Let me tell you something interesting. The classic film "Some Like It Hot," which celebrated its 60th anniversary, wasn't always destined to feature Jack Lemmon. Believe it or not, the role was initially offered to Jerry Lewis. But Jerry turned it down flat, saying, "Drag just isn't funny." That's according to Jack Lemmon's son, Chris, who shared this juicy tidbit in an exclusive interview with Closer Weekly. Even after Jack earned an Oscar nomination for his role, he maintained a friendly gesture by sending Jerry a box of chocolates every Oscar season.
A Rocky Start to Casting
Now, here's where the story gets even more fascinating. After Jerry Lewis declined, the producers had doubts about Jack Lemmon's star power. "The money people thought Jack wasn't a big enough star," explained Barbara Diamond, whose husband co-wrote the script with director Billy Wilder. The original plan was to cast Frank Sinatra alongside Tony Curtis and Mitzi Gaynor. But alas, Sinatra stood Billy up at lunch, which effectively ended that idea. So, as they say, the rest is history.
Marilyn Monroe: The Game-Changer
Now, here's the kicker. Everything changed when Marilyn Monroe expressed her interest in the project. "Once Billy had Marilyn and Tony, Jack was plenty big enough," Barbara revealed. But Marilyn brought her own set of challenges. She was insecure, often late, and needed multiple takes to nail her lines. Jack later admitted, "She was difficult, there’s no question of that." Yet, despite her quirks, Jack cherished working with her, saying, "I loved working with Marilyn."
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The Transformation Process
Transforming Jack and Tony into believable women wasn't a walk in the park. They put a lot of effort into perfecting their looks. Once they thought they had it right, they decided to test their disguise in a women’s restroom. "We went right to the mirror and started putting on lipstick," Tony recounted. But their plan backfired when a woman walked by and greeted Tony by name, blowing their cover. Talk about a reality check!
During production, many folks doubted the film's potential. "An awful lot of people thought it was going to be a disaster," Jack admitted. They believed Billy was attempting the impossible—turning a five-minute burlesque sketch into a full-length feature. When the film was first shown to preview audiences, it was met with silence. "Nobody laughed," Tony recalled. "They weren’t quite sure what it was about—they thought it was a melodrama." But Billy's confidence paid off. He made one minor tweak—cutting a single 60-second scene—and the film was released. Despite mixed reviews and condemnation from the Catholic Legion of Decency, "Some Like It Hot" became a massive word-of-mouth hit.
