Richard Sherman, an executive at a paperback publishing house in New York, sends his wife and son away for the summer in Maine while he stays behind for work purposes. Before they separate, his wife makes him promise that he will look after himself and not go wild over the summer. But when a beautiful and sexy blonde moves into the apartment above him as a house sitter, he finds himself failing at that promise. Meanwhile, he lets his imagination get the best of him, as he imagines what his wife is doing in Maine.
This film has entered the realms of popular culture for the scene where Marilyn Monroe stands over the subway grating as the hot air causes her skirt to flare up. This charming movie is so much more than that. Billy Wilder and his co-screen writer George Axelrod (who adapted his successful Broadway play for the screen) found themselves battling with the infamous censorship board the Hays Office, who prohibited them from showing adultery on the screen. Yet, somehow, the film manages to be ahead of its time. This is due to the casting of Tom Ewell and Marilyn Monroe in the leading roles. Pairing the world's most popular superstar (Marilyn) against this average John Doe (Ewell) made the material racy without ever being dirty (Sherman returns to his wife in the end). With this film, Marilyn proves why she is still one of the most popular movie stars in the history of cinema. She conveys sexiness while retaining a childlike innocence. Ewell is especially fine, recreating his stage performance. He makes his character the average Joe without ever being over-dramatic. Also impressive is the use of the widescreen CinemaScope format. Cinematographer Milton Krasner and director Wilder manage to make the apartment set spacious, while maintaining the cramped sensibility of an apartment. Wilder always finds things for his actors to do in the set. A bouncy musical score and Saul Bass credit sequence add to the proceedings. Recommended. 10/10.
This film has entered the realms of popular culture for the scene where Marilyn Monroe stands over the subway grating as the hot air causes her skirt to flare up. This charming movie is so much more than that. Billy Wilder and his co-screen writer George Axelrod (who adapted his successful Broadway play for the screen) found themselves battling with the infamous censorship board the Hays Office, who prohibited them from showing adultery on the screen. Yet, somehow, the film manages to be ahead of its time. This is due to the casting of Tom Ewell and Marilyn Monroe in the leading roles. Pairing the world's most popular superstar (Marilyn) against this average John Doe (Ewell) made the material racy without ever being dirty (Sherman returns to his wife in the end). With this film, Marilyn proves why she is still one of the most popular movie stars in the history of cinema. She conveys sexiness while retaining a childlike innocence. Ewell is especially fine, recreating his stage performance. He makes his character the average Joe without ever being over-dramatic. Also impressive is the use of the widescreen CinemaScope format. Cinematographer Milton Krasner and director Wilder manage to make the apartment set spacious, while maintaining the cramped sensibility of an apartment. Wilder always finds things for his actors to do in the set. A bouncy musical score and Saul Bass credit sequence add to the proceedings. Recommended. 10/10.