one of the best comedies that Hollywood ever produced.

However, the film's most important legacy goes far beyond the iconic gags or charming characters. Some Like It Hot is considered a crucial player in the collapse of the Hays Code, which for decades had dictated that kind of stories that American (and increasingly global) audiences could see produced by filmmakers. The collapse of the code was a long-time coming, but Some Like It Hot's risqué material and box-office success were a key aspect of Hollywood's acceptance of more diverse material. Recently re-released by the Criterion Collection, this element makes Some Like It Hot all the more important to celebrate.

How Some Like It Hot Flaunted The Hays Code

Some Like It Hot Broke Many Of The Hays Codes' Biggest Rules — And Was A Massive Hit For It

Thanks to the subversive elements and success of Some Like It, the restrictive Hollywood self-censorship of the Hays Code was finally lifted in an important moment of change for filmmaking. As explained by effectively banned several films in the United States.

At its core, the Hayes Code was about establishing a firm sense of morality in feature films produced by the studio system, ensuring that no film should ever "lower the moral standards" of audiences by making them sympathize with darker characters. Over time, the Hays Code began to impact more and more filmmakers, with a ban on nudity, dancing, mockery of religion, drugs, suggestive dancing, criminal schemes, and interracial romance. Although the Hays Code was entirely voluntary, many theaters wouldn't screen movies that didn't it.

Although various films like the Frank Sinatra drama The Man With the Golden Arm had challenged the Hays Code before Some Like It Hot, the crossdressing comedy seemed determined to flaunt many of the rules of conduct enshrined by the code. The film's entire premise is rooted the two lead male characters disguising themselves as women, which flew in the face of the Hays Code and its ban on men dressing in drag. Marilyn Monroe's Sugar Kane is a sexualized character who dances, sings, and openly drinks alcohol — all things s of the Hays Code would scoff at.

The film made criminal jazz musicians the protagonists, played with gender norms of the time, and even ended the film with one man itting his commitment to marrying his true love, even if he is also a man. All of these themes being front and center in Some Like It Hot resulted in the film failing to reach the standard of the Hays Code, meaning it didn't receive a certificate of approval. However, that didn't end up having too much of a negative effect on the film.

Some Like It Hot's Success Helped Break The Hays Code

Some Like It Hot Proved Films Could Be Succesful Without The Seal Of Approval

By the time Some Like It Hot left movie theaters, it had grossed $25 million against a budget of $2.9 million. It has subsequently made millions more thanks to re-releases. After a successful limited run in a handful of cities, the film had a national expansion over the Easter holiday, where it was number one at the box office for three weeks. Even when it was briefly dethroned at the box office by the Douglas Sirk drama Imitation of Life, Variety at the time the film reclaimed the top spot after two weeks and remained there for four more.

Some Like It Hot wasn't just a commercial success, either. The film earned critical accolades from across the industry, dominating at the 17th Golden Globe Awards (winning awards for Billy Wilder, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe) and earning six Academy Award nominations. Elements of it were quickly iconic in the public zeitgeist, and it played a part in elevating Monroe as one of the 20th century's most important sex icons. The fact that the film broke the Hays Code didn't hurt it at all, and the racy subject matter seemed to even improve the box office results.

American audiences had been increasingly turning to racier international fare, rejecting the more antiquated morality of the Hays Code. While the code had been bent before Some Like It Hot, the massive success of the film seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for self-censorship. Less than a decade after Some Like It Hot proved that Hollywood films didn't need to adhere to the code to be successful, it was replaced by the MPAA rating system. Filmmakers were given more freedom to expand the scope of their subject matter, leading to a period of increased experimentation.

Without films like Some Like It Hot breaking down the code, the New Hollywood movement would have been stunted. Directors like Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola would have never been able to make their foundational successes that led to films like Jaws and The Godfather. Amazing modern films like Sinners or Mickey 17 would have never been able to be made under the Hays Code. Films like Some Like It Hot aren't just important to because they're hilarious, but because culture would be radically different without them.

Some Like It Hot is now available from the Criterion Collection on 4K, Blu-Ray, and DVD.

Source: NPR, Variety