Q. Was Frank Sinatra considered for the Tony Curtis role in Some Like It Hot?
A. Yes and no, at least he expressed interest in the Jerry/Daphne role (Jack Lemmon). Here is the story of the casting twists and turns that led to Monroe, Curtis and Lemmon as the stars.
"Initially, director Billy Wilder envisioned Danny Kaye and Bob Hope as the two male leads. Over time, he dropped this casting idea and toyed with the idea of using two lesser-known but promising young actors: Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. Wilder had just seen Lemmon, a relative newcomer, in the comedy, Operation Mad Ball (1957), and thought he would make a great Jerry/Daphne. Curtis, on the other hand, had been acting in films since 1949 but finally proved he was a real actor in Sweet Smell of Success (1957). Wilder thought Curtis might be just right for Joe/Josephine and Curtis jumped at the opportunity to work with the director.
Then, Frank Sinatra expressed an interest in playing the Jerry/Daphne role and the Lemmon-Curtis teaming was put on hold. Wilder needed a major star for box office insurance and Sinatra was his ace in the hole.
At the same time, Mitzi Gaynor was being pursued for the role of Sugar, the female band leader, until Marilyn Monroe began campaigning for the part.
As luck would have it, Sinatra passed on the project but Monroe officially signed on for the film, giving Wilder the superstar he needed for studio financing and clearing the way for Lemmon and Curtis as the male leads." TCM
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