Phffft

Phffft
Theatrical poster
Directed by	Mark Robson
Written by	George Axelrod
Based on	Phfft: Chronicle of a Happy Divorce play by George Axelrod[1]
Produced by	Fred Kohlmar
Starring	Judy Holliday Jack Lemmon Jack Carson Kim Novak
Cinematography	Charles Lang
Edited by	Charles Nelson
Music by	Friedrich Hollaender
Color process	Black and white
Production company	Columbia Pictures
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release dates	November 10, 1954 (1954-11-10) (New York City) December 3, 1954 (1954-12-03) (United States)
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$1,550,000 (US)[2]

Phffft is a 1954 American comedy romance film starring Judy Holliday, Jack Lemmon, and Jack Carson and featuring Kim Novak in a supporting role. The picture was written by George Axelrod and directed by Mark Robson. It was the second film starring Holliday and Lemmon that year, after It Should Happen to You.

Plot[]

Nina and Robert Tracey (Judy Holliday and Jack Lemmon), married for eight years, suffer marital problems and divorce. Robert shares the home of his womanizing Navy buddy Charlie Nelson (Jack Carson) while Nina looks to her interfering mother for guidance.

Robert spends an evening with Janis (Kim Novak), who finds the dashing Robert "real cute", but he feels uncomfortable with Janis and other girls he dates. Nina also tries to date other men. Although they try to ignore each other when they accidentally meet, it is obvious that the past is not dead.^[3]

Then one night, they find themselves in a nightclub, dancing the mambo together; they had both learned to dance since their divorce. Later, after a disastrous meeting at her home with Charlie, Nina tells her mother on the phone that she is still in love with Robert.

He accidentally overhears the conversation, having dashed to her home because of his friend's reputation. Nina and Robert reconcile and remarry.

Cast[]

• Judy Holliday as Nina Tracey (née Chapman)
• Jack Lemmon as Robert Tracey
• Jack Carson as Charlie Nelson
• Kim Novak as Janis
• Luella Gear as Mrs. Edith Chapman
• Donald Randolph as Dr. Van Kessel
• Donald Curtis as Rick Vidal
• Arny Freeman as Nina's language teacher
• Eddie Searles as Tommy
• Merry Anders as Marsha
• Mylee Andreason as Robert's dance teacher
• Sally Mansfield as Miss Comstock
• Joyce Jameson as Secretary
• Bess Flowers as Nightclub Dance Extra
• Jimmie Dodd as Cab Driver
• Shirlee Allard as Secretary
• Wendy Howard as Artist's Model
• Charlotte Lawrence as Radio actress as Cynthia

Production[]

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The script was an original by George Axelrod. Columbia bought it from him for $80,000.^[4]

• During filming, Jack Lemmon left the set as his first wife, actress/model Cynthia Stone gave birth to their son, Chris Lemmon.
• This was the second film in which Jack Lemmon appeared with Judy Holliday. Lemmon's debut feature film It Should Happen to You also starred Holliday.
• The title "Phffft" comes from Walter Winchell's column, which was widely syndicated during the 1950s. 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 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.

References[]

External links[]

• Phffft at the TCM Movie Database
• Phffft at IMDb
• Phffft at Rotten Tomatoes
• Phffft at AllMovie
• Phffft at the American Film Institute Catalog