Which female movie star and cultural icon starred in the hit 1959 film, "Some Like It Hot"?

Marilyn Monroe is the answer. Some Like It Hot is a 1959 film directed by Billy Wilder, starring Monroe as Sugar Kane opposite Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. The classic comedy became a major part of Hollywood history and one of Marilyn Monroe’s best-known screen roles.

Marilyn Monroe as Sugar Kane

Marilyn Monroe played Sugar Kane Kowalczyk, a singer and ukulele player in Sweet Sue’s band. Sugar Kane appears as part of an all-female musical group that Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon’s characters join while disguised as women. Monroe also performed “I Wanna Be Loved by You” in the film, a song that became strongly linked with both the movie and her public image.

Released Without a Production Code Seal

Some Like It Hot had problems with the Hollywood Production Code because of its cross-dressing plot and sexual innuendo. United Artists released the Billy Wilder comedy without a Production Code seal, which was still unusual for a major American release in 1959. The film’s commercial success showed how much the old studio-era censorship system had weakened by the end of the 1950s.

Why the Film Was Shot in Black and White

The movie was shot in black and white partly because early color tests created a makeup problem. When Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon were dressed as women, their makeup reportedly looked greenish or unnatural on camera. Black-and-white photography helped the disguises look more convincing and also matched the film’s late-1920s setting.

Golden Globe Win and Comedy Legacy

Marilyn Monroe won a Golden Globe for her role as Sugar Kane in Some Like It Hot. The American Film Institute later ranked Some Like It Hot at number 1 on its list of the funniest American movies. That ranking helped confirm the 1959 film’s long-term reputation as one of the most important classic comedy titles in American film history.