Directed by Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder (1906-2002) was an American filmmaker of Jewish descent. He was a multiple Oscar winner and is considered one of the most important directors in American film history. His oeuvre comprises more than 60 films made over a period of over 50 years. He was nominated for an Oscar 21 times as a writer, producer and director and won six awards. At the 1961 Oscars, he won three awards as producer, screenwriter and director for the film The Apartment, a feat that has only been achieved by a total of nine directors to date.


Austrian postcard by Mandelbaum / Österreichische Exilbibliothek im Literaturhaus, Wien/ Photo: Allisa Dauer. Caption: Billy Wilder, born in 1906 in Sucha, Galicia, director and screenwriter.


French postcard by Editions P.I., offered by Victoria S.A. (Biscuits, Chocolates and Patisserie), Brussels. Photo: Paramount Pictures 1950. Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder, 1944).


Dutch postcard by Takken, Utrecht, no. 1530. Photo: Paramount. Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina (Billy Wilder, 1954). Costume: Hubert de Givenchy.


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105/001. Photo: Twentieth Century Fox / Charles K. Feldman Group Productions. Victor Moore and Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).


Czech postcard by Pressfoto, Praha (Prague). Photo: Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in Some Like it Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959). Collection: Carla Bosch.

The biggest media scandal of the First Republic in Austria

Samuel 'Billie' Wilder was born in 1906 in Sucha, Austria-Hungary often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Samuel was the son of Jewish parents, Max and Eugenia Wilder. His father ran the "City" hotel in Krakow as well as several railway station restaurants in the area.

His mother always called her son "Billie". Samuel, therefore, called himself Billie Wilder. Later in the USA, he changed the spelling to Billy. In 1916, during the First World War, the family moved to Vienna fearing the approaching Russian army. In the capital, Billie became close friends with the later Hollywood director Fred Zinnemann, and they kept in touch throughout his life.

Wilder began his career as a reporter for the Viennese tabloid Die Stunde (The Hour). When he interviewed the jazz musician Paul Whiteman in 1926, the latter was so enthusiastic about him that he invited him to come with him to Berlin to show him the city. A week later it turned out that Die Stunde was blackmailing Viennese businessmen and celebrities at the time with the threat of publishing unflattering articles about them. The affair became the biggest media scandal of the First Republic in Austria and Wilder decided to stay in Berlin and work for another newspaper, the city's largest tabloid.

There he came in contact with the film industry. German Wikipedia: "when the director of a film company, Maxim Galitzenstein, had to escape in his pants from the neighbour's bedroom to Wilder's room, he couldn't help but buy Wilder's first screenplay." Billie was hired as a ghostwriter for well-known screenwriters such as Robert Liebmann and Franz Schulz. It was an additional source of income alongside his work as a reporter. In 1929, he contributed with Curt Siodmak, Robert Siodmak, Fred Zinnemann and Edgar G. Ulmer to the classic film Menschen am Sonntag/People on Sunday (Robert Siodmak, Edgar G. Ulmer, 1930). The film follows a group of young residents of Berlin on a summer's day during the interwar period. Hailed as a work of genius, it is a pivotal film in the development of German cinema.

Together with Erich Kästner, Billie wrote the screenplay for Emil und die Detektive/Emil and the Detectives (Gerhard Lamprecht, 1931) the first film adaptation of Kästner's novel and generally considered to be the best film version. Wilder realised his Jewish ancestry would cause problems when the National Socialists would seize power. Immediately after Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, Wilder moved to France. In Paris, Billie earned his living as a ghostwriter for French screenwriters. Here he also directed his first film, the crime drama Mauvaise graine/Bad Seed (Billie Wilder, Alexander Esway, 1934) with Danielle Darrieux.


Dutch postcard by Filmmuseum, Amsterdam. Photo: Filmmuseum. Poster for Menschen am Sonntag/People on Sunday (Robert Siodmak, Edgar G. Ulmer, 1930) for which Billy Wilder contributed to the story.


German collectors card in the series 'Vom Werden deutscher Filmkunst - Der Tonfilm', album no. 11, picture no. 58, group 44. Photo: Ufa / Ross Verlag. Fritz Rasp in Emil und die Detektive/Emil and the Detectives (Gerhard Lamprecht, 1931).


Italian postcard by B.F.F. Edit. (Casa Editr. Ballerini & Fratini, Firenze), no. 2178. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (Ernst Lubitsch, 1939).


