Marilyn Monroe was one of the most photographed celebrities of her era. There are thousands of photographs of the iconic star, but the most famous photo of all the time was shot by photographer Sam Shaw on the set of “Seven Year Itch”. Even if you have not seen the film, you may have seen the photographs. It was the iconic moment in cinematic history when Marilyn Monroe mesmerized a crowd of onlookers while her beautiful white dress blew up over a subway gate in New York City on 15th September 1954.
In the movie “The Seven Year Itch”, Monroe portrayed the role of a glamorous neighbor with whom a middle-aged publishing executive becomes infatuated. In the ‘flying skirt’ scene, Monroe and co-star Tom Ewell exit a movie theater, and a breeze from the subway passing below lifts Monroe’s skirt. Instead of shying and covering her legs, as any modest women of that era would do, Monroe exclaimed, ‘Isn’t delicious?”. However, there is more to this story.
The ‘flying skirt’ was the idea of the photographer, Sam Shaw. He met Monroe on the set of “Viva Zapata!” in 1951. At that time Monroe was a young starlet struggling for her career. They both developed a close friendship and she called him ‘Sam Spade’, a reference. When Monroe was chosen for the lead role in Billy Wilder’s movie “The Seven Year Itch”, she was 28 and had married her second husband, baseball star Joe DiMaggio. Shaw was reading the script of the movie, then suddenly an interesting idea triggered in his mind. Sam had already tried this idea in the 1940s’ during a photo shoot for “Friday Magazine”, in which a young girl’s skirt blew up in a wind tunnel. This photo was featured on the cover and the sales increased. He suggested to producer Charles Feldman that this scene could provide a set-piece poster image for the film, with a blast of air from the grate blowing Monroe’s dress in the air.
The scene was shot twice. One for the movie, while the second was a publicity event in New York for the press to create hype. The movie scene was shot outside the Trans-Lux Theatre on Lexington Avenue, at around 2 am. Monroe was wearing a light-colored ivory cocktail outfit with a plunging neckline made of two pieces of soft fabric that aligned behind the neck. A wind machine underneath the grate sent the dress billowing up above her waist, revealing her legs. The noise of the crowd rendered the film footage unusable and the scene was recreated on a closed studio in Los Angeles, where the only a photographer was allowed.
#1 Marilyn Monroe standing over a subway grate with her white dress blowing and co-star Tom Ewell looking on during the filming of “The Seven Year Itch”, 1954.
Monroe and Tom Ewell were standing the Trans-Lux 53nd Street Theatre after watching the movie. As they hear the train passing below the grates, her dress blown by the wind, exposing her legs. Monroe said.. '‘Oh, do you feel the breeze from the subway?’
#2 Marilyn Monroe with co-star Tom Ewell in New York Subway, while her dress was blowing from the wind.
Instead of covering her legs, she said "Isn't it delicious", It was a provocative sentence for a 1950s woman.
#3 Marilyn Monroe stands over an air vent which causes her dress to fly up as director Billy Wilder fixes her hair.
#4 Marilyn Monroe standing over a subway grate in 1954 during the filming of “The Seven Year Itch” in Los Angeles.
The scene was shot twice, the filming done that night couldn’t be used as there was too much noise on set. The scene was later re-shot on a closed studio set in Los Angeles, where only photographer and directo was allowed.
#5 The movie scene was shot at at around 2am. Despite the shoot’s timing, a crowd gathered to watch.
A wind machine underneath the grate sent the dress billowing up above her waist, revealing her legs. As the scene was re-shot, the crowd became increasingly boisterous.
#6 Marilyn Monroe walking with co-star Tom Ewell in front of the Trans-Lux Theater on the corner of 51st Street and Lexington Avenue while filming the famous skirt-blowing scene.
One of the onlookers at the shoot was Joe DiMaggio, and the sight of a crowd of men ogling and whistling at his wife sent him into a jealous rage. He left the set, angrily saying, ‘I’ve had it!’ The incident led directly to the couple’s divorce in October 1954, after just nine months of marriage.
#7 Marilyn Monroe with Tom Ewell and Billy Wilder from the making Of “The Seven Year Itch”
Marilyn Monroe was wearing a light-colored ivory cocktail outfit with plunging neckline made of two pieces of soft fabric which aligned behind the neck. The dress was estimated at the worth from $1 to $2 million, it was sold for over $5 million, after her death.
#8 Marily Monroe posing toward the photographer
After the filming had finished, Shaw arranged for the moment to be recreated in a press photocall. Photographers including Magnum’s Elliott Erwitt stood around her as the dress was again blown upwards. Shaw, having organised the event, secured himself the best position to record it. As Monroe posed with her dress flying high, she turned to face him and said, ‘Hey, Sam Spade!’ He pressed the shutter on his Rolleiflex.
#9 Marily Monroe posing while her skirt was blown with the wind.
The shots taken that night were published the next day in newspapers and magazines around the world. They not only brought great publicity for the film, but also cemented Monroe’s image as one of the sex symbols of the era.
#10 Marilyn Monroe and actor Tom Ewell on the set of The Seven Year Itch.
#11 Spectators gawk in Times Square as a fifty-two-foot figure of Marilyn Monroe is erected on the front of Loew’s State Theatre.
The four-and-a-half-story figure shows Marilyn in the skirt-blowing scene from the movie Seven Year Itch, which premieres at the theatre on June 3rd.
#12 Sam Shaw and Marilyn Monroe, backstage at 20th Century Fox studio, Los Angeles, California, 1954.
Shaw and Monroe often worked together in the following years and remained close friends until she died aged 36, in August 1962. As a mark of respect, he refused to publish any of his Monroe photographs for ten years after her death. Shaw went on to photograph many more actors, artists and musicians, and became a movie producer in the 1960s. He had a long and productive career, but the experience of knowing Monroe remained an important part of his life.
#13 At the publicity stunt in New York, a large crowd of bystanders and press were invited to create hype around the filming.
#14 Many actresses tried to copy Marilyn’s iconic moment, wearing a little white dress and standing over the grates, but the all failed.
Monroe nailed it the way no other actress could. Even the corner of New York’s Lexington Ave and 52nd St remains a historical place where the legendary scene was filmed.
#15 Actress Anna Nicole Smith poses as Marilyn Monroe in ‘The Seven Year Itch’, circa 1993.
#16 A life-size sculpture of Marilyn Monroe, crafted by artist J. at the entrance to the Harper-Collins building on E. 53rd St.
The artwork, a tribute to Monroe's famous scene in "The Seven-Year Itch," is entitled "Forever Marilyn."
