Some Like It Hot

Not to sound ghoulish, but this aptly-named "special edition" of Billy Wilder's classic 1959 comedy--recently ranked by the American Film Institute as the funniest film of all time--is an object lesson that will hopefully compel studios to give their own vintage titles a higher priority. Had this DVD been mounted even a year ago, we might have enjoyed the participation of Jack Lemmon, who has been in ill health of late, or perhaps even octogenarian Billy Wilder, who did sit for interviews with Cameron Crowe for his best-selling book. But it's not like we're getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop. This DVD contains a breezy and entertaining interview with Tony Curtis, as well as reminiscences by four members of "Sweet Sue's" all-girl orchestra, who in the film are joined by Curtis and Lemmon, in drag and on the lam after witnessing a gangland massacre. But that doesn't stop Curtis from romancing Marilyn Monroe's Sugar Kane. "Nobody's perfect," Joe E. Brown's lovestruck millionaire famously states at film's end, but this beautifully restored widescreen DVD sure is, and it's essential for any collection. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (K. Lee Benson) [DVD Review--July 11, 2006--MGM, 2 discs, 122 min., not rated, $24.98--Making its third appearance on DVD, 1959's Some Like It Hot (Collector's Edition) sports a great transfer with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. DVD extras include audio commentary featuring a new interview with costar Tony Curtis, an archival 1984 interview with costar Jack Lemmon, commentary by screenwriter I.A.L. Diamond's son Paul and screenwriting duo Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, a 31-minute 'Nostalgic Look Back' documentary featuring Curtis, a 26-minute 'making-of' featurette, 21 minutes of the 'Virtual Hall of Memories' tour with clips from the stars and behind-the-scenes segments, a 20-minute featurette on the film's legacy, the 12-minute 'Memories from the Sweet Sues' featurette on the all-girl band, an original pressbook gallery, and trailers. Bottom line: if you don't already own the previous 'special edition,' this is a great addition to any collection.] [Blu-ray/DVD Review—Dec. 11, 2018—Criterion, 121 min., PG, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, 1959’s Some Like It Hot features a great transfer with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include audio commentary from 1989 by film scholar Howard Suber, behind-the-scenes featurettes (60 min.), a 1982 archival interview with director Billy Wilder on The Dick Cavett Show (56 min.), a conversation between costar Tony Curtis and film critic Leonard Maltin (32 min.), a segment on costume designer Orry-Kelly’s wardrobe for the film (19 min.), a 1988 French TV interview with costar Jack Lemmon (10 min.), a 1955 radio interview with costar Marilyn Monroe (9 min.), and a booklet featuring an essay by author Sam Wasson. Bottom line: an excellent edition of a comedy classic.]