nomoons11 You wanna know why? Cause she doesn't play Judy Holliday.Normally of all the Holliday films that get bounced around as great, Born Yesterday and It Should Happen to You are usually what gets mentioned. This one, to me, is her best. She actually plays a character that's not the dumb ditzy blonde. There's no trace of the Born Yesterday character in this. I loved it.There doesn't have to be a whole lot mentioned about Jack Lemmon because...well...he's just great in just about anything he does. This one is no exception. The chemistry between these 2 is pretty amazing. I'm a little surprised they didn't do more films together.Watch this on a rainy day with an ice cold glass of milk and a box of doughnuts. It's one of those films you'll fall into on the couch and smile when the credits role.

ryancm PHFFT (what a strange title) does belong in the 50's as today it's very dated. In the 50's it was probably considered a little daring. JUDY HOLLIDAY could do no wrong. Here she plays a character somewhat like she'd played in MARRYING KIND and FULL OF LIFE. Not quite as ditzy as her lovable Billie in BORN YESTERDAY, her trademark role, although she stole the Oscar from Gloria Swanson. Oh well. One who is familiar with the writer George Axelrod can certainly see some similarities with SEVEN YEAR ITCH, a far better screenplay. KIM NOVAKS impersonation of MARILYN MONROE is right on and reminds one of the dialogue with TOM EWELL. I guess one can't help to copy one's success. JACK LEMMON is fun and clicks well with HOLLIDAY as he did in IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU. SPOILER ALERT: Even though the film starts off with a divorce between the two leads, one KNOWS they're going to wind up together at the end. THEY DO!!. A great little gem of a performance is by the actor who played the "soap opera" Doctor. His two scenes are gems and should not be overlooked. All in all this is worth a look as part of the JACK LEMMON collection.

Cristi_Ciopron One can say that this role set the direction of Lemmon's career—establishing him as an able lead in sex comedies. This one is a screwball of a very delicious finesse and elegance and sense of fun. The cast is above all expectations—Lemmon, keeping his character in a nuanced and subtle form. This early Lemmon recital is finely matched by the comedy's nature—a sharp and palatable one. More important—there is this timeless elegance that prevents the movie from being dated.You know what is does? It enhances the appetite for life and love. Some call this feel—good cinema. Each frame, each scene is somehow delicious and first—hand—a lot of talent displayed and intelligently used ,with a sort of an instinct for the good cinematography. It addresses an audience that was more apt to perceive the values of an urbane chic civilization. In this respect, it's not a bit phony. It doesn't pretend to be sophisticated and urban; it is.Mrs. Novak plays a stupid blonde. She has two very long scenes with Lemmon. Needless to say that she was amazingly beautiful in this film as well. In a few words, Phffft! (1954) has naturalness, flair, gusto, an enviable purity of line in its comic finesse. It is charming and surprisingly funny and good—natured. It's certainly better and more charming than many of the things Lemmon made later.Much of what's good is already there: Lemmon's bizarre laughter; the content and direction of the characters from his future comedies—the social class, men with money, that can afford drinks and fancy bars, etc.; the style—his refined vitality. All three actors (Lemmon,Mme. Judy Holliday,Mme. Novak) give this impression of vitality, of robustness and vitality.Elegant, sophisticated, Lemmon's character is created with an exquisite skill, and it's a stylistic achievement. The fact that, three decades later, his place was taken by W. Allen's characters as sophisticated male leads measures the entire gap between two lifestyles. (Not in the sense that W. Allen somehow continued Lemmon's line—he obviously did not—it would be grotesque and absurd to suggest that. On the contrary—what happened was that Lemmon's type was replaced with W. Allen's—that Lemmon's form of sophisticated urban comic was replaced ….) The times replaced Lemmon with W. Allen, with Gere and Cruise and H. Grant and others; the fact requires no comments. One subtly remarked that Lemmon's finesse reminds that of H. Fonda.Phffft! (1954) was made in '54—the year of It Should Happen to You (1954),and one year before Mister Roberts (1955) and My Sister Eileen (1955). Now for many movie buffs the '50s are the decade of the Actors' Studio stars—Dean, Brando, Newman, etc.. But the '50s meant also the rise of this fine actor;Lemmon is the other, cuter, nicer face of the '50s—and, paradoxically, maybe the more true one.In a list of screwball comedies, Phffft! (1954) wasn't even included; though it's, aesthetically, one of the most important achievements in this genre. I liked it more than Bell, Book and Candle (1958); and …but dare I say it? I liked it more than Some Like It Hot (1959). It's less mechanic, more charming, less perfect technically—but more inspired and gracious. It is discretely humane in a way that only these nonchalant comedies can afford being. It is genuine fun.It is particularly pleasing to see that such a comedy knows exactly what it sets itself up to—hence, the flawless taste and the purity of line. If you have an enormous appetite for quality comedies, this one comes as a treat. And everybody on set was obviously interested in doing his best. So you have competence allied to inspiration. It is unpretentious yet good cinema.Lemmon effortlessly (I assume) embodied the genuine hedonism and egoism of a certain social class in the aftermath of WW2. His character is usually basically nice yet egoist and hedonist in a profoundly selfish way. A little sly--boots ,also. Later, he deepened and explored this character and followed his fluctuations in the social history that followed the merry youthful '50s. Maybe it's the hedonism that defines him best. Like the demoniac side that Lemmon explored in a few humorous films, this egoistic side of his character established the behavior deployed in the many sex—comedies he made. It would not be exaggerated to say that this comedy is a document from a lost civilization. It showcases a certain image of the stylish '50s—it does so with charm and finesse.Early Lemmon recital ;it gains by finesse, naturalness and nonchalant charmPhffft! (1954) is a fantastically enjoyable film—and artistically and in every way more profound than the crap Hollywood is making today.It might make one love Judy Holliday if he did not already--or,to love her even more.

MartinHafer This is a very simple film with a pretty ordinary plot, yet because the film was so well-handled, it's very worth seeing. Basically, it's a reworking of the plot from THE AWFUL TRUTH or MR. AND MRS. SMITH--a couple breaks up but it soon becomes obvious that they still love each other. The writing is fresh and original (despite the idea having been recycled) and much of this is due to the little touches throughout the film (such as the cute character played by Kim Novak and the 'whooshing' bed). Jack Lemmon and Judy Holliday are also wonderful in the leads, as they have a certain sweetness about their characters. They are vulnerable and a little annoying, but you also like them and want to see them live happily ever after. Because of all these elements, the film just seemed to breeze by and I could easily forgive that the ending was predictable. A lovely little film and a terrific "date film".