It's pretty hard to talk about classic films and not discuss Gone with the Wind; it's also hard to discuss Gone with the Wind period. This epic film is still collecting praise and criticism today, and, as this past December marked the 75th anniversary of its release, Gone with the Wind is in the spotlight more than ever (at least in this decade). This record-breaking, Oscar-winning film was one of, if not the biggest cinematic undertaking of its day. Yet, Gone with the Wind was, and still is, criticized for its portrayal of slavery and its glorification of the society that upheld and defended slavery. It's a depiction that is more than a little difficult to swallow, and I don't deny or excuse it; yet the film continues to captivate audiences, drawing in new fans every year.
The movie, based on Margaret Mitchell's best-selling, Pulitzer-winning novel, follows the petulant Southern belle, Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh). The movie introduces Scarlett and her care-free plantation life on the brink of war; spanning nearly a decade of Scarlett's life, we witness the South enter the deadliest war ever fought on US soil, the devastating repercussions of the war, and the long struggle to rebuild after the South surrenders. Through all of this, we also see Scarlett survive the war, stubbornly refuse to submit to the Yankees, and fight relentlessly to maintain her family's home, Tara-- all while juggling the various men in her life. She works her way through marriages and men, yet all the while pining for her "true" and unrequited love, Ashley (Leslie Howard). But, Gone with Wind is best known for its tumultuous relation between Scarlett and the charming, devil-may-care rogue, Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) who is determined to make Scarlett forget about the honorable, indecisive, and decidedly married Ashley.
Gable and Leigh during filming. Such a gorgeous shot. Via.
"Sir, you are no gentleman." - Scarlett
"And you, Miss, are no lady." -Rhett
While Scarlett and Rhett's love-hate affair makes the pulse quicken (for some), the real appeal of the film for me is the characterization of women. It goes without saying the Gone with the Wind is a women's film; the story is driven by women-- two very different women, to be exact. There's Scarlett, who is a spoiled but unshakable woman, and Ashley's wife, Melanie (Olivia de Havilland), who is the polar opposite. While Scarlett is strong, if also manipulative, Melanie is a kind-hearted and empathetic woman- but also frail and weak.
Ashley (Howard) in between the two very different women who love him: Melanie (De Havilland) and Scarlett (Leigh). Via.
I find it so interesting that the agreeable woman with the morals of a saint, also happens to be the most lack-luster character in the movie. (I also maintain that Melanie would had died ten times over, if not for Scarlett.) Meanwhile, scheming and conniving Scarlett is saving the day with her ballsy, no-holds-barred attitude.
"You know what trouble I's talkin' about. I's talkin' 'bout Mr. Ashley Wilkes. He'll be comin' to Atlanta when he gets his leave, and you sittin' there waitin' for him, just like a spider. He belongs to Miss Melanie."- Mammy
In one scene, Scarlett is described as a spider, and there is no better description; she uses her looks and charm to captivate her prey, but all the while she is ensnaring them in her web of lies, deception and greed. And yet despite all that, Scarlett is still the much more interesting heroine compared to the prim and proper Melanie. I've always thought that together, Melanie and Scarlett would make the perfect woman: tenacious and willful, yet gracious and good-natured. But as we all know, there's no such thing as the perfect person: thus our fascinatingly flawed characters.
Leigh walking on set in the famous curtains dress. Via.
Besides the romance and its study of female heroines, Gone with the Wind is also a story about the deep South, a society that was built upon two main pillars of tradition: decorum and slavery. This is where the controversy begins. The book and film is, in its most basic essence, a homage to the Old South which institutionalized, defended, and fought to sustain slavery. Even though slavery isn't the focal point of the film, it's difficult to watch a movie that's commemorating this backwards society.
Mammy (Hattie McDaniel) waiting on Scarlett (Leigh). Via.
