The Apartment

Movie Details:

Cast & Characters:

• Jack Lemmon as Calvin Clifford (CC) “Bud” Baxter
• Shirley MacLaine as Fran Kubelik
• Fred MacMurray as Jeff D Sheldrake, personnel manager, Baxter’s boss and apartment user
• Ray Walston as Joe Dobisch, office manager and Baxter apartment user
• Jack Kruschen as Dr David Dreyfuss, Baxter’s neighbor
• Frances Weintraub Lax as landlady Mrs Lieberman, always accompanied by her little dog Oscar
• David Lewis as Al Kirkeby, manager and Baxter apartment user
• Edie Adams as Miss Olsen
• Hope Holiday as Mrs Margie MacDougall
• Joan Shawlee as Sylvia
• Naomi Stevens as Mrs Mildred Dreyfuss
• Johnny Seven as Karl Matuschka (Fran’s cab driving brother-in-law)
• Joyce Jameson as the blonde in the bar
• Hal Smith as Santa Claus in the bar
• Willard Waterman as Mr Vanderhoff, manager and Baxter apartment user
• David White as Mr Eichelberger, manager and Baxter apartment user

Storyline:

As of November 1, 1959, mild mannered C.C. Baxter has been working at Consolidated Life, an insurance company, for close to four years, and is one of close to thirty-two thousand employees located in their Manhattan head office. To distinguish himself from all the other lowly cogs in the company in the hopes of moving up the corporate ladder, he often works late, but only because he can’t get into his apartment, located off of Central Park West, since he has provided it to a handful of company executives – Mssrs. Dobisch, Kirkeby, Vanderhoff and Eichelberger – on a rotating basis for their extramarital liaisons in return for a good word to the personnel director, Jeff D. Sheldrake. When Baxter is called into Sheldrake’s office for the first time, he learns that it isn’t just to be promoted as he expects, but also to add married Sheldrake to the list to who he will lend his apartment. Dobisch, Kirkeby, Vanderhoff and Eichelberger are now feeling neglected as Baxter no longer needs their assistance in moving up.

About The Apartment Movie:

The Apartment is an American romantic comedy-drama film directed and produced by Billy Wilder, and co-written with I. A. L. Diamond. The film stars Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray.

Plot Summary

The story revolves around C.C. “Bud” Baxter (Lemmon), an insurance clerk in New York City who hopes to climb the corporate ladder. To gain favor with his superiors, he allows them to use his Upper West Side apartment for their extramarital affairs. As he juggles the demands of his bosses, he becomes romantically interested in Fran Kubelik (MacLaine), an elevator operator in his office building.

Unbeknownst to Baxter, Fran is involved with his boss, Jeff Sheldrake (MacMurray), who is one of the executives using Baxter’s apartment. The situation escalates when Fran attempts suicide after a heartbreak, leading Baxter to take care of her in his apartment. Their relationship deepens during her recovery, but complications arise when Sheldrake continues to pursue Fran.

As the New Year approaches, Baxter confronts the ethical dilemmas of his situation and ultimately decides to stand up for himself. He quits his job after refusing to let Sheldrake use his apartment again for an affair with Fran. The film concludes with a heartfelt reunion between Baxter and Fran, where they express their feelings for each other while resuming their unfinished game of gin rummy.

Production Details

The Apartment was produced on a budget of approximately $3 million and was distributed by United Artists. It became the 8th highest-grossing film of 1960 and received widespread critical acclaim.

Reception

At the 33rd Academy Awards, The Apartment was nominated for ten Oscars and won five, including Best Picture, Best Director for Wilder, and Best Screenplay. Lemmon and MacLaine received nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively. The film also won Golden Globe Awards for both lead actors.

Legacy

The Apartment is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, noted for its sharp wit and exploration of complex themes such as love, loneliness, and moral ambiguity. It has been included in various lists by the American Film Institute and Sight & Sound magazine. In 1994, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Additionally, it inspired the Broadway musical Promises, Promises, composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

Budget & Box Office Collection: