The Seven Year Itch1955
The Seven Year Itch (1955)
The Seven Year Itch Photos
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 (31) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (27) | 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
Tom Ewell plays a Walter Mitty-ish everyman/married/schmuck who fantasizes, as he should, about the bombshell living upstairs from him: Marilyn Monroe. "Man, would I like ... her ... but I'm married!" And that's his entire character arc. Marilyn, for her part, simply shows up, wearing less and less, pouting her lips every so often. Her job is to be desirable and not to be cheap about it, which is tough to do. But that's the whole movie. Not a lot of craft here. If you like looking at Marilyn, then this is for you otherwise ... meh. Or look for The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty.
Super Reviewer
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
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! |