Main Cast: Judy Holliday, Jack Lemmon, Jack Carson, Kim Novak, Luella Gear
Release Year: 1954
Country: US
Run Time: 91 minutes
Plot
After several years of domestic squabbles, the marriage of Nina and Robert Tracy (Judy Holliday, Jack Lemmon) goes "phffft"! Upon receiving their divorce papers, Nina and Robert are certain that they'll remain friends, no matter how many new lovers they pick up along the way. Nina dallies briefly with bombastic Charlie Newton (Jack Carson), while Robert has a fling with the luscious Janis (Kim Novak). These romantic episodes only serve to make Nina and Robert realize how much they're still in love with each other. According to costar Jack Lemmon, the original title of this film was Phfffft!, but after an all-night bull session at Columbia Pictures it was decided to take out one of the "F"s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The strangely titled Phffft! re-teamed Judy Holliday and Jack Lemmon, whose chemistry had worked so well earlier in the year in It Should Happen to You. The chemistry is still there, but Holliday and Lemmon have to work much harder to make the indifferently paced and intermittently humorous Phffft! pay off. Although director Mark Robson makes good use of New York location shots (though not with the same quiet flair that George Cukor did in It Should Happen), he never seems to get a real handle on the script. George Axelrod has also done much better work elsewhere -- there's a semi-smutty undertone to much of the proceedings, not an uncommon occurrence in an Axelrod script, but here not leavened with enough wit or surprise to make it palatable. As always, Holliday is worth watching, with her ability to be screamingly funny and deeply touching at the same time, and Lemmon, though a bit forced, knows how to play off of her and still score his own points; their dance scene is a particular highlight. Jack Carson is annoying, but Kim Novak is actually pretty amusing. Lemmon and Novak would each go on to breakthrough performances the next year in, respectively, Mister Roberts and Picnic. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Don Randolph - Dr. Van Kessel; Donald Curtis - Rick Vidal; Merry Anders - Marcia; Eddie Searles - Tommy; Fay Baker - Serena; Eugene Borden; Sue Carlton - Girl; Harry V. Cheshire - Lawyer; Jimmie Dodd - Taxi Driver; Geraldine Hall - Nina's Secretary; Jerry Hausner - Radio Actor; Joyce Jameson - Secretary; Sally Mansfield - Miss Comstock; Alphonse Martell - Maitre D; Patrick Miller; William Newell - Workman; Olan Soule - Mr. Duncan; Ted Thorpe; Frank Arnold - Art Teacher; Hamil Petroff; Richard H. Gordon; Charles Heard; Vivian Mason; Shirlee Allard; Arny Freeman - Language Teacher; Tom Kingston - Manager; Charlotte Lawrence - Radio Actress; William Lechner - Boy; Gil Warren; George Hill - Page
Credit
William Flannery - Art Director, Jean Louis - Costume Designer, Mark Robson - Director, Charles Nelson - Editor, Frederick Hollander - Composer (Music Score), Morris W. Stoloff - Composer (Music Score), Charles B. Lang - Cinematographer, Fred Kohlmar - Producer, William Kiernan - Set Designer, George Axelrod - Screenwriter
Nina and Robert Tracey (Judy Holliday and Jack Lemmon) are a couple who have been married for eight years who decide to get a divorce after suffering marriage troubles. Robert takes up with his womanising Navy buddy Charlie Nelson (Jack Carson) while Nina 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.
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.
Awards and honors
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.
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!
