There are several lines that are better. "Nobody's perfect," after all, is a familiar phrase. The best original lines are in Dinner at Eight, My Man Godfrey, and The Professionals. Another Wilder film Sunset Boulevard has a great closing line too.
@@Thomas-qj7zq The line is good because of the implication that he doesn't care that his love interest is actually a man. That was pretty subversive for 1959
I was lucky to have Dinner with Tony Curtis,. He was much older and had white hair. We talked about "Some Like It Hot". While frustrated by Marilyn''s behavior he also felt sorry for her. He commented on what a wonderful Comedic Actress she was when things were running smoothly, The Voice Actor who helped Tony with his Feminine voice was Paul Frees. Frees was Boris Badanov in the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons and is the voice of the Ghost Host in Disney's Haunted Mansion. At this time he was in a Stage Version of Some Like It Hot playing the Joe E, Brown Character, Osgood Fielding III. A really nice, funny guy, No big ego just Bernie Swartz,
It's so bizarre for a film being this old, for this day and age of mainstream conceptions of gender and orientation, that this film still holds up as well as it does. It's _astonishing_ how much it still works.
The bit Lemon does with the maracas (he said years later) was the BEST piece of direction any director ever gave him. It broke up his lines and allowed the audience to laugh and pay close attention to his lines between the maracas sound. Great movie! I also really love Wilder's Love in the Afternoon (Audrey Hepburn)...
Part of the decision to shoot in Black & White was because it was more forgiving of Tony’s and Jack’s makeup. Like you said, the stars aligned. Perfect film.
I'm 66 years old now. My dad who's gone now, introduced me to alot of these older movies. When he said to sit down and watch this one, I did. At that moment I fell in love 💕 with Marilyn Monroe. I have seen all of her movies, have several posters of her on my wall and, a watch with her face in it. It's the saddest thing how she died. Pushed and shoved around by studio executives and men all her life. Finally, she just couldn't take any more and took her own life. Very sad . R. I. P. Norma Jean.
Tony Curtis pitched the idea of doing a Cary Grant impression to Billy Wilder. Billy had always wanted to work with Cary Grant and loved the idea. At some point Billy Wilder asked Cary Grant how he liked Tony Curtis doing an impression of him. Cary Grant got mad and said "I don't sound like that"!
Two things I now want to know. One, if anyone ever told Cary Grant that that is what he sounded like (more or less). Two, what Cary Grant's natural English accent had been before he changed his name and got into the movies.
There’s a short TCM tribute to Cary Grant, done by Tony Curtis, who talks about worshipping Cary as a kid and wanting to be in movies and be just like him. Very touching. He finally got to work with Cary in Operation Petticoat, right before he did Some Like It Hot.
46:14 Story going around that originally Osgood was going to say "I know" when Jerry said "I'm a man", but they felt it would make the audience uncomfortable (or something like that) so they changed it - frankly speaking, "Nobody's perfect" is a better line anyhow.
From the opening line to the hilarious closer, every word of dialogue seamlessly segues into the next with one hilarious double entendre after another. Heard or read, there isn't a single wasted word to be found anywhere in this script.
They filmed this at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. It was near Camp Pendleton, the Marine Corps Base. My Charlie, who fought in WWll, spent a lot of time there before he shipped out. Also Joe E Brown was the only entertainer he ever saw overseas. Joe’s son had been killed early on in the war, and he spent his own money to bring his shows to the front line troops. Charlie and the other guys were thrilled to get a show but when Brown came out on the stage and saw the roped off area for officers only, he refused to perform until they took it down. Charlie surged right up front and had his hands on the stage, he was so close. They all adored Joe E Brown.
When he was being pressured to replace MM Billy Wilder said, "You know, I've got an aunt who would show up on time, know her lines, not make any trouble. You know what else? Nobody would pay a dime to see my aunt to star in this picture "
I heard that comment differently...or separately, I should say. Wilder, if I recall correctly, told the producers that either Monroe had to be dismissed...or he would go. They told him to reconsider, for they weren't about to replace Monroe. He wasn't happy with Monroe's behavior, but he knew that she had something which his aunt (did he call her "my Aunt Tillie"? I seem to think he did) didn't have, and never would have. He used a car image with her: Monroe was a Cadillac in playing a smart dumb blonde, and while it should have been easy to find someone with that knack, it wasn't: too many directors began shooting and found that their Cadillac was actually a Pontiac. "With Mr. Swann, you forgive a lot, you know?" as chauffeur Alfie says in "My Favorite Year," and Wilder could have echoed him on Monroe...at least with this film On the other hand, Wilder's next film, "The Apartment," takes some digs at Monroe.
Zowie! Great review. Fun fact: Maracas were added to morning after scene where Daphnie announces his engagement because the test audience was laughing so hard at Jack's lines, no one heard Tony's.
Finally, Some Like It Hot is one of my favorite movies. Trivia - The Florida scenes are filmed at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. I had a chance to visit. Very nice. Also, the hotel was where L. Frank Baum wrote a good portion of The Wizard of Oz.
The beginning killing scene is based on the St. Valentines day massacre She shines in color, in black n white, she could shine in plaid , infrared , whatever. She just shined all over
Can't go wrong with this movie. Marilyn at her most gorgeous, Jack Lemmon in drag, Tony Curtis doing Cary Grant, and the legendary Joe E Brown. Plus a dose of Edward G Robinson.
8:42 this but also heavy make up on Curtis and Lemmon's faces looked really funny and grotesque in color, that's the main reason why Wilder decided to film it in black and white
Tony Curtis’ voice as Josephine was dubbed by Paul Frees, who was famous for voicing many of the Jay Ward cartoons (Rocky and Bullwinkle, etc.). He also provided the dubbed English voice of Toshiro Mifune in the films Midway and Grand Prix.
I idolize Billy Wilder. Probably my favorite director all time. The Apartment is my fave movie and this is up there as well. I feel that the closing lines of both of them are maybe my 2 favorite closing lines ever: “Well, Nobody’s Perfect” “Shut up and deal”
Wilder is simply one of the best to ever do it, both as a director and as a writer. And English is not even his native tongue. He had as many classics that started with one letter of the alphabet as most directors do in a lifetime. Sabrina, Some Like It Hot, Stalag 17, and Sunset Boulevard. The letter 'S' was very good to him...and to us. Probably my favorite director as well.
It wasn’t filmed in Florida but in San Diego, CA at the historic Hotel Del Coronado. I used to work there. There are historical tributes to this film all over the hotel.
Marilyn has very slight blond peach fuzz on her cheeks (they say it was because she used Vaseline on her face ( which doesn’t sound possible) Anyway her skin & peach fuzz helped her Glow 🌟 By the way, my Husband’s Great grandmother was an immigrant from Italy & had a job making movie costumes and she worked on the beading for the dress that Marilyn wore when she sang at the end of the movie. ✨🌟✨
Fun fact, and also in Marilyn’s defense: For the beach scenes, Billy Wilder and his picture company Ashton Productions were resigned to taking at least three days shooting. But when everything was set to go, Marilyn got that entire sequence (beginning when Tony shows up as “Shell Oil, Jr.” to Marilyn and Jack running away to the hotel) … IN ONE TAKE. Let me emphasize that again: IN. ONE. TAKE. Billy Wilder was shocked into complete silence for a couple of seconds, then he yelled at the top of his lungs, “PRINT!!!”