Belgian collectors card by Kwatta, Bois - D'Haine, no. C 181. Photo: MGM. Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas in Ninotchka (Ernst Lubitsch, 1939).


French postcard by Edition P.I., Paris, no. 280, 1950. Photo: Paramount. Edward G. Robinson in Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder, 1944).


Dutch postcard by Takken, no. 3446. Photo: Paramount. Ray Milland.

The atrocities committed by the Nazi regime

In 1934 Billie Wilder was able to enter the United States, thanks to a visitor's visa granted by Joe May. Although he spoke no English when he arrived in Hollywood, Wilder was a fast learner. Thanks to contacts such as Peter Lorre, with whom he shared an apartment, he was signed by Paramount Pictures in 1936. After his emigration, he became a naturalised American named Billy.

His partnership with author Charles Brackett started in 1938 and the team was responsible for writing some of Hollywood's classic comedies, including Ninotchka (Ernst Lubitsch, 1939) starring Greta Garbo and Ball of Fire (Howard Hawks, 1941) with Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper.

However, Wilder was dissatisfied with the constant changes to his scripts and wanted to take the reins himself. His partnership with Brackett expanded into a producer-director one in 1942. The comedy The Major and the Minor (1942) with Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland was the first film he directed. His second film, Five Graves to Cairo (1943) with Franchot Tone, served as a propaganda film against the Nazi regime during World War II.

Wilder quickly garnered success as a director. He had his breakthrough with the Film Noir Double Indemnity (1944), starring Fred MacMurray, Edward G. Robinson and Barbara Stanwyck as a femme fatale. The film received seven Oscar nominations, including two for Wilder in the categories of Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

In 1945, Wilder was commissioned by the U.S. Army Signal Corps to condense the extensive material available from the American and British military about, among other things, the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp into a short film, Death Mills/Die Todesmühlen (1945). The film was intended for German audiences to educate them about the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime. It became the only documentary film under his supervision. Not having seen his mother and stepfather since he went to Berlin in 1933 to make films, he joined American patrols through war-torn Europe during WWII. Through intense research, he learned they had been murdered in concentration camps and his grandmother had died in a Polish ghetto. Later, he usually declined to discuss this.


Belgian press photo by BRT Television. Jean Arthur, John Lund and Marlene Dietrich in A Foreign Affair (Billy Wilder, 1948).


French postcard by Editions du Globe, Paris, no. 384. Photo: Paramount / PPC, 1955. Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina (Billy Wilder, 1954). Costume: Hubert de Givenchy.


French postcard. Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina (Billy Wilder, 1954). Dress: Hubert de Givenchy.


French postcard, no. A030. Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell in The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).


American postcard by Fotofolio, New York, no. MP65. Photo: Elliot Erwitt. Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell at the set of The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105/031. Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).

Cynicism, humour and an original storyline

Billy Wilder received his first Oscar for the drama The Lost Weekend (1945), starring Ray Milland as an unsuccessful author with a drinking problem. The film dealt unusually realistically with the problems of an alcoholic.

Shortly afterwards, Wilder went to Germany on behalf of the American government with the rank of colonel and directed the film A Foreign Affair (1948), starring Jean Arthur and Marlene Dietrich, which dealt critically with the Nazi past in occupied Germany.

Among his other classics are the drama Sunset Boulevard (1950) starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson, the romance Sabrina (1954) starring Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, and the comedies The Seven Years Itch (1955) and Some Like It Hot (1959), both starring Marilyn Monroe.

He had a long-standing partnership with screenwriter I.A.L. Diamond with whom he made such classic comedies as The Apartment (1961) and Irma La Douce (1963), both with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. His work is characterised by cynicism, humour and an original storyline. He was fascinated by a wide variety of subjects and he often used the same actors, such as Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.

Wilder's later works were unable to match the success of his heyday. Although he lost some of his brilliance as a filmmaker later in his life, many of his films are still considered classics. From the mid-1980s, he limited himself to consulting work for United Artists. In 2002, Billy Wilder died of pneumonia in Los Angeles, California at the age of 95. He had been struggling with health problems for some time, but still gave interviews. His grave is in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery. Wilder was married to Judith Coppicus-Iribe from 1936 to 1947. They had a daughter together, Victoria (1939). In 1949 Wilder married the actress and singer Audrey Young (1922-2012).


Dutch postcard by Filmmuseum, Amsterdam. Photo: Filmmuseum. Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton and Tyrone Power in Witness for the Prosecution (Billy Wilder, 1957). Caption: "I am constantly surprised that women's hats do not provoke more murders."


