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Poster for The Seven Year Itch

The Seven Year Itch

It TICKLES and TANTALIZES! - The funniest comedy since laughter began!

1955 · 1h 44m · Approved Comedy, Romance
Directed by Billy Wilder

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Overview

With his family away for their annual summer holiday, a publishing executive decides to live a bachelor's life. The beautiful but ditzy blonde from the apartment above catches his eye and they soon start spending time together—maybe a little too much time!

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
84%
Tomatometer
Rotten

Despite the script's cleverness, the presence of Tom Ewell, who is a first rate comedian and Oscar Homolka, who has long been a first rate actor, the entire film continually misses fire and fizzles out, like defective fireworks.

Delmore Schwartz, The New Republic
Fresh

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

Variety Staff, Variety
Rotten

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.

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Rotten

Monroe flaunts her attributes too blatantly, and seems less human because of it, while George Axelrod's play, fresh and risque in the '50s, now appears a little obvious and over-plotted.

Derek Adams, Time Out
Fresh

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

Melissa Anderson, Village Voice

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