The Apartment is the movie that heralded the sexual freedom of the sixties and seventies and gave the workplace a bad name, in terms of the “way people act". In fact. In it’s day it was quite risque, and was too sophisticated for me to appreciate at the time it came out, although I have come to appreciate it now.

It won several Academy Awards for director Billy Wilder, the art director, editing, and screenwriter(s) and got nominations for Jack Lemmon and newcomer Shirley MacClaine, and a surprise nomination for Jack Kruschen, who played Baxter’s next door Neighbor doctor. Too bad Jack Kruschen didn’t get the Oscar. It was a chance of a lifetime for him.

FILM ELEMENTS

This is just one more feather in the cap of Billy Wilder, and this picture was made a year after another popular comedy, “Some Like it Hot”. Wilder, the story goes, had worked with Marilyn Monroe for two movies, and did not appreciate her much,. There is a Marilyn Monroe comic spoof included in this movie, played by Joyce Jameson. While Joyce is no Marilyn, the take-off is unmistakable. The character she’s with (Dobish) says he can’t wait to get her back to the apartment because she looks like “ Marilyn Monroe”. In case you missed it, Jack Lemmon repeats the line. Wilder also got writing credits for this one, and shows his comedy genius in putting these actors together in exactly the right way, in the right setting. One set apparently involved some perspective skewing by using physical dwarves for comedy extras.


The set design was extremely well done as well, and the apartment feels real, as well as the big office building, and all the cubicles therein.


Not nominated for an award, but worthy of note was the music by Adolph Deutsch. It reflects at times the jazzy fast tempo of life in new York City, and at other times is lilting and sad, reflecting the loneliness that can occur even when in the city that never sleeps.

THE TIMES

I would have no way of verifying that every petty executive had affairs on the side in the sixties, but it was a good lead in to the sexual freedom that characterized the later part of the decade and the early 70's. The mid level managers, and executives are all having affairs, and the office girls are the prey for these married men. Some don’t seem to mind. Others are victims, as is the heroine in this story. If that were all you could get from this story, it would be a waste of time.

But the fact that the core of all this frenzy is loneliness reflects on the human condition, much more than the sexual escapades of some chauvinistic pigs who have control of personnel, makes it a memorable event. I could see several EEO complaints forming within minutes of the start of this movie now.

So even though the dialog is witty, the subplots are funny or tragic, and the whole thing is set in the Big Apple, the real reason this movie survives is that it has a great love story and a happy ending. And it is well constructed, well photographed , and has great attention to tiny details that set the scenes. It also boasts great performances by an outstanding cast.

THE PLOT

CC. Baxter,(known as Bud) employee of a big Insurance Company in New York City has a problem. He is a bachelor, and has an apartment close to the office. And several small minded executives know it, and have prevailed upon him to loan his apartment out for their “dates” with their extramarital affairs. He works late at the office, to keep from going home too soon. He is booted out into the cold night .

“Mildred. He’s at it again.”

The neighbors, however, believe that Bud is bringing girl after girl to his apartment. In fact, he is one of those lonely guys who never goes on dates. The doctor next door is so impressed with Bud’s amorous activities, that he wants him to leave his body to science.

The four philandering executives, Kirkeby, Vanderhoff, Dobish and Eichelberger use Bud’s ambition to help their cause, and one day it pays off. He is called into the Personnel director’s office and offered a promotion. There is a catch, though. The boss, Sheldrake, wants to make use of the apartment as well.

Bud has had a touchingly cute flirtation going with the elevator operator Fran Kubelik, , although she stands him up for their first date. Little does he know that the person who causes this is Sheldrake, who wants to start up their relation where they left off, even promising to divorce his wife.

On Christmas Eve, Bud is finding out some things about the price he payed for his promotion, and he is not impressed with his so-called friends, or himself for that matter. Sheldrake commandeers the apartment, and he goes out drinking on Christmas eve,. He meets another lonely soul, a Mrs. MacDougal, whose jockey husband is in Jail in Havana.