French postcard for the exhibition 'Figures de Facteur' (2004-2005) in Paris by Cartapub / Ministerie de la Culture et de la Communication. Photo: Raymond Voinquel. Gary Cooper and Lise Bourdin in Love in the Afternoon (Billy Wilder, 1956).


Dutch freecard by Boomerang, Amsterdam. Photo: Filmmuseum. Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959). Caption: Filmmuseum Classics Tour 2002: Some Like It Hot and 26 other unforgettable classics.


Czech postcard by Pressfoto, Praha (Prague). Photo: Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959). Collection: Carla Bosch.


Czech postcard by Pressfoto, Praha (Prague). Photo: Jack Lemmon and Joe E. Brown in Some Like it Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959). Collection: Carla Bosch.


Dutch postcard by Filmmuseum, Amsterdam. Photo: Filmmuseum. Jack Lemmon in The Apartment (Billy Wilder, 1960).


Big East-German card by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, Berlin, no. 65/72,1972. Jack Lemmon and Judi West in The Fortune Cookie (Billy Wilder, 1966).

Sources: Michael Brooke (IMDb), Wikipedia (Dutch and German) and IMDb.

Bus Stop (1956)

Bus Stop (Joshua Logan, 1956) marked Marilyn Monroe's return to the screen after a one-year absence. She had been disappointed with the roles she was assigned at 20th Century Fox, so she left Hollywood for New York City to study acting with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. Fox finally awarded her a new contract, which gave her more control and a larger salary. Marilyn later called Bus Stop her favourite film and she thought she did her best work here. And although the film is uneven, Marilyn indeed created a complete and deeply touching character. The film also has one of Monroe's best-remembered songs, 'That Old Black Magic', which is as funny as it is heartbreaking.


Yugoslavian postcard by Epoha, Zagreb, no. 4. Marilyn Monroe in her costume for Bus Stop (Joshua Logan, 1956). Collection: Carla Bosch.


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105-017. Photo: 20th Century Fox. Marilyn Monroe in Bus Stop (Joshua Logan, 1956).


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105-018. Photo: 20th Century Fox. Don Murray and Marilyn Monroe in Bus Stop (Joshua Logan, 1956).

An acclaimed over-the-top performance

Naive but stubborn cowboy Beauregard "Bo" Decker (Don Murray) takes the bus from Montana to Phoenix to make his fortune at the Rodeo. His Fatherly friend Virgil Blessing (Arthur O'Connell) encourages him to talk to girls but he doesn't have much experience. In Phoenix, singer Chérie (Marilyn Monroe) at the Blue Dragon Cafe, who is aiming to go to Hollywood, is forced to hustle Virgil to pay for her drinks. Although she has only moderate talent, Chérie dreams of a great career as a "chanteuse". Bo falls for her right away. He has found himself an Angel to take back to his Montana ranch and become his beloved wife.

Cherie confesses that she finds him really handsome, according to his first name "Beauregard". In his simple-mindedness, he interprets a kiss from her as an engagement. Cherie likes him but has no intention of marrying him or going back to Montana with him. Bo keeps ignorantly dragging her around expecting to get married. She tries to run away to Los Angeles but he literally ropes her like cattle and forces her to board the bus to his home in Montana. When the bus stops at Grace's Diner the passengers learn that the road ahead is blocked by snow.

In Grace's Diner, a bus stop somewhere in Wyoming, the other passengers finally give Beau his 'comeuppance'. By now everyone knows of the kidnapping, but Bo is determined to have Chérie. Bo lashes out and is finally beaten up by the bus driver. He binds up and promises to behave himself. The next morning, he apologises to Chérie and says she can go wherever she wants. Chérie, who now sees that Bo also has a soft side, forgives him and now decides to go with him voluntarily.

The original play 'Bus Stop' by William Inge has only a few elements in common with the film. The play is set in a diner in Kansas, in the vicinity of Kansas City, Missouri. During a snowstorm, a number of passengers take shelter from the snow. Love relationships develop between the various characters, including between cowboy Bo and singer Chérie. For the film, the relationship between Bo and Chérie was taken out and magnified. Especially Chérie's role was increased and the whole introduction of the rodeo was added.

