Most people remember ‘Some Like It Hot‘ for its unique storyline: two musicians running for their lives, jumping into dresses, joining an all-women’s band, and somehow pulling it off without getting caught. The whole movie works because Joe and Jerry look surprisingly natural in their new identities.
But there’s something about that transformation that most people don’t know. No, everything didn’t happen by accident or naturally. In fact, someone behind the scenes planned the entire look and feel of their disguises.
‘Some Like It Hot’ Storyline Needed The Disguise For Authenticity
Back when Billy Wilder made the movie, it wasn’t some safe comedy. He needed Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon to spend most of the film pretending to be women, and that alone was risky under the strict movie rules of that era. On top of that, people weren’t sure how audiences would react. If the guys looked awkward or too obviously masculine, the whole joke would fall apart.
Related: The Classic Thriller That Put Alfred Hitchcock On FBI’s Watchlist
And the story needed that illusion to work. Curtis and Lemmon played Joe and Jerry, musicians who accidentally witness a mob hit and escape by joining an all-female band as “Josephine” and “Daphne.” Meanwhile, Monroe played Sugar Kane, the dreamy, slightly rebellious singer who wanted to marry a rich man. Joe even added a third disguise, a fake Shell Oil heir, to get closer to her.
Jerry, on the other hand, ended up catching the eye of a real millionaire named Osgood, who instantly adored “Daphne.” Jerry got carried away and even talked about settling into a comfortable life with him. The film needed viewers to believe these two men truly passed as women, or none of these moments would land. And that’s where the secret ingredient came in.
Barbette: The Real-Life Figure Who Made The Drag Act Transformation Possible
Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon didn’t magically know how to walk, sit, or even gesture like women. Billy Wilder brought in someone incredible to train them: Vander Clyde Broadway, better known as Barbette, a drag performer who had once amazed audiences all over the world. Barbette came from a small Texas town, grew up picking cotton, and fell in love with circus acts at an early age. He first performed as part of a female aerialist duo and later created a solo act as “Barbette.”
In case you missed it: The Real Reason Why Woody Allen Tried To Stop ‘Manhattan’ From Ever Releasing
When Wilder hired him to coach Curtis and Lemmon, Barbette gave extremely detailed tips. Curtis later mentioned that Barbette taught them to place their palms flat when sitting so their biceps wouldn’t flex. Lemmon didn’t always agree with the guidance, especially when Barbette told them to cross one foot over the other while walking. Lemmon apparently argued that nobody walked that way. Feeling dismissed, Barbette eventually left the set. Later, Curtis once tested their disguises by walking into the women’s restroom on the studio lot. And not one woman noticed anything unusual.
Once the movie hit theaters, it blew up in a huge way. It earned about $14 million during its first run, and critics couldn’t stop praising how wildly funny it was. Lemmon even got an Oscar nomination, and the film scored nominations in several other categories, winning for costume design. Sadly, Barbette’s own story took a harder turn later in life. Old injuries and past illnesses left him in constant pain, and he eventually returned to Texas to live near his sister. In 1973, he died by suicide.
