The Seven Year Itch

With his wife and son away for the summer, a man (Tom Ewell) finds himself tempted by his upstairs neighbor (Marilyn Monroe).

The Seven Year Itch should have been much better. Director Billy Wilder wanted to cast a then-relatively-unknown Walter Matthau in the lead role, but the studio wouldn’t take a chance on a newcomer, which forced Wilder to cast Tom Ewell, who’d played the part in the original Broadway play.

Unfortunately, while Ewell may have been great on stage, he doesn’t work as the lead in the more intimate medium of film. Much of the film features him talking to himself and Ewell just isn’t charismatic enough to carry these scenes, causing the film to drag.

Fortunately, Marilyn Monroe is perfect opposite. Although the shoot was apparently a nightmare, with Monroe’s marriage to Joe DiMaggio ending during filming and her showing up late and forgetting lines, you’d never know it based on what you see on the screen. She’s the perfect temptation, a combination of innocence and seduction wrapped in an iconic package. Indeed, Monroe makes the movie.

Thus, fans of Monroe will probably enjoy The Seven Year Itch much more than fans of Billy Wilder, who may come away disappointed. That disappointment that will likely turn to frustration when they realize Walter Matthau could have played the lead and probably saved the film.