Synopses & Reviews
When Hollywood legend Tony Curtis meets his fans, they always ask about his 1959 comedy
Some Like It Hot. Luckily for them—and for us—Tony has stories to share. In his new book,
The Making of Some Like It Hot, he shares all of them.
Some Like It Hot is a beloved part of our culture, voted the "Funniest Film of All Time" by the American Film Institute, but Tony is the first to tell the complete, uncensored story of its making, a behind-the-scenes saga of intrigue, humor, and romance. A noted artist and raconteur, Tony paints word portraits of the geniuses who made the film: director Billy Wilder and his cowriter I. A. L. Diamond; actor Jack Lemmon; and sex icon Marilyn Monroe. In his engaging style, Tony tells of Wilder and Diamond's unique writing routine; Wilder's surprising first choice for Tony's costar; and Wilder's daring decision to add violence to farce.
Tony describes the challenges he faced as the "best-looking kid in Hollywood" suddenly forced to dress as a woman: meeting the limitations of a constricting costume; learning the "moves" from a female impersonator; adapting his walk and the pitch of his voice; facing people's reactions (or worse, the lack of them); working in tandem with the hilarious Lemmon; and following Wilder's precise but often impersonal direction.
Here, too, are Tony's previously unpublished recollections of his bittersweet relationship with Marilyn. He tells in vivid, compelling detail how America's most celebrated sex symbol came to work on this unlikely project; how he had met the young unknown years earlier on a studio street; about their puppy love, her meteoric rise to fame, and the resentment he saw in her colleagues; how her perfectionism nearly drove him crazy; and how her strange behavior nearly shut down the film. Disclosed for the first time are details of the affair that took place during the filming at the Hotel del Coronado and the effect it had on Tony, on the production, and on Marilyn's husband, the playwright Arthur Miller. In 1958, America read about a fistfight on the set. Now, for the first time, Tony tells what caused it—and what followed it.
Packed with scores of rarely seen black-and-white photos and eight pages of color photos that reveal how the movie would have looked in Technicolor, The Making of Some Like It Hot is the ideal way to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of this landmark film.
Review
* ""Curtis's writing in this memoir of Billy Wilder's 1959 comic masterpiece is staccato, repetitive and occasionally baffling. But even if the voice is a little insane — on Wilder: ""He was wiry. Energetic. I don't think I ever saw him stand still. Not a guy given to repose. Always moving. Like his pictures"" — it suits the edgy, emotionally charged set of ""Some Like It Hot"" perfectly. There are sexual encounters with Marilyn Monroe, whom Curtis describes as his ""first adult relationship."" They slept together both before she was a major star and later, when they were working together on this film. It's left an open question whether Monroe was subsequently pregnant by Curtis or by her husband at the time, Arthur Miller. What is definite is that the racy seduction scene on the yacht in ""Some Like It Hot"" was Method acting at its finest. Speaking of the Method, Curtis suggests that Lee and Paula Strasberg were to blame for Monroe's neurotic behavior on the set and her failure to get there with any regularity. ""Before going to the Actors Studio she was like a tightrope walker who doesn't know there was a pit she could fall into,"" Curtis quotes Wilder as saying. ""After the Strasbergs got to her, she thought of nothing but the pit."" Sometimes Curtis's revelations about Monroe feel invasive (especially when it comes to her abortions and miscarriages) or borderline mean (were her hips really those of ""a Polish washerwoman""?). But to the extent that he could overcome his own dazzling narcissism, Curtis was clearly under her spell. His book (written with Mark A. Vieira) may be more feverish than fluent, but it's a wonderful tribute to one of the funniest movies ever made."" (
The New York Times Book Review, December 6, 2009)
""Curtis gives us a personal, behind the scenes look at the trials and tribulations of Hollywood film making in the 1950's; it contains many additional humorous vignettes…."" (Examiner.com, 15 September 2009)
Review
