The Apartment (1960)

Synopsis of The Apartment

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, Rovi

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Theatrical Feature Running Time:

125 mins

Director(s):

Billy Wilder

Writer(s):

Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond

Producer(s):

Billy Wilder

• 1998 - American Film Institute - 100 Greatest American Movies
• 1960 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Foreign Actress
• 1960 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Film - Any Source
• 1960 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Foreign Actor
• 1960 - Directors Guild of America - Best Director
• 1960 - Golden Globe - Best Picture - Comedy
• 1960 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Picture - Comedy
• 1960 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
• 1960 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
• 1993 - Library of Congress - U.S. National Film Registry
• 1960 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Screenplay
• 1960 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Screenplay
• 1960 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Picture
• 1960 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Director
• 1960 - Venice International Film Festival - Volpi Cup for Best Actress

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