It actually defied a lot of issues in its time, since the men cross dressed and they kind of addressed being gay without being blatant about it. That's not to say that it wasn't offensive and homophobic at times, but it was modern for its time. I really enjoyed it.
3. I definitely think it's because of how hilarious and flexible it is with changing times. The humor was still funny after it being out for 60 years, which is incredibly impressive. It addressed societal issues in a funny and appealing way, and I thought the movie in general was versatile and modern.
4. I really like it! I think it's super creepy and really thrilling. I can honestly say I have no clue what's going on but I know since it's Alfred Hitchcock there will be a huge plot twist. i'm really excited about tomorrow's portion of the movie.
1.Few movies really have a punch line. This one does. And it works. It's ridiculous and pointless and utterly farcical, but it is funny. Sometimes you just need a good laugh to get away from things, and what's more escapist than a couple of guys dressed as girls running from the mafia?
ReplyDelete2. Nothing in Some Like it Hot really takes itself seriously. The one thing that I see as very problematic is the idea of the dumb blonde. The biggest female character is interested primarily in marrying rich and views herself as a dumb blonde. Since the whole movie is utterly ridiculous though, it's hard to really focus on that or see that as the point of the movie. Over all, I think it stood the test of time pretty well, after all, we were all laughing at the end.
3. It does it well. There are several bizarre and entertaining plots continuing together. It sets the standard of cross-dressing humor, and throws in two related stories. Since it was already based in the past, it wasn't filled with jokes unique to the time. Also, the ending surprises us. In a lot of comedies, you sort of know what will happen in the end. For Shakespeare comedies, there's always a marriage. This is the one time when they surprise you with the marriage. This movie uses our expectations of comedy to make jokes that are simultaneously classic and unexpected. We have seen at least some of the plots before, but it manages to set itself apart.
4. Vertigo is consistently mildly unnerving. There have been only a few really weird moments so far, but there's a constant sense of unease that you can't quite put a finger on.
1. I liked the movie. I thought it was funny and I didn’t really know what to expect going into it but I wasn't expecting what I got. I thought the movie was funny and had a very good entertainment value. The plot was good and, as the 13 fun facts article said, the “life or death” plot about the gangsters and how they can’t just take off the wigs adds a little drama to it that makes it more interesting. I also wasn’t bothered by the movie being in black and white which I had previously thought would disinterest me.
ReplyDelete2. I don’t think the story really brings up any problems. Sugar talks a little about men being rude to her and things like that but there’s definitely not an issue at hand I think. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was almost a commentary on an issue and everything was about the issue, whereas Some Like It Hot doesn’t pose gender as a problem I think. I’m sure there was a scene or two with problematic content and there was definitely off-screen commentary that was sexist but none of it stood out to me. I also think that the man pretending to be someone else in order to get info on a girl so she’ll like him is a pretty common plot in rom-com world so I wasn’t bothered by it.
3. I think that the movie is big for it’s time partially because of the content. As one or two of the reviews said, it was seen as promoting homosexuality and being transgender yet it was still a major success even though it depicted topics that were frowned upon at the time. I think that says a lot, the movie has to be good if people don’t like or are uncomfortable with the subject matter but still go to see it and like it which people obviously did based on the success of the movie. I also think that the entertainment value is very good. It’s funny and I can’t quite describe what I like about it but I feel like it would be appealing to a broad audience and not a “woman’s movie” or “boy’s movie” as we talked about. I think that anyone can find entertainment in this movie.
4. I think that the movie is interesting but I’m not sure where it’s going. I can’t what genre it fits into, if it’s supposed to be creepy, funny, dramatic, or what.
1. I really enjoyed the movie. I had seen it before, but for the second time it cracked me up throughout. This was a completely different style of comedy that my generation is used to: no funny falls or way out of line inappropriate jokes. Before I saw this I did not think old movies could be funny, but this movie, directed in the 1950's, was just that. While it is a comedy, I also thought of it as a thriller, too, especially when they are trying to escape the mobsters in the hotel. Overall, I really liked it.
ReplyDelete2. I think one reason that the film has held up and there are no real problematic issues is because it is meant to be a comedy, and that is obvious throughout the movie. I think this is similar to Seven Brides for Seven Brothers because of how the two movie are portrayed. I think because of how obvious the sexist portrayals of women in each film is the reason I think they still hold-up.
3. I think that one of the reasons this film has held up so well is because of the humor. As I said earlier, one of the reasons I personally like it so much is because of how well the humor holds up. Comedy movies really transgressed to be so different than this slapstick, one-line comedy. The comedy and plot of cross-dressing is so unique and clever. Despite its many serious issues, such as gangs and mobsters, the movie is still so funny and clever.