To make things even worse, the film gives an offensively sugar-coated depiction of slavery. Gone with the Wind presents generous and tender-hearted slaveholders who own smiling, complacent slaves who love their masters like family. This flagrant disregard of history and the true nature of slavery is disrespectful and demeaning to the real victims of slavery. And yet, I still love and appreciate this film; the world still loves and appreciates this movie, being the highest blockbuster ever (with ticket prices adjusted for inflation). How is this possible? How can we look past the offensive aspects of this film?
Personally, I think you can watch and appreciate GWTW if you approach it as an educated and knowledgeable viewer. As long as you know and recognize that this portrayal of slavery and the South is preposterous, you can see and enjoy the other aspects of the film. In my mind, GWTW is really about a woman's struggle and survival in the face of war, poverty, and a nation changing at an accelerated speed. The film powerfully shows the waste of war; the death, destruction, and sorrows experienced by all involved, no matter which side you're fighting for. And I think that's what has continued to draw people to the film year after year.
Probably the most cinematically beautiful, but thematically tragic scene in the film.
When the book and movie first hit the scene in the 1930's, victims of the Great Depression related with Scarlett's struggle with hunger and poverty; later in the 40's when the women entered the workforce while the men went to war, audiences again saw their own lives mirrored in Scarlett's. And today, the story a fierce, yet flawed character determined to survive no matter the costs, still appeals to us.
"As God as my witness, as God as my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again...If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God as my witness, I'll never be hungry again."
Filming of one of the Atlanta hospital scenes, where Melanie and Scarlett care for wounded soliders. Via.
In addition to Scarlett personal journey, the performances and artistry of the film demand to acclaim. When producer and studio head, David O. Selznick bought the rights to Mitchell's novel, it was seen as a career-ruining move. To everyone in Hollywood, this was the unfilmable film; there was over 1,000 pages of story to tell, scenes- like the burning of Atlanta- that seemed impossible to film, and fans that were so passionate about the novel they would decimate the film if they were unhappy with portayal. There were countless other obstacles Selznick was up against, including consistently in-the-red budgets, egocentric directors, and discontented actors. Selznick might have walked away from GWTW with 8 Academy Awards, but he also acquired racked nerves, an addiction to Benzedrine pills, and a career peak that he would never reach again.
Shooting of GWTW actually began before casting was even finalized. With the studio lot over-crowded with sets from past films, like King Kong and King of Kings, Selznick had the brilliant idea of using these discarded sets as kindling for GWTW. With stand-ins for still-to-be-cast actors, the first footage of GWTW was the famous burning of Atlanta, in which they literally burned down the back studio lot. As rumor has, it was during this initial filming that Selznick was introduced to his Scarlett O'Hara.
"Take a good look my dear. It's a historic moment you can tell your grandchildren about- how you watched the Old South fall one night."
Shooting the famous burning of Atlanta scene with stand-ins. Via.
From the very beginning, Clark Gable was a shoe-in for Rhett Butler-- to everyone expect Clark Gable. Seznick, Mitchell, and, essentially all of American, wanted Gable as the charming Southern rogue. Gable was finally cast basically against his will, when Louis B. Mayer (competitor studio head of Metro-Gowdwyn-Mayer, owner of Gable's contract, AND Selznick's father-in-law) made a deal with Selznick: his top star and $1.25 million in exchange for worldwide distribution rights and half of GWTW's profit for the first 7 years. So while Selznick increased his budget and landed his lead actor, his leading lady remained elusive. Enter relatively-unknown British actress, Vivien Leigh.
One of my favorite costumes in the entire movie. Via.
Leigh had recently arrived in Hollywood with her then-lover (and future husband) Lawrence Olivier. When word of GWTW reached Leigh, she immediately knew she was meant to be Scarlett. In very Scarlett O'Hara fashion, Leigh quickly attached herself to Myron Selznick- Hollywood agent and none other than David O. Selznick's brother. The day Atlanta was burning in Hollywood, Myron and Leigh laid siege on the back studio lot. Myron marched up to his brother with Leigh on his arm and introduced the two saying, "Hey genius, meet your Scarlett O'Hara." The rest, as they say, is history.
