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Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Edie Adams ... see more see more... , David Lewis , Jack Kruschen , Joan Shawlee , Hope Holiday , Johnny Seven , Naomi Stevens , Joyce Jameson , Willard Waterman , David White , Benny Burt , Dorothy Abbott , Frances Lax , Hal Smith

Widely regarded as a comedy in 1960, The Apartment seems more melancholy with each passing year. Jack Lemmon plays C.C. Baxter, a go-getting office worker who loans his tiny apartment to his philander... read more read more...ing superiors for their romantic trysts. He runs into trouble when he finds himself sharing a girlfriend (Shirley MacLaine) with his callous boss (Fred MacMurray). Director/co-writer Billy Wilder claimed that the idea for The Apartment stemmed from a short scene in the 1945 romantic drama Brief Encounter in which the illicit lovers (Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson) arrange a rendezvous in a third person's apartment. Wilder was intrigued about what sort of person would willingly vacate his residence to allow virtual strangers a playing field for hanky panky. His answer to that question wound up winning 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. The Apartment was adapted by Neil Simon and Burt Bacharach into the 1969 Broadway musical Promises, Promises. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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46 critics

Unrated, 2 hr. 5 min.

Directed by: Billy Wilder

Release Date: June 15, 1960

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DVD Release Date: June 19, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (2,377)

  • JonathanHutchings
    January 22, 2012
    JonathanHutchings
    Along with Ernst Lubitsch's The Shop Around the Corner, Billy Wilder's 1960 Oscar-sweeper The Apartment elevates the workplace romance into a sublime erotics of officious addresses (the omnipresent Mister and Miss) and economic conundrum. In this film, actuary C.C. Baxter (Jack L... read moreemmon) sleeps his way up the Consolidated Life ladder by proxy, as philandering execs use his 67th Street digs for scheduled romps. Meanwhile, Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), the elevator operator he chivalrously fancies, can't get personnel czar Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray) out of her mind. The triangulation keeps its edges with on-your-toes dialogue and a fine-tuned critique of corporate culture. Lemmon navigates the line between simpering and sympathetic with nervous WASP-ish energy. Most indelibly, MacLaine gives us a gamine with the whole gamut of emotions, a cursed capacity to love, and a limit to her own self-pity.

    As in Shop, Christmastime and suicide mingle, and the name "Kubelik" has the old-world ring of Kralik, Matuschek, et al.; Baxter's Jewish neighbors put him on the road from schnook to mensch (perhaps this is Wilder responding to the critique that he wasn't Jewish enough?). And Billy again pulls of his trademark feat of finding pathos in taboo subjects. He had a sign in his office that read, "How Would Lubitsch Do It?" and here that director's elusive touch hovers over the proceedings, lending a lightness to even the most mercenary transactions. A classic in the truest sense of the word.
  • Saxia
    October 22, 2011
    Saxia
    Lovely movie. Without knowing it from each other, C.C. and Fran are both jerked around by selfish and arrogant men.
    What I liked about it is that it doesn't turn into a sugary romantic movie, the characters stay true to themselves.
  • cosmo313
    June 30, 2011
    cosmo313
    Looking solely at the premise, I find it really funny that a film about a lonely office drone who pimps out his apartment to his superiors as a way of getting ahead in the corporate world won the Oscar for best picture. In all seriousness though, this is a wonderful satirical dr... read moreamedy that, like a lot of Billy Wilder's films, pushed forth a mature subject, and made no qualms about doing so.

    The film gets more serious as it goes on, but the first half is really pretty funny, and it's just a joy watching Jack Lemmon act all harried and whatnot. He gives a great performance, as do Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray, even though no one is the cast is bad.

    I rather like that, perhaps due to the time period, this film leaves much to the imagination- something that probably wouldn't happen if it were made now. Everyone, and not just the actors, are firing on all cylinders here
  • fb528166828
    June 16, 2011
    fb528166828
    Billy Wilder's The Apartment was one of a huge list of movies that are considered classics which I haven't seen, and indeed knew very little about (other than the level of admiration which many people have for it). Having a vague knowledge of the stars of the film (Jack Lemmon, S... read morehirley MacLaine), for one reason or another I was expecting a light-hearted comedy filled with innuendo and witty banter, a tradition of filmmaking that was common around the period when this film was released. Thankfully I wasn't disappointed, as these elements are all in play in The Apartment, but what really thrilled and surprised me was the much more serious subject matter that the film deals with. To say this is simply a comedy is completely false, as it's a somewhat dark and daring study of the nature of love and infidelity, and the stunning performances and filmmaking on display had me enthralled from the first frame.

