The Ultimate Bosom Companions [Blog #2 - Some Like It Hot]

Romantic Comedy Conventions

 Figure 1: A promotional poster
for the film Some Like It Hot.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt005329

Cross-dressing males, Marilyn Monroe, and jazz are all laced into this romantic comedy, what more could an audience member want? Some Like It Hot (released on March 29th, 1959) is set in 1929 and is an American black-and-white romantic comedy film, starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and the incomparable Marilyn Monroe, as shown in Figure 1. To provide a brief overview of this classic film: Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) are two musicians who escape a mafia taking revenge on a group of people who tipped off the police about their speakeasy. In order to save their lives, they disguise themselves as women (Joe becomes Josephine, and Jerry becomes Daphne (originally named Geraldine, but getting too much into character allows him to change his mind about his own fake name)) and sneak their way into an all-women performing group, Sweet Sue and her Society of Syncopators (which Marilyn Monroe, named Sugar Cane, is a part of) that will travel to Florida.

Figure 2: Junior and Sugar
are conversing and getting
to know each other bit-by-bit
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin
/697002479801518142/

Romantic comedies are, most typically, understood to follow a set-design of conventions. They are meant to be blatantly inauthentic; they are meant to be overtly sweet; they are meant to lack original thought; they are meant to fit every mold that any romantic comedy comes out of. The interesting thing about this thought-process is, even when those conventions may hold true and be real to most romantic comedies, how unimportant those prejudiced elements impact how one views a romantic comedy film. Some Like It Hot is a genuinely funny film; romantic comedies do have a romance attached to them (it is in them name 'romantic comedy'), but they are also designed to convey hilarity and produce laughter. I actually LOL'ed (Laughed Out Loud) when the comedic dialogue kept coming and coming.

A portion of the most funniest dialogue in this film is where Joe (Josephine) disguises himself in male clothing (oddly enough) once his group lands in Florida, and desires to court Sugar Cane in a peculiar way: by portraying his new character, Junior, as an unwed millionaire. Sugar has told him and Daphne everything she seeks for in a man, and Joe is going to play that up just to lure her in: he makes it known that he is unmarried, that is (faking) being rich, and showing all his (fake) riches off, as shown in Figure 2 where Junior and Sugar are conversing. It is inevitably funny how they speak to one another when they are on the beach when Joe pretends he owns a yacht:

Figure 3: Marilyn Monroe's character, Sugar Cane,
being interested by what Junior
(Joe/Josephine) is telling her.
https://giphy.com/explore/marilyn-monroe-quote

Sugar Cane: Tell me, who runs up that flag. Your wife?

Junior: No. My flag steward.

Sugar Cane: Who mixes the cocktails? Your wife?

Junior: No. My cocktail steward. Look, if you're interested in whether I am married or not-

Sugar Cane: Oh, I'm not interested at all.

Junior: Well, I'm not.

Sugar Cane: That's very interesting [as shown in Figure 3]. (Some Like It Hot)

I remember first viewing this scene and legitimately LOL'ing so much that I had to pause the film. Yes, Junior (I keep using all these names interchangeably because they go through so many identities) is trying to play hard-to-get for Sugar, but it is just plain funny. A few seconds after that portion of funny dialogue comes another round of hilarious dialogue when Junior and Sugar discussing shells and Shell Oil:

Junior: I only come to shore twice a day when the tide goes out.

Sugar Cane: Oh.

Junior: It's on account of these shells. That's my hobby.

Sugar Cane: You collect shells?

Junior: Yes. So did my father and my grandfather. You might say we had a passion for shells. That's why we named the oil company after it.

Sugar Cane: ...Shell Oil?! (Some Like It Hot)

The dialogue of this film truly hones in on the aspect of romantic comedies being a laugh-riot. This dialogue happens when Junior is continuing to play hard-to-get for Sugar, because he knows what Sugar desires in a husband. There are many more instances where the film contains very funny dialogue, these are just two small sections of the two-hour and one-minute long film.