The original Broadway production of 'Bus Stop' opened at the Music Box Theater in New York on 2 March 1955, ran for 478 performances and was nominated for the 1956 Tony Award for Best Play. Before he achieved success on Broadway, Inge wrote a one-act play, 'People in the Wind,' the story of strangers caught in a storm at a bus station in a small Midwestern town. It was the inspiration for 'Bus Stop'. Marilyn Monroe was technically in charge of the film adaptation as the head of MMP (Marilyn Monroe Productions, her own film production company.

The film was shot on location in Ketchum, Idaho, North Fork Store, Idaho and Phoenix, Arizona. Studio filming was done at 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles. Director Joshua Logan, known for his work on Broadway, cast Don Murray as cowboy Bo after seeing him in Thornton Wilder's 'The Skin of Our Teeth' on Broadway. Murray, a New Yorker, had never been astride a horse until the scene in which he rides one in a parade. Bus Stop marked Murray's film debut and Bo would be Murray's only Oscar-winning performance. Hope Lange also made her first film appearance in Bus Stop. Don Murray fell in love with her and they would shortly marry.

There are several fine performances in the film. Arthur O'Connell is delightful as the cowboy's pal who big-brothers him with loving patience. Eileen Heckart amuses as the old-time friend, and Betty Field is strong enough as the bus stop owner. Carl, the firm bus driver and former state wrestling champ, was played by actor Robert Bray. He had a long career in films and TV but would be best remembered as Lassie's co-star, forest ranger Corey Stuart, in the TV series.

At the Oscar ceremony, Don Murray received an Oscar for Best Male Supporting Actor. However, his over-the-top performance as Beau is now problematic. There is no way we accept in 2022 a cowboy as a sympathetic, romantic hero when he chases a woman down, rips off half of her dress, breaks into her dressing room, follows her out the window to a bus station, lassos her and kidnaps her by dragging her onto the bus. Murray is so loud, abrasive and stupid that he often overshadows Monroe's fragile performance and thus nearly ruins the film. And by the time Beau apologises for his bad behaviour, we no longer care about him.


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105-019. Photo: 20th Century Fox. Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray and Arthur O'Connell in Bus Stop (Joshua Logan, 1956).


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105-021. Photo: 20th Century Fox. Eileen Heckart, Marilyn Monroe and Arthur O'Connell in Bus Stop (Joshua Logan, 1956).


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105-022. Photo: 20th Century Fox. Marilyn Monroe and Don Murray in Bus Stop (Joshua Logan, 1956).

Get set for a rattling surprise

Bus Stop (Joshua Logan, 1956) was the first film of Marilyn Monroe's new seven-year contract with Fox. She played Cherie, a role that Kim Stanley originated on Broadway. She had seen and loved Stanley's performance in the Broadway production and patterned her accent on Stanley's, as well as those accents she had heard during her own time in the South. Monroe worked diligently on the hillbilly twang, speaking quite differently than in her other movies, and subverted her natural singing talent to make it painfully clear that Chérie was not gifted in that department. Most of Monroe's delivery of 'That Old Black Magic' by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer was captured live on camera without lip-synching - a rarity in those days.

Monroe felt that Cherie, although she is a very sexual character, should have a slightly shabby look as a pale and cheaply costumed saloon singer. She rejected most of the original costume designs by Travilla and rifled through the studio costume department to find things she thought suited the character. The black-lace blouse that she wears in the early scenes was originally worn by Susan Hayward in With a Song in My Heart (1952). Working with Milton L. Greene, Joshua Logan and her makeup artist, Allan Snyder, she opted for an almost-white facial and body makeup that made Cherie look washed-out and faintly unhealthy as if she slept all day and avoided the sun.

Hairstylist Helen Turpin changed Monroe's platinum-blonde hair to a subdued honey-blonde that offered more contrast to the white skin. Studio executives thought Marilyn should always be "honey-coloured" all over, but she and Logan stuck to their guns. In subsequent films, she would continue to favour lighter, more luminous makeup even when her hair was once again platinum.

Marilyn Monroe's badly-needed champion on the film set was her director. Joshua Logan, who had studied with Konstantin Stanislavsky in Russia. He understood the needs of actors using 'the Method' and had come to adore Marilyn's talent and respect her native intelligence. "She made directing worthwhile," he said later. "She had such fascinating things happen to her face and skin and hair and body as she read lines, that she was... inspiring." Logan involved his star in script discussions and supported her efforts to 'find' Cherie through her experiments with makeup, costuming, hairstyles and - above all - intense identification with her character. By allowing the cameras to continue rolling, he gave Monroe every opportunity to find continuity in her role and listened carefully when she made suggestions about her blocking and camera angles on this, her 24th film.