    The film certainly begins as a comedy. C.C. Baxter (Lemmon) is a young bachelor trying to ascend the corporate ladder by allowing a group of his superiors to use his apartment for their extra-marital liaisons. After he falls for charismatic elevator attendant Fran (MacLaine), who is engaged in an illicit relationship with Mr. Sheldrake, the married head of the company, Baxter tries to free himself from the demands of his bosses, with hilarious results. While this is certainly risqué subject matter (for 1960), the film takes an unexpectedly sombre turn when Fran makes a suicide attempt in the apartment after learning the truth behind Sheldrake's motives. What follows is a touching, and at times heart-wrenching flowering of Baxter and Fran's relationship, and if the ending is a little predictable, the journey getting there is really something wonderful.

    The Apartment features an excellent selection of fully-formed support characters, but the film really belongs to Lemmon and MacLaine. Lemmon's reputation as cinema's greatest everyman is really on show here, and it's impossible not to root for him and sympathise with his plight. Playing Baxter as a charming yet awkward underdog, his character is the embodiment of the 'nice guys finish last' maxim, and although some elements of his life may be a little shady to say the least, Lemmon is flawless. MacLaine is completely up to Lemmon's high standard as Fran, effortlessly making audiences fall in love with her just as Baxter has. She's just so damn cute that even when she's recovering from an overdose of sleeping pills, she exudes such a potent 'girl next door' allure that can't be avoided. Her chemistry with Lemmon is palpable, and when they inevitably end up together, it's one of those truly satisfying romantic moments seen all too rarely in modern cinema.

    I'm not usually one to get nostalgic when it comes to film periods, but while I do have great fondness for many more recent romantic comedies, Hollywood really doesn't make movies like The Apartment any more. Wilder's screenplay (co-written with I.A.L. Diamond) is clever, witty and engaging, particularly in the subtle motifs and unique idiosyncrasies of all the characters, and the film is just so expertly crafted. I'm determined now to seek out more Wilder films, along with catching up on my Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. I can't recommend The Apartment highly enough!
  • TomBowler
    March 12, 2011
    TomBowler
    First class performances, brilliant script and bold subject matter, this is perfection. Full review later.
  • ajv2688
    November 21, 2010
    ajv2688
    This is one of Wilder's best movies, and the actors are brilliant too, this movie is hilarious, dramatic, and romantic as well. I highly recommend it.
  • FrizzDrop
    November 16, 2010
    FrizzDrop
    Who knew suicide could be made into a believable romantic comedy? Jack Lemmon and Shirley Maclaine dazzle together in a pairing most befitting.
  • 76Majikat
    October 9, 2010
    76Majikat
    A very quirky idea and a film that really grows on you throughout, Jack Lemon is very likeable in this, as is Shirley Maclean.
  • pier007
    October 2, 2010
    pier007
    Wilder's romantic but corrosive view of the petty bourgeois. Dignity and reason are non existent when it comes to scale up high positions. But there will always be left a thorn inside the heart that compels you to start feeling like a human being all over again.
  • DrZeek
    September 1, 2010
    DrZeek
    Fran Kubelik: I never catch colds.
    C.C. Baxter: Really? I was reading some figures from the Sickness and Accident Claims Division. You know that the average New Yorker between the ages of twenty and fifty has two and a half colds a year?
    Fran Kubelik: That makes me feel just terr... read moreible.
    C.C. Baxter: Why?
    Fran Kubelik: Well, to make the figures come out even, if I have no colds a year, some poor slob must have five colds a year.
    C.C. Baxter: Yeah... it's me.

    This is a great movie. It's a broad thing to declare right off the bat, but this is a great movie. It's been talked about for years, but I'm gonna try to apply some of my own words to it anyway. This is a comedy that hits many dark and dramatic beats as well. It features very good, funny, and witty dialogue. There are some great performances here. And the whole thing manages to come together very well.

    Insurance statistician C.C. "Bud" Baxter, played by Jack Lemmon, advances his career by making his Manhattan apartment available to executives in his company for their extramarital affairs. His boss, Jeff D. Sheldrake, played by Fred MacMurray, finds out and promotes Bud in return for the exclusive use of the apartment for his own affair. When Sheldrake's girlfriend turns out to be Fran Kubelik, played by Shirley MacLaine, a pretty elevator operator Bud likes, he is heartbroken, but continues to deal with the arrangement.

    C.C. Baxter: Ya know, I used to live like Robinson Crusoe; I mean, shipwrecked among 8 million people. And then one day I saw a footprint in the sand, and there you were.