While it seemed all of Selznick's stress and woes were over, the nightmare was only beginning. In the 125 days of filming, Selzncik went through 3 different directors, $4.25 million dollars, over 800 extras, and endless script re-writes. Meanwhile, the actors were miserable too: Gable, who detested being in the film in the first place, couldn't stand the original director (George Cuckor) and convinced Selznick to hire Victor Fleming (a personal friend of his) in Cuckor's place. Well this was all fine for Gable, but Leigh and co-star Olivia de Havilland were crushed; they had already worked weeks with Cuckor and formed a strong connection with him. To make things worse, Fleming was not a "woman's director" and had more trouble relating with his females actors. While the rest of the cast eventually adjusted to the new director, Fleming and Leigh fought like cats and dogs until the very end of filming.
"I believe in Rhett Butler. He's the only cause I know." -Rhett
Clark Gable laughing behind the scenes with good friend and director, Victor Fleming. Via.
Fleming wasn't Leigh's only cause for stress. She is literally in 99% of this constantly emotional, nearly 4-hour movie. Her filming schedule was endless, and her prep-time in hair, make-up, and costume was double that of her male counterparts. On top of that, Selznick forced her to move-out of her live-in situation with Olivier; with both Leigh and Olivier still legally married to their first spouses, the image of the film could have been seriously hinder if their scandalous relationship became public knowledge (never mind the fact that said film happened to feature two philandering and shamelessly immoral characters). When not filming, Leigh spent most of her time calming her nerves with an unlikely distraction: the board game Battleship. De Havilland remembers being so impressed with Leigh's ability to seamlessly jump in and out of character. She'd go head to head against Gable or De Havilland in Battleship, and a minute later transform into Scarlett in front of the cameras.
So Selznick, Gable and Leigh were all miserable, but I think the black cast had it the worst. With the year being 1939- a good 15 years before the Civil Rights movement- the sets were, for the most part, segregated. For the initial part of filming, the studio even had segregated toilets on set (sound familiar?) When Clark Gable became aware of the segregated toilets, he immediately phoned Selznick's office; Gable informed the studio head, "If those toilets are still here tomorrow, I won't be." An admirable first step, however the sets for the most part still remained segregated.
Butterfly McQueen and Hattie McDaniel on the set of GWTW. Via.
Racial segregation became an even bigger issue at the film's grand Atlanta premiere. Because of the era's Jim Crow laws, none of the black cast members were allowed to attend the Georgia premiere. Papers recently found in Selznick's archives, reveal that the producer actual fought for Hattie McDaniel (Mammy) and the other black cast members to attend the premiere. It's said that Selznick, being Jewish, was actually very mindful of the similarities between racial prejudice in the United States, and the persecution of Jews Hitler was currently orchestrating throughout Europe. Atlanta's then-mayor eventually convinced Selznick that the exclusion was for the safety and protection of the black actors, and the Atlanta premiere remained whites-only.
Although the premiere in Georgia is a very large and upsetting stain on the legacy of GWTW, history was made during the 1940 Academy Awards ceremony only a few months later. Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Academy Award when she received Best Supporting Actress for her spectacular performance as Mammy. (MAJOR SPOILERS, but this scene is, in my opinion, why McDaniel deserved and won her Oscar.)
The scene in which McDaniel earned her Academy Award. Such raw emotion. Via.
Of course even steps forward, no matter how big or small, still caused controversy. Similar to Selznick, McDaniel would never escape Gone with the Wind or her role as Mammy- people wouldn't let her. On the one hand, Hollywood is the to blame, failing to provide substantial and dignified roles for black actors to portray. But McDaniel also experienced severe condemnation from the black community. She was criticized for degrading herself by taking on such a demeaning role. McDaniel's continued to play Mammy-like maids and care-takers for the rest of acting career, and continued to receive disdain and criticism. McDaniel's once defended herself and her career decisions saying, "Why should I complain about making $700 a week playing a maid? If I wasn't, I would be making $7 a week being one." Despite (or maybe rather in spite of) the harsh judgement she received, I see Hattie McDaniel as an inspiration- a true Scarlett, willing to survive no matter what it took.
