The Apartment (1960)

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Billy Wilder (written by) and
I.A.L. Diamond (written by)

Release Date:

16 September 1960 (France)

Genre:

Romance | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A Billy "Some Like It Hot" Wilder Production

Plot:

A man tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications and a romance of his own ensue.

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Elevator | Love | Elevator Operator | Extramarital Affair

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 20 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Jack Lemmon	...	C.C. Baxter
Shirley MacLaine	...	Fran Kubelik
Fred MacMurray	...	Jeff D. Sheldrake
Ray Walston	...	Joe Dobisch
Jack Kruschen	...	Dr. Dreyfuss
David Lewis	...	Al Kirkeby
Hope Holiday	...	Mrs. Margie MacDougall
Joan Shawlee	...	Sylvia
Naomi Stevens	...	Mrs. Mildred Dreyfuss
Johnny Seven	...	Karl Matuschka
Joyce Jameson	...	The Blonde
Willard Waterman	...	Mr. Vanderhoff
David White	...	Mr. Eichelberger
Edie Adams	...	Miss Olsen
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Abbott	...	Office Worker (uncredited)
Bill Baldwin	...	TV Movie Host (uncredited)
Benny Burt	...	Charlie - Bartender (uncredited)
Fortune Cookie	...	Chinese Waiter (uncredited)
Mason Curry	...	(uncredited)
Frances Weintraub Lax	...	Mrs. Lieberman (uncredited)
David Macklin	...	Messenger (uncredited)
Joe Palma	...	Office Maintenance Man (uncredited)
Paul Picerni	...	Patron in Bar (uncredited)
Hal Smith	...	Man in Santa Claus Suit (uncredited)

Directed by
Billy Wilder

Writing credits
Billy Wilder		(written by) and
I.A.L. Diamond		(written by)

Produced by
I.A.L. Diamond	....	associate producer
Doane Harrison	....	associate producer
Billy Wilder	....	producer

Original Music by
Adolph Deutsch

Cinematography by
Joseph LaShelle		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Daniel Mandell

Art Direction by
Alexandre Trauner		(as Alexander Trauner)

Set Decoration by
Edward G. Boyle

Makeup Department
Harry Ray	....	makeup
Alice Monte	....	hair styles (uncredited)

Production Management
Allen K. Wood	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hal W. Polaire	....	assistant director (as Hal Polaire)
Angelo Laiacona	....	assistant director (uncredited)
David Salven	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Mike Vidor	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Tom Plews	....	property
Ralph Harris	....	leadman (uncredited)
Harold Michelson	....	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Del Harris	....	sound effects editor
Fred Lau	....	sound
Harry Alphin	....	recordist (uncredited)
Robert Martin	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Gordon Sawyer	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Milt Rice	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Bert Chaliacombe	....	best boy (uncredited)
Hugh Crawford	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Jack Harris	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Karl Reed	....	key grip (uncredited)
William Schurr	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Don Scott	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Don Stott	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Forrest T. Butler	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)
Irene Caine	....	wardrobe: women (uncredited)

Music Department
Sid Sidney	....	music editor
John Williams	....	musician: piano solos (uncredited)
John Williams	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
May Wale Brown	....	script continuity (as May Wale)
Reuben Kaufman	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Miriam Nelson	....	choreographer: Christmas party dance (uncredited)
Joe Palma	....	stand-in: Jack Lemmon (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Mirisch Corporation, The (presents) (as The Mirisch Company, Inc.)

Distributors

• United Artists (1960) (USA) (theatrical)
• Nova Film (1960) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1960) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1967) (USA) (TV)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS) (deluxe letterbox edition)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Seven Films (2007) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (Canada) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Park Circus (2008) (UK) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• Seven Films (2008) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (collector's edition)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Collector's Edition)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Included in "The Billy Wilder Gift Set")
• MGM Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (collector's edition)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Included in "The Jack Lemmon Star collection")
• MGM Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• MGM/UA Communications Co. (????) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Triage Motion Picture Services  2003 restoration

Also Known As:

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Brazil:Livre | Japan:G (2009) | Netherlands:18 (original rating) (1960) | USA:TV-PG | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Argentina:16 | Australia:PG | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (1994) | Canada:G (Quebec) (2000) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #19647) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

205 Columbus Avenue, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Trivia:

To get Fran (Shirley MacLaine) to look genuinely startled when her brother-in-law punches Calvin (Jack Lemmon), director Billy Wilder smacked together two pieces of 2x4 during the shoot.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When telling the story of his attempted suicide, C. C. Baxter pantomimes loading a revolver, even though he has specified (and we later see) that the gun he used was an automatic.

Quotes:

[first lines]
C.C. Baxter:[narrating] On November 1st, 1959, the population of New York City was 8,042,783. If you laid all these people end to end, figuring an average height of five feet six and a half inches, they would reach from Times Square to the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan. I know facts like this because I work for an insurance company - Consolidated Life of New York. We're one of the top five companies in the country. Our home office has 31,259 employees, which is more than the entire population of uhh...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 50 Films to See Before You Die (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Lonely Room

That's the way it crumbles...

What a wonderful way to spend an evening--dinner, Christmas and New Year's with CC Baxter (Jack Lemmon) and 'friends', accompanied by much champagne and laughter, and spaghetti and meatballs lovingly prepared by the host himself. There's even a game of gin rummy to get into that Baxter and Fran can't ever seem to finish--here's hoping it never does!

THE APARTMENT is one of those truly classic classic movies--for one thing, it has an absolutely top-notch cast, featuring Jack Lemmon (at his wryly humourous best); Shirley MacLaine (a glowing screen presence); Fred MacMurray (smarm personified); and a younger Ray Walston (still wisecracking, still hilarious). They also benefit from a clever, perceptive and timelessly relevant script by Billy Wilder, under his capable direction. Though there are plenty of brilliant one-liners, the best of the dialogue feels true and real, which adds to the feeling that you've known Baxter et al for years. I loved the score to the movie as well, artfully attributed to the Rickshaw Boys and used to great effect.

There are so many good moments scattered throughout the film (I can't even begin to enumerate them all here!). A lot of them are little touches that must have been added by the actors themselves (Jack Lemmon humming as he prepares the meatball sauce is just *so* funny!). I love the madness of the Christmas party scene, and when Baxter's doctor-neighbour takes charge of the situation with Fran, slapping her awake and marching her around the living room. I also love it when Baxter first starts playing gin rummy with Fran, and she reveals how she has a talent for falling for the wrong guy all the time. Best of all, Lemmon makes such a believable, sweet pushover that you often want to shake him and hug him at the same time--the things he would do for Fran! It makes his final scene with MacMurray that much more satisfying for the audience.

If you see this gem of a movie on a video store shelf, or (even better) playing in the cinema, don't let it pass you by. Join Baxter, Fran, Mr. Sheldrake and everyone else, and have a great time!