Some Like It Hot
After two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.
Directed by Billy Wilder · Comedy · Music · Romance · 121 min · 1959
Trailer
Director
Billy Wilder
Studio
Mirisch Company
Release
19 Mar 1959
Runtime
121 min
Genres
Comedy, Music, Romance
Full Plot
After two Chicago musicians, Joe and Jerry, witness the the St. Valentine's Day massacre, they want to get out of town and get away from the gangster responsible, Spats Colombo. They're desperate to get a gig out of town but the only job they know of is in an all-girl band heading to Florida. They show up at the train station as Josephine and Daphne, the replacement saxophone and bass players. They certainly enjoy being around the girls, especially Sugar Kane Kowalczyk who sings and plays the ukulele. Joe in particular sets out to woo her while Jerry/Daphne is wooed by a millionaire, Osgood Fielding III. Mayhem ensues as the two men try to keep their true identities hidden and Spats Colombo and his crew show up for a meeting with several other crime lords.
Cast & Characters
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk, a ukulele player and singer
Marilyn Monroe
Joe/Josephine/Shell Oil Junior, a saxophone player
Tony Curtis
Jerry/Daphne, a bassist
Jack Lemmon
Osgood Fielding III
Joe E. Brown
"Spats" Colombo, a mobster from Chicago
George Raft
Agent Mulligan
Pat O'Brien
Little Bonaparte, a mobster and leader of the Friends of Italian Opera Society
Nehemiah Persoff
Sweet Sue, the bandleader of Sweet Sue and Her Society Syncopators
Joan Shawlee
Mister Bienstock, the band manager for "Sweet Sue and Her Society Syncopators"
Dave Barry
Sig Poliakoff, Joe and Jerry's agent in Chicago
Billy Gray
Nellie Weinmeyer, Poliakoff's secretary
Barbara Drew
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $2.9M, Some Like It Hot has grossed $25.0M worldwide — about 8.6x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Billy Wilder has directed 5 films in our catalog, including The Apartment, Sunset Boulevard.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
By 1962, Some Like It Hot had grossed $14 million in the US.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
Some Like It Hot holds 8.2/10 on IMDb (304,528 votes), 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, 98/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of July 30, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.2/10 on IMDb (304,528 votes), 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, 98/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Some Like It Hot's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Some Like It Hot holds a 95% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Some Like It Hot's IMDb rating?+
Some Like It Hot has a 8.2/10 rating on IMDb from 304,528 votes.
What is Some Like It Hot's Metacritic score?+
Some Like It Hot has a Metascore of 98/100 on Metacritic.
Is Some Like It Hot good? What are critics saying?+
Some Like It Hot holds 8.2/10 on IMDb (304,528 votes), 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, 98/100 on Metacritic.
How long is Some Like It Hot?+
Some Like It Hot has a runtime of 121 min.
Who directed Some Like It Hot?+
Some Like It Hot was directed by Billy Wilder.
Where can I watch Some Like It Hot?+
Some Like It Hot is available to stream, rent, or buy on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, YouTube TV, MGM Plus, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex, MGM Plus Amazon Channel, Rakuten TV, Sky Store.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The movie "Some Like It Hot" has received generally positive reviews, with some critics praising its enjoyable and amusing performances. A few reviewers have also noted that the film's plot is "unserious", but still effective and entertaining. One reviewer specifically mentioned Curtis' performance as Joe, stating he was a "good star".
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
Ridiculous plot, but very enjoyable nonetheless. <em>'Some Like It Hot'</em> is good, unserious fun. Tony Curtis (Joe) and Jack Lemmon (Jerry) are the stars of the show, with amusing performances from start-to-finish. Marilyn Monroe is pleasant too, this is actually the first fil…
r96sk · 8/10**One of Curtis' best films... and an effective and enjoyable comedy.** For many, this movie is simply one of the greatest comedies of all time. However, I have serious doubts about that. In my personal opinion, it's a good comedy, it entertains its audience very well, and there'…
Filipe Manuel Neto · 4/10I really don't get the comedy here. Curtis and Lemmon dress up as showgirls to avoid the mob. That's good for a five minute sketch, but not a full length movie. And that's the problem. It is stretched out to be an ordeal. For some reason, some guy likes Lemmon as a woman, and Lem…
drystyx · 3/10
From the trailer's comments
Best motion picture ever.😂 At least once a year to watch!
@johnclapzucker3145 · 0 likesYou must be quite a girl! You wanna bet? :)))))))
@VladSicoe · 4 likesHow difficult would it be these days to release it in color?
@code_scratcher · 3 likes