Tony Curtis said he worked with drag queen friends on Josephine. I think it shows, like he's channeling Clara Bow! Wilder was one of those people who said, in the final edit, Marilyn always looked and sounded great, no matter the background issues. That's movie magic!
21:29 All of a sudden one year I realised just how sorry I felt for Sugar in that scene - and in the scene when she mentioned the guy throwing coleslaw in her face because they were out of potato salad.
and I love how Joe remembers this. A huge sign that you're in love is when you remember little things that your love interest says in passing. At the end of the film, Joe recalls and mentions not only Sugar's experience with the coleslaw, but also the times that she has been abandoned by lovers in the past who left behind only their old socks and an empty toothpaste tube. Just the fact that he remembers all this, and knows how wrong all that stuff is and that she deserves better, shows us his relationship with her is gonna last.
Lemmon is so good in this film, I always inevitably forget that Daphne isn’t a separate person from Gerald. Secondly, Spats Columbo was played by George Raft. I am, irrationally, a huge fan of Raft. He was always very open about not considering himself a great actor, and I don’t think he’s up there with Bogart or Grant, but I adore him. He played the lead in 1932’s Night After Night, which was Mae West’s first film. Just for that, it’s absolutely worth a watch. I could go on about Raft for quite some time, but frankly you posted this video over three years ago and I suspect I may be shouting into the void. Still glad to see so many people appreciate this film. It’s one of my favourites. I keep editing this comment, the train introduction for Sugar (with the steam) was on her request. She wanted a more dramatic introduction for her character. Tony and Jack actually had to decrease how convincing their costumes were. The first costumes they wore were so good they had to make them less convincing so the audience could recognise them as Tony and Jack. Matt Baume has an excellent video about this film that I can’t recommend highly enough.
What is amazing is they only had 60 pages of the movie written when they first started filming. Most of the movie was written the day before the next days shoot.
The scene between Sugar and Joe actually has some reality in it. Cary Grant for years lived with fellow actor Randolph Scott. Although both of them married women, there were rumors that the two men were a couple. Grant at one point replied that if a woman thought he was gay, she would be only too willing to help "cure" him.
Yes! I was waiting for this. It gets better everytime i watch it. I love your inputs during the reaction. You have become my favorite channel. Thank you for the time you take to make these videos.
i just saw where she watched "bringing up baby!" excellent! someone's finally watching some great PAST, NOT OLD, but GREAT past movies. good for her. good job. i could turn her on to MANY great movies from 1896 on! the 20th century is FULL of remarkable films that are, sadly, ignored today. bogart, cagney, grant, katherine hepburn, jimmy stewart all made some REALLY GREAT films in their long and productive acting careers. might i suggest 1948's "the snake pit" starring Olivia de Havilland?
IM so glad I found this channel , Ive been trying to get a few others to do these classic films, THAT scene with JACK and M Monroe is one of the funniest ever with "DAphne" trying to stay in control- " IM a Girl" and M Monroe was I believe startin to show her pregnancy and thats why she was in dark outfits
If you do a gangster month, the best way to wrap it up is "White Heat" (1949). Tackled the genre almost a decade after it fell out of fashion, but it hit the beats and tropes at a much better quality, and Jimmy Cagney's performance is (to put it mildly) dynamite.
let's see, you got "the public enemy," "scarface," "the petrified forrest," "dead end," "angels with dirty faces" and "the roaring twenties" are ALSO all great gangster films from the 30s. i got all them as well as "white heat" in my dvd collection. i just saw where she watched "bringing up baby!" excellent! someone's finally watching some great PAST, NOT OLD, but GREAT past movies. good for her. good job. i could turn her on to MANY great movies from 1896 on! the 20th century is FULL of remarkable films that are, sadly, ignored today. bogart, cagney, grant, katherine hepburn, jimmy stewart all made some REALLY GREAT films in their long and productive acting careers. might i suggest 1948's "the snake pit" starring Olivia de Havilland?
Yay!!!! I can't wait to see your reaction tot his - it's a Classic. One reason this was filmed in B&W was that it made the make-up for Jack & Tony much easier and less expensive. George Raft was an excellent ballroom dancer and spent time on set teaching Joe E. and Jack how to dance. Flipping a coin was his "trademark" in his early career playing gangsters. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre was a real event in Chicago between 2 rival gangs. The Shell Oil Company did start out importing shells from China in the 1800's. Tony Curtis said that he did model his voice after Cary Grant. For a much broader, slapstick comedy with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon you should watch The Great Race (1965). I'm so glad you now have this film in your life. It is a film you will find yourself coming back to over and over. Carry On!
Paul Frees, the legendary voice actor who provided the falsetto voice for Tony Curtis is also heard, briefly, overdubbing the dialog of the "undertaker" at the entrance of the speakeasy.
"Now you've done it. You broke one of my chests," is one of my favorite lines from any comedy. Regarding people shining, there are just some women who have skin like that. The night I saw _Hairspray_ on Broadway Nicole Kidman was in the audience, about two rows away from me. She positively glowed, and that was just in the house lights, not stage lights. She was more beautiful in person than she appeared on film. Joe E. Brown was a hugely popular comic actor in the 30s-40s. He was famous for his wide mouth, and a wide-mouthed yell became his signature. Aside from his comic timing still being impeccable, in '59 there'd also be a certain nostalgia value to casting him.
I'm fascinated how deeply you FEEL and UNDERSTAND all kind of movies! That takes a lot of life and cinematography experience to make such relevant and precise comments!
I was lucky to watch this movie at the cinema for a Classics Festival, and it was amazing. I loved watching the crowd, mostly people in the late teen and early twenties just laughing non stop. That movie's sense of humor is timeless.
I read somewhere that Joe Brown's original line, when Jack Lemon said "I'm a man", was "I know". It was then changed to "nobody's perfect" to make it more acceptable to the studio / audience of the time. I'm not sure which I prefer.
I love your channel, Mia. I LOVE it! Some of these Marilyn movies I haven't seen in so long, so I haven't watched those reactions yet, but just in general (and also specifically THIS video), I just love your channel, it's the only one like it! You did a great edit on this movie! I've seen this a million times, but not in a while, and I did not need a refresher while watching this video! I really like how you pepper these videos in with trivia. I'm really loving how you are talking about Marilyn's state during the filming of this.....it wasn't until I was watching THIS video that I could see visibly that she seems not in the best state of affairs. Next thing I know: YOU'RE discussing that very thing!!!! Anyways, I am so excited to delve into all of your other videos, you have so many good ones I want to hit. THANK YOU!!!! What a great tribute to Marilyn, by doing all these movies in a row. I actually am probably going to watch them all, with or without a refresher viewing! PS: I just realized: you did not do "The Asphalt Jungle"! Aha! So you have that to look forward to, maybe in a film noir month, or a John Huston retrospective! She's good in that one! Not a lead role, though! Thanks, Mia!! :D
Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon did another movie together. I think you would like it. It's called The Great Race. It's a long one, 2 hours and 40 minutes. Jack Lemon actually plays 2 characters. It also stars Natalie Wood and Peter Falk. It's an action/adventure movie but is loaded with comedy. It was done in 1965 and was directed by Blake Edwards.
Good to see you’ve enjoyed The Apartment and Some Like It Hot, two of Billy Wilder’s most standout flicks. Now, there’s Sabrina (if you haven’t already seen it) and arguably his two best movies, Sunset Boulevard and Double Indemnity.
@@etherealtb6021 That was a horrible movie and terribly miscast with old Bogart...you wouldn't choose him over William Holden. They were supposed to cast Cary Grant in Bogarts role.
The St Valentine's Day Massacre is a real event. There actually was a mechanic that just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They even made a movie about it (not this one 🙂).
Those hotel scenes were filmed in San diego..the Hotel del Coronado. I've stayed there many times. Very elegant, very stately, very old...for CA. Right on a beautiful SC beach, as seen.
The fact that this 130 year old historical lamdmark is in my hometown is awesome. I especially love the early photos of it when it was first built, the haunted aspect, etc. The Sunday brunch they have there is a nice bonus! ;)
I never put it together before now. Marilyn especially losing it at the bourbon line. Of course. In the scene, her character has just been informed she's been rejected by another man she hoped for. If she was doing method acting, she'd have to get in touch with all her feelings of rejection. Yipes. (Also recommend Billy Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard")
You really did an excellent job with the commentary. I've seen this several times but a lot of the info you shared was new to me and you wove it seamlessly into the picture...
So glad you enjoyed this! I was afraid maybe we were building it up so much that you’d be disappointed. I love this movie, and it’s in my top 5 favorite films of all time.
Your asking about nostalgia for the 1920s in the 50s. - my parents were in college in the 50s and there was a big 1920s revival at that time, with 1920s themed parties, etc. My parents could dance the Charleston because of this, and would embarrass us kids at block parties and weddings by dancing it.
At first the costume department was making Josephine and Daphne look dowdy. The guys saw the nice clothes the women wore and insisted on their costumes looking as good as that. When they thought the makeup was working the guys tested it by going to the commissary in full drag. No one thought twice about these women. They they told makeup not to change a thing, it works.
They shot it in black and white because in screen tests Jack Lemmon's and Tony Curtis's makeup made them look green. No joke. Believe it or not, the father of the founder of Shell Oil made a living selling sea shells. Marcus Samuel, Jr. named the company in honor of his father's business. The bit on the beach where Shell Oil Junior holds up the seashell is based on reality. No, I am not making this up. Tony Curtis got so frustrated working with Marilyn that he said kissing her was like kissing Hitler. He regretted it, and distanced himself from what he had said, although I don't think he ever apologized for it. Just for fun, here's a 1922 recording of Miss Patricola singing Runnin' Wild: th-cam.com/video/OxohAsH1Yaw/w-d-xo.html And from 1928, here's Helen Kane singing I Wanna Be Loved by You: th-cam.com/video/hclK-UKJNgk/w-d-xo.html Thanks for another fun reaction!
He said in an interview (dick cavatt?) that he was totally joking and it was taken the wrong way. As if any man could make out with Marilyn and not be in heaven!!! I believe him because the question is too ridiculous.
I went to the opening of an art exhibit of paintings by Tony Curtis (I got to meet him and Jamie Lee and Christopher Guest, among others). The exhibit included a painting of Marilyn - it was clear he really loved her!
I love this movie and, everyone is brilliant in it. I’ve seen all of Monroe’s work and, can’t help always feeling sad for her. I think she deserved more of a chance and, I think because she really didn’t most of the time is why there were issues. Just my thoughts.
Tony Curtis was worried that Cary Grant would be angry about his impersonation, however Grant told him later that he thought it was the best impression he'd seen and he loved it 😁.
So Mia, now that you are familiar with Jack Lemmon and William Powell, is it time to watch Mister Roberts and get better acquainted with Henry Fonda and James Cagney?
No one is reacting to James Cagney. Perhaps a top 3 male actor of the 20th century. "The Roaring 20's" might be my fav. Captures the prohibition era, music, and a touching love story to boot.
When you watch a great comedy film either by yourself or with a few people you lose the important component of audience participation. In no other film is that missing ingredient so important. I have had the privilege of watching this great film in a movie theater with an enthusiastic audience several times in my (long) life, and at each performance absolute pandemonium broke out in the theater during the upper berth sequence. The entire audience just taken over in helpless, raucous laughter, with all of us fighting to keep from falling out of our seats. The laughter was so prolonged that several minutes went by without our being able to hear even a word of dialogue.
Yes! Audience reaction is especially important in comedy and you have to plan for the laughter whether on stage or on film. I saw this when it came out in 1959 and the audience just roared with laughter. If you notice, besides the maracas scene, there are quite a few times where there are pauses in the dialogue (the chases, walking to the train etc.) so that the audience can respond. Also, the audience in 1959 was still quite familiar with Pat O'Brien, George Raft, and Joe E. Brown from their previous movie roles, so it was a treat seeing them again.
Loved your reaction to this favorite comedy! I remember the first time I watched it. I was in college way back in the 80’s and my roommate and I came home from a party where we were drunk and this came on so we sat and watched it. We laughed so hard, we were literally rolling on the floor. I had a stomach ache from laughing so much!
Pat O'Brien, who plays the cop in the speakeasy often played a cop or a priest in the 30s, and, in at least one movie, "Angels with Dirty Faces", was a wonderfully straight character opposite James Cagney. Spats is George Raft, who was famous for tossing and catching a coin, and for turning down roles that Humphrey Bogart picked up. He was a very decent actor, with a wild private life. He and Bogart did act together once in a movie I like a lot, about truckers and the corruption in the business, "They Drive By Night". Apparently Marilyn was very concerned about not being photographed in color; she felt it was important. Wilder promised her that she would be as magnificent in black and white as she was in color, and of course, he managed to do it! One of the reasons he wanted it in black and white was his own concern that color might make Lemmon's and Curtis' female make-up too exaggerated for the audience. Joe E. Brown as Osgood, famous for that wide, wide mouth and smile. I first saw him in the 1930s version of "Midsummer Night's Dream", where, ironically, his character dresses in drag for the play within the play at the end. He made child-me roll on the floor and I have loved him ever since. Here's a fun TCM short with Tony Curtis praising Cary Grant, and giving his reasons for doing Grant for this movie: th-cam.com/video/lS33i-ju1yU/w-d-xo.html. "I Wanna Be Loved By You" was written by the team of Kalmer and Ruby, who wrote songs for the Marx Brothers. A highly fictionalized movie of their lives, "Three Little Words" was made, starring Fred Astaire and Red Skelton (I love it though it really isn't very good). In one scene they "show" how the song was composed. A young Debbie Reynolds plays Helen Kane, who originally sang the song (and was the voice of Olive Oyl of Popeye fame). Here's the clip of Debbie Reynolds dubbed by Helen Kane herself, singing the song in what I think was its original setting: th-cam.com/video/ayMDaVZ1fhk/w-d-xo.html My intro to Tony Curtis was in a movie about Harry Houdini, which also starred his wife, Janet Leigh, the mother of his daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis. Janet Leigh is also Marion from "Psycho". He is handsome, and also very funny, and also very good at drama. I also like him in a movie in which he supports Gregory Peck, "Captain Newman, MD". It's a war movie that moves a little uneasily in tone, but he is unfailingly charming as a scrounge of infinite resources. I found the whole movie on TH-cam here: th-cam.com/video/tNsgsso8nYg/w-d-xo.html. The scene I'm thinking of starts at about 1hour and 30 minutes in. You don't need to know the story to relish the moment. Tony Curtis, incidentally, was a nice Jewish boy from the Bronx, so seeing him at this moment is a lot like the fun of watching Irish James Cagney converse in Yiddish, which he does in a couple of movies. Nice touch that in their last dress up as Josephine and Daphne, they aren't wearing make-up, because there was no time. Lemmon and Curtis act together again in a very long, very, very, very funny slapstick movie, "The Great Race", another movie our family can quote at painful length. It also features Natalie Wood in a wonderful role, and Peter Falk managing to steal scenes without effort. Keenan Wynn, one of those great supporting actors who turn up unexpectedly and are wonderful to see, also has a role here.
