“Gender-bending comedies employ an established set of iconographic, thematic, and narrative conventions, almost always concluding with an overt affirmation of heteronormativity.” (Suzanne Woodward, 2012)
Regarding this previous statement, linear ‘Some Like It Hot’ (Billy Wilder, 1959) employs most expectations of a gender bending comedy. To provide some basic context to the narrative, the plot begins when two male musicians Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) witness a mob hit, flee the state with an all female band disguised as women. Paradoxically further complications concerning their new identities and the star women Sugar Cane (Marylyn Monroe) set in.
Referring back to how it conforms to the genre of a gender bending comedy, it ends predictably with, on this occasion, the voluntary revelation of their true gender to their romantic counterpart, how as anticipated the humour is delivered primarily using the cross dressers and their predicaments and finally, the persistent reminder of how they should be heteronormative.
This can be distinguished from certain elements which Wilder exhibits through poignant moments throughout the film, an significant example worth observing concerning narrative would be a sequence in the film which compares and contrasts two distinct versions of a night out between the two different couples: Junior (Curtis) and Sugar (Monroe), Oswald the 3rd (Joe E. Brown) and Daphne (Lemmon).
From the use of fast crosscutting in this scene, we establish a difference in time and space between the two separate couples, as well as a remarkable change in the mood of both scenes. Fake millionaire bachelor Junior seduces Sugar on an expensive yacht anchoring at sea which is simultaneously presented with that of Oswald and Daphne's tango dancing on shore.
After being introduced to some soft romantic music we see Sugar wiggle provocatively whilst bringing a drink to Junior. The dress she wears contrasts vastly to that of Daphne whom we see...