you say the name 'tom ewell' to most people, and most of them will probably say they've never heard of him, they've never seen him, they don't know who he is. they don't realize they most likely have seen him, they just didn't know it. he was the man standing beside the woman who was the subject of one of the most famous photo shoots on the planet. ever. yes, tom ewell, who was born on april 29th, 1909 just happens to be the man in the tan summer suit standing beside marilyn monroe on that subway grate as her white pleated skirt blew up around her legs. admittedly, the vast majority of onlookers weren't too focused on tom at that moment, and with good reason. but the movie that shot was taken for, (billy wilder's 'the seven year itch' ) is at times more ewell's movie than marilyn's. his character richard sherman is possibly in every shot, and carries about 89 % of the script. he slays me in that role. he's as deft as fred astaire in portraying the boredom, lust, anxiety, wisdom, paranoia, and chivalrous grace of one married man over the course of one stifling summer weekend. and he manages to make it all funny. very, very funny. the tagline for 'seven year itch' could read something like, '...you came to see the girl, but you'll stay for tom ewell.' honestly, at several times in that movie, he seems to do the impossible : he upstages marilyn monroe.
sleep well, tom. and god bless you.
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