Joe E. Brown also appeared in drag in the wonderful comedy western "Shut My Big Mouth". In one scene he danced with Victor Jory! (If you ever see that film you may find yourself wondering, as I have, just how the last shot made it by the censors.)
I think "Houdini" was also the first time I ever saw Tony Curtis in anything. Pretty decent biopic as those things go. I've heard of "Captain Newman, MD" but don't think I've ever seen it. Have to give it a watch, thanks for the link.
Yes, a big "in joke" in 1959 modern audiences might miss, is the previous careers of the older leads in the film. But what's great about this film is their parts work whether you know their history or not!
I have been watching this movie for years and years. It was such a pleasure to watch it again through your eyes. I really enjoyed it all over again, just like the first time I watched it.
Here’s a good comedy you might want to check out. The Out of Towners. 1970. Make sure you watch the one with Jack Lemon and Sandy Dennis, not the remake with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. It’s sort of a Murphy’s Law of tourism in New York City. I’m sure the New York City tourist board was not happy with this movie.
The Relaxation State, wow! Thank you so much for supporting the channel! I really appreciate you :) Sorry for not replying to your comment sooner! TH-cam's app doesn't notify me of Super Thanks comments. Again, thank you so much :)
I grew up, off and on, in Coronado. Spent fun times at The Del. Wilder filmed at the Hotel Del, even though it supposedly took place at a hotel in Florida, due to the studio not able to afford transportation of all actors, etc across the country..so they headed south to Coronado.
Back then - in 1929 - the Mob owned Florida and there weren’t thousands of hotels. As you know by now it was shot in California. In an interview I watched, Tony Curtis thought the question about how it was to kiss Marilyn was so stupid, he joked and said it was like kissing hitler, but he was totally joking. It was heavenly!!!!!
Oh, I am not surprised at all. And yeah! I figured it out shortly after filming the video!! I heard Tony got a lot of flack for that comment, but based on his interview personality, it seemed like that was his kind of humor, the sarcastic type!!
I love this movie...they filmed part of it at The Hotel Del Coronado - my hometown...it is a stand in for a Florida hotel...they couldn't afford the shipping of equipment and cast across the country
"Nobody's perfect"...best closing line EVER!!
The Danish title of this movie is: "Ingen er fuldkommen" - which actually translates to: "Nobody`s perfect" in english - thats how good this line is.
"Shut up and deal!" ain't bad, either.
There are several lines that are better. "Nobody's perfect," after all, is a familiar phrase. The best original lines are in Dinner at Eight, My Man Godfrey, and The Professionals. Another Wilder film Sunset Boulevard has a great closing line too.
@@Thomas-qj7zq The line is good because of the implication that he doesn't care that his love interest is actually a man. That was pretty subversive for 1959
I was lucky to have Dinner with Tony Curtis,. He was much older and had white hair. We talked about "Some Like It Hot". While frustrated by Marilyn''s behavior he also felt sorry for her. He commented on what a wonderful Comedic Actress she was when things were running smoothly, The Voice Actor who helped Tony with his Feminine voice was Paul Frees. Frees was Boris Badanov in the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons and is the voice of the Ghost Host in Disney's Haunted Mansion. At this time he was in a Stage Version of Some Like It Hot playing the Joe E, Brown Character, Osgood Fielding III. A really nice, funny guy, No big ego just Bernie Swartz,
It's so bizarre for a film being this old, for this day and age of mainstream conceptions of gender and orientation, that this film still holds up as well as it does. It's _astonishing_ how much it still works.
I truly believe this movie was also made in favour of the gay community.
“Oh, I want mine to wear glasses” 😂, that’s what her husband *at the time* (Arthur Miller) wore.
The bit Lemon does with the maracas (he said years later) was the BEST piece of direction any director ever gave him. It broke up his lines and allowed the audience to laugh and pay close attention to his lines between the maracas sound. Great movie! I also really love Wilder's Love in the Afternoon (Audrey Hepburn)...
That was the most perfect ending of the most perfect comedy of all time. Marilyn was amazing. Jack Lemmon was PERFECTION.
Part of the decision to shoot in Black & White was because it was more forgiving of Tony’s and Jack’s makeup. Like you said, the stars aligned. Perfect film.
I'm 66 years old now. My dad who's gone now, introduced me to alot of these older movies. When he said to sit down and watch this one, I did. At that moment I fell in love 💕 with Marilyn Monroe. I have seen all of her movies, have several posters of her on my wall and, a watch with her face in it. It's the saddest thing how she died. Pushed and shoved around by studio executives and men all her life. Finally, she just couldn't take any more and took her own life. Very sad . R. I. P. Norma Jean.
My very old father was acquainted with Tony Curtis (back when he was Bernie Schwartz) from the Boys Club, Bronx, NY.
Tony Curtis pitched the idea of doing a Cary Grant impression to Billy Wilder. Billy had always wanted to work with Cary Grant and loved the idea. At some point Billy Wilder asked Cary Grant how he liked Tony Curtis doing an impression of him. Cary Grant got mad and said "I don't sound like that"!
But he did! Lol.
That's hilarious.
Two things I now want to know. One, if anyone ever told Cary Grant that that is what he sounded like (more or less). Two, what Cary Grant's natural English accent had been before he changed his name and got into the movies.
@@agenttheater5 I think he does his "real" accent in None But the Lonely Heart?
There’s a short TCM tribute to Cary Grant, done by Tony Curtis, who talks about worshipping Cary as a kid and wanting to be in movies and be just like him. Very touching. He finally got to work with Cary in Operation Petticoat, right before he did Some Like It Hot.
46:14 Story going around that originally Osgood was going to say "I know" when Jerry said "I'm a man", but they felt it would make the audience uncomfortable (or something like that) so they changed it - frankly speaking, "Nobody's perfect" is a better line anyhow.
It has to be one of my very favorite last lines. Just a perfect scene.
At the very end of the movie, Osgood gives “Daphne” a smiling, knowing look. “Daphne” is back to being confused again. Classic!
