The Seven Year Itch (1955)

When his family goes away for the summer, a so far faithful husband 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

Marilyn Monroe was anxious to work with Billy Wilder but had to agree to do There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) before Fox would allow her to do this film.

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Goofs

When Richard is reading the statistics in the doctor's manuscript, a stat is given that the seven year itch affects 84% of men in their 7th year of marriage. The next stat says that this number increases to 92% in the summertime. However, this makes no sense. If the stat is that 84% of men in their 7th year of marriage get the itch, then how can it change depending on the season? The logic does not follow.

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Quotes

Richard Sherman: There's gin and vermouth. That's a martini.
The Girl: Oh, that sounds cool! I think I'll have a glass of that. A big tall one!

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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 Monroeis 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

Spoofed in The Woman in Red (1984)

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Soundtracks

Piano Concerto #2
Composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff (as S. Rachmaninoff)
Played on a record and often in the score

User Reviews

Marilyn at her most innocent

In Some Like it Hot, Marilyn was the hottest she ever was. In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, she's the Woman of all Women. But in The Seven Year Itch, Marilyn is the prize of all treasures. She is timeless in every frame of the film. Coming across as this unique, cute, and innocent little woman, Marilyn makes your mind race, your heart thump, and your youth return.

No one else but Marilyn Monroe could play "The Girl" in the movie. She is just that, a girl, but much much more. Most of the physical comedy in the film is executed by Monroe herself. A lot of us don't realize this as we expect most of the comedy to come from the comedian in the film, Tom Ewell. A must see if you are a fan of America's first Dream Girl, the amazing Marilyn Monroe.