Between the Pages

This is one of Marilyn Monroe’s most popular films – and it’s easy to see why.  Tom Ewell plays Richard Sherman, a married man whose wife and son go away for the summer, and he finds himself tempted by the beautiful woman (Marilyn Monroe) who moves into the apartment upstairs from where he lives…

This film appears in the American Film Institute’s list of top 100 comedies, and it deserves its place.  Marilyn looks stunning and again shows off her comedic skills. Tom Ewell is brilliant as Sherman – a part that could easily have been annoying in the hands of a less skilled actor.  Sherman talks to himself incessantly, and is constantly imagining himself being an irresistable object of affection for women.  The two actors work really well together, and have a real chemistry, but the whole time the viewer is reminded that Sherman is really something of a dreamer.

There are several laugh-out-loud moments in the film, and Marilyn with her blend of childlike innocence and woman-like seductiveness, really shines.  From the moment she first appears on screen, she makes the character her own, and it’s really hard to imagine any other actress playing this part.  Special mention also to Robert Strauss, who plays a slovenly janitor; he only takes a small part in this film, but is very funny.

So what happens at the end?  Well, you’ll just have to watch it to find out – and if you haven’t seen this classic comedy yet, I definitely recommend that you do so!

Year of release: 1955

Director: Billy Wilder

Writers: George Axelrod (play), Billy Wilder

Main cast: Marilyn Monroe, Tom Ewell, Evelyn Keyes, Robert Strauss