I feel like the subtext of the scene definitely still is that he knew or suspected. 😊
@@QueenMegaera in the Broadway musical version, he flat-out admits at the end that he knows, and is just fine with it.
Best final line of all time in any genre EVER!
From the opening line to the hilarious closer, every word of dialogue seamlessly segues into the next with one hilarious double entendre after another. Heard or read, there isn't a single wasted word to be found anywhere in this script.
They filmed this at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. It was near Camp Pendleton, the Marine Corps Base. My Charlie, who fought in WWll, spent a lot of time there before he shipped out. Also Joe E Brown was the only entertainer he ever saw overseas. Joe’s son had been killed early on in the war, and he spent his own money to bring his shows to the front line troops. Charlie and the other guys were thrilled to get a show but when Brown came out on the stage and saw the roped off area for officers only, he refused to perform until they took it down. Charlie surged right up front and had his hands on the stage, he was so close. They all adored Joe E Brown.
Oh wow! How wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing 😊
I used to live in San Diego, my big brother was in the Navy out there. I always loved the visual of the ''Hotel Del''.
When they're on the beach, they even got some shots of Point Loma
For some reason I always thought it was on Santa catalina
Yes I agree and can attest that Marilyn looks absurdly good in this film. Like, not human. Perfect even
She looked pregnant in the beginning.
@@MsBackstager maybe that is what gave her that feminine glow
When he was being pressured to replace MM Billy Wilder said, "You know, I've got an aunt who would show up on time, know her lines, not make any trouble. You know what else? Nobody would pay a dime to see my aunt to star in this picture "
I heard that comment differently...or separately, I should say. Wilder, if I recall correctly, told the producers that either Monroe had to be dismissed...or he would go. They told him to reconsider, for they weren't about to replace Monroe.
He wasn't happy with Monroe's behavior, but he knew that she had something which his aunt (did he call her "my Aunt Tillie"? I seem to think he did) didn't have, and never would have. He used a car image with her: Monroe was a Cadillac in playing a smart dumb blonde, and while it should have been easy to find someone with that knack, it wasn't: too many directors began shooting and found that their Cadillac was actually a Pontiac.
"With Mr. Swann, you forgive a lot, you know?" as chauffeur Alfie says in "My Favorite Year," and Wilder could have echoed him on Monroe...at least with this film
On the other hand, Wilder's next film, "The Apartment," takes some digs at Monroe.
@@charlessperling7031 I think my story is more succinct.
-I'm a man!
-Nobody's perfect.
Best final dialogue in a movie ever! lol
Zowie! Great review. Fun fact: Maracas were added to morning after scene where Daphnie announces his engagement because the test audience was laughing so hard at Jack's lines, no one heard Tony's.
Finally, Some Like It Hot is one of my favorite movies. Trivia - The Florida scenes are filmed at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. I had a chance to visit. Very nice. Also, the hotel was where L. Frank Baum wrote a good portion of The Wizard of Oz.
It is SO cool, if you ever get to San Diego, GO!
Do they still have a channel with the movie running on a loop? I was there in 1995
Yep..my hometown of Coronado California was alot closer to Hollywood compared to Florida
Been there many times--a very beautiful old hotel!
The beginning killing scene is based on the St. Valentines day massacre
She shines in color, in black n white, she could shine in plaid , infrared , whatever. She just shined all over
OMG! That makes sense!! And yes! She just shined in general!
26:21 - Yes, you were right !! I recall Tony Curtis saying in an interview he used Cary Grant as inspiration for the millionaire's speaking style.
Can't go wrong with this movie. Marilyn at her most gorgeous, Jack Lemmon in drag, Tony Curtis doing Cary Grant, and the legendary Joe E Brown. Plus a dose of Edward G Robinson.
George Raft, not Edward G Robinson
@@DesL488 Edward G. Robinson Jr.
George Raft portrayed Spats Colombo. Edward G. Robinson, Jr had a minor role as Johnny Paradise.
I've always believed that Daphne and Oswin married as best they could, or became roommates, and raised jazz-loving hilarious children!
8:42 this but also heavy make up on Curtis and Lemmon's faces looked really funny and grotesque in color, that's the main reason why Wilder decided to film it in black and white
Tony Curtis’ voice as Josephine was dubbed by Paul Frees, who was famous for voicing many of the Jay Ward cartoons (Rocky and Bullwinkle, etc.). He also provided the dubbed English voice of Toshiro Mifune in the films Midway and Grand Prix.
Didn’t know that! 😮
I knew it! For decades now I always thought Curtis was dubbed. It's rather obvious, really. It's great to finally get the actual confirmation.
Is that so? Wow, I didn't know that
I idolize Billy Wilder. Probably my favorite director all time. The Apartment is my fave movie and this is up there as well.
I feel that the closing lines of both of them are maybe my 2 favorite closing lines ever:
“Well, Nobody’s Perfect”
“Shut up and deal”
Wilder's autobiography is a good read.
Wilder is simply one of the best to ever do it, both as a director and as a writer. And English is not even his native tongue. He had as many classics that started with one letter of the alphabet as most directors do in a lifetime. Sabrina, Some Like It Hot, Stalag 17, and Sunset Boulevard. The letter 'S' was very good to him...and to us. Probably my favorite director as well.
This was filmed at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. It's still there and open, a beautiful hotel.
It wasn’t filmed in Florida but in San Diego, CA at the historic Hotel Del Coronado. I used to work there. There are historical tributes to this film all over the hotel.
Tony Curtis was worried 😟 that Carry Grant wouldn't like his impression 😳. However he loved it 😀 😉.
Marilyn has very slight blond peach fuzz on her cheeks (they say it was because she used Vaseline on her face ( which doesn’t sound possible) Anyway her skin & peach fuzz helped her Glow 🌟
By the way, my Husband’s Great grandmother was an immigrant from Italy & had a job making movie costumes and she worked on the beading for the dress that Marilyn wore when she sang at the end of the movie. ✨🌟✨
i read it was a result of her taking estrogen pills
Fun fact, and also in Marilyn’s defense: For the beach scenes, Billy Wilder and his picture company Ashton Productions were resigned to taking at least three days shooting. But when everything was set to go, Marilyn got that entire sequence (beginning when Tony shows up as “Shell Oil, Jr.” to Marilyn and Jack running away to the hotel) … IN ONE TAKE.
Let me emphasize that again: IN. ONE. TAKE.
Billy Wilder was shocked into complete silence for a couple of seconds, then he yelled at the top of his lungs,
“PRINT!!!”
@@BonobanosI also think it’s because of her endometriosis.
About how Tony Curtis talks when he plays the millionaire: He's doing an impression of Cary Grant (perhaps a little exaggerated...)
Now you understand why this is widely considered by film critics as the funniest movie of all time
Tony Curtis said he worked with drag queen friends on Josephine. I think it shows, like he's channeling Clara Bow!
Wilder was one of those people who said, in the final edit, Marilyn always looked and sounded great, no matter the background issues. That's movie magic!
