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Marilyn Monroe, Tom Ewell, Evelyn Keyes, Sonny Tufts, Robert Strauss ... see more see more... , Oscar Homolka , Victor Moore , Marguerite Chapman , Carolyn Jones , Roxanne , Donald MacBride , Butch Bernard , Doro Merande , Dorothy Ford , Ralph Sanford , Mary Young , Oskar Homolka

Like thousands of other Manhattanites, Tom Ewell annually packs his wife (Evelyn Keyes) and children off to summer vacation, staying behind to work at the office. This particular summer, the lonely Ew... read more read more...ell begins fantasizing about the many women he'd foresworn upon getting married (in one of the fantasies, Ewell and Marguerite Chapman parody the beach rendezvous in From Here to Eternity). He is jolted back to reality when he meets his new neighbor--luscious model Marilyn Monroe. Inviting Monroe to dinner, Ewell intends to sweep her off her feet and into the boudoir. Things don't quite work out that way, thanks to Ewell's clumsiness (and essential decency) and Monroe's naivete. Still, Ewell becomes convinced that his impure thoughts will somehow be transmitted to his vacationing wife and to the rest of the world, leaving him wide open for scandal and ruination. In the original play, the husband and the next-door neighbor did have an affair, but both play and film arrived at the same happy ending, with Ewell and his missus contentedly reunited at summer's end. Featured in the cast of The Seven Year Itch are Robert Strauss as a lascivious handyman, Sonny Tufts as Evelyn Keye's former beau, Donald MacBride as Ewell's glad-handing boss, and veteran Broadway funny man Victor Moore in a cameo as a nervous plumber. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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22,017 ratings

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88% liked it

25 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 45 min.

Directed by: Billy Wilder

Release Date: January 1, 1955

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DVD Release Date: May 29, 2001

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Stats: 1,174 reviews

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MARILYN The Seven Year Itch The Seven Year Itch The Seven Year Itch Tom Ewell and Monroe The Seven Year Itch Poster designed by Saul Bass Poster Marilyn Poster The Seven Year Itch Tom Ewell and Monroe Poster The Seven Year Itch Subway Grate Windy The Seven Year Itch Caricature by Al Hirschfeld
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Flixster Reviews (1,174)

