The Seven Year Itch shows Marilyn Monroe at her sultry best. This film has the famous scene of Marilyn’s white dress blowing in the air, as she stands over a steam grate. It is one of the most iconic scenes in movie history, and helped make her a star. The film is mostly a dialogue between Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, and works very well. Billy Wilder did a terrific job capturing Marilyn’s natural beauty. He directed many different types of films, but his trademark is comedy. This movie works well as that. Marilyn Monroe looks effortless in her scenes and very natural.
The story of The Seven Year Itch, is very simple. Richard Sherman, (Tom Ewell), is left alone for the summer. His wife, Helen, (Evelyn Keyes) has gone on a summer vacation with her son. This leaves Sherman all alone for awhile. That is until The Girl, (Marilyn Monroe), shows up at his door. It is at this point when his fidelity is tested, and his dream comes true. The Girl, complains that she doesn’t have air conditioning. She notices that Richard Sherman has it, and promptly lifts up her shirt, and leans against the air conditioner. This is one of many of Monroe’s sexy scenes in the film. The Girl brings over a bottle of champagne, which they both enjoy with potato chips. After a while, Sherman serenades her with chopsticks; the only thing he remembers from his childhood piano lessons. After playing, Richard Sherman, tries and fails to seduce the Monroe character. She notices a wedding ring on his finger. She isn’t bothered by this, and says married men don’t want to marry her. She says she’s received countless proposals, and doesn’t understand why.
In between Richard Sherman’s attempts to seduce the blonde, is the imaginary dialogue between him and his absent wife, Helen. He is a middle aged man, who is feeling the itch, after seven years of marriage. He thinks he’s still desirable to women. His wife disagrees, and in these dialogues puts him in his place. Evelyn Keyes handles her role very well. Billy Wilder has also inserted some interesting imaginary scenes. After his clumsy efforts at seduction, Richard Sherman is worried that the girl will tell people. He has her in a bubble bath telling his plumber. The plumber then tells all the people he knows, what the girl told him. One scene has Marilyn Monroe’s character; who does toothpaste commercials; telling all ladies to beware of Richard Sherman. His son tells his mother; who promptly goes home and shoots her unfaithful husband. These scenes, although seeming absurd, work in this film. It is a testament to Billy Wilder’s directorial skills, that they do.
Richard Sherman realizes almost every man’s dream in the 1950’s. He gets a date with Marilyn Monroe. After the date, he even gets a good night kiss. She even asks if she could stay the night, because she doesn’t have air conditioning. He says no, mainly because he’s afraid people will talk. She stays despite this. The next day, a neighbor says he’s going to take a canoe paddle to Sherman’s son. He thinks and realizes he doesn’t want another man around his wife. He fights over the paddle, and knocks out the man. Sherman tells the girl, that he’s going up to the lake. He tells the girl she can stay there, while he’s gone. She gives him a goodbye kiss, and he leaves. The Girl then waves goodbye from her window.
Despite this being a comedy, there is still a moral tale. Even though Richard Sherman has technically been unfaithful to his wife, he realizes he loves his wife and his life. It is a very amusing film. It made Marilyn Monroe a screen legend. She crafted the image of The Girl. Her screen image of the dumb blonde was never better than in this movie. She did drama very well. She even studied at The Actor’s Studio to get out of her stereotypical roles. She had an abundance of talent. The ability of an actress or actor to do comedy is their greatest challenge. Marilyn Monroe accepted this challenge, and won it. She was a very underrated actress, who had a talent beyond her physical beauty. She proved this in The Seven Year Itch.