Some Like It Hot

Wildly popular, this 1959 film is hailed as one of the best comedies ever made.  It stars Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe as members of an all girl band.  (Yes, you read that right.)

As two struggling musicians looking for gigs, Joe (Curtis) and Jerry (Lemmon) happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and witness a mob hit.  To escape, they claim two spots in an all girl band and travel to Florida.  Hilarity ensues as they try to live double lives as both men and women; and are pursued by men who hit on them in their female attire and mobsters who want no witnesses.

Although movies of today frequently feature men dressed in drag, there was a day when Some Like It Hot showcased a controversal topic.  According to Wikipedia, it received a "Condemned" rating from the National Legion of Decency -- "an organization dedicated to identifying and combating objectionable content, from the point of view of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, in motion pictures."

It probably wasn't just the cross-dressing men that caused the controversy.  There are several scenes in the film in which a character might consider her actions to be just girls innocently sharing affection or a bed, when, in fact, the audience knows that one of them is actually a man, and the action might be deemed indecent between a male character and a female or females.  Also, there are scenes in which the male characters -- dressed as women -- are wooed and pursued by other males.

Perhaps these subjects aren't as controversial or even as hilarious today as they were in 1959, but the movie is both entertaining, charming, and a great piece of American film history, having won several awards and an Academy Award nomination for Jack Lemmon for "Best Actor in a Leading Role."

The title of the film refers to the type of jazz the band plays, but with the gender roles, Marilyn Monroe's steamy voice and interesting costumes (Best Costume Design Academy Award Winner), and the allusions to sex, this film truly is very hot.

Some Like It Hot on Wikipedia

Some Like It Hot on IMDb