Some Like It Hot (Hardcover)

~ Dan Auiler (Author), (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"It was one of the easiest pictures to make including the difficulties with Marilyn Monroe," says Billy Wilder of his legendary comedy in Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot, edited by Alison Castle and with interviews by Dan Auiler. This large format, suede-covered tribute replete with new interviews with all the major stars (including Jack Lemmon), behind-the-scenes dish, working drafts of the screenplay and hundreds of photos, film stills and other illustrations will dazzle fans of 1950s and '60s Hollywood. Inset into the back cover is an added gem: a facsimile of Monroe's copy of the script, bound like the original and including handwritten notes (when her character, Sugar, is supposed to be startled, Monroe wrote "freeze like a bunny" as a stage direction). Collectors will rejoice.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Do I read it, eat it or more love to it? To call the book luscious sexy is hardy hyperbole. -- Variey, October 14, 2001

It is the size of an old electric typewriter, and it weighs more that many common domestic animals. -- New Yorker, October 22, 2001

It's hard to imagine a more thorough companion piece to Wilder's 1959 comedy. -- Entertainment Weekly, November 16, 2001

Some Like it Hot is essentially a love letter to one of the auteur's most revered films. -- New York Post, October 2, 2001

This superlative coffee-table tome on Billy Wilder's cross-dressing screwball classic will blow your pantyhose off. -- Time Out New York - November 29, 2001

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 386 pages
• Publisher: Taschen (September 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822860565
• ISBN-13: 978-3822860564
• Product Dimensions: 18.8 x 11.3 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,327,547 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars sumptuous, weighty, pricey!, December 20, 2001

By	laura - See all my reviews

the most lavishly produced book devoted to a single film to date.

the photos & the script drafts are the main attractions here. the interviews, less so. many of the stories have been told before, so there's little new insight or keen analysis.

in fact, author dan auiler spoke about the book on wnyc recently and said of Some Like it Hot's first screening that "Audrey Hepburn, Billy Wilder's wife, remembers that Steve Allen was the only person in the theater who laughed at the film, and the rest of the audience just sort of sat there stony faced wondering what they were looking at."

don't know what mr. auiler was thinking, but mrs. wilder is not the late audrey hepburn, but audrey young.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amasterpiece of a masterpiece!, November 18, 2001

By	russell Teague (Dallas, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

A scrumptuous, sumptuous, brilliant and beautiful look into the world of Billy Wilder's masterpiece of comic genius. Gorgeous in every respect. Yellow leather cover, interviews with Lemmon, Wilder and Curtis, stiolls from all scenes, color, pull out facsilmile of Marilyn's prompt book with her notations. Just magnificent! A must have coffee table treat deluxe for the Marilyn or Wilder fan! WOW!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, December 28, 2001

By A Customer

Wow, this has to be the most beautiful book I've ever owned. I'm not exactly sure why the authors have chosen this particular film to give such treatment to (I find the film amusing, but not a museum piece), but I love the treatment. From it's sumptious leather cover with stylized typeface to the cute Billy Wilder bookmark, Marilyn's prompt book which fits just so in the back cover, to the detailed presentation of the scripts, the color photographs, and the press materials it's all a great package. I'm guessing this was published by a German publishing house because there are German, French and other language translations after the chapters and along the margins with the script. I can't say as though I would have spent [price] on this, but it was a fabulous gift that I will treasure.