"Curtis's writing in this memoir of Billy Wilder's 1959 comic masterpiece is staccato, repetitive and occasionally baffling. But even if the voice is a little insane — on Wilder: "He was wiry. Energetic. I don't think I ever saw him stand still. Not a guy given to repose. Always moving. Like his pictures" — it suits the edgy, emotionally charged set of "Some Like It Hot" perfectly. There are sexual encounters with Marilyn Monroe, whom Curtis describes as his "first adult relationship." They slept together both before she was a major star and later, when they were working together on this film. It's left an open question whether Monroe was subsequently pregnant by Curtis or by her husband at the time, Arthur Miller. What is definite is that the racy seduction scene on the yacht in "Some Like It Hot" was Method acting at its finest. Speaking of the Method, Curtis suggests that Lee and Paula Strasberg were to blame for Monroe's neurotic behavior on the set and her failure to get there with any regularity. "Before going to the Actors Studio she was like a tightrope walker who doesn't know there was a pit she could fall into," Curtis quotes Wilder as saying. "After the Strasbergs got to her, she thought of nothing but the pit." Sometimes Curtis's revelations about Monroe feel invasive (especially when it comes to her abortions and miscarriages) or borderline mean (were her hips really those of "a Polish washerwoman"?). But to the extent that he could overcome his own dazzling narcissism, Curtis was clearly under her spell. His book (written with Mark A. Vieira) may be more feverish than fluent, but it's a wonderful tribute to one of the funniest movies ever made." (
The New York Times Book Review, December 6, 2009)
"Curtis gives us a personal, behind the scenes look at the trials and tribulations of Hollywood film making in the 1950's; it contains many additional humorous vignettes…." (Examiner.com, 15 September 2009)
Synopsis
Some Like It Hot occupies a unique place in American culture. This beloved classic showcases five comic geniuses: Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, I.A.L Diamond, Billy Wilder, and Marilyn Monroe. It has been honored by the American Film Institute as the Funniest Film of All Time. It has contributed quotes, styles, and stories to film lore. Yet the full story of its making has never been told.
In this book, Tony Curtis opens up a treasure trove of memories to tell for the first time: How he was hired for the film How he and Jack Lemmon learned to dress in drag The day-by-day excitement and turmoil of the production What he learned from Jack Lemmon How Billy Wilder disappointed him Why Marilyn was so hard to work with Why he had an affair with Marilyn in Coronado Why he had a fistfight on the set The truth about Marilyn's miscarriage Why Marilyn believed she was carrying Tony's child How the film overcame a lukewarm reception
With scores of unseen black-and-white photos throughout, and an eight-page color insert that shows what the movie would have looked like in Technicolor, The Making of Some Like It Hot is the definitive book on a definitive movie.
Synopsis
With scores of unseen black-and-white photos throughout, and an eight-page color insert that shows what the movie would have looked like in Technicolor, "The Making of Some Like It Hot" is the definitive book on a beloved classic.
Synopsis
A Special Memoir for a Special Moment in Hollywood History . . .Some Like It Hot occupies a unique place in American culture. This beloved classic showcases five comic geniuses: Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, I. A. L. Diamond, Billy Wilder, and Marilyn Monroe. It has been honored by the American Film Institute as the ""Funniest Film of All Time"". It has contributed quotes, styles, and stories to film lore. Yet the full story of its making has never been told—until now.
Synopsis
A Special Memoir for a Special Moment in Hollywood History . . .Some Like It Hot occupies a unique place in American culture. This beloved classic showcases five comic geniuses: Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, I. A. L. Diamond, Billy Wilder, and Marilyn Monroe. It has been honored by the American Film Institute as the "Funniest Film of All Time". It has contributed quotes, styles, and stories to film lore. Yet the full story of its making has never been told—until now.
About the Author
Tony Curtis is a Hollywood icon, the last surviving luminary from Some Like It Hot, and author of the memoir American Prince. His Web sites are
tonycurtis.com and
shilohhorserescue.com.
Mark A. Vieira is a photographer and writer specializing in the history of Hollywood.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments.
Introduction.
I The Project.
II The People.
III The Preproduction.
IV The Production.
V The Problems.
VI The Previews.
VII The Press.
VIII The Public.
Epilogue.
Notes.
Bibliography.
Index.