Released in 1955, The Seven Year Itch represents the epitome of Marilyn Monroe's popular screen persona as the naive and sexually appealing blond. Directed by Billy Wilder and based on the play of the same name by George Axelrod, the film centers around the supposed tendency of men married for seven years to seek extramarital affairs. One hot New York summer, while his wife is vacationing in Maine, a middle-aged publisher (Tom Ewell) considers just such an affair with his pretty, young neighbor (Monroe). In the end, however, he chooses to remain faithful and leaves to join his wife. The film features several humorous sexual fantasy sequences and the famous image of Monroe exposing her shapely legs as she stands over a subway vent in a billowy white dress.

Further Reading:

Conway, Michael, and Mark Ricci. The Complete Films of Marilyn Monroe. New York, Carol Publishing Group, 1994.

Zolotow, Maurice. Billy Wilder in Hollywood. New York, Limelight Editions, 1992.