TASCHEN TO PUBLISH LAVISH TRIBUTE TO BILLY WILDER’S SOME LIKE IT HOT, THE CLASSIC FILM OF MUSIC, MURDER AND MEN IN DRAG To celebrate Billy Wilder’s 95th birthday, TASCHEN has created a splendid homage to Some Like it Hot, the movie voted Best Comedy of the Century by the American Film Institute. A daring tale of cross-dressing made at a time when the subject was all but taboo, Some Like it Hot (1959) tells the story of two Prohibition-era jazz musicians who are forced to go undercover in an all-girl band to escape from the mob. Absolutely scandalous in its day, Some Like it Hot paved the way, but has never been eclipsed by contemporary comedies like Tootsie, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Victor/Victoria, and La Cage aux Folles.
With a hilarious screenplay by I.A.L. Diamond and Billy Wilder, flawless performances from Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and the notoriously difficult Marilyn Monroe, Some Like it Hot is the embodiment of comic perfection.
Written by Dan Auiler, a recognized authority on American film, Some Like it Hot is divided into 3 sections:
· A rare first draft and entire final script annotated with hundreds of photos from the film
· Interviews conducted exclusively for the book with Billy Wilder, Jack Lemmon (his last major interview before his recent death), Tony Curtis and Walter Mirisch
· A scrapbook section of ephemera from the film including advertising, posters from 13 different countries, news items, cast bios, crew lists, Wilder's filmography, and more
The tastiest feature is a replica of Marilyn Monroe's script set into the back cover of the book; a perfect copy of the original which sold at a Christie's auction recently for $60,000. It is complete with Monroe's own colored ink prompt notations and the director's notes, and is an absolutely fascinating document, providing intimate insights into Wilder’s direction and Monroe’s approach to the material. The oversized book is gorgeously produced, with a padded yellow ultra suede cover embossed with the film's original title design.
Some Like it Hot is the ‘must-have’ gift this season for film-loving fans of the great Billy Wilder.
**Padded ultra-suede hardcover in it’s own printed storage box
