The Seven Year Itch (1955)

When his family goes away for the summer, a hitherto faithful husband with an overactive imagination is tempted by a beautiful neighbbor.

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Billy Wilder (screenplay), George Axelrod (screenplay)

Stars:

Marilyn Monroe, Tom Ewell, Evelyn Keyes

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Marilyn Monroe	...	The Girl
Tom Ewell	...	Richard Sherman (as Tommy Ewell)
Evelyn Keyes	...	Helen Sherman
Sonny Tufts	...	Tom MacKenzie
Robert Strauss	...	Mr. Kruhulik
Oskar Homolka	...	Dr. Brubaker (as Oscar Homolka)
Marguerite Chapman	...	Miss Morris
Victor Moore	...	Plumber
Dolores Rosedale	...	Elaine (as Roxanne)
Donald MacBride	...	Mr. Brady
Carolyn Jones	...	Miss Finch - Nurse

Storyline

With his family away for their annual summer holiday, New Yorker Richard Sherman decides he has the opportunity to live a bachelor's life - to eat and drink what he wants and basically to enjoy life without wife and son. The beautiful but ditsy blond from the apartment above his catches his eye and they soon start spending time together. It's all innocent though there is little doubt that Sherman is attracted to her. Any lust he may be feeling is played out in his own imagination however.

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Plot Keywords:

based on play | skirt | farce | talking to oneself | fantasy sequence | 

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Taglines:

It TICKLES and TANTALIZES! - The funniest comedy since laughter began!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marilyn Monroe's lifelong bouts with depression and self-destruction took their toll during filming; she frequently muffed scenes and forgot her lines, leading to sometimes as many as 40 takes of a scene before a satisfactory result was produced.

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Goofs

When Richard sets the coffee pot on the stove and turns on the gas, there is no flame, yet the pot is percolating when he returns to the kitchen minutes later.

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Quotes

The Girl: You're married. I KNEW it! You LOOK married.

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Crazy Credits

When the title appears, one arm of the T in ITCH reaches down and scratches the stem of the letter.

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Alternate Versions

Due to the Hayes Production code (censorship) issues of the time, Director Billy Wilder was forced to cut some footage that was judged to be too racy to have in the film. AMC showed some of the censored footage on a "Backstory" (2001) episode. The cut material includes:

• A full shot of Marilyn Monroe's skirt being blown clear above her waist, which was included in the poster but deemed too suggestive to have in the film.
• Extended portion of the skirt scene in which Marilyn Monroe's skirt is again blown by the subway, and then there is a dialogue in which she tells Tom Ewell: "You should wear a skirt; I am feeling sorry for you in those hot pants!" (this deleted scene is also featured on the 20th Century Fox DVD release)
• A scene in which Marilyn Monroe is in the bathtub covered with bubbles, and gets her toe stuck in the faucet. The plumber, attempting to free her, drops his wrench in the bathtub and plunges his full arm towards the bottom of it to fish his tool. He is obviously embarrassed but Marilyn simply gives him a conniving look saying "It's OK!" (this deleted scene is also featured on the 20th Century Fox DVD release)
• Different, less suggestive angles were used in the scene which included the famous "undies in the icebox" dialogue.

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Connections

Referenced in Casual Sex? (1988)

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Soundtracks

Chopsticks
(1877) (uncredited)
Music by Euphemia Allen
Performed by Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell

User Reviews

Marilyn The Magnficent

Marilyn Monroe was a force of nature so great that Betty Grable her predecessor as Queen of the 20th Century Fox Lot claimed that MM saved the movie industry in the 50's when fans were switching to TV. I am not sure all about that but I do know that MM was incomparable as a comedienne. This is Ms. Monroe's first of two films with Billy Wilder and the great Director in an interview with Cameron Crowe noted that Wilder wanted Walter Matthau then a new Broadway star to co star with Double M but 20th insisted on Tom Ewell. One can only imagine Marilyn Monroe and Walter Matthau together! This is a great movie made greater by two greats Marilyn Mornoe and Billy Wilder.

Davud Barra

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 July 1955 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Seven Year Itch

Filming Locations:

164 East 61st Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,800,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,652

Company Credits

Production Co:

Charles K. Feldman Group, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Color by Deluxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1