Including McDaniel's Oscar, GWTW was nominated for 13 awards total and won 8 of them, including Best Actress for Vivien Leigh, Best Director for Victor Flemming, and Best Picture. In addition to its prestigious array of awards, GWTW has lived on in the fabric of our culture thanks to the numerous parodies and tributes of the film that have been made throughout the years. The best of which, in my opinion, is Carol Burnett's "Went with the Wind" sketch. If you haven't seen this, do yourself a favor and watch it right now.
The GWTW cast and crew at the Academy Awards.
(From left: De Havilland, Selznick, Leigh, and Lawrence Olivier) Via.
Gone with the Wind continues to be discussed, criticized, analyzed, and celebrated to this day, 75 years after it was first released. Although there are both good and not-so-good aspects of its legacy, the film in my opinion is a true cinematic classic. Great film should push boundaries and advance technical capabilities. It should make audiences laugh, cry, and be slightly uncomfortable at times. It should start a conversation. I think Gone with the Wind does all of this. After all, it was considered to be the unfilmable film, until David O. Selznick took a career gamble and proved everyone wrong. And thank goodness he did.
The year was 1942 and the movie was Casablanca. At the time of filming, everyone involved with the film thought they were making just another wartime propaganda fluff piece, a genre of film that made up the majority of box office showings during the WWII era. Espionage, intrigue, exotic locale, forbidden love, and, of course, Nazi villains who get out-smarted at the end: Warner Bros. figured this new film had a little bit for everyone. What they didn't realize is that this run-of-the-mill wartime film would go on to became a standard classic of American cinema revered by generations to come.
Casablanca stars Humphrey Bogart as American nightclub owner, Rick Blaine. Bogart's Rick is the quintessential anti-hero; cynical and aloof, Rick is an ex-Freedom Fighter who now resides in French-occupied North Africa with just his booze, his apathy, and friend/piano-player, Sam, for company. He's committed to his political neutrality, refusing to take sides in the ever-intensifying conflict raging throughout the Western World. That is until one night when the old flame who once broke his heart walks into his bar, and back into his life.
"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."
Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) has traveled to Casablanca with her underground-resistance-leader and concentration-camp-escapee husband, Victor Lazlo. Ilsa and Victor are desperate to get their hands on exit visas that would allow them to leave Casablanca and travel freely around Nazi-controlled Europe to continue Lazlo's resistance efforts. Of course, in classic Hollywood irony, the one person who happens to have two visas to give them, is none other than Rick.
Paul Henreid and Ingrid Bergman as Victor and Ilsa. Via.
The last time Rick saw Ilsa it was years earlier when the two of them had a whirlwind affair in their own little paradise of Paris. Their brief time of happiness came to a screeching halt when the Nazis invaded France and the war began. Having made plans to flee the city together, Rick waited for Ilsa on a rainy and chaotic train platform. Instead of meeting him, Ilsa sends a farewell letter with Sam, who joins Rick on the train out of the country. Now with Ilsa back in his life, Rick has a decision to make: help the woman who broke his heart- the woman he still loves- be with her husband, or find a way to make sure he doesn't lose Ilsa again.
"I remember every detail. The German's wore grey, you wore blue." -Rick
The film is rounded out with an amazing supporting cast including Peter Lorre, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains. Rains in particular gives a stellar performance as Captain (Louie) Renault, the corrupt police official trying to make a good impression on the Nazi overlords.
"Rickie, I'm going to miss you. Apparently you're the only one in Casablanca with less scruples than I." -Louie
Also, Dooley Wilson made his first on-screen appearance as loyal Sam. Wilson had previously been a stage performer and musician. Ironically however, the piano wasn't Wilson instrument; in real life he was a drummer. His tickling of the ivories in the film is actually all miming.
"Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By.'" -Ilsa
Today, the legend of Casablanca has become bigger than the movie itself. It's been parodied and paid tribute to in numerous films and TV shows, and every-day people quote its beloved dialogue without having seen the movie. That's how you know this film has transcended time and pop culture: it has become a culture of itself. The timeless, and often misquoted, line "Play it, Sam," is so ingrained in our culture that it has become meaningful to those who aren't even aware of the reference. It also created its own genre of cinematic style, known now as the "invisible style;" instead of flashy and attention-grabbing visuals, the film relies on subtly that slowly draws the viewer in. The smoky nightclub; the foggy airport runway; the wide-brimmed hats and trench coats with upturned collars. These became the staple of ill-fated love and romantic yearning on screen.
Despite the legendary status Casablanca has held for the past 6 decades, the film at the time of its release did not enjoy even a morsel of its contemporary success. For whatever reason, the film failed to resonate among 1940's audiences and critics. One critic, William Whitebait of the New Stateman, described Casablanca in his 1943 review as "horribly wooden," complaining that the "cliches everywhere lower the tension." It wasn't until shortly after Bogart's death in 1957, that Casablanca experienced a rebirth and new-found appreciation. It makes sense that as the new-wave of American cinema began to emerge in the early 1960's, the nostalgic counter-culture would see the romance and enchantment of a film that so accurately depicts the Hollywood studio system in its heyday.
The story of Casablanca originated in a failed, un-produced play, Everybody Comes to Rick's. Warner Bros. acquired the right to this play, which had earned the title "biggest flop in the history of Broadway," for a mere $20,000. Supposedly the manuscript was quickly lost in the Hollywood studio hustle and bustle, until Warner Bros. story editor, Irene Lee found Everybody Comes to Rick's laying in a pile of discarded and presumably future-less movie scripts. Immediately she saw the potential the story had, and sent it on to her friend and colleague, director Hal Wallis.
"I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world." -Rick
"Everybody Comes to Rick's will hereafter be known as...Casablanca." Via.
Wallis quickly attached himself to this new film endeavor, and had various script writers start adapting the story right away. One of Wallis's requests was that the male lead be written into a stoic, hard-boiled cynic, setting the film up to be a career-making catalyst for an actor Wallis had recently taken a shine to: Humphrey Bogart.
Finding the perfect leading lady was the next hurdle. Wallis had previously tried to pair Bogart and Ingrid Bergman together on a prior film, but with no success. However, at the time of Casablanca'spre-production, David O. Selznick was less enchanted with his Swedish starlet; Selznick was embarrassed by the talk of Sweden possibly joining Axis forces in Europe. Worried that his star might soon be damaged goods, Selznick eagerly struck up a loan-out deal with Warner Bros. Bergman however, was not thrilled with her new role. She saw Casablanca as nothing more than romantic fluff that would do nothing to advance her career. Irony at it's height.
"Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." -Rick
With Bogart and Bergman both locked in, all that was left was to successfully film the movie on time and under budget, an endeavor that was much more difficult than it sounds. It took several Hollywood writers, and several different script iterations to turn Everybody Comes to Rick's into the Casablanca we know and love today. According to Bergman, there were so many script changes, edits, and re-edits throughout the filming process, that she didn't actually know which man her character was going to end up with for the first few weeks of filming. It's also said that Rick's final speech to Ilsa was written on the airport set, writers using the hood of one of the cars to scribble down the film's last lines.
Even after filming finished, there were still proposed changes and edits. One proposed idea would have changed Casablanca's legacy as we know it; Max Steiner, the composer on the film, actually hated the now-famous song, "As Time Goes By." He requested to replace the song with an original piece of his own. This would, however, have required re-shoots of several scenes, which (thankfully) was impossible due to Ingrid Bergman; she had already cut off all her hair for her next picture, For Whom the Bell Tolls. So fans can thank Bergman's hair for "As Time Goes By" being kept in it's rightful place.
