Some Like It Hot

Movie review by Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Some Like It Hot Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 11+

One of the wildest romantic farces ever.

NR 1959 121 minutes
Rate movie

Parents say

age 14+

Based on 5 reviews

Kids say

age 10+

Based on 23 reviews

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate movie

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Some Like It Hot is a classic black-and-white comedy. Everything is played for laughs -- from the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, in which gangland hoodlums execute seven other thugs with machine guns, to the broad gender-bending humor that finds the two male heroes masquerading as female musicians for most of the film. Marilyn Monroe as Sugar is at her most voluptuous; clothes are revealing; leering at women is a primary male activity; and attempts at seduction move the plot along. But the only sexual activity is some passionate kissing. There's lots of drinking and smoking; Sugar knows she has a problem with alcohol.

Community Reviews

Rog66
Rog66 Adult
January 10, 2014
age 10+

SUPRISINGLY THIS 1959 FLICK IS PRETTY OFF COLOR

This is my favorite movie of all time. It is funny, clever, light, and very enjoyable. Not only is it well made, but also very well written. There are some things parents should know forever. First off the film was made in 1959, so its certainly no American Pie. But, there is some violence (old school gangster violence, machine guns etc.), some sexual content (partial nudity, brief sex, implications of boners and sex), and a fair amount of drinking and smoking. Also, the main characters are sort of bums who squander money and use women, which may not be a very good message.

This title has:

Great role models
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
1 person found this helpful.
Marc L.
Marc L. Adult
February 19, 2023
age 14+
For an older adult familiar with movies and mores of the time, this is brimming with jokes. If you blink you’ll miss three. Younger watchers will miss few. Also the violence might be a bit much. It plays heavily with sexual mores—it’s supposed to be funny because Curtis and Lemmon are cads and the situations they are in. At no point does the movie indicate this is good behavior, so it’s hard to take it all too seriously. Teens might squirm a bit watching with their parents. If you can, you may want to FF to yacht scene when Curtis claims girls claims girls “leave him cold.”
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In SOME LIKE IT HOT, musicians Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) accidentally witness the St. Valentine's Day massacre of a group of bootleggers by Spats Columbo (George Raft) and his mob. Desperate to get out of town, they accept a job with a band on its way to Florida -- an all-girl band -- and they dress as women, calling themselves "Josephine" and "Daphne." When they get to Florida, Joe adopts yet another disguise, this time as a wealthy bachelor, and attempts to woo the band's lead singer, Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe). Meanwhile, Osgood (Joe E. Brown), an actual wealthy bachelor, is interested in "Daphne." Meanwhile, Spats and his gang arrive at the hotel for a conference with other gang leaders, which results in even more bloodshed. Can Joe get the girl and get away from Spats?

Is It Any Good?

This is one of the wildest farces ever filmed, but it has a lot of heart as well, with brilliant performances by all three stars. Monroe is heartbreakingly vulnerable as Sugar in Some Like It Hot, explaining that she always gets "the fuzzy end of the lollypop." Joe must become someone else in order to learn the truth about Sugar (who would never have confided in a man) and about himself (as he sees the consequences of his exploitive behavior and feels what it is like to have men try to force their attentions on him). Jerry, hilariously, turns out to be as suggestible as a woman as he was as a man. As himself, he ends up going along with whatever Joe tells him. In women's clothes, he starts to think of himself as a woman. The scene where he tells Joe he and Osgood are engaged is a classic.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the characters change from their experiences in Some Like It Hot. How does Joe change, and what makes him change? What does he learn from being dressed as a woman? How do Joe and Jerry react differently to dressing as women? How does Sugar behave differently with "Junior" and "Josephine"?

  • How does the movie present drinking? Do you think the characters drink too much? Does their behavior seem realistic/believable? Are there consequences for what they do?

  • How do Joe and Jerry react when other men try to force their attentions on them while they're dressed as women? What do they learn? How does this relate to issues of sexism in modern society?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

  • Tootsie Poster Image

    Tootsie

    Touching romantic comedy with a twist.

    age 13+
  • The Great Race Poster Image

    The Great Race

    Perfect family movie is fun from beginning to end.

    age 6+
  • The Apartment Poster Image

    The Apartment

    Vintage comedy about sex in the city has drinking, smoking.

    age 13+

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate