Some Like it Hot - One of the funniest films of all time. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are two Chicago musicians that witness a mob hit and quickly skip town. They end up joining an all girl traveling singing group, which has a beautiful singer/ukelele player named Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe). The hilarity that ensues on their cross country/cross dressing journey will have you laughing long after the movie is over.
W.R. Hearst commanded all of his publications to neither condemn nor promote the film as a gesture towards the friendship between the Hearsts and the Welles families. Since Hearst had a near monopoly on U.S. publications in print across the states, it was perceived as a dud film by the public as they couldn't garner a review either way. Remember now, these were times when people relied on papers for their news and pennies were short. Too short to waste on a film with no review from their only news sources.
The film opened to mixed reviews and exclusive theaters anti-Hearst promotions. It still profited. It was only after W.R. Hearst and Howard Hughes' deaths that the film actually gained any notoriety. It's a good film for the history of its back story. Not for it's exclusive artistry.
Bridge Over The River Kwai. The Sound Of Music. The Best Years Of Our Lives. Stalag 17. The Exorcist. Doctor Zhivago. .... There are so many more that deserve to be on this threads list. Sadly, they're not.