Paula Strasberg had replaced Natasha Lytess as Monroe's on-the-spot acting coach. As a friend of the Strasbergs who had directed their daughter, Susan Strasberg, in Picnic (Joshua Logan, 1955), he was tolerant of Paula Strasberg's presence and constant influence on Monroe's performance. He did, however, insist that she not be on the sets during actual rehearsals or filming.

Bus Stop (1956) became a box office success in the U.S.A., earning more than $7 million in rentals, and received mainly favourable reviews, with Monroe's performance being highly praised. The New York Times critic Bosley Crowther started his review with "HOLD onto your chairs, everybody, and get set for a rattling surprise. Marilyn Monroe has finally proved herself an actress in Bus Stop. She and the picture are swell!" Marilyn Monroe Productions would produce only one more film - The Prince and the Showgirl (1957), directed by and co-starring Laurence Olivier.


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105-023. Photo: 20th Century Fox. Arthur O'Connell, Eileen Heckart, Marilyn Monroe and Don Murray in Bus Stop (Joshua Logan, 1956).


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105-024. Photo: 20th Century Fox. Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray and Robert Bray in Bus Stop (Joshua Logan, 1956).


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105-025. Photo: 20th Century Fox. Don Murray and Marilyn Monroe in Bus Stop (Joshua Logan, 1956).

Sources: Bosley Crowther (The New York Times), Wikipedia (Dutch, German and English), and IMDb.

This post was last updated on 10 December 2022.

The Seven Year Itch (1955)

The Seven Year Itch (1955) is one of the classic romantic comedies starring Marilyn Monroe. Her leading man was Tom Ewell and the film was made by Billy Wilder who four years later directed Marilyn a second time in another classic, Some Like It Hot (1959). The Seven Year Itch won several film awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Actor and a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actress, and was an immediate success in international cinemas. The scene in which Marilyn Monroe's pleated white halterneck dress blows up several times in the breeze as she stands above an air vent of the subway became one of the most iconic pop-culture images of the 20th century.


French postcard, no. A030. Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell in The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105/001. Photo: Twentieth Century Fox / Charles K. Feldman Group Productions. Victor Moore and Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105/002. Photo: Twentieth Century Fox / Charles K. Feldman Group Productions. Tom Ewell and Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).

A husband left alone in the city for the dog days

The story of The Seven Year Itch (1955) is based on George Axelrod's 1952 play of the same name, which ran for years successfully on Broadway. It is summer and in New York, the temperature has risen to unbearable levels. Like many other family men, Richard Sherman (Tom Ewell), a middle-aged publishing executive, is left alone in the city for the dog days. He has sent his wife Helen (Evelyn Keyes) and their infant son Ricky (Tom Nolan) to much cooler Maine. He stayed behind because of work.

Richard is determined not to waste his time on drinking binges and love affairs like other husbands. But his resolutions are forgotten when he meets a voluptuous blonde actress and former model, The Girl (Marilyn Monroe). The Girl has temporarily rented the flat above the Shermans for the period she has to shoot commercials for toothpaste in Manhattan.

Sherman, a publishing executive, is reading a manuscript of a book by psychiatrist Dr Brubaker (Oscar Homolka), who claims that almost all men are driven to cheat in the seventh year of their marriage. The book tickles Sherman's fancy and he imagines himself having a conversation with Helen, trying to convince her, in three fantasy sequences, that he is irresistible to women, including his secretary (Marguerite Chapman), a nurse (Carolyn Jones), and Helen's bridesmaid (Roxanne), but she laughs it off.

Then a tomato plant falls onto his lounge chair from the balcony above him. When The Girl from upstairs apologises for accidentally knocking it off her balcony, Sherman invites her for a drink. While waiting for her to arrive, Sherman fantasises again and he passionately seduces The Girl while playing Rachmaninoff's 'Second Piano Concerto' on the piano. When he tries to embrace her in his daydream, she repels him and demands he leave.

When she does come down, she is wearing pink pyjamas and turns out to be a naïve and innocent young woman. On his suggestion, she brings back a bottle of champagne from her apartment and returns in a white dress. At first, Richard claims that he is unmarried until she notices his wedding ring. Overcome by his fantasies, he awkwardly grabs at her while they are playing 'Chopsticks' together on the piano, causing them to fall off the piano bench. He apologises, but she says it happens to her all the time. Feelings of guilt arise in him and he asks her to leave his flat.

