Film Review
The Seven Year Itch may not be Billy Wilder's best film, but it
certainly ranks as one of his most entertaining, even if its portrayal
of marital infidelity now appears somewhat tame by today's
standards.
The film - one of Wilder's most unbridled
comedies - was based on a successful and highly risqué stage
play by George Axelrod, which had been running on Broadway since 1952.
Marilyn Monroe was an obvious casting choice for the unnamed object of
desire in the film. Her appearances in films such as
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
and
Niagara (1953)
had brought her stardom and the reputation of a sex goddess, and film producers were
quick to capitalise on her charismatic persona and overt
sexuality. Walter Matthau was originally considered for the part
of Richard Sherman, but was turned down on the grounds that he was
insufficiently well known to take the male lead. Instead, the
part went to Tom Ewell, the star of the original stage play.
Right from the outset, Billy Wilder encountered fierce opposition from
the Hays Office and representatives of the Catholic Church, who were
determined to ensure the Hollywood production code was followed to the
letter. Since any explicit depiction of adultery was prohibited
by the code, much of Axelrod's play had to be re-written, which had the
effect of weakening its ending and losing some of its best lines.
The film's failings are largely a result of the interference from its
overly conscientious censors. In spite of this, the film
proved to be a major box office success and is one of Billy Wilder's
most popular films.
What the censors took out, in terms of requested changes to the
screenplay, Wilder managed to put back in with subtle innuendo and
Monroe's flagrantly sensual performance, which is heightened by the
sumptuous DeLuxe colour photography. The gloriously uninhibited
sexuality that Monroe brings makes the film even more raunchy than
Axelrod's play - all the more so because the actress plays her part
with a child-like naivety, leaving her co-star Tom Ewell to show us the
effect this coy sex kitten (who keeps her undies in the icebox) has on
a repressed middle-aged male libido.
The Seven Year Itch includes one of Monroe's most memorable scenes -
the sequence in which her skirt is blown up above her knees whilst she
stands, legs apart, over a subway grating. The scene was original
shot in Lexington Avenue, New York, but noise from the 2000 or so
on-lookers made the footage unusable and so the entire sequence had to
remounted in the studio.
The making of this film proved traumatic for Marilyn Monroe, who had
begun suffering from depression and was unable to remember her
lines. Worse, her marriage with baseball player Joe Di Maggio was
crumbling and soon ended in divorce. On a happier note,
Monroe enjoyed a warm working relationship with Billy Wilder and would
subsequently star in his later film,
Some Like It Hot (1959).
© James Travers 2008
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Billy Wilder film:
The Spirit of St. Louis (1957)
Film Synopsis
Richard Sherman is a paperback publisher living in the Manhattan
district of New York. During the hot summer months, he stays
alone at home whilst his wife and young son take a holiday in
Maine. Whereas most men in his position would be quick to profit
from their new-found freedom, to indulge their appetites for tobacco,
drink and girls, Richard is determined to behave himself. No
tobacco. No drink. And absolutely no girls. Then he
sees the beautiful young blonde bombshell who is renting the apartment
above his. For some reason, his noble resolutions suddenly decide to take a
vacation...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.