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Before the age of films packed with high-tech digitalized effects and a few cheap thrills, there was the era of Old Hollywood. This was a time of glamor, subtlety, and sophistication. While that era ended decades ago, the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego still effortlessly radiates the timeless elegance of yesterday. With the rickety charm of the old wooden structure, its cage elevator and the fanciful red-turreted roofs, it is no surprise that Hotel Del Coronado served as the backdrop for the classic comedy, Some Like It Hot.
Filmed in 1958, the award-winning film starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon follows the exploits of two out-of-work Chicago musicians who accidentally witness a gangland slaying. Making a run for their lives, the men disguise themselves as women and join an all-girl band traveling by train to Florida. More trouble begins when a ukulele-strumming singer in the band, played by Monroe, catches the eyes of both men. Hilarity ensues in this gender-shifting romantic romp that is played out at California’s famed Hotel Del Coronado, locally referred to as the Del, which director Billy Wilder found to be the perfect substitute for Florida in the Roaring Twenties.
An enchanting combination of suspense, action, comedy, and romance, Some Like It Hot has stood the test of time and continues to delight audiences 50 years after its debut. To honor the legendary film, voted the No. 1 comedy of all time by the American Film Institute, the Del will host a weekend celebration, in conjunction with HarperCollinsPublishing, MGM, and Tony Curtis Enterprises on September 18-20, 2009. The festivities will include two-nights accommodations; a Some Like It Hot DVD for each guest; the launch of Some Like It Hot: The Official 50th Anniversary Companion by Laurence Maslon; private receptions with Some Like It Hot Producer Walter Mirisch and award winning actor, author and artist Tony Curtis, and a party with “Sweet Sue and her Society Syncopaters,” the girls in the band from the movie.
Author and scholar Laurence Maslon says, “There have been a lot of movies shot on a lot of locations, but only a few marriages of celluloid and place can be considered truly legendary. Chief among those magical moments is the sight of Marilyn Monroe cavorting on the beautiful beach at the footsteps of the Hotel Del Coronado.”
For film enthusiasts and Marilyn Monroe fans alike, rates start at $340 per night at the Hotel Del Coronado and $595 per night at the Beach Village at The Del. Friday and Saturday night stay required.
Visit www.hoteldel.com