Some Like It Hotisn’t just an important film because it’s a one-of-a-kind comedy, but because it helped bring about a form of self-censorship that dominated decades of Hollywood filmmaking. Directed by Billy Wilder and starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe, the film follows a pair of jazz musicians who escape certain death at the hands of Chicago gangsters by posing as members of an all-female band. The ensuing chaos remains an all-time classic of the genre and is frequently ranked asone of the best comedies that Hollywood ever produced.
However, the film’s most important legacy goes far beyond the iconic gags or charming characters.Some Like It Hotis considered a crucial player in the collapse of the Hays Code, which for decades had dictated that kind of stories that American (and increasingly global) audiences could see produced by filmmakers. The collapse of the code was a long-time coming, butSome Like It Hot’s risqué materialand box-office success were a key aspect of Hollywood’s acceptance of more diverse material. Recently re-released by the Criterion Collection, this element makesSome Like It Hotall the more important to celebrate.
How Some Like It Hot Flaunted The Hays Code
Some Like It Hot Broke Many Of The Hays Codes' Biggest Rules — And Was A Massive Hit For It
Thanks to the subversive elements and success ofSome Like It, the restrictive Hollywood self-censorship of the Hays Code was finally lifted in an important moment of change for filmmaking. As explained byNPR, the Hays Code was introduced after a number of deaths Hollywood in the 1920s scandalized the nation at large. Fearing efforts to introduce an official government form of film censorship, the Hollywood studios worked with Postmaster General Will Hays to establish a list of subject matter that was deemed inappropriate for general audiences, whicheffectively banned several filmsin the United States.
At its core, the Hayes Code was about establishing a firm sense of morality in feature films produced by the studio system, ensuring that no film should ever “lower the moral standards” of audiences by making them sympathize with darker characters. Over time, the Hays Code began to impact more and more filmmakers, with a ban on nudity, dancing, mockery of religion, drugs, suggestive dancing, criminal schemes, and interracial romance. Although the Hays Code was entirely voluntary, many theaters wouldn’t screen movies that didn’t pass it.
Although various films like the Frank Sinatra dramaThe Man With the Golden Armhad challenged the Hays Code beforeSome Like It Hot,the crossdressing comedy seemed determined to flaunt many of the rules of conduct enshrined by the code. The film’s entire premise is rooted the two lead male characters disguising themselves as women, which flew in the face of the Hays Code and its ban on men dressing in drag. Marilyn Monroe’s Sugar Kane is a sexualized character who dances, sings, and openly drinks alcohol — all things supports of the Hays Code would scoff at.
The film made criminal jazz musicians the protagonists, played with gender norms of the time, and even ended the film with one man admitting his commitment to marrying his true love, even if he is also a man. All of these themes being front and center inSome Like It Hotresulted in the film failing to reach the standard of the Hays Code, meaning it didn’t receive a certificate of approval. However, that didn’t end up having too much of a negative effect on the film.
Some Like It Hot’s Success Helped Break The Hays Code
Some Like It Hot Proved Films Could Be Succesful Without The Seal Of Approval
By the timeSome Like It Hotleft movie theaters, it had grossed $25 million against a budget of $2.9 million. It has subsequently made millions more thanks to re-releases. After a successful limited run in a handful of cities, the film had a national expansion over the Easter holiday, where it was number one at the box office for three weeks. Even when it was briefly dethroned at the box office by the Douglas Sirk dramaImitation of Life,Varietyat the time the film reclaimed the top spot after two weeks and remained there for four more.
Some Like It Hotwasn’t just a commercial success, either.The film earned critical accolades from across the industry, dominating at the 17th Golden Globe Awards (winning awards for Billy Wilder, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe) and earning six Academy Award nominations. Elements of it were quickly iconic in the public zeitgeist, and it played a part in elevating Monroe as one of the 20th century’s most important sex icons. The fact that the film broke the Hays Code didn’t hurt it at all, and the racy subject matter seemed to even improve the box office results.
American audiences had been increasingly turning to racier international fare, rejecting the more antiquated morality of the Hays Code. While the code had been bent beforeSome Like It Hot,the massive success of the film seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for self-censorship. Less than a decade afterSome Like It Hotproved that Hollywood films didn’t need to adhere to the code to be successful, it was replaced by the MPAA rating system. Filmmakers were given more freedom to expand the scope of their subject matter, leading to a period of increased experimentation.
Without films likeSome Like It Hotbreaking down the code, the New Hollywood movement would have been stunted. Directors like Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola would have never been able to make their foundational successes that led to films likeJawsandThe Godfather. Amazing modern films likeSinnersorMickey 17would have never been able to be made under the Hays Code. Films likeSome Like It Hotaren’t just important to remember because they’re hilarious, but because culture would be radically different without them.
Some Like It Hotis now available from the Criterion Collection on 4K, Blu-Ray, and DVD.