In the following days, Sherman sees The Girl more and more often and his imagination runs overtime. Richard is attracted to her but cannot bring himself to have an affair. Although they are all dreams, Sherman slowly turns into a neurotic wreck. He sees in his dream how Helen and Ricky see on TV that The Girl warns them about the monster Sherman and not long after, Helen comes to town to take revenge on Sherman. The Girl appreciates him as a nice friend who, as a married man, unlike many other men, is not a "danger" to her.

Meanwhile, Richard's wife Helen calls several times to ask him to finally send the paddle which Ricky accidentally left behind, to the holiday camp so that their son can go kayaking. However, Richard's thoughts are so confused by the girl that he always forgets to send the paddle. Helen, meanwhile, has met the writer Tom MacKenzie (Sonny Tufts) on holiday, which leads to more paranoid daydreams for Richard, in which MacKenzie and his wife fall in love. When MacKenzie finally appears at Richard's flat to collect the long-forgotten paddle, Richard knocks him down. Plagued by jealousy, guilt and fear, Richard says goodbye to the girl in friendship. He tells her she can stay in his air-conditioned apartment, and he catches the first train to Maine to join his wife.


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105/003. Photo: Twentieth Century Fox / Charles K. Feldman Group Productions. Robert Strauss, Tom Ewell and Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105/004. Photo: Twentieth Century Fox / Charles K. Feldman Group Productions. Tom Ewell and Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105/005. Photo: Twentieth Century Fox / Charles K. Feldman Group Productions. Tom Ewell and Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105/006. Photo: Twentieth Century Fox / Charles K. Feldman Group Productions. Tom Ewell and Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).

The absurdities of the male libido

Billy Wilder and George Axelrod changed a lot of Axelrod's original play when the two wrote the screenplay together. The character of Elaine disappeared as did the internal voices of Sherman and the Girl. On the other hand, they added several characters again, such as the nervous plumber (Victor Moore) and Kruhulik (Robert Strauss), the caretaker.

Many lines and scenes from the play were cut or re-written because they were deemed indecent by the Hays office which prohibited explicit sex in Hollywood films. George Axelrod and Billy Wilder complained that the film was being made under straitjacketed conditions. For this reason, the sex between Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell is only found in the latter's fantasy. In the play, the characters did have sex. In the film, Sherman and the Girl kiss three times, once while playing Sherman's piano together, once outside the cinema where they see Creature from the Black Lagoon (Jack Arnold, 1954) and once near the end before Sherman goes to take Ricky's paddle to him.

For the role of Richard Sherman, Billy Wilder preferred an average-looking guy. Walter Matthau auditioned, but Ewell was eventually chosen. Both men's screen tests have been preserved. Wilder himself was very keen on Matthau, but the studio did not want a debutant. Tom Ewell played the lead role in the original Broadway production and won a Tony Award for his role.

Billy Wilder filmed between 1 September and 4 November 1954, both in the Los Angeles studio and on location. The exterior shots of Sherman's flat, for instance, were shot at 164 East 61st Street in Manhattan. The scene with Monroe above the air vent was originally shot at the corner of 52nd Street and Lexington Avenue in New York. The disruption by screaming and cheering crowds was useful for the film's publicity but the recorded material was unusable. After this, the scene was filmed again in Hollywood at the 20th Century Fox studio.

The idea of a dress blowing up over an air vent was not new. The two-minute silent film What Happened on Twenty-third Street, New York City (George S. Fleming, Edwin S. Porter, 1901) is an early film version of the scene. It also happened to Stan Laurel's kilt in the first film in which Laurel and Hardy worked together as a duo: Putting Pants on Philip (Clyde Bruckman, 1927). In 1941, a photograph by Sam Shaw appeared on the cover of Friday magazine showing girls whose skirts were blowing up over an air vent. Shaw was a friend of Marilyn Monroe and she is said to have introduced the idea to Wilder. The iconic photo with Monroe above the ventilation shaft was shot again by Shaw.

Wilder did not have an easy time with his leading lady. Forty shots were needed for the famous scene over the air vent alone. Monroe suffered from depression and regularly forgot her lines. If she uttered the text at all, it was often impossible to understand and Wilder often needed dozens of shots to get everything right. Saul Bass created the abstract title sequence for the film, which was mentioned favourably in numerous reviews. Up until that time, it was unheard of for trade press reviews to mention film title sequences.

