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The Apartment Overview:

The Apartment (1960) was a Romance - Comedy Film directed by Billy Wilder and produced by Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond and Doane Harrison.

The film was based on the musical Promises, Promises written by Neil Simon performed at the Shubert Theatre, NY from Dec 1, 1968 - Jan 1, 1972.

SYNOPSIS

An ambitious young insurance clerk tries to get ahead by lending his apartment key to several of the company's philandering executives for the occasional afternoon rendezvous. But when he falls in love with the building's elevator operator, he soon realizes that she's the woman his married boss has been taking to the apartment for romantic trysts. Spurred on by the exhortations of the philosophizing doctor who lives next door to him, the troubled young man eventually reexamines his priorities and decides to be true to himself and drop out of the rat race.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

FACT FROM THE VAULT:

It was so cold the night Jack Lemmon "slept" in rainy Central Park, that he was sprayed with anti-freeze to prevent the water from turning to ice!

The Apartment was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1994.

Academy Awards 1960 --- Ceremony Number 33 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActorJack LemmonNominated
Best Supporting ActorJack KruschenNominated
Best ActressShirley MacLaineNominated
Best Art DirectionArt Direction: Alexander Trauner; Set Decoration: Edward G. BoyleWon
Best CinematographyJoseph LaShelleNominated
Best DirectorBilly WilderWon
Best Film EditingDaniel MandellWon
Best PictureBilly Wilder, ProducerWon
Best WritingBilly Wilder, I. A. L. DiamondWon
See More Oscar Winners

The Apartment BlogHub Articles:

ONE MOVIE, THREE QUOTES: The Apartment (1960)

By Carol Martinheira on Dec 14, 2022 From The Old Hollywood Garden

ONE MOVIE, THREE QUOTES: The Apartment (1960) On December 14, 2022 By CarolIn Uncategorized It’s Chriiiiistmaaaas! December’s ONE MOVIE, THREE QUOTES goes out to one of the best…. New Year’s Eve movies?? That’s right, The Apartment (1960, dir. Billy Wi... Read full article

Billy Wilder's "The Apartment" starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray

By Stephen Reginald on Feb 15, 2022 From Classic Movie Man

Billy Wilder's "The Apartment" starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray The Apartment (1960) is a romantic comedy directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. The cast includes Ray Walston and Edie Adams. The screenplay was written b... Read full article

This Magic Moment: The Apartment

By FlickChick on Jul 7, 2019 From A Person in the Dark

While a film may be 2 hours or more in length, there are those special moments - unforgettable moments - that linger in the heart and mind. These moments can crystallize in a flash all we need to know about a character or their story. They are the poetry of motion or a word or a look that jolts the ... Read full article

The Apartment (1960, Billy Wilder)

By Andrew Wickliffe on Nov 16, 2018 From The Stop Button

The Apartment does whatever it can to remain a dramatic comedy when it shouldn’t be anymore. And sort of isn’t. When the film shifts into real drama, there’s no going back. Director Wilder gets it too. The film has a good comedy opening, a breathtaking dramatic middle, and a decent comedy end.... Read full article

National Classic Movie Day: The Apartment is One Big Movie Hug

By FlickChick on May 15, 2018 From A Person in the Dark

This is my contribution to the Classic Comfort Movie Blogathon, hosted by Rick at The Classic Film & TV Cafe. Click HERE and find out what movies comfort us when we need a movie hug. it's an awesome lineup! Having a bad day? Whose day could be worse than CC Baxter’s? CC Baxter... Read full article

See More The Apartment Articles

The Apartment Quotes:

Fran Kubelik: Shall I light the candles?
C.C. Baxter: It's a must! Gracious living-wise.
C.C. Baxter: You hear what I said, Miss Kubelik? I absolutely adore you.
Fran Kubelik: Shut up and deal...
Fran Kubelik: When you're in love with a married man, you shouldn't wear mascara.
Dr. Dreyfuss: Nice veins.
C.C. Baxter: The mirror... it's broken.
Fran Kubelik: Yes, I know. I like it that way. Makes me look the way I feel.
See More Quotes from The Apartment
The Apartment Facts
The wool coat Fran wears in various scenes actually belonged to Audrey Young, the wife of Billy Wilder).
This is the first Best Picture Oscar winner to specifically refer to a previous winner, in this case two of them. First Grand Hotel, which Baxter attempts to watch on television but is too long delayed because of commercials. Bud's boss also refers to Bud and Fran having "a lost weekend" together in Bud's apartment, a reference to Billy Wilder's earlier Oscar winner, The Lost Weekend.
The name on the door next to Baxter's office is T.W.Plews. Tom Plews was the prop master.
This was the last B&W movie to win Best Picture at The Academy Awards. Schindler's List which won in 1994 was not completely B&W, some scenes were in color, like the girl in the red and the candle at the beginning.
The film's classic last line was thought up by the writers at the last minute on-set.
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