Casablanca truly is the epitome of classic American cinema. It holds a special place in film history, as well as in the hearts of its biggest fans. In my family, Casablanca is known as my parent's movie; the first time my Dad called my Mom to ask her out on a date, my Mom refused to come to the phone; Casablanca was the feature film on TV that night, and as my Mom said, "Who would call during the last 5 minutes of Casablanca!?" My Dad quickly learned his lesson.
If you haven't see the film yet, do yourself a favor and watch it. You'll fall in love with it's subtle beauty and sentiment. And if you have seen Casablanca before, revisit it when you have the chance, and fall in love all over again.
On a quick personal note, I want to apologize for the recent hiatus here on the Vintage Marquee. That unexpected and uncontrollable conflict called life has made it more difficult than usual to keep up with new posts. However, the New Year is right around the corner and my resolution is going to be to re-dedicate myself to the Vintage Marquee. I look forward to bringing you more reviews and write-ups on my favorite classic films.
I cannot believe it's been a year since I published my first blog post and began the Vintage Marquee! If you have not read my first post on Hitchcock'sRear Window, or some of my other early posts, I encourage you to explore the archive on the right hand side.
If you have a favorite post from the Vintage Marquee, I'd love for you to share below. Also, if you have an vintage films you'd recommend or would like me to review, please share as well in the comments sections! I'm always on the lookout for a great new film to discover!
And finally, thank you if you've taken the time to visit the Vintage Marquee in the past year. I hope you enjoy reading my posts as much as I love sharing them. I'm so proud of the Vintage Marquee, and I can't wait to share more with you!
In honor of the 4th of July, I wanted to take the opportunity to share one of my personal favorite Fred Astaire dances. The routine is from the 1942 film Holiday Inn, which stars Bing Crosby along with Astaire. It's a great movie musical that, although usually associate with Christmas, actually pays homage to all the year's major holidays, including the 4th of July.
Fred is commonly shown with a partner, whether it be Ginger Rogers, Rita Hayworth, Cyd Charisse, or even a coat rack. In this tap routine however, Astaire takes the stage by himself and blows us all away.
From the 1942 movie musical, Holiday Inn,here is Fred Astaire's famous "Firecracker Dance."
Earlier this year I wrote about Billy Wilder's The Apartment. In 1959, the year prior to The Apartment's released, Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon worked together for the first time on a hilarious classic: Some Like It Hot. Lemmon and Wilder would go on to work together on 7 different films, but Some Like it Hot marked their first collaboration. While The Apartment perfectly mixed comedy and drama, Some Like it Hot is pure slapstick comedy at its greatest. This film really had everything going for it: a great script, a talented cast, and it's box office insurance: Marilyn Monroe. Rounding out the cast is Tony Curtis and, of course, Jack Lemmon. The three stars carry the film and keep the audience laughing the entire time.
The film follows musician pals, Joe (Curtis) and Jerry (Lemmon) who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time on Valentine's Day 1929. The two friends accidentally witness the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago, and are consequentially on the run from the mob. In hopes of eluding their pursuers, then don dresses, heels, and little make-up, and join an all-girl Jazz band headed to a Miami. Keeping up their disguise however, turns out to be much more difficult than they thought.
Joe and Jerry's alter egos, Josephine and Daphne. Via.
"We got to get out of town! Maybe we ought to grow beards!" - Jerry
"We are going out of town. But we're going to shave."- Joe
With Joe as Josephine and Jerry as Daphne, the girls join Sweet Sue's Society Syncopators on a train headed to Florida. There they meet the band's lead singer, ukulele player, and resident troublemaker: Sugar Kane Kowalczyk (Monore).
How the other half lives. Plus, Marilyn Monroe's first entrance!
"Story of my life. I always get the fuzzy end of the lollipop."- Sugar
Sugar's story.
