Which 1959 comedy stars Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis as musicians in drag?

The story behind the answer

The 1959 comedy starring Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis as musicians in drag is Some Like It Hot.

Billy Wilder directed and co-wrote the film with I. A. L. Diamond. Set during Prohibition, it follows saxophonist Joe and bassist Jerry, played by Curtis and Lemmon, after they witness a mob killing. To escape, they join an all-female touring band disguised as Josephine and Daphne, where they meet Monroe's singer, Sugar Kane.

The film was adapted from the 1935 French comedy Fanfare of Love. Its gender-swapping premise creates several overlapping deceptions: Joe later disguises himself as a wealthy heir, while Jerry attracts the attention of millionaire Osgood Fielding III. A common mix-up is assuming Monroe plays one of the musicians; she plays Sugar, the band's vocalist.

Some Like It Hot received six Academy Award nominations and won for costume design. In 1989, it became one of the first 25 films added to the United States National Film Registry.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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