In his review at AllMovie, Brendon Hanley writes: "The Seven Year Itch parodies images of conventional Hollywood romances. Writer-director Billy Wilder takes jabs at several popular films of the era, including From Here to Eternity (1953) and Brief Encounter (1945), as he plunders the absurdities of the male libido. Of course, there was no better epitome of 1950s male sexual fantasy than Marilyn Monroe, ideally cast as The Girl. Itch is further proof of Monroe's underrated comic skills, particularly in parts which allowed her to poke fun at her own image. Best remembered for its skirt-blowing scene, the film was actually a toned-down version of an even bawdier stage play. Wilder still manages to retain some of the play's naughtier puns and innuendo."


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, no. 105/031. Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell in The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).


Vintage postcard. Tom Ewell and Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).


Swiss postcard by CVB Productions, Grandson / News Productions, no. CCP 46, 1996. Photo: Sam Shaw. Tom Ewell and Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).


American postcard by Fotofolio, New York, no. MP65. Photo: Elliot Erwitt. Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell at the set of The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).


French postcard, no. 1418. Photo: Sam Shaw. Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955).

Sources: Brendon Hanley (AllMovie), Wikipedia (Dutch, German and English), and IMDb.

This post was last updated on 10 December 2022.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) is a dazzling musical comedy directed by Howard Hawks and starring Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell and Charles Coburn. The film is based on the 1949 Broadway musical of the same name, which was inspired by the novel 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: The Illuminating Diary of a Professional Lady' by Anita Loos. Immediately, the film was a huge success in cinemas. The song 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend' sung by Monroe in the film became a classic and inspired later artists such as Madonna, Kylie Minogue, and Nicole Kidman.


West-German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/14. Photo: West-German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/14. Photo: Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953).


Italian programme card for Il Cinema Ritrovata 2011. Photo: Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn and Jane Russell in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953) with.


British postcard by Santoro Graphics, London, no. C213. Photo: Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953).


American postcard in the Demac Collection. Photo: Jane Russell in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953).

Showgirls and rich men

Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) and Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell) are colleagues and good friends. They work as showgirls and have the attention of several - often rich - men. Lorelei is even engaged to wealthy Gus Esmond (Tommy Noonan), who will do anything for her.

When Gus wants to take Lorelei to France to get married, he is stopped by his father who does not trust Lorelei. The disappointed Lorelei goes to France by boat anyway and asks Dorothy along. What she does not know, however, is that Esmond's father has sent a private detective along to catch Lorelei in adultery. However, the detective, Ernie Malone (Elliott Reid), falls in love with Dorothy, while Lorelei gets warm feelings from British Sir Francis Beekman (Charles Coburn), nicknamed 'Piggy', the owner of a diamond mine.

When Lorelei is flirting with the married Piggy, Malone secretly takes pictures of them. However, he is spotted by Dorothy and she and Lorelei steal the film from the camera. In gratitude, Piggy gives his wife's diamond tiara to Lorelei. But Malone later reveals that he also took tape recordings. Dorothy now pretends to be in love with Malone.

Once in France, Piggy's wife Lady Beekman (Norma Varden) accuses Lorelei of stealing the tiara. When Gus Esmond learns of this, he revokes Lorelei's credit card. Destitute, the girls now have to work in a nightclub. However, Piggy steals Lorelei's tiara and when the latter is arrested by the police and wants to return the jewel, she is in good trouble.

Gus comes to France and Dorothy tells him to help Lorelei buy a new tiara. In the meantime, she takes Lorelei's place, wearing a fake blonde wig and trying to buy time in court. Malone and Gus's father (Taylor Holmes) have to testify against Lorelei. However, Dorothy tells Malone that she will hate him forever if he does and he withdraws. Lorelei/Dorothy is acquitted and the real Lorelei manages to convince Gus's father that she is not stupid and vain and he gives his blessing for marriage.


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, Inc., no. 105-009. Photo: Twentieth Century-Fox. Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1955). This scene is cut from the actual film. You can still see Lorelei and Dorothy wearing these costumes in the Paris nightclub scene when Gus comes to ask Lorelei for an apology. Of course, Lorelei and Dorothy answer with their 'Diamonds are a girl's best friend' number.


American postcard by Classico, San Francisco, no. 105-010. Photo: Twentieth Century-Fox. Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953).


