IMDb >
The Apartment (1960)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsThe Apartment (1960) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 22 | slideshow) | Videos (see all 5) |
          |
|
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
16 September 1960 (France)
more
Tagline:
A Billy "Some Like It Hot" Wilder Production more
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. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won 5 Oscars.
Another 17 wins
&
8 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(16 articles)
Old Ass Movies: The Apartment
(From FilmSchoolRejects. 29 November 2009, 1:27 PM, PST)
An Education From Oliver Stone
(From Vanity Fair. 6 October 2009, 8:19 PM, PDT)
(From FilmSchoolRejects. 29 November 2009, 1:27 PM, PST)
An Education From Oliver Stone
(From Vanity Fair. 6 October 2009, 8:19 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Some Like it Dark - Wilder and Dark Comedy
more (175 total)
Cast
(Complete credited 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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
125 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Brazil:Livre |
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:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The studio wanted Groucho Marx for the role of Dr. Dreyfuss, but Billy Wilder said no, stating that he wanted an actor with more dramatic weight for the part.
more
Goofs:
Errors in geography: During the opening pan of the New York skyline with the United Nations Building in the foreground, the shot is actually a "mirror-image" of the actual scene.
more
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...
more
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...
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Portrait d'un homme 'à 60% parfait': Billy Wilder (1980)
more
Soundtrack:
Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful)
more
FAQ
Why does Baxter have a cold? It doesn't seem to fit into the plot.How does it end?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
more
more (175 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Apartment (1960) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| A Face in the Crowd | Gone with the Wind | Trading Places | He Was a Quiet Man | The Nanny Diaries |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb top 250 movies | IMDb Romance section |
| IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |
Billy Wilder knew how to make a great movie. Of course it helps to have one of the greatest all-time actors, Jack Lemon, play in your movies, but Lemon aside, Wilder was a genius. His gift for the comedic moment showed brilliantly on screen and reached deep inside the audience.
The Apartment, the last of the great Black and White films, showed a bit darker side to comedy than some of his other romps such as the hilarious Some Like It Hot. Some Like It Hot is just as funny today as it was in 1959. It is pure fun. At no point in the film are we approached with anything that we would take seriously. Let's face it, most of us are not running from the mob disguised as a member from the opposite sex.
The Apartment, however, brings up much more human themes and issues. Wilder is an expert and at no time does he leave you worried that it will turn out badly. This is, after all, a comedy. One mistake in the script and the movie could quickly become a deep film about suicide, loneliness, and peer pressure, but Wilder balances the subjects on the edge of a knife and allows us to smile at what could otherwise be a very depressing movie.
Wilder and his films like The Apartment are very similar to Shakespeare's comedies. It can be said that the difference between a Shakespeare comedy and tragedy is often not the story, but the ending. In a comedy, everyone is married; in a tragedy, everyone dies. the same is true with The Apartment, it all hinges on the outcomes. If Kubelik dies or Baxter is left alone, the movie would be a tragedy. But since they prevail in the end, the movie comes off as a great comedic success, albeit a bit dark.