Two unemployed musicians, Joe and Jerry, on Valentine’s Day 1929 accidentally witness a gangster showdown (the famous Valentine’s Day massacre). To escape the mafia boss Spats Colombo, whose men killed the rival gang members, the two men dress as women and with fake names – as Josephine and Daphne – become members of a female band on the way to Miami. Joe falls in love with the singer, Sugar Kane, and in Miami he seduces her in disguise of a rich playboy, while the aging millionaire Osgood falls in love with Daphne. The all-time most famous romantic comedy playfully toys with gender roles and stereotypes, parodying other films of this genre and twisting the classic motif of deception.
Some Like It Hot
About the director Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder is an Austrian-American director of Jewish origin who came to Hollywood in 1934 to escape the Nazis. One of the most prominent directors of his generation, he is known for a series of sophisticated romantic comedies with ironic dialogues. A member of the so-called great five of American cinema, he won six Oscars and 21 nominations in total. A winner of the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award. His most famous titles are: Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, Sunset Boulevard, The Seven Year Itch, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment and Irma La Douce.
Festivals and awards: Venice Film Festival (Italy) 1959 – Golden Lion nomination, Academy Awards (USA) 1960 – Best Black-and-White Costume Design (six nominations in total), Golden Globes (USA) 1960 – Best Comedy, Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical (Marilyn Monroe), Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical (Jack Lemmon), BAFTA Awards (UK) 1960 – Best Foreign Actor (Jack Lemmon)
Screenings
Main Hall