21:29 All of a sudden one year I realised just how sorry I felt for Sugar in that scene - and in the scene when she mentioned the guy throwing coleslaw in her face because they were out of potato salad.
and I love how Joe remembers this. A huge sign that you're in love is when you remember little things that your love interest says in passing. At the end of the film, Joe recalls and mentions not only Sugar's experience with the coleslaw, but also the times that she has been abandoned by lovers in the past who left behind only their old socks and an empty toothpaste tube. Just the fact that he remembers all this, and knows how wrong all that stuff is and that she deserves better, shows us his relationship with her is gonna last.
Lemmon is so good in this film, I always inevitably forget that Daphne isn’t a separate person from Gerald.
Secondly, Spats Columbo was played by George Raft. I am, irrationally, a huge fan of Raft. He was always very open about not considering himself a great actor, and I don’t think he’s up there with Bogart or Grant, but I adore him. He played the lead in 1932’s Night After Night, which was Mae West’s first film. Just for that, it’s absolutely worth a watch.
I could go on about Raft for quite some time, but frankly you posted this video over three years ago and I suspect I may be shouting into the void. Still glad to see so many people appreciate this film. It’s one of my favourites.
I keep editing this comment, the train introduction for Sugar (with the steam) was on her request. She wanted a more dramatic introduction for her character.
Tony and Jack actually had to decrease how convincing their costumes were. The first costumes they wore were so good they had to make them less convincing so the audience could recognise them as Tony and Jack. Matt Baume has an excellent video about this film that I can’t recommend highly enough.
What is amazing is they only had 60 pages of the movie written when they first started filming. Most of the movie was written the day before the next
days shoot.
The scene between Sugar and Joe actually has some reality in it. Cary Grant for years lived with fellow actor Randolph Scott. Although both of them married women, there were rumors that the two men were a couple. Grant at one point replied that if a woman thought he was gay, she would be only too willing to help "cure" him.
I would say, 2 horses drown under me! Hilarious line that gives away that he’s not really in his element.
"Florida" was Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island in California. Though it has since been expanded, it's still there, and it's beautiful.
I do envy you the sheer joy of watching films such as this comic masterpiece for the first time!
Yes! I was waiting for this. It gets better everytime i watch it. I love your inputs during the reaction. You have become my favorite channel. Thank you for the time you take to make these videos.
Aww! Thank you so much! I am glad you like the videos!
It really does, you miss half of the jokes the first time!
i just saw where she watched "bringing up baby!" excellent! someone's finally watching some great PAST, NOT OLD, but GREAT past movies. good for her. good job. i could turn her on to MANY great movies from 1896 on! the 20th century is FULL of remarkable films that are, sadly, ignored today. bogart, cagney, grant, katherine hepburn, jimmy stewart all made some REALLY GREAT films in their long and productive acting careers.
might i suggest 1948's "the snake pit" starring Olivia de Havilland?
IM so glad I found this channel , Ive been trying to get a few others to do these classic films, THAT scene with JACK and M Monroe is one of the funniest ever with "DAphne" trying to stay in control- " IM a Girl" and M Monroe was I believe startin to show her pregnancy and thats why she was in dark outfits
If you do a gangster month, the best way to wrap it up is "White Heat" (1949). Tackled the genre almost a decade after it fell out of fashion, but it hit the beats and tropes at a much better quality, and Jimmy Cagney's performance is (to put it mildly) dynamite.
Cagney at his absolute best!
@@mikem6425' All Cagney Breaks Loose!'
let's see, you got "the public enemy," "scarface," "the petrified forrest," "dead end," "angels with dirty faces" and "the roaring twenties" are ALSO all great gangster films from the 30s. i got all them as well as "white heat" in my dvd collection.
i just saw where she watched "bringing up baby!" excellent! someone's finally watching some great PAST, NOT OLD, but GREAT past movies. good for her. good job. i could turn her on to MANY great movies from 1896 on! the 20th century is FULL of remarkable films that are, sadly, ignored today. bogart, cagney, grant, katherine hepburn, jimmy stewart all made some REALLY GREAT films in their long and productive acting careers.
might i suggest 1948's "the snake pit" starring Olivia de Havilland?
@@cjmacq-vg8um You forgot “Little Caesar” with the great Eddy G!
"OH MY GOD IT'S SPATZ COLUMBO!!!" I'm fucking dying 🤣🤣🤣
One reason it was shot in black and white is that the makeup for Lemmon and Curtis was more realistic than in color.
The Great Race (1965)Jack Lemmon and Natalie Wood❤❤❤
Thank you Mia!!!!! So glad that we finally arrived here! Keep up the great reviews of these classic films.
I luved Jack Lemon because he was soooo multi-talented.
My grandfather was the actor who helped with Tony Curtis’s voice. Uncredited, but definitely really cool.
Yay!!!! I can't wait to see your reaction tot his - it's a Classic. One reason this was filmed in B&W was that it made the make-up for Jack & Tony much easier and less expensive. George Raft was an excellent ballroom dancer and spent time on set teaching Joe E. and Jack how to dance. Flipping a coin was his "trademark" in his early career playing gangsters. The St. Valentine's Day Massacre was a real event in Chicago between 2 rival gangs. The Shell Oil Company did start out importing shells from China in the 1800's. Tony Curtis said that he did model his voice after Cary Grant.
For a much broader, slapstick comedy with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon you should watch The Great Race (1965).
I'm so glad you now have this film in your life. It is a film you will find yourself coming back to over and over.
Carry On!
Paul Frees, the legendary voice actor who provided the falsetto voice for Tony Curtis is also heard, briefly, overdubbing the dialog of the "undertaker" at the entrance of the speakeasy.
"Now you've done it. You broke one of my chests," is one of my favorite lines from any comedy.
Regarding people shining, there are just some women who have skin like that. The night I saw _Hairspray_ on Broadway Nicole Kidman was in the audience, about two rows away from me. She positively glowed, and that was just in the house lights, not stage lights. She was more beautiful in person than she appeared on film.
Joe E. Brown was a hugely popular comic actor in the 30s-40s. He was famous for his wide mouth, and a wide-mouthed yell became his signature. Aside from his comic timing still being impeccable, in '59 there'd also be a certain nostalgia value to casting him.
It can also be the make up. Certain foundations make your skin glow. I've had results like that with some.
This is my favorite movie of all time and I think it has the best last line of any movie ever!
‘Florida’ was really filmed at the Hotel Corona Del Mar in San Diego. The hotel is still there.
I'm fascinated how deeply you FEEL and UNDERSTAND all kind of movies! That takes a lot of life and cinematography experience to make such relevant and precise comments!
I was lucky to watch this movie at the cinema for a Classics Festival, and it was amazing. I loved watching the crowd, mostly people in the late teen and early twenties just laughing non stop.
That movie's sense of humor is timeless.
14:30 good eye!! I also believe it's connected to "Seven Year Itch"
Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon....THE GREAT RACE. You will never forget it!!!
The last line of the film was used as Billy Wilder's epitaph.
If you love jack Lemmon you’ll love the odd couple
Curtis acted like Cary Grant on purpose. Grant was his favorite actor and the reason why himself wanted to be an actor.
I read somewhere that Joe Brown's original line, when Jack Lemon said "I'm a man", was "I know". It was then changed to "nobody's perfect" to make it more acceptable to the studio / audience of the time. I'm not sure which I prefer.
