In September of 1954, the famous scene above a subway grate from The Seven Year Itch, starring Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, was filmed on Lexington Avenue. The movie mostly takes place inside of a New York City apartment during a VERY hot summer. It primarily shot in Hollywood, but some scenes were filmed in NYC. The iconic subway grate scene was filmed in both places. September 15th was the first shoot around 590 Lexington Avenue at 52nd Street. Due to the loud crowd, though, they later had to reshoot the scene at a Hollywood soundstage, having not captured enough usable footage on location. This was likely the plan all along, as they publicized the shoot ahead of time all over the city. Nearly 5,000 fans and photographers lined up on to witnessed the billowing-dress sequence. Monroe dress was an ecru Travilla halter with accordion pleats, and not one, but TWO pairs of white granny panties. She stepped onto a subway grate in front of the Trans-Lux Theater and klieg lights hit her and the “special-effects” man under the grate started the huge fan. Director Billy Wilder shot the scene over and over again as the crowd screamed for more. There was one very unhappy guy there though, as legend notes – Marilyn’s husband Joe DiMaggio thought the scene was exhibitionist and weeks later she filed for divorce. Most photos you see, like the ones here, were shot during that media circus on Lex. Those pics are also more revealing than the shot that ended up in the movie. And you can see below, that the street scape has changed significantly, as it has over nearly every nick of the city, some 60 years later. But there are still subway grates there.
Odd that there’s no plaque commemorating that shot, though. Btw, the famous dress sold in 2011, at an auction of Hollywood memorabilia belonging to Debbie Reynolds – for $4.6 million.
(via Gothamist)
The post Flashback: Sixty Years Ago Marilyn Monroe Stood Over A Subway Grate & Became An Icon appeared first on World of Wonder.