BILLY WILDER: Some Like It Hot (1959)

Macintosh & Maud Haven't Seen What?!

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CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of drag, impersonating women, misogyny, harassment.

We’re continuing the Billy Wilder series this week with what might be the greatest comedy of all time. It’s regarded as such by most American critics, and it’s hard to argue the point. Because this isn’t a simple comedy about two men in drag, nor is it a mere farce. Billy, with his new collaborator I.A.L. Diamond, have concocted characters with rich inner lives and feelings, and construct a story that’s as plausible as it is wacky. Add to it two of the greatest comedic performances ever from Tony Curtis and the immortally great Jack Lemmon, and you’re cooking with gas. And then there’s the Marilyn Monroe of it all, who despite reported troubles still knocks out an amazing performance. Grab your tenor sax and bass and your high heels as we discuss 1959’s Some Like It Hot on Macintosh & Maud Haven’t Seen What?!

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Intro and outro music taken from the Second Movement of Ludwig von Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Hong Kong (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 HK) license. To hear the full performance or get more information, visit the song page at the Internet Archive.

Excerpt taken from the film Some Like it Hot are © 1959 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER STUDIOS INC.

Excerpts taken from the film Irma la Douce are © 1963 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All rights reserved.