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1959 Films, Best Picture-Musical or Comedy Golden Globe Winners, Black & White, Comedy, Crime Drama, Drama, Top 100 Films, Top 250 Films

Some Like It Hot-1959

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Some Like It Hot-1959

Director Billy Wilder

Starring Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis

Top 250 Films #88

Scott’s Review #388

Reviewed March 26, 2016

Grade: A

Considered one of the best comedies ever made, Some Like It Hot (1959) is a funny, outlandish, yet controlled film that never goes too over the top or dives into outrageous camp. Instead, it is well-written, well-acted, and contains excellent chemistry between the stars.

In summary, it is a film in which all the elements come together just right. In film comedy, this is an infrequent occurrence. Instead, we are typically treated to formulas or retreads of past successes.

Some Like It Hot feels refreshing and brilliant.

The film was also monumental in paving the way to the eventual elimination of the hated Hays Code, which imposed many restrictions on American cinema from 1930 to 1968.

Some Like It Hot pushed the envelope in essential ways, leading to a spike in creativity and art within the film industry that lasted mainly throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

For that, it is a masterpiece.

Down on their luck, broke, and needing work, Jerry and Joe (Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis) are struggling jazz musicians seeking a meager existence in snowy Chicago.

Having witnessed the St. Valentine’s Day massacre, they go on the run from the assailants, who have seen them, and pose as Josephine and Daphne, dressed in drag.

This leads to one humorous situation after another as they take the bus from Chicago to Miami with an all-girl musical band, a sort of slumber party led by boozy starlet Sugar Kane (played by Marilyn Monroe), who serves as the band’s vocalist and ukulele player.

Once arriving in sunny Miami, “the girls” find themselves entangled in romantic relationships with Sugar and the wealthy millionaire Osgood Fielding III, which leads to some blatant comic antics.

Josephine poses as a male Shell Oil Junior, attempting to woo Sugar with his assumed riches in the oil business.

What makes Some Like It Hot work so well is that it does not go too far over the edge to seem campy, nor does it play it too straight. This perfect balance makes the film rich with natural, fresh comedy.

Director Billy Wilder chose to film in black and white, avoiding Lemmon and Curtis looking ridiculous with colorful, bright makeup. This was toned down and muted to allow for greater believability.

Additionally, the film’s subtle edginess impresses me with each passing watch. Some Like It Hot got away with a lot in 1959, considering the restrictions, and that knowledge gives it a groundbreaking quality.

There is an air of homosexuality throughout, and the final line is my favorite, allowing for a thought-provoking interpretation.

When Daphne reaches her breaking point with Osgood’s romance and yanks off his wig, she professes exasperation, “I am a man!! Only to hear Osgood’s startling reply, ‘Well, nobody’s perfect,’ is clever dialogue.

Did Osgood know all along that Daphne was male? Will he marry ‘her’ anyway?

Who wouldn’t have blushed gazing at Monroe’s skin-colored and quite revealing outfit? It gave the impression that she was nude and showed how funny Lemmon and Curtis’s physical comic timing together is.

Bumbling around in stockings, heels, and dresses, attempting to be feminine but never quite succeeding, makes all the other characters think they are women, which is excellent.

Curtis was reportedly quite uncomfortable in drag, which shows on camera, but this works out well, giving Josephine a natural awkwardness.

Lemmon went all out in his costumes, and his energy came across.

In my opinion, although not looking her best, slightly plump and tired, Marilyn Monroe still gives the film added life and charm, and who is not mesmerized by her on stage singing “You Wanna Love Me”?

To think that Monroe died only three short years later is sad, and it highlights the appreciation for her career in its final stages.

A risqué, laugh-out-loud, funny treat, Some Like It Hot resonates with me and did so with audiences upon release in 1959.

Comical, thoughtful, and highly influential, the film is a must-see for fans of honest and cliché-free film comedy.

It is a blueprint for all witty comedies to follow.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Director-Billy Wilder, Best Actor-Jack Lemmon, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, Best Art Direction, Black-and-White, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Costume Design, Black-and-White (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 3 wins-Best Picture-Comedy (won), Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy-Jack Lemmon (won), Best Actress in a Leading Role-Musical or Comedy-Marilyn Monroe (won)

1953 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Black & White, Drama, Favorite Film of the Year, Romantic Drama, Top 250 Films, War, World War II

From Here to Eternity-1953

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From Here to Eternity-1953

Director Fred Zinnemann

Starring Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr

Top 250 Films #156

Scott’s Review #875

Reviewed March 7, 2019

Grade: A

Based on a popular 1952 novel of the same name by James Jones, From Here to Eternity (1953) tells a powerful story of romance and drama set against the gorgeous backdrop of Hawaii.

The film is poignant and sentimental for its build-up to the World War II Pearl Harbor attacks, further enhancing the storytelling.

With great acting and a compelling story, the film is a bombastic Hollywood creation that has endured and remains timeless.

A trio of United States Army personnel is stationed on the sunny island of Oahu. The primary principals are First Sergeant Milton Warden (Burt Lancaster), Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt (Montgomery Clift), and Private Angelo Maggio (Frank Sinatra). Their lives in the Schofield Army Barracks are chronicled.

Their respective love interests, Alma Lorene (Donna Reed) and Karen Holmes (Deborah Kerr), join them, and the triumphs and sorrows of each are explored dramatically before the devastating incident.

The film’s perspective is centered on the male characters, which risks it being classified as a “guy’s movie.”

Enough melodrama and romance offset the testosterone and masculinity, and as the characters weave in and out of each other’s lives, a broader canvas emerges.

This point is to the film’s credit, as each character is rich with development, sympathy, or sometimes pure anger.

Many films have been told, and continue to be told, about the terrors and after-effects of World War II, but From Here to Eternity remains at the top of the heap.

While not going full throttle with excessive violence or grit, the film tells of the trials and tribulations of people affected by, and soon to be affected by, the war.

The characters co-exist peacefully in their little slice of the world. Though there is the occasional bullying or insubordination among the ranks, the romance soon takes center stage, followed by the dire attacks.

The smoldering beach scene featuring Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr on the ravaging shores of Halona Cove is as iconic as any cinematic moment.

Rumors of the star’s torrid love affair and the need to run off to make love after shooting the scene could be myths, but they have never been disproven.

The camera crew reportedly shot the scene quickly, leaving the duo to their desires. Regardless, the scene may cause the iciest of hearts to turn into a torrent of heart-pounding flutters.

The film suddenly turns dark, as if realizing it is about a devastating war.

A central character dies, and another character hunts for revenge. Despite these deaths not being at the hands of an enemy or a battle, they are powerful and dim.

Finally, the attack on Pearl Harbor is upon us, just as the audience will no doubt sense it coming. The film ends sadly with a simple dialogue between the two main female characters.

Thanks to the fine direction of novice director Fred Zinnemann, From Here to Eternity (1953) elicits a wide range of emotions and subject matter.

At its core, it is a cynical film, but it is also rich in courage, integrity, and love of one’s country, without succumbing to phony patriotism.

With a dash of romance and sexuality, the film is utterly memorable and deserving of the hefty Academy Awards it achieved.

Oscar Nominations: 8 wins– Best Motion Picture (won), Best Director-Fred Zinnemann (won), Best Actor-Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster, Best Actress-Deborah Kerr, Best Supporting Actor-Frank Sinatra (won), Best Supporting Actress-Donna Reed (won), Best Screenplay (won), Best Musical Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, Best Sound Recording (won), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (won), Best Costume Design, Black-and-White, Best Film Editing (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 2 wins-Best Director-Motion Picture-Fred Zinnemann (won), Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture-Frank Sinatra (won)

1954 Films, Drama, Musical, Musical Drama

A Star is Born-1954

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A Star is Born-1954

Director George Cukor

Starring Judy Garland, James Mason

Scott’s Review #175

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Reviewed September 25, 2014

Grade: B+

A Star Is Born (1954) was considered Judy Garland’s much-touted comeback film and was very expensive for Warner Bros. to produce.