This is such a great movie! The ending is so great!
I love your channel, Mia. I LOVE it! Some of these Marilyn movies I haven't seen in so long, so I haven't watched those reactions yet, but just in general (and also specifically THIS video), I just love your channel, it's the only one like it! You did a great edit on this movie! I've seen this a million times, but not in a while, and I did not need a refresher while watching this video! I really like how you pepper these videos in with trivia. I'm really loving how you are talking about Marilyn's state during the filming of this.....it wasn't until I was watching THIS video that I could see visibly that she seems not in the best state of affairs. Next thing I know: YOU'RE discussing that very thing!!!! Anyways, I am so excited to delve into all of your other videos, you have so many good ones I want to hit. THANK YOU!!!! What a great tribute to Marilyn, by doing all these movies in a row. I actually am probably going to watch them all, with or without a refresher viewing! PS: I just realized: you did not do "The Asphalt Jungle"! Aha! So you have that to look forward to, maybe in a film noir month, or a John Huston retrospective! She's good in that one! Not a lead role, though!
Thanks, Mia!! :D
Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon did another movie together. I think you would like it. It's called The Great Race. It's a long one, 2 hours and 40 minutes. Jack Lemon actually plays 2 characters. It also stars Natalie Wood and Peter Falk. It's an action/adventure movie but is loaded with comedy. It was done in 1965 and was directed by Blake Edwards.
Such an underrated and lesser known classic. We had it taped on VHS and quoted it a lot as kids.
Good to see you’ve enjoyed The Apartment and Some Like It Hot, two of Billy Wilder’s most standout flicks. Now, there’s Sabrina (if you haven’t already seen it) and arguably his two best movies, Sunset Boulevard and Double Indemnity.
Oh, Sabrina! *sigh* Love that movie so much!
I seem to recall Mia saying that "Sabrina" was among the first "classic Hollywood" movies she ever saw. Don't know if she's seen "Roman Holiday" yet.
Sunset Boulevard is so fantastic and iconic. It’s an absolute Must-See.
@@etherealtb6021 That was a horrible movie and terribly miscast with old Bogart...you wouldn't choose him over William Holden. They were supposed to cast Cary Grant in Bogarts role.
@@kelseyk530 I've known that for decades. Wilder made it work with the cast he had, IMHO.
Jane Russell Films from 1949 to 1955 are Fantastic to.
The St Valentine's Day Massacre is a real event. There actually was a mechanic that just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They even made a movie about it (not this one 🙂).
Those hotel scenes were filmed in San diego..the Hotel del Coronado. I've stayed there many times. Very elegant, very stately, very old...for CA. Right on a beautiful SC beach, as seen.
The fact that this 130 year old historical lamdmark is in my hometown is awesome. I especially love the early photos of it when it was first built, the haunted aspect, etc. The Sunday brunch they have there is a nice bonus! ;)
Paper Moon needs to be on your list of must sees
I never put it together before now. Marilyn especially losing it at the bourbon line. Of course. In the scene, her character has just been informed she's been rejected by another man she hoped for. If she was doing method acting, she'd have to get in touch with all her feelings of rejection. Yipes. (Also recommend Billy Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard")
You really did an excellent job with the commentary. I've seen this several times but a lot of the info you shared was new to me and you wove it seamlessly into the picture...
I completely agree. This was great!
So glad you enjoyed this! I was afraid maybe we were building it up so much that you’d be disappointed. I love this movie, and it’s in my top 5 favorite films of all time.
BTW, like 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, this was later made into a stage musical called
"Sugar".
It was our spring musical one year, back in school.
Another great comedy with a young Jack Lemmon (and Shirley MacLaine) is "Irma La Douce". Please have it in sight for a great movie experience
Oh definitely on the list!
@@MoviesWithMia the yellow rolls Royce Shirley MacLaine plays a gun moll.
Hi Mia! I love your commentary. You did a great job. What a great movie. I saw it in the early 60's.
I so love thay Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh in Alfred hitchcocks movie "Psycho" are the parents of actress Jamie Lee Curtis. 🙂😁❤
Your asking about nostalgia for the 1920s in the 50s. - my parents were in college in the 50s and there was a big 1920s revival at that time, with 1920s themed parties, etc. My parents could dance the Charleston because of this, and would embarrass us kids at block parties and weddings by dancing it.
Another funny Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis film is The Great Race. Also stars Natalie Wood.
If you liked Osgood's line "Well, nobody is perfect", then you would love his famous line in the musical Show Boat from 1951.
As a kid I went to visit my friend in San Diego, and we came upon the hotel Del Coronado- yep, Florida in the movie Some Like It Hot.
At first the costume department was making Josephine and Daphne look dowdy. The guys saw the nice clothes the women wore and insisted on their costumes looking as good as that. When they thought the makeup was working the guys tested it by going to the commissary in full drag. No one thought twice about these women. They they told makeup not to change a thing, it works.
In this film, the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego stood in for Florida. If you visit the hotel, they have a display of photos from the shoot.
While set in Florida, the hotel where the film was shot is the Hotel del Coronado in California.
They shot it in black and white because in screen tests Jack Lemmon's and Tony Curtis's makeup made them look green. No joke.
Believe it or not, the father of the founder of Shell Oil made a living selling sea shells. Marcus Samuel, Jr. named the company in honor of his father's business. The bit on the beach where Shell Oil Junior holds up the seashell is based on reality. No, I am not making this up.
Tony Curtis got so frustrated working with Marilyn that he said kissing her was like kissing Hitler. He regretted it, and distanced himself from what he had said, although I don't think he ever apologized for it.
Just for fun, here's a 1922 recording of Miss Patricola singing Runnin' Wild:
th-cam.com/video/OxohAsH1Yaw/w-d-xo.html
And from 1928, here's Helen Kane singing I Wanna Be Loved by You:
th-cam.com/video/hclK-UKJNgk/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for another fun reaction!
He said in an interview (dick cavatt?) that he was totally joking and it was taken the wrong way. As if any man could make out with Marilyn and not be in heaven!!! I believe him because the question is too ridiculous.
I went to the opening of an art exhibit of paintings by Tony Curtis (I got to meet him and Jamie Lee and Christopher Guest, among others). The exhibit included a painting of Marilyn - it was clear he really loved her!
I love this movie and, everyone is brilliant in it. I’ve seen all of Monroe’s work and, can’t help always feeling sad for her. I think she deserved more of a chance and, I think because she really didn’t most of the time is why there were issues. Just my thoughts.
Tony Curtis was worried that Cary Grant would be angry about his impersonation, however Grant told him later that he thought it was the best impression he'd seen and he loved it 😁.
So Mia, now that you are familiar with Jack Lemmon and William Powell, is it time to watch Mister Roberts and get better acquainted with Henry Fonda and James Cagney?
Possibly… Mister Roberts is definitely on the list!!
My Dad was stationed on the same ship that Mr Roberts was set on when he was in the Navy. That's all I know about the movie, lol.
Also his films with Walter Matthau, The Odd Couple, The Fortune Cookie and The Front Page are very much worth watching
@@MoviesWithMia That’s a great and touching comedy/drama. You really should check it out.