Figure 4: Sugar is caught drinking by Josephine and Daphne,
this is their first encounter with her.
http://imoviequotes.com/10-best-pictures-of-
some-like-it-hot-quotessome-like-it-hot-1959.html

Another convention of romantic comedies is how two potential romantic partners meet under a very unusual circumstance. Sugar Cane is a ukulele-player and vocalist for Sweet Sue and her Society of Syncopators. Joe runs away with Jerry from Chicago, disguising themselves as women, and take on this band-gig that takes them to Florida. Sugar never imagined that she would find the love-of-her-life on the train (as shown in Figure 4 where the first word-exchanging encounter happens as both Josephine and Daphne accidentally sneak up on Sugar imbibing alcohol) that will take her to her next performance; nor did she imagine that her future partner would cross-dress and spend a reasonable amount of time with her before knowing their real identity.

Spoiler alert:

Sugar Cane and Joe do end up together at the end of the film; it is revealed that Josephine is a man, but Sugar does not care about him disguising himself as a woman.

Additional spoiler alert:

It is revealed to Osgood Fielding III, the man that has fallen in love with the character of Daphne, that Daphne is a man, by Jerry himself. However, it is never explicitly said or shown, but is implied, that these two still go on to become married (or somehow involved) as Daphne truly falls for Osgood, and Osgood is not perturbed about Daphne being a man.

And in classic romantic comedy style, they two couples drive off in a motorboat into the sunset - experiencing a calm and renewing trip across the sea. The tactic to have the end of the film showcase these couples drive off into the sunset all happy, and clearly in love, is vehemently speaking to this classic romantic comedy aspect. No-one is perturbed; no-one is worried; no-one is concerned. Everyone is in love! Time to drive away from the worry and relish in each other's love...classic romantic comedies!

The pairing of two people and having them meet in an unusual circumstance is one of many conventions that romantic comedies have; the comedic dialogue between two people while one is trying to court the other is another element of romantic comedies. There is no denying how hilarious this film is, however, one the most fascinating elements that this film tackles is the topic and treatment of gender.

Treatment of Gender

Figure 5: Josephine and Daphne are walking
towards their train; Daphne is not able
to walk in heels for the very first time.
https://giphy.com/gifs/some-like-it-hot-billy-
wilder-jack-lemmon-Fue4L9GzJrYek

For a film, in 1959, to allow itself to fully divulge in dense conversation on the subject of gender and have it be fully-visible, and crucial to the foundation of this film, is utterly-shocking. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon cross-dress in this film. They literally wear women's clothing to hide their male identities; they wear wigs, makeup, clothing, heels (as shown in Figure 5), and even don new attitudes and vocal ranges/voices, all to serve the purpose of disguising their male identities and to shroud themselves in everything and anything to portray as female. One might think that this film, in the time period it was produced in, would treat these cross-dressing men as buffoons, as a joke, and as nothing worth substance - that could not be more false.

Deciphering the first level of cross-dressing and gender identity, Joe and Jerry willingly cross-dress. They want to don these newfound identities to save their lives, and hide the fact from the mafia that they witnessed and survived a massive shooting. These characters are not putting on all this apparel to look like idiots; nor are they putting themselves through learning how to navigate a totally different identity for purely comedic purposes. Once it all boils down, these two make the decision to cross-dress to save their lives; there is a sturdy purpose for their cross-dressing.

Figure 6: Daphne declaring her name change from
Geraldine, thus confusing Josephine.
https://gfycat.com/gifs/tag/jack+lemmon

Apart from cross-dressing to save their lives, Daphne is a character that is well-worth analyzing. Jerry truly devotes himself into fitting into Daphne's character. When these men first cross-dress in order to board the train, Daphne changes her name from Geraldine, thus confusing Josephine in the process because they had originally agreed on her being called Geraldine, as shown in Figure 6. Jerry is even the very first one, when considering to take this job and having to cross-dress in order to look the part, to declare that Joe should become Josephine, and Jerry (himself) would be called Geraldine. For Jerry to last-minutely change his name shows how devoted he is to this new character.

Figure 7: Josephine confronting Daphne about
her last minute name change to Daphne.
https://gfycat.com/gifs/tag/jack+lemmon

When they later board the train and finally have alone time, apart from all the other women, Josephine confronts her about her changing her name at the very last second, and ditching their original plan, as shown in Figure 7. Daphne's reasoning is that, "Well, I never did like the name Geraldine" (Some Like It Hot). There are many more moments in the film where Daphne is wholeheartedly in her character. Daphne behaves and acts like the fellow women that are in the sea with her, as they gently shove each other and pull each other inside the water; Daphne frolics on the sand when she is playing catch with Sugar and the group of girls, very gaily (no pun-intended); Daphne even begins to fall for Osgood Fielding III, and even desires to go through with their upcoming marriage as she ponders about the proposal.