Garland delivers her finest career performance, even better than her portrayal of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939). The performance is multi-faceted, complex, comical, silly, poised, emotional, dramatic, and heartfelt.

Playing Esther Blodgett- later changed to Vicki Lester for more Hollywood potential- she is a struggling lounge singer who meets a successful actor named Norman Maine, played wonderfully by James Mason.

Esther saves Norman from public humiliation at a function where he attempts to take the stage while inebriated. They strike up a friendship, and he convinces her to pursue a film career. However, through a series of misunderstandings, she assumes he has ditched her.

Determined to become a star anyway, Esther forges her path to success. They reconnect, and Norman recognizes her talent and pursues her professionally and romantically. They marry, and she becomes a star while his career hits the skids, mainly due to his alcoholism.

The talented Mason and Garland are at the forefront of the film and are the reasons for its success.

A few key scenes stand out to me as powerful or essential- The scene involving a musical number over a dinner of sandwiches in their posh living room is wonderfully merry and light; a delivery boy who does not know who Norman is ruins the mood and causes jealousy to come to a head in his marriage to Esther.

Garland’s emotional scenes are excellent, especially in her dressing room, where she crumbles when she realizes Mason has hit rock bottom.

The best scene is the Academy Awards scene, where a drunken Norman causes a public spectacle as Esther receives her top honor, spoiling her night and accidentally hitting her in the face in front of millions.

What a forgiving woman Esther is for staying with him and ultimately choosing him at the risk of ruining her career.

An interesting aspect of the story is that Garland’s character is not some ugly duckling transformed into Hollywood royalty—she already has the talent.

She needs a break, but is not down on her luck or starving. She makes a decent living with a touring band and is torn about leaving them.

The musical numbers are inspiring, and one is reminded why Garland is such a star as she belts them out of the park like nobody’s business; however, they do little to further the plot.

The film sometimes drags a bit, as is often the case in the first half, but the second half (post-intermission) is brilliant, and the ending is tragic yet heartwarming.

Will Esther’s career continue to flourish?

A major flaw with the film is the use of still frames with overlapping dialogue due to lost footage.

This makes it very tough to follow the story, and the continuity is affected. It also comes across as ridiculous, and it’s disappointing that the story captures the viewer only to see a discolored still shot with audio.

Indeed, this can be corrected.

A Star Is Born (1954) is the perfect vehicle for Garland to return to her grand position among the Hollywood treasures.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor-James Mason, Best Actress-Judy Garland, Best Scoring of a Musical Picture, Best Song-“The Man That Got Away,” Best Art Direction, Color, Best Costume Design, Color

Golden Globe Nominations: 2 wins-Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role-Musical or Comedy-Judy Garland (won), Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy-James Mason (won)

1960 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Comedy, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Drama

The Apartment-1960

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The Apartment-1960

Director Billy Wilder

Starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine

Scott’s Review #7

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Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: A-

The Apartment (1960) is another gem by Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard, The Lost Weekend). This one is set in 1959 New York City, a setting and period I adore.

The black-and-white images effectively portray the loneliness and bleakness of the characters, who are all friendless, sad, and starved for love.

It questions social morality and getting ahead in the corporate world but goes from drama to romantic comedy with no sappiness.

Quite the contrary, as the film has dark moments of despair and angst.

The film influenced the television series “Mad Men”. As with most Billy Wilder films, there is a darkness of humanity, which is fascinating to watch.

Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are terrific, but their chemistry is lacking. Despite this, the film is still excellent.

The Apartment (1960) won the Best Picture Oscar.

Oscar Nominations: 5 wins-Best Motion Picture (won), Best Director-Billy Wilder (won), Best Actor-Jack Lemmon, Best Actress-Shirley MacLaine, Best Supporting Actor-Jack Kruschen, Best Story and Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (won), Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Black-and-White (won), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Film Editing (won)