The Seven Year Itch (1955)
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Movie Info
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Cast
as Richard Sherman
as The Girl
as Helen Sherman
as Tom McKenzie
as Kruhulik
as Dr. Brubaker
as Miss Morris
as Mr. Brady
as Miss Finch
as Plumber
as Elaine
as Ricky
as Waitress
as Indian Girl
as Railroad Station Gateman
as Train Lady
Critic Reviews for The Seven Year Itch
All Critics (29) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (25) | Rotten (4) | DVD (4)
Despite the script's cleverness, the presence of Tom Ewell, who is a first rate comedian and Oscar Homolka, who has long been a first rate actor, the entire film continually misses fire and fizzles out, like defective fireworks.
What counts is that laughs come thick and fast, that the general entertainment is light and gay.
Although it was directed by Billy Wilder, this 1955 CinemaScope classic sometimes seems presided over by Frank Tashlin, with its satire of 50s puritanism and its use of wimpy Tom Ewell.
Monroe flaunts her attributes too blatantly, and seems less human because of it, while George Axelrod's play, fresh and risqué in the '50s, now appears a little obvious and over-plotted.
So arresting is Monroe's presence that when she's not on-screen, we wait impatiently, wondering, Where have you gone, Mrs. DiMaggio?
Miss Monroe clearly plays the title role.
Audience Reviews for The Seven Year Itch
An insufferable comedy whose sense of humor is tremendously unfunny and obvious while Ewell is unbearable with his expository babbling and his character's stupid imagination - and the movie would have never become a classic if it weren't for that one famous scene only.
Super Reviewer
A man whose wife is away for the summer fantasizes about the girl who lives upstairs. Marilyn Monroe was obviously beautiful, glamorous, and altogether physically admirable, but she wasn't much of an actress. I find it difficult to believe that this character is so naive to fail to see Richard's attraction to her, so much so that she would jump atop the random subway vent. The character Monroe creates is perplexing because she has moments of profound insight at the end but an utter blindness throughout most of the rest of the of the film, and in the hands of a better actress, we might be able to discern a clear choice about the character's perceptions. Tom Ewell handles his many soliloquies well, but these speeches comprise far too much of the film. I would have thought that a director as good as Billy Wilder would have been able to show much of what was told in these parts of the film. Overall, this classic was disappointing, and I'm still looking to see what it is about Monroe that garners such universal acclaim.
Super Reviewer
An explosive comedy for its day, Itch is a fun romp with the help of the most down to earth starlet of the day, Marilyn Monroe. Though she is the main attraction in this romantic tryst, it is Tom Ewell as Richard Sherman who truly carries most of the film with his rare comedy sensibilities. Monroe herself is a comedy giant, and in this film isn't always the sexpot or the vain yet charming girl of the down and out. The film is structured in a way that is unfamiliar to that time period, though it's not hard to understand the logic behind it, seeing as how it was written and directed by none other than Billy Wilder. The film is narrated throughout by a bodiless voice that describes much of what happen within Manhattan, as the film is not only a variant of romantic comedies, but also a commentary on the nuclear family. It's not meant to be taken with deliberate seriousness, and many parts are dated because of the way sex is viewed in society has evolved considerably. Still, it's really quite interesting and dare I say it, funny, to watch the devolving state of Richard Sherman, alone in Manhattan without the tether of his family, and all the allure of the voluptuous upstairs neighbor. I'm not going to sit here and deliberately unravel the social commentary of the film, or its importance as one of the first films to displace sex in film, but it really was scandalous for when it was made. During the film nudist colonies are mentioned, adultery is a prevalent theme throughout (and the basis for the film), and Monroe is displayed as a working girl, a Midwesterner who is just trying to make a living and live her life accordingly, but in the process is always attacked by men as she is a buxom blonde. If you love screwball comedies, or just comedy in general, you will love this, as well as any Marilyn fan. It really is a comedy gem.
Super Reviewer
The Seven Year Itch Quotes
| Richard Sherman: | Oh no. Not today. |
| The Girl: | Don't ever be sorry |
| The Girl: | Don't ever be sorry. |
| Richard Sherman: | Miss Morris, I'm perfectly capable of fixing my own breakfast. As a matter of fact, I had a peanut butter sandwich and two whiskey sours. |
| The Girl: | Hey, did you ever try dunking a potato chip in champagne? It's really crazy! |
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