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First off, even with the iconic scene of Marilyn Monroe and "the dress," this one fell short of expectations, mostly because of our sad sack protagonist played by Tom Ewell. His inner monologues said out loud seemed to be a weak choice. Richard is unlikable and way too nebbish to hold his own as the lead, even though he made this a hit on Broadway. The only interesting things about him are when he drifts into the various dream sequences.
What's more, the supporting cast, by and large, stole the scenes from him quite often. "Richard's" wife Helen, played by Evelyn Keyes, had some fun moments during two surprising dream sequences and Robert Strauss as the handyman, understood his role. And then there's Marilyn, known only as "The Girl," who really provided most of the laughs. Her timing and and physical comedy was a breath of fresh air amidst all of Ewell's hand wringing.
I'm giving an extra half a point simply for providing a glimpse of New York's original Pennsylvania Station just eight years prior to her destruction. The sequence, at the beginning of the movie, was far too short, but it was appreciated. While I'm glad I was able to finally view this one, it's certainly not up to the quality of Billy Wilder's other classics.
