The Apartment (1960)
Theatrical Release Information | See Details About All Versions
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 philandering 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, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 125 mins
Complete Cast:
- Jack Lemmon - C.C. Baxter
- Fred MacMurray - J.D. Sheldrake
- Edie Adams - Miss Olsen
- Jack Kruschen - Dr. Dreyfuss
- Hope Holiday - Margie MacDougall
- Naomi Stevens - Mrs. Dreyfuss
- Willard Waterman - Mr. Vanderhof
- Benny Burt - Bartender
- Hal Smith - Santa Claus
- Shirley MacLaine - Fran Kubelik
- Ray Walston - Mr. Joe Dobisch
- David Lewis - Mr. Al Kirkeby
- Joan Shawlee - Sylvia
- Johnny Seven - Karl Matuschka
- Joyce Jameson - The Blonde
- David White - Mr. Eichelberger
- Dorothy Abbott - Office Worker
- Frances Lax - Mrs. Lieberman
- Director(s):
- Billy Wilder
- Writer(s):
- Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond
- Producer(s):
- Billy Wilder
- Closed Captioning:
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- Subtitles:
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- 1998 - The Apartment - American Film Institute - 100 Greatest American Movies
- 1960 - The Apartment - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Foreign Actress
- 1960 - The Apartment - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Foreign Actor
- 1960 - The Apartment - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Film - Any Source
- 1960 - The Apartment - Directors Guild of America - Best Director
- 1960 - The Apartment - Golden Globe - Best Picture - Comedy
- 1960 - The Apartment - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
- 1960 - The Apartment - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Picture - Comedy
- 1960 - The Apartment - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
- 1993 - The Apartment - Library of Congress - U.S. National Film Registry
- 1960 - The Apartment - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Screenplay
- 1960 - The Apartment - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Director
- 1960 - The Apartment - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Screenplay
- 1960 - The Apartment - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Picture
- 1960 - The Apartment - Venice International Film Festival - Volpi Cup for Best Actress