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, Inc., no. 105-011. Photo: Twentieth Century-Fox. Jane Russell in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1955).


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, Inc., no. 105-013. Photo: Twentieth Century-Fox. Charles Coburn, Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, Norma Varden and Elliott Reid in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1955).

But I'm still the blonde

The screenplay for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) was inspired by the book 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: The Illuminating Diary of a Professional Lady' by Anita Loos. It was based on a sea voyage Anita Loos made from the US to Europe. The book was adapted for the stage in 1926 and made into a silent film in 1928, starring Ruth Taylor and Alice White. In 1949, a Broadway musical based on the book was produced under the title 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'. It was directed by John C. Wilson and Carol Channing played the role of Lorelei Lee. The musical was a great success and played 740 times on Broadway. Charles Lederer based his screenplay on Loos' book and the musical.

The musical was originally bought by 20th Century Fox to star Betty Grable. But Grable was earning $150,000 per film and the studio began to look around for a cheaper sex symbol. Soon their eye fell on Marilyn Monroe, who had just given an impressive performance in Niagara and was only getting $18,000 per film. To prevent all the pressure falling on Monroe, Jane Russell was chosen for the role of Dorothy. Russell who had been around much longer than Monroe was a star and received $200,000 for her role. When Monroe heard that not she but Russell was the star, she said, "but I'm still the blonde." She was upset at the disrespect she received from the studio, especially when attempts were also made to cast Judy Holliday as Lorelei.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was a musical and Monroe now had to sing as well as dance. Gwen Verdon was appointed as Monroe and Russell's dance coach. Monroe had already sung and danced very creditably in Ladies of the Chorus (Phil Karlson, 1948). Marilyn’s voice was used in Ladies of the Chorus to good advantage, especially in the number 'Every Baby Needs a Da-Da-Daddy'. Marilyn also took dance lessons from Nico Charisse in 1949. For Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, she worked again extremely hard to master the dancing needed for the film. Every night, after everyone had left the studio, Monroe went to practice to learn the steps for the next day.

Unfortunately, this meant she got too little sleep and was regularly late when recording began in the morning. Howard Hawks became impatient, especially as Monroe often refused to come out of her dressing room as well. According to Jane Russell, this was due to stage fright and she did her best to accompany Monroe from the dressing room to the set. The two women soon liked each other and became friends, with Russell protecting Monroe from the outside world. She found Monroe "shy and sweet" and much more intelligent than some people thought.

Director Howard Hawks thought otherwise. Monroe often held back the production with her lateness and other quirks. For instance, she insisted that recorded scenes already approved by Hawks had to be re-filmed because she was not satisfied. Hawks was mad and when the studio asked if he could get along, he sarcastically said, "you can replace Monroe, rewrite the screenplay and hire a new director". The studio itself also had reservations about Monroe. They thought about having her voice re-recorded by Marni Nixon because they thought Monroe's sound was silly. Nixon thought this was ridiculous and advocated using Monroe's voice precisely because it suited the character of Lorelei so well.

In the end, Nixon only sang in the "no, no, nos" at the beginning of the song. By now, Jane Russell had been in the film business for so long that the studio did not dare to take her on. However, Russell did provide an unexpected stunt when she accidentally fell into the pool during filming. The troubled Hawks saw the incident while showing the raw, unedited dailies. It made him laugh a lot and he decided to include the scene in the film. The ship on which Lorelei and Dorothy travel to France is the SS Île-de-France. The studio used sets from the film Titanic (Jean Negulesco, 1953) that had been used shortly before.

The film did well in cinemas, turning a $12 million turnover. Critics were also generally appreciative of the film. The new Monroe and Russell duo was praised and the studio had big plans to cast both actresses together again. In the end, however, it would remain with this film. In 1955, the sequel was released under the title Gentlemen Marry Brunettes, without Monroe but with Russell and Jeanne Crain. It was not a success.


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, Inc., no. 105-014. Photo: Twentieth Century-Fox. Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell and Elliott Reid in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1955).


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, Inc., no. 105-015. Photo: Twentieth Century-Fox. Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell and Elliott Reid in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1955).


American postcard by Classico San Francisco, Inc., no. 105-016. Photo: Twentieth Century-Fox. Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell and Elliott Reid in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1955).


French postcard, no. Réf. Marilyn 97. Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953).


West-German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/13. Photo: publicity still for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953).

Sources: Wikipedia (Dutch) and IMDb.

This post was last updated on 10 December 2022.