While Sugar thinks she's found two new gal pals, Joe and Jerry are more than tantalized by the blonde bombshell. But to Joe's dismay, not only does Sugar think he's a woman, she's also only interested in landing a millionaire- a young, cute millionaire with glasses and his own toothbrush. By the time the band arrives in Florida, Joe has already created a plan to land Sugar; he dons yet another disguise, that of a glasses-wearing, yacht-owning, Cary Grant-esque millionaire by the name of Junior.
Tony Curtis as his millionaire personae. I just love Monroe and Lemmon in the background! Via.
Curtis' Cary Grant-inspired Shell Oil Junior.
"Syncopators- does that mean you play that fast music? Jazz?"- Joe/Junior
"Yea, real hot!"- Sugar
"Oh. Well, I guess some like it hot."- Joe/Junior
Joe as Shell Oil Junior has Sugar head over heels. Via.
As Joe is wooing Sugar in his millionaire disguise, Jerry has love problems of his own. In his Daphne garb, he has caught the eye of a true millionaire, Osgood Fielding III (Joe E. Brown). Osgood is a quirky, old man who's been married multiple times, and has Jerry/Daphne in mind for wife ten!
"Dirty old man! I just got pinched in the elevator!"- Jerry/Daphne
"Well now you know how the other half lives." - Joe/Josephine
"I'm not even pretty!" - Jerry/Daphne
Jerry as Daphne dancing the night away with Osgood (Brown). Via.
On top of all their girl/guy woes, the Chicago gangsters they're on the run from show up in Florida at the same hotel the girls' band is staying at. Suddenly it's not just love on the line, it's their lives.
"The cops are going to find two dead dames and they're going to take us to the ladies' morgue and when they undress us, I tell you Joe, I'll die of shame!" - Jerry
Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon were Wilder's first choices for Joe and Jerry. Curtis had been making movies for years prior, but had only recently found box office success in the 1957 film Sweet Smell of Success, and the 1958 film The Defiant Ones. Lemmon on the other hand, had appeared only in small film projects before Wilder discovered him. He was instantly impressed with Lemmon's comedic talent and wanted to cast him right away in the role of Jerry/Daphne. Shortly after Wilder met Lemmon, however, Frank Sinatra began to express interest in the part; while Wilder wanted to work with Lemmon, he also needed a major movie star who would ensure box office success.
Just cannot see Frank Sinatra pulling off this role.
Fortunately, Sinatra ended up pulling out of the running, allowing Wilder to officially cast the Jerry/Daphne we know and love: Jack Lemmon. And in the end, Wilder ended up with his box office insurance as well; Mitzi Gaynor was Wilder's initial choice for the role of Sugar, but when she became unavailable Marilyn Monroe was given the role. By 1959 Monroe was without a doubt a superstar and held significant box office power. With her name on the cinema marquees, Some Like it Hot was sure to turn a profit. While Monroe brought her best hip-shaking, eye-batting, and her most sultry, breathy voice to the role of Sugar Kane, she was far from pleasant to work with.
Stories of Monroe's unorthodox work ethic and lack of cooperation on movie sets has become the stuff of legends- maybe even as big of a legend as Monroe herself. She was known to be unreliable, moody, and demanding. But based on the stories I've read, she seemed to be at her worst during the filming of Some Like it Hot. Conflict began right off the bat in pre-production, when Monroe refused to be filmed in black and white; she so strongly felt she filmed better in color, that it stated in her contract she would not perform in black and white pictures. Wilder, however, knew from early screen tests that Curtis and Lemmon's drag make-up looked more convincing in black and white. It wasn't until Monroe saw the tests for herself, and could attest to the greenish color the make-up gave the actors, that she agreed to make the movie in black and white.
Monroe's hair and costume being touched up on set. Love her dress here! Via.
Problems continued into filming where Monroe was consistently hours late or wholly unprepared to shoot her scenes. For certain scenes Wilder actually had to tape Monroe's lines to set and prop pieces; a line of dialogue as simple as "Where's that bourbon," took 40+ takes for her to get right. She would argue with Wilder about her character and the script; other times she would get so upset and burst into tears mid-filming, which meant she had to go back into make-up before they could start shooting again.