  • FrizzDrop
    April 2, 2012
    FrizzDrop
    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 sen... read moresibilities. 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.
  • JonathanHutchings
    January 26, 2012
    JonathanHutchings
    It has its charm, but you can really see why Billy Wilder hated working with Marilyn Monroe. Aside from the iconic shot of her dress billowing over a subway grate, there isn't much worth seeing.
  • ajv2688
    November 10, 2010
    ajv2688
    This is a very funny movie. Although Monroe is on the cover she isn't the main character, so if you're not a fan don't be afraid to see this movie, Ewell is the main character really, and he's a really good actor. This is a must see movie if you're watching fifties films.
  • ythelastman89
    July 1, 2010
    ythelastman89
    Marilyn Monroe is the most seductive, beautiful and honest woman to ever live. This exploits that fact and shows truly how amazing she is, her performance is flawless. While i'm not a fan of the Billy Wilder humor or the performance by Tom Ewell, Marilyn Moroe is just so lovable ... read moreand memorable that it's a small price to pay. Also, this is just a great looking movie even aside from Marilyn.
  • MeetMeinMontauk
    November 28, 2009
    MeetMeinMontauk
    Tom Ewell's character's neurotic tendencies got on my nerves. His paranoia really got in the way of the story for me and drove me crazy more than it made me laugh. Surprisingly, Marilyn Monroe's acting and comedy was a lot better and humorous for me than anything else in the film... read more. With all the things I've heard about this movie I was rather disappointed in the whole thing.
  • flixsterman
    September 27, 2009
    flixsterman
    Light-hearted comedy about an 'Average Joe' who lets his imagination run free when he discovers that a gorgeous blonde bombshell [Marilyn Monroe] has moved into the apartment above his. As usual, Marilyn's character is ditsy, naive and breathtakingly beautiful. The kind of rol... read moree that both made her famous and ensured she would be forever typecast as the clueless sexpot next door. Though it may not make the Top 100 Films list, The Seven Year Itch does contain one of the most memorable moments in movie history, when Marilyn stands above a subway vent and lets the wind blow her skirt up.
  • bottcorecords1
    April 3, 2009
    bottcorecords1
    This is what passed for racy back in the 1950s. That one guy (Tom Ewell), who always seems to wind up making out with the hottest chicks of the day (Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe) in all these light comedies,despite looking a little bit like a lizard, stars as a happily married... read more 39 year old father of one, who's wife and kid go away for the summer leaving him alone to pursue what every man from manhattan seems to pursue when their wives go away: women. Well, he decides not to pursue them (while all the men around him become "summer bachelors"), demonstrating his moral willpower, that is until marilyn monroe moves in upstairs. Marilyn is like some 22 year old 'lolita', as Sherman projects his fantasies upon her. In fact, this could be called the comedy version of Lolita. The guy is middle-aged and trying to quit smoking and drinking and yet it seems like it's all he does. Meanwhile, she's either completely unaware of his desires or just completely unthreatened by him, teasing him and egging him on (features the famous scene where marilyn stands over the grate and the breeze blows her skirt up a little). The movie makes references to the pop culture of the day: the creature from the black lagoon, Captain Video and even oddly references marilyn monroe. Actually, it is kind of racy, especially when Marilyn removes the boards separating her upstairs apartment from his downstairs apartment. The Seven Year Itch winds up being a very cute movie, and the relationship between the two stars winds up being more complex than initially suggested.
  • jennifxu
    November 15, 2008
    jennifxu
    This movie reminds me quite a bit of American Beauty, but less serious of course. It's essentially a suburban boredom movie, a middle-aged man's journey against habit and back again. Because we all attempt to act out but boring old habits are what we fall back on. The air vent sc... read moreene is overhyped though. Marilyn Monroe all but makes this movie which is quite a feat for her because usually she plays an amusing sidebar to the main action, but she shows she's quite a good comic actress, orgasmic wails and all. And being so so sexy doesn't hurt too much either.
  • thmtsang
    March 24, 2008
    thmtsang
    Great characters. Very funny! About a married man who is obsessed with the woman who lives in the apartment above. Famous dress scene.
  • jabcdef
    November 3, 2007
    jabcdef
    This Monroe classic still stands up as a movie today.

View All The Seven Year Itch Reviews

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
August 15, 2007
Variety Staff, Variety

What counts is that laughs come thick and fast, that the general entertainment is light and gay. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
August 15, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

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. Full Review

Melissa Anderson
July 19, 2005
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice

So arresting is Monroe's presence that when she's not on-screen, we wait impatiently, wondering, Where have you gone, Mrs. DiMaggio? Full Review

Bosley Crowther
January 1, 2000
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Miss Monroe clearly plays the title role. Full Review

David Parkinson
February 2, 2009
David Parkinson, Empire Magazine

Very dated and not consistently funny but famous for the iconic Marilyn air-vent shot and a close to the under-wire smuttiness. Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
June 13, 2008
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

One of Marilyn Monroe's indispensable films. Full Review

May 28, 2008
Film4

Possibly Marilyn Monroe's finest film. What further recommendation do you need? Full Review

August 15, 2007
TV Guide's Movie Guide

This is probably Monroe's best known film, largely thanks to the scene in which a rush of air from a subway grating sends her skirt flying up around her shoulders. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
March 15, 2007
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Ruined by too much interference from insiders and outsiders. Full Review

Diana Saenger
June 29, 2006
Diana Saenger, About.com

Marilyn Monroe is a temptress in this delightful comedy. Full Review

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The Seven Year Itch Trivia

  • Marilyn Monroe's character in this movie does not have a name mentioned in the movie.  Answer »
  • In Which movie is the famous shot of Marilyn Monroe standing above a grate and a subway train passing underneath and blowing up her dress?  Answer »
  • What movie does Marilyn Monroe like to put her panties in the icebox?  Answer »
  • In The Seven Year Itch, what item does Richard's son, Ricky, accidentally leave behind?  Answer »
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