'Some like it hot' - where dames ain't dames

      Long before he was known as the uptight Felix Ungar with a slight case of OCD in the 'Odd couple' or John Gustafson, Max Goldman's archenemy in 'Grumpy old men' Jack Lemmon made legend in Hollywood playing Daphne in 'Some like it hot'.
      It was the fifties, the Golden Age of Hollywood, a time when Tony Curtis, Paul Newman, Marlon Brando, Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe and James Dean were icons.
      It was the time of great movies, romantic comedies and dramas that will remain in cinematic history. It was the beginning of Jack Lemmon's carrier onthe big screen and the end of Marilyn's who will die no more than three years later.
      But on the screen the three of them shine like no others and the chemistry between them is exceptional.
     The story-line is set up during prohibition era in Chicago. Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) are two struggling male musicians working in one of the underground mob clubs in Chicago who, in one unfortunate moment, find themselves witness to a mob hit.
      Scared for their lives and penniless they disguise themselves as women, under the name Geraldine and Daphne, and join an all-female band going for a seasonal job in Florida.

      They do not intend to stay with the band after they reach the destination but as soon as Joe lands his eyes on the band's singer Sugar Kane, played by Marilyn Monroe, he changes his mind and disguising himself as a billionaire under the name of Shell Oil Junior does his best to seduce Sugar.

      Jerry/Daphne is far from thrilled with Joe's plan, especially since he finds himself as the object of the unwanted attention and desire of the elderly playboy millionaire Osgood Fielding III who fairly mistakes him for a woman.
      His interaction with Daphne is epic, especially due to Jerry/Daphne's sarcasm and limited willingness to play the woman part for long.
      Some legendary lines are from their first encounter as Daphne arrives at the hotel and Osgood is star struck by her beauty:
Osgood : I am Osgood Fielding the third.
Daphne : I'm Cinderella the second.
Osgood : You must be quite a girl.
Daphne : Wanna bet?

      'Daphne's plan to never set eyes on the slippery hand millionaire is in contradiction with Jerry's plan to seduce Sugar. Jerry intends to use Osgood's yacht as his playground with Sugar so he needs Jerry to play a little longer the woman part and charm Osgood, a plan which makes Jerry grinds his teeth.

      Their easy life in California is cut short when the mob arrives at their exact hotel to attend a conference for 'Italian Opera lovers'. Joe and Jerry find themselves again in danger and need to find very fast a plan to save their lives.
      An exceptional movie, an excellent interpretation for Jack Lemmon who proved from an early career that he will be a spectacular comedy actor, a beautiful role for Marilyn which highlights her vulnerability and a perfect one for Tony Curtis who plays as Shell Oil Junior the perfect gentleman that he always wanted to play.
      No less a memorable character as Osgood Fielding III played by Joe E.Brown in the movie and later played by Tony Curtis in the musical with the same name.
      The last line in the movie - when Daphne removes her wig and comes clean to Osgood revealing that she is a man, not a woman - is Osgood's answer, 'Well, nobody's perfect.' and one of the best last lines of any film. It was so close to Tony Curtis heart  that he wanted to have it on his gravestone.
      It was a teamwork that made the movie great, from the director Billy Wilder who came with the genius idea for the movie, Jack Lemmon who imagined how the character Daphne should walk, talk and dress, requesting that the men be dressed as well by Orry Kelly, the famous Hollywood costume designer and very close friend of Cary Grant,  to Tony Curtis who choose to have his Josephine character a drag version of the iconic Grace Kelly and Shell Oil Junior a version of his screen idol Cary Grant.
      The movie is one great line after another, a great work of master screenwriter Billy Wilder, a memorable performance for Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis and a last chance for Marilyn to shine.

      Enjoy the greatest comedy of all time!
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