Monroe's famous performance of "I Wanna be Loved by you."
In Marilyn's defense, she was going through several personal issues during filming- not to mention most of her life. She found out she was pregnant just before filming had started; she had already suffered several miscarriages and was very nervous about miscarrying again (which in fact she did). It was also around this time that Monroe and husband Arthur Miller started having major marital issues, which would soon lead to their divorce. All the same, by the end of filming Wilder announced he was "too old and too rich to ever go through [filming with Monroe] again."
Monroe during the Yacht scene, in one of her famous, sheer gowns. Via.
Monroe's co-stars also became resentful of her; Curtis explained in an interview that by the time Monroe finally delivered her lines successfully, he felt that his performance had lost all enthusiasm. He and Lemmon had to make sure they were at the top of their game for all the 30+ takes it took Monroe. Also, the longer Monroe took to film, the longer the men had to stay in their drag costumes and make-up; usually at the end of filming days, Curtis and Lemmon were soaking their sore and blistered feet in hot water.
Curtis and Lemmon getting glamorized for their drag scenes. Via.
Tony Curtis especially had a difficult time with their cross-dressing costumes. When their were first testing costumes and make-up prior to filming, Curtis was so embarrassed that at first he refused to leave the dressing room; Lemmon, who according to Wilder walked out of the dressing room "floating ten feet high, completely normal and natural," had to take Curtis by the hand and drag him out of the dressing room.
Unlike Curtis, Lemmon approached the crossing-dressing aspect of the role with no holds barred. He worked endlessly with the make-up team trying to achieve the perfect "Daphne look." He even offended the professional female impersonator who was hired to help him and Curtis master how to walk like women. Lemmon denied his help saying he didn't want to walk like a woman; he wanted to walk like a man trying to walk like a woman. He knew that was key to comedy of it all.
Sidney Poitier (Curtis' co-star from The Defiant Ones) visiting Curtis and Lemmon on set. Via.
According to Lemmon, for whatever reason initial screening of the film was a horrible flop; he recalled in an interview that the first test audience was dead silent throughout the entire showing. Thankfully by the next test screening, (after changing literally nothing in the film) the second test audience loved it. They started laughing within the first few minutes and didn't stop for the remaining 115 minutes! In fact, audience members were laughing so hard during certain scenes (such as the scene where Lemmon announces he's engaged to Osgood), that key pieces of dialogue were being missed. Wilder had to re-film certain scenes and add pauses to allow the laughter to die down; that's why in the engagement scene, Wilder gave Lemmon maracas to shake in between his lines. Genius.
"Who's the lucky lady?"- Joe "I am!"- Jerry
In the end, despite all the on-set difficulties, Some Like it Hot was a smashing success. It was considered a true hit by both critics and audiences alike. It went on to be nominated for several awards including several Golden Globes and Academy Awards. While it only won one Oscar (Best Costume design for a Black and White film), it won several Golden Globes including Best Comedy Motion Picture, and Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy for Monroe. It was the only performance-based award she would ever win.
Monroe with her Golden Globe award for Some Like it Hot.Via.
While the stories of Monroe's off-screen behavior sound horrific, she still brought a charm and comedy to the role of Sugar that is undeniably wonderful. It makes me even more sad that she had such a troubled personal life; Marilyn obviously had raw talent that she was never able to fully harness due to personal distractions.
To this day, Some Like it Hot is considered one of the best classic comedies of all time. It has lost none of its charm or humor over the years. The final line of the movie, delivered by Joe E. Brown's Osgood, is always included on lists of the best movie quotes of all time. It is without a doubt one of the best closing lines of a film that was ever written. Like Roger Ebert once said of the closing line, "If you've seen the movie, you know what it is, and if you haven't, you deserve to hear it for the first time from [Brown]."
