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 neighbor.

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:

skirt | new york city | blonde | 1950s | extramarital affair | 

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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

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 July 1955 (UK)

Also Known As:

La comezón del séptimo año

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$1,800,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$12,000,000

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Seven Year Itch was the final film of stage comedian Victor Moore.

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Goofs

Both Richard and his boss, who are in the book publishing industry, refer to "The Portrait of Dorian Gray". The title of the Oscar Wilde novel is "The Picture of Dorian Gray".

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Quotes

The Girl: I think it's wonderful that you're married! I think it's just elegant!

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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

Version released in then West Germany contains some profanity.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien: Joe Torre/Will Arnett/Spinal Tap (2009)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

So...? What's not to like?

Forget today's sex symbols...Marilyn is IT.

If Kate Moss moved into the flat above mine while my wife was out of town with the kids, I'd have no trouble resisting temptation; but, Marilyn Monroe is a force of nature. She's a fertility goddess. She is pure hourglass with a dynamite smile. In short, she is pure concentrated femininity.

This movie is a comedy, and a good one at that. The timing of Monroe and Ewell is flawless. The scene where he jumps Marilyn on the piano bench in a brief moment of passion causing them both to fall to the floor gives this brief exchange...

"I'm sorry", Ewell says, "This has never happened to me before"

Marilyn answers, while standing up and adjust her clothes, "That's funny. It happens to me all the time"...

Priceless...

The exchange between Ewell and a psychiatrist is equally well-done. The movie is a classic. It is Jack Lemmon's The Apartment, done with an attractive woman and a man who, although not in full possession of his marbles, certainly is better adjusted than Lemmon's character.

This is a must see...