Not only is Daphne a rich character to analyze and understand, but Josephine begins to become a character to divulge one's understanding in. There is a moment in the film where Joe (in the guise of Josephine) acknowledges herself as feminine. When Josephine walks Sugar to her room, she is questioned by Sugar about how would Josephine know that she is going to meet her future partner here in Florida. Not wasting a second, Josephine responds with "my feminine intuition" (Some Like It Hot). To have Joe (who is Josephine) silently-acknowledge that he isn't a woman (because he is not a woman) but vocally-acknowledge that he is feminine starts to build an understanding that these men are embracing a different side of their being; a different side of their being that they would have never had the chance to experience, unless they cross-dressed. Both these characters are beginning to become aware of a different side of their masculinity; it is amazing to view something like this back in 1959.

Furthering the conversation about Josephine and Daphne becoming aware of this completely different side of them happens within the hotel they are staying at in Florida; they both fall victim to being objectified. Daphne falls victim to being objectified and having her butt pinched by Osgood Fielding III, resulting her in becoming angry with him. For Josephine, she becomes objectified when she is in her room and the bell-boy decides to hit on her and come onto her very sexually, resulting in Josephine becoming very angry with him, as well. When Daphne enters their bedroom, they both share their anger at being objectified. Not long after Daphne steps into the room and shares her anger with Josephine, Josephine says, "Now you know how the other side lives" (Some Like It Hot). These characters are both men, under all their makeup and clothing, and for them to recognize how women are treated is powerful. They are both annoyed and aggravated that they have been treated as objects of sexual pleasure, when (in reality) they want to be treated as humans. They do not like the idea of having their women identity becoming an object for men to use to satisfy their needs and wildest pleasures.

The treatment of gender in Some Like It Hot is so rich and dense. There are many more directions in which I can continue to discuss this film and how it handles and discusses the topic of gender, but I will end with one more BIG revelation.

Figure 8: Osgood Fielding III declaring how unworried he is about
Daphne revealing herself to be a man.
https://gifer.com/en/1DuY

As a final kind gesture for society to learn about cross-dressing individuals (not inherently just men, but through discussing this film, we are solely talking about men cross-dressing as females), Osgood Fielding III proposes to Daphne, who reveals herself to be Jerry, a man. Osgood is not bothered by this revelation. Jerry goes out of his way to tell and convince Osgood that he is not a good match for him, as shown in this YouTube clip where Jerry begins to rattle off a list of possibilities for being the reason why they can no longer marry. Osgood only discovers that Jerry is man when he pulls off his wig and shows Osgood that he is in fact a man. The reaction of Osgood could have been taken in a thousand different directions, but the reaction that he does take warms the heart: Osgood says "Well, nobody's perfect", as shown in Figure 8.

There is not a single moment in the film where these men are disgraced or made fun of for cross-dressing. I watched every second of this film, and there is not a single second of their expected humiliation. I fully-expected a firm resistance to these men cross-dressing, but I never saw that reaction. No matter who they reveal their identity to, or who catches them and knows who their real identities are, they are never shamed, which I find very heart-warming. I am always afraid for people who are different, in this case Joe and Jerry would be those who are behaving different, are subjecting themselves to be a laugh-riot and a channel for everybody's hatred.

I cannot begin to imagine how people reacted towards this film when it was released in 1959. Clearly, 1959 was a different time with a different mindset in every individual. I know for my mindset, being set in the 21st century alongside millions and millions of people who may have had the chance to view this film in this century, I am exuberant that this topic of cross-dressing is handled with such poise and sharpness.


Sources:
Some Like It Hot. Directed by Billy Wilder, United Artists, 1959.

Wilder, Billy. "Some Like It Hot (11/11) Movie CLIP - Nobody's Perfect (1959) HD." YouTube, uploaded by Movieclips, 20 April 2015, https://youtu.be/-mHhr-aaLnI.