No one is reacting to James Cagney. Perhaps a top 3 male actor of the 20th century. "The Roaring 20's" might be my fav. Captures the prohibition era, music, and a touching love story to boot.
Notice that Grace Lee Whitney (later to be the Yeoman on TV's original STAR TREK) was one of the bands girls!
When you watch a great comedy film either by yourself or with a few people you lose the important component of audience participation. In no other film is that missing ingredient so important. I have had the privilege of watching this great film in a movie theater with an enthusiastic audience several times in my (long) life, and at each performance absolute pandemonium broke out in the theater during the upper berth sequence. The entire audience just taken over in helpless, raucous laughter, with all of us fighting to keep from falling out of our seats. The laughter was so prolonged that several minutes went by without our being able to hear even a word of dialogue.
Yes! Audience reaction is especially important in comedy and you have to plan for the laughter whether on stage or on film. I saw this when it came out in 1959 and the audience just roared with laughter. If you notice, besides the maracas scene, there are quite a few times where there are pauses in the dialogue (the chases, walking to the train etc.) so that the audience can respond. Also, the audience in 1959 was still quite familiar with Pat O'Brien, George Raft, and Joe E. Brown from their previous movie roles, so it was a treat seeing them again.
Loved your reaction to this favorite comedy! I remember the first time I watched it. I was in college way back in the 80’s and my roommate and I came home from a party where we were drunk and this came on so we sat and watched it. We laughed so hard, we were literally rolling on the floor. I had a stomach ache from laughing so much!
Haha, wow! What a wonderful memory! Yeah this was such a hilarious film 😂
Pat O'Brien, who plays the cop in the speakeasy often played a cop or a priest in the 30s, and, in at least one movie, "Angels with Dirty Faces", was a wonderfully straight character opposite James Cagney.
Spats is George Raft, who was famous for tossing and catching a coin, and for turning down roles that Humphrey Bogart picked up. He was a very decent actor, with a wild private life. He and Bogart did act together once in a movie I like a lot, about truckers and the corruption in the business, "They Drive By Night".
Apparently Marilyn was very concerned about not being photographed in color; she felt it was important. Wilder promised her that she would be as magnificent in black and white as she was in color, and of course, he managed to do it! One of the reasons he wanted it in black and white was his own concern that color might make Lemmon's and Curtis' female make-up too exaggerated for the audience.
Joe E. Brown as Osgood, famous for that wide, wide mouth and smile. I first saw him in the 1930s version of "Midsummer Night's Dream", where, ironically, his character dresses in drag for the play within the play at the end. He made child-me roll on the floor and I have loved him ever since.
Here's a fun TCM short with Tony Curtis praising Cary Grant, and giving his reasons for doing Grant for this movie: th-cam.com/video/lS33i-ju1yU/w-d-xo.html.
"I Wanna Be Loved By You" was written by the team of Kalmer and Ruby, who wrote songs for the Marx Brothers. A highly fictionalized movie of their lives, "Three Little Words" was made, starring Fred Astaire and Red Skelton (I love it though it really isn't very good). In one scene they "show" how the song was composed. A young Debbie Reynolds plays Helen Kane, who originally sang the song (and was the voice of Olive Oyl of Popeye fame). Here's the clip of Debbie Reynolds dubbed by Helen Kane herself, singing the song in what I think was its original setting: th-cam.com/video/ayMDaVZ1fhk/w-d-xo.html
My intro to Tony Curtis was in a movie about Harry Houdini, which also starred his wife, Janet Leigh, the mother of his daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis. Janet Leigh is also Marion from "Psycho". He is handsome, and also very funny, and also very good at drama. I also like him in a movie in which he supports Gregory Peck, "Captain Newman, MD". It's a war movie that moves a little uneasily in tone, but he is unfailingly charming as a scrounge of infinite resources. I found the whole movie on TH-cam here: th-cam.com/video/tNsgsso8nYg/w-d-xo.html. The scene I'm thinking of starts at about 1hour and 30 minutes in. You don't need to know the story to relish the moment. Tony Curtis, incidentally, was a nice Jewish boy from the Bronx, so seeing him at this moment is a lot like the fun of watching Irish James Cagney converse in Yiddish, which he does in a couple of movies.
Nice touch that in their last dress up as Josephine and Daphne, they aren't wearing make-up, because there was no time.
Lemmon and Curtis act together again in a very long, very, very, very funny slapstick movie, "The Great Race", another movie our family can quote at painful length. It also features Natalie Wood in a wonderful role, and Peter Falk managing to steal scenes without effort. Keenan Wynn, one of those great supporting actors who turn up unexpectedly and are wonderful to see, also has a role here.
Joe E. Brown also appeared in drag in the wonderful comedy western "Shut My Big Mouth". In one scene he danced with Victor Jory! (If you ever see that film you may find yourself wondering, as I have, just how the last shot made it by the censors.)
I think "Houdini" was also the first time I ever saw Tony Curtis in anything. Pretty decent biopic as those things go. I've heard of "Captain Newman, MD" but don't think I've ever seen it. Have to give it a watch, thanks for the link.
Yes, a big "in joke" in 1959 modern audiences might miss, is the previous careers of the older leads in the film. But what's great about this film is their parts work whether you know their history or not!
I have been watching this movie for years and years. It was such a pleasure to watch it again through your eyes. I really enjoyed it all over again, just like the first time I watched it.
Here’s a good comedy you might want to check out.
The Out of Towners. 1970. Make sure you watch the one with Jack Lemon and Sandy Dennis, not the remake with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. It’s sort of a Murphy’s Law of tourism in New York City. I’m sure the New York City tourist board was not happy with this movie.
It was filmed in my home town Coronado, California at the Hotel Del Coronado. I used to work there.
Watch Operation Petticoat. Tony Curtis finally got to work with Cary Grant and doing a submarine movie. Two things he'd always wanted to do.
Ok, I lived in chicago and went to the movie house on Clark St many many times, but that was "Valintine Massacer" in that garage scene.
Your enthusiasm is infectious.
Thanks!
The Relaxation State, wow! Thank you so much for supporting the channel! I really appreciate you :) Sorry for not replying to your comment sooner! TH-cam's app doesn't notify me of Super Thanks comments. Again, thank you so much :)
I grew up, off and on, in Coronado. Spent fun times at The Del.
Wilder filmed at the Hotel Del, even though it supposedly took place at a hotel in Florida, due to the studio not able to afford transportation of all actors, etc across the country..so they headed south to Coronado.
Back then - in 1929 - the Mob owned Florida and there weren’t thousands of hotels.
As you know by now it was shot in California.
In an interview I watched, Tony Curtis thought the question about how it was to kiss Marilyn was so stupid, he joked and said it was like kissing hitler, but he was totally joking. It was heavenly!!!!!
Oh, I am not surprised at all. And yeah! I figured it out shortly after filming the video!! I heard Tony got a lot of flack for that comment, but based on his interview personality, it seemed like that was his kind of humor, the sarcastic type!!
I love this movie...they filmed part of it at The Hotel Del Coronado - my hometown...it is a stand in for a Florida hotel...they couldn't afford the shipping of equipment and cast across the country