I have seen both many times, but I watched them again recently to see how well Jack Lemmon, Dustin Hoffman, and Tony Curtis femulated in their roles.
My critique of Some Like It Hot
I loved the 1920s flapper-era outfits.
I have always thought Jack Lemmon’s wig was awful and I still think it was a poor choice.
In some scenes the boys passed; in others, they clearly looked like guys in dresses.
Tony Curtis made a better-looking woman than Jack Lemmon. That said, with a better wig, Daphne might have given Josephine a run for her money.
I was very impressed with Tony Curtis’s femme voice. It was right on the money. I wish I could speak en femme the way he did in that film.
As it turns out, Curtis’s feminine voice was actually dubbed by Paul Frees. Curtis had trouble maintaining a high-pitched voice through an entire take, so Frees was brought in to femulate the voice.
My critique of Tootsie
I loved the 1980s power suits. Still, if I had to choose between the two films’ fashions, I would prefer the flapper-era.
Hoffman’s presentation was quite convincing. The hair, makeup and clothing were excellent. Perhaps the fact that he was femulating a plain-looking middle-aged woman rather than a glamorous young lady helped make the illusion more believable.
His voice was also convincing. Although Paul Frees’s dubbing for Curtis was perfect, Hoffman deserves credit for performing Dorothy’s voice himself—and doing a very good job of it.
Bottom Line
Hoffman passed whenever he was en femme, compared to Curtis and Lemmon, who only passed some of the time.
Both films are outstanding and if you have not seen them, I highly recommend them.
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| Wearing LEAU |
Hoffman passed. As you said, not glamourous, but you wouldn't know. Helps he's the smallest by a bit.
ReplyDeletePassing as an "average woman" as opposed to a "glamor model" is, in my humble opinion, easier.
ReplyDeleteAnd that brings up one of my pet peeves - make-up tutorial videos. I have seen far too many of these that are titled "Crossdressing Make-up Tips" and are full out glam/drag. HARDLY the kind of make-up one would wear to the grocery store on a Saturday afternoon.
OK, I'm done now. Thanks for your indulgence (giggle).
Dustin Hoffman was really good in Tootsie. I liked the film.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why a man, Paul Frees, voiced Josephine's voice for Tony Curtis rather than just hiring genetic woman.
ReplyDeleteFrees did lots of voiceovers in Hollywood in the mid-20th Century and was a pro at voiceover dubbing as opposed to just some genetic woman, so go with the pro. His female voice was excellent and he can dub for me any day! LOL
DeleteBecause you want that hint of male? It is supposed to be a man presenting as a woman
DeleteLoved Tootsie. The character's modest 80's themed outfits very much are in line with my style. 80's power suits rule.
ReplyDelete-Christina
The American Film Institute ranks 'Some Like It Hot' as the number 1 American comedy of all time and "Tootsie" is number 2. AFI obviously appreciates a great femulation! I'd rank Tony Curtis' Josephine as the best femulation, with Dustin"s Dorothy in Tootsie close behind and Jack Lemmon's Daphne is 3rd. But she is the comic relief, so she is playing more for the laughs.
ReplyDeleteBoth of them I loved and would watch again with pleasure.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I wonder whether the "transformations made were deliberately not as perfect as would be possible because the roles were played for laughs. I'm sure that make-up artists, wig and costume designers had all the tools to make for perfection. Though I admit that a studio transformation may not survive the pressure of hours on a set.
Four, much more recent films showed superb femulations. Girl, and Lola ver la Mer, two Belgian films were certainly not played for laughs and the "girls" were totally believable, as were the actors in Miss and Une Nouvelle Amie, both French