One of Marilyn’s most famous movies gets a mention in this BBC article on the use of classical music in cinema.
Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2
“Among the composer’s most popular works, this Rachmaninov concerto has long been associated with cinematic romance. David Lean’s Brief Encounter of 1945 uses the piece as a symbol of the relationship between a suburban housewife and a doctor.
The concerto can also be heard throughout Billy Wilder’s comedy The Seven Year Itch, the opening of the work repeatedly appearing in the fantasies of middle-aged executive Richard Sherman as he dreams of seducing The Girl (Marilyn Monroe).”
Brief Encounter is a British drama about two strangers who meet while waiting for a train, and though both are married to other people, they soon fall deeply in love. In one scene, Laura (Celia Johnson) daydreams about running away with Alec (Trevor Howard) and walking on a moonlit beach. This dream sequence shows them dancing to Rachmaninov, with Laura sharing her thoughts in voiceover until the dream fades and she returns sadly to reality.
The Seven Year Itch features several dream sequences in which Sherman (Tom Ewell), whose wife is out of town, fantasises about other women trying to seduce him. Each sequence begins with Rachmaninov’s opening chords, but in contrast to the tragic romance of Brief Encounter, Sherman’s lusty daydreams are played strictly for laughs.
One of these early scenes is a pastiche of the steamy love scene between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in a more recent film, From Here to Eternity (1953.) Sherman and his wife’s friend Elaine (played by model and TV personality Roxanne in her only big-screen role) tussle on the beach, with Ewell’s scrawny body and old-fashioned bathing suit contrasting with the muscle-bound Lancaster.
Ultimately, Sherman tears himself away from Elaine and runs into the ocean – parodying another dramatic film scene, from A Star is Born (1954.)
Known only as ‘The Girl’, Marilyn’s character is living in the apartment upstairs while Sherman’s neighbours are away. Her first dream sequence occurs while Sherman is waiting for her to come downstairs for a drink. She appears in almost spectral form, wearing a vampy Travilla gown (or ‘tiger dress’), as Sherman plays Rachmaninov on the piano. As the music ignites her passions, Sherman pulls her into a embrace.
As the ‘real’ Sherman looks on admiringly, his reverie is broken by the Girl’s arrival.
In a later scene, Sherman puts Rachmaninov (or ‘Rachmaninoff’) on the record player while the Girl – seemingly oblivious to his lecherous feelings – dips potato chips in champagne. ‘Is this what they call classical music?’ she asks. ‘I can tell because there’s no vocal.’ They go to the piano and play ‘Chopsticks,’ but Sherman’s attempt to recreate his dream seduction ends with them both falling off the piano stool.
Screencaps via Fanpop
The Marilyn Report 