Phffft!

Infobox Film
name = Phffft!


caption = Movie Poster
writer = George Axelrod
starring = Judy Holliday
Jack Lemmon
Kim Novak
Jack Carson
director = Mark Robson
company = Columbia Pictures Corporation
distributer = Columbia Pictures Corporation
released = November 10, 1954
runtime = 88 min.
imdb_id = 0047349
language = English

"Phffft!" is a 1954 black and white romantic comedy starring Judy Holliday, Jack Lemmon, Kim Novak and Jack Carson. It was written by George Axelrod and directed by Mark Robson, and was the second film featuring Holliday and Lemmon that year.

Plot Synopsis

Holliday and Lemmon take the leading roles as a couple who have been married for eight years and decide to get a divorce after suffering marriage troubles. Robert Tracey (Jack Lemmon) takes up with his womanising Navy buddy Charlie Nelson (Jack Carson) while his ex-wife Nina (Judy Holliday) looks to her interfering mother for guidance. Robert decides to spend the night with Janis (Kim Novak), a Marilyn Monroe-type character who finds the dashing Robert quite cute. But he feels uncomfortable with Janis and any other girls that he dates. Nina also tries to date other men but fails as she is still in love with Robert. Although they try to ignore each other any time that they accidentally meet, it is obvious that the past is not dead. Then one night, they find themselves in a nightclub, dancing the mambo together.

Cast

*Judy Holliday "as" Nina Tracey (Chapman)
*Jack Lemmon "as" Robert Tracey
*Kim Novak "as" Janis
*Jack Carson "as" Charlie Nelson
*Luella Gear "as" Mrs. Edith Chapman
*Donald Randolph "as" Dr. Van Kessel
*Donald Curtis "as" Actor Rick Vidal a.k.a Dr. John Van Kessel
*Arny Freeman "as" Language teacher
*Merry Anders "as" Robert's blonde dance teacher

Production Notes

*During the filming of this film, Jack Lemmon left the set as his then-wife, actress/model Cynthia Stone gave birth to his first son, Chris Lemmon.

*This was the second film that Jack Lemmon did with Judy Holliday. In that same year, Lemmon's debut film It Should Happen to You co-starred Holliday. This was also Lemmon's third film of his career.

*The title "Phffft" comes from Walter Winchell's column which was widely read during the 50s. When a celebrity couple's marriage broke up, Winchell would describe the break-up as "phffft".

*Columbia Pictures approached George Axelrod to produce a film version of his very popular play, "The Seven Year Itch" but the film rights were tied up as long as it was running on Broadway. He instead offered them "Phffft!" --- an earlier play of his dealing with a similar subject.

Quotes

Robert Tracey: You look lovely.
Nina Tracey: Thank you. So do you.
Robert Tracey: Thank you.

[cuddling with Robert on the couch as he attempts to kiss her]
Janis: You're getting cuter every minute!
[he chuckles]

[we can hear Robert's voice inside his head as he reads a book]
Robert: "I turned slowly away from the window. Her eyes had that funny, mad look that I'd come to know and fear. Suddenly, her eyes never leaving my face, she began. One button at a time to undo the front of her sweater..."
[he begins to smile until...]
Nina: Robert!

Awards

*Judy Holliday was nominated for "Best Foreign Actress" at the BAFTA Awards in 1955.
*The film was also nominated for "Best Written American Comedy" at the Writer's Guild of America.

External links

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