4. I've enjoyed the movie so far. Hitchcock really is the master of suspense, and I can't wait to see what happens.
1. I really loved the movie. I liked how the comedy was original because it was the first movie where they hd cross dressing and I thought it was done very well. I didn't really think I was going to like the movie because it was in black and white but after awhile it didn't seem that important. I liked the character who played Daphene the most because I liked how human he was and he was also very funny. Also I've only seen a couple of Marylin Monroe movies so I enjoyed seeing her iconicness in a movie.
ReplyDelete2. I think the movie is still iconic because it was one of the first cross dressing movies that inspired other movies such as White Chicks and Big Momma's House. I think it's different from 7 Brides for 7 Brothers because it's not as belatedly sexist and women aren't treated as objects you get. In Some Like It Hot the men actually have to work to charm the women, and it proves to be more of a challenge.
3. I think the movie was successful because it created a new type of comedy for the time. They had fun jokes and puns and I guess te idea of straight men dressing as women but also being manly at the same time was new and fun. Also you really liked the characters and hoped they succeeded. The fact that Marylin Monroe was in it also helps make the movie more iconic and rememberable. And the last line!
4. I don't really know what's happens in this movie and I'm not really sure if I like it. I find the detective kind of creepy even though I know that his job is to follow the wide around. I really like the music in the movie though, I find it very settling and pleasing.
1. I liked the film which really surprised me because it is old and black and white. I actually found it really funny and it changed my mind about older movies. The movie kept me on my toes throughout.
ReplyDelete2. I honestly think it has really held up. Although if examined a little there are problematic notions it is not blatantly offensive like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and a lot of the problematic humor is very similar to humor used today (Like in white chicks). I see it as different than the Donan musical because it did not blatantly play into the domestic stereotype for woman and the manly man stereotype for men.
3. I think it has held up because the humor is still quick and funny. The jokes are flexible throughout the times and are actually similar jokes to jokes I had heard before. (The whole plot with the man going after the man that was dressed as a woman).
4. Vertigo is very intriguing. I can not wait to see what happens next.
1. I really liked it. It definitely held up considering how old it is. I was hesitant when we began the film because it really did seem incredibly old, but I was pleasantly surprised at how fast-paced and funny it was. I think the thing that stayed with me the most would probably be Jerry/Daphne’s relationship with Osgood. He/she seemed rather content to stay a woman, and that was pretty striking—a lot more controversial than I was envisioning for the fifties. I loved the tango scene, the engagement scene, the final scene, and really every scene with Daphne and Osgood. Hilarious. I would actually watch this again.
ReplyDelete2. I thought it held up well, but yes, there were a few problematic moments. Generally, any scene with Sugar was somewhat iffy. I know that movie to trying to make a joke or a statement out of her in some way, and I know it’s in her character to be stupid, and I also know that this is supposed to be a comedy (so I’m not judging it too harshly for this), but really, she was just a tad too sexualized and a touch too dumb for my liking. She put up no fight when she found out Josephine was Joe. Actually, the whole ending was a bit rushed. Great last few lines, but I was surprised to find it had ended.
3. Humor definitely has a large part to do with why it’s still considered one of the best films ever, but I think what makes this sort of comedy different from others is that our four main characters, Jo/Josephine, Jerry/Daphne, Sugar, and Spats, were all very well developed with plot lines and relationships of their own. Jo and Jerry’s relationship is well drawn; Sugar has a serious drinking problem as well as a saxophone player one; Spats is on the outs with his Jefe. They are all multidimensional, and I think that’s why the jokes stick so well, because they’re not just jokes standing alone—they’re jokes supported by characters we feel we know and understand and somewhat relate to.
4. Really surprised that this is what’s considered the best film of all time, but I’m preparing myself to be surprised by some genius that has yet to come. That being said, I really like it and am totally buying the spooky spirit stuff. Totally sold on that.
1. I liked the film. It was entertaining, fulfilled its purpose, and held my attention even after it had ended. The movie was original and became the foundation for many other movies. I appreciate its impact on the industry and I think that makes it important to see. I also could definitely see why this movie would be so popular: it was appealing. This film was funny and easily captured my interest. I think the musical aspect of the movie also added to its appeal.
ReplyDelete2. I think this was still offensive at times but in a different way. With the musical it was harder to tell in the beginning whether or not the intentions of the creators of the film were to make some sort of social commentary or if they actually believed and valued some of the actions and ideas of the characters. The sexism wasn't as blatant and felt very normalized. It didn't come off as joke, rather a very real representation of the time they were living in. I think this normalization also enabled the film to be so enjoyable because the viewer was too entertained to really recognize the problematic aspects.
3. I think a lot of elements contribute to this. One of them being Marilyn Monroe for sure. I think her addition to the film enhanced the character she played and made the movie for exciting and interesting to see. I also think its impact on the film industry is constantly thought of because of how prevalent references to it are. The originality introduced new ideas into the community and drew attention because of its ability to produce something never seen before.
4. Vertigo was strange and I can't really wrap my head around it because there was so much going on. I like how hard it makes me think and how it impacts you after watching it.