The Apartment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Apartment is a 1960 comedy film directed by Billy Wilder, starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray. It drew a wide audience and shaped its genre.
Plot
C.C. "Buddy Boy" Baxter is a lonely office worker at an insurance company in New York City. To climb the corporate ladder, he allows four company managers to take turns borrowing his Upper West Side apartment for their extramarital affairs. Baxter meticulously juggles the "booking" schedule; the steady stream of women convinces his neighbors that he is a playboy. In a quid pro quo, the four managers submit glowing performance reviews of Baxter to personnel director Jeff Sheldrake, who grows suspicious of Baxter's popularity.
Production
Written by Billy Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond, the film was produced by The Mirisch Company. Adolph Deutsch composed the score. Joseph LaShelle handled the cinematography. The film runs 126 minutes. The crew and editing refined every shot.
Reception
On a budget of $3,000,000, The Apartment grossed $25,000,000 worldwide at the box office. A critic consensus praised its screenplay and score.
Legacy
Its legacy endures through a remake, a sequel and a lasting franchise; later cinema cites its influence and symbolism.
See also
References
- "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time". topfilms100. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- Ebert, Roger. The Great Movies. Broadway Books.
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