The Seven Year Itch

In George Axelrod’s The Seven Year Itch, the foibles, fantasies, and faults of Richard Sherman are examined. His wife, Helen and his daughter, Becky have gone to the shore for the summer. When Richard meets The Girl who has sub-let the apartment upstairs, his imagination and his libido run wild. The voices of Richard’s conscience are three women from his “every day” life; Miss Morris, Elaine, and Marie. Their efforts to keep Richard on the “straight and narrow” are valiant, but less than successful. As Richard finds himself weakening in the face of temptation, he justifies his actions by blaming Tom Mackenzie, who he is sure has designs on his wife. Even the learned advice of the psychiatrist Dr. Brubaker fails to save Richard from himself.