    This film really seals my love for Jack Lemmon. He's just a great actor who knows how to sell it. He knows how to portray a certain lovable quality despite his emotional state, which always puts you in a sense of understanding for him. What also helps is his way of performing. This is a noticeably prop heavy film, and Lemmon has a gift for physical acting as well, which is quite impressive.

    Also strongly benefiting the film is MacLaine. Young Shirley MacLaine is a woman I have a crush on. She has a way of being pretty, funny, and spunky as Fran the elevator girl. However, when the film calls for it, MacLaine is able to imbue a sense of sadness in her character that is quite effective. Make no mistake, despite the strong billing of this film as a comedy, there is a lot of dark material at play here, involving adultery and attempted suicide, and its a credit to the strength of these leads that the film works very well.

    Fran Kubelik: I was jinxed from the word go. The first time I was ever kissed was in a cemetery.

    Supporting performances are all solid as well, which includes everyone's favorite father figure - Fred MacMurray, once again stepping back into a dark role that Billy Wilder has provided him, as the Mr. Sheldrake who toys with Fran's emotions as he cheats on his wife. Good work from Jack Kruschen as well as Baxter's neighbor and helpful doctor.

    Dr. Dreyfuss: Be a mensch.

    Of course the other big name here is Billy Wilder, who may have made his best film here, or at least certainly my favorite of his, and I'm a giant Double Indemnity fan. His work on this film is fantastic. Some great work visually, both in a very apparent sense and with little subtle touches. The tone of the film is just right, as it manages to balance comedy, drama, and romance all very effectively.

    I can go on with describing things I liked about this film, but its one that I can simply say really deserves its high regard.

    C.C. Baxter: That's the way it crumbles... cookie-wise.

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Critic Reviews

February 18, 2009
TIME Magazine

A comedy of men's-room humours and water-cooler politics that now and then among the belly laughs says something serious and sad about the struggle for success, about what it often does to a man, and ... Full Review

James Berardinelli
June 10, 2008
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

With tremendous performances by the two leads (Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine), this is yet another "must see" title to be found on Wilder's resume. Full Review

Variety Staff
August 15, 2007
Variety Staff, Variety

Most of the time, it's up to director Wilder to sustain a two-hour-plus film on treatment alone, a feat he manages to accomplish more often than not, and sometimes the results are amazing. Full Review

Joe Baltake
February 13, 2007
Joe Baltake, Passionate Moviegoer

'The Apartment': The Film That Defines Me Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
December 13, 2006
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

I wouldn't call this 1960 picture one of Billy Wilder's best comedies -- it's drab, sappy, and overlong at 125 minutes. Full Review

Ed Park
December 25, 2002
Ed Park, Village Voice

Elevates the workplace romance into a sublime erotics of officious addresses (the omnipresent Mister and Miss) and economic conundrum. Full Review

Roger Ebert
August 1, 2001
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

There is a melancholy gulf over the holidays between those who have someplace to go, and those who do not. The Apartment is so affecting partly because of that buried reason. Full Review

Bosley Crowther
January 1, 2000
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

A gleeful, tender and even sentimental film. Full Review

James Plath
February 12, 2012
James Plath, Movie Metropolis

This Oscar-winning Best Picture still has the power and appeal that won audiences over back in 1960. Full Review

Kevin Carr
February 6, 2012
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures

The cast brings the film together, showing Lemmon and MacLaine as more than just comedic performers, but also as those who can hold their own with heavier script elements. Full Review

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Facts

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    • C.C. Baxter: Ya know, I used to live like Robinson Crusoe; I mean, shipwrecked among 8 million people. And then one day I saw a footprint in the sand, and there you were.
    • Fran Kubelik: That's how it crumbles... you know, cookie wise!
    • C.C. Baxter: [playing cards] I love you, Miss Kubelik. Did you hear what I said, Miss Kubelik? I absolutely adore you.
    • Fran Kubelik: Shut up and deal.
    • Fran Kubelik: Shut up and deal.
    • C.C. Baxter: I love you Miss Kubelik.
    • Fran Kubelik: (Continues counting cards)
    • C.C. Baxter: Did you hear what I said? I absolutely adore you.
    • Fran Kubelik: Shut up and deal.
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The Apartment Trivia

  • whats the film where jack lemmon strains spaghetti with a tennis racket  Answer »
  • What were Jennifer Aniston & Vince Vaughn fighting over in The Break Up?  Answer »
  • In which movie did an apartment worker have to help set a mystical creature free?   Answer »
  • Billy Wilder directed Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (1955) and Some Like It Hot (1959). He grew to despise her demands for star treatment and her poor work ethic, and thus included the party-girl Monroe-esque character in which film?   Answer »
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