Watch this conversation. The two characters, both poster kids for the desperately lonely, converse, and dance, never once looking at each other.

“Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, ...nothing, no action, Dullsville.”

He takes the lady home, and finds a surprise. Fran, who Sheldrake has told he will not divorce his wife for after all, has taken an overdose of sleeping pills, and is sleeping n the bed. Lucky he has a doctor next door.

From here, you’ll have to watch the movie. A lot more happens after this: a LOT more!
But that’s all I’m going to tell you, movie-wise.

THE CAST


Jack Lemmon as Calvin Clifford Baxter. This was I believe his best role, despite his Oscar for Mr Roberts. He is absolutely wonderful. He brings the character around to a person you will come to admire. The every-nurd is a sympathetic character from the start, but we can’t help not liking him much for being a toady to the bosses. But the character grows as we watch.

Shirley MacLaine as Fran Kubelik -This is not her first role, nor even her first Oscar nomination. She is sweet, sexy, innocent and naive, and a tragic figure as well. I loved her in this movie. It’s a far cry from the mean old b*tch roles she has taken and played with perfection in the past decade. Shirley could do it all, the stage, dancing, acting, you name it. She has been one of the most impressive performers ever on stage and screen , even if she has some strange ideas about the nature of the cosmos.

Fred MacMurray as Jeff D. Sheldrake-The father of My Three Sons, and the maker of Flubber is a bad guy here, and is easily the sleaziest character in this movie. He is the ultimate salesman. He is able to convince his girlfriend of his sincerity although clearly he had no intention of divorcing his wife. There is only a flash of a sympathetic character and what his kids mean to him on Christmas. Fred had been in movies for 31 years in 1960, and had toured with the big bands as a Saxophone player before that. In his career, he has done it all.

Ray Walston as Joe Dobisch-While he is the guy with the Marilyn Monroe lookalike, and the sleaziest of the bunch, he is also quite a bit of fun in this movie. Walston had a career on Broadway, on Television and in films as a fine character actor, and sang a little as well.

Jack Kruschen as Dr. Dreyfus-This character actor received his only nomination for an Oscar for this role,. He was wonderful as the sympathetic neighbor with a definitely ethnic flavor. It was a pity he didn’t receive the award.

David Lewis as Al Kirkeby -You probably would know him as his career finishing role in General Hospital. He is one of the guys in line for the apartment, here.

Hope Holiday-as Mrs. Margie MacDougal-She was the funniest character in this flick, as the one girl Bud brings home to his apartment, on Christmas night. She also had the best lines

Joan Shawlee as Sylvia . She was the girlfriend of hour first philanderer Kirkeby, employed as a telephone operator. She is definitely not an innocent, and has her best moment doing a strip tease dance at the Christmas party.

Naomi Stevens as Mrs. Mildred Dreyfuss What a wonderful characterization of the perfect Jewish mother. I loved her.

Johnny Seven as Karl Matuschka-this guy is the brother in law, who defends his sister in law honor by punching out our hero. Ya gotta love him. This actor was active in TV and New York theater.

Joyce Jameson as the blonde-This was the Monroe look alike, who was neither as pretty nor as engaging as the original, but it was brutal portrayal of the characteristics that annoyed Wilder.

Willard Waterman as Mr. Vanderhoff-The least active of the philandering four. He has a memorable break in his voice, which adds some comedy to his dialog.

David White as Mr. Eichelberger-Not as memorable as the other three philanderers. You may remember him better as Larry Tate on the TV show Bewitched.

Edie Adams -as Miss Olsen-She, if anyone, was actually the key catalyst in this film. She gives a convincing performance as the secretary to Sheldrake, who not only is a woman spurned but is fired for spilling the truth to Fran about her boss. Never worry, she gets even. Hardly recognizable as her persona generally, I thought she was wonderful in this film.


FINAL RECOMMENDATION

This is a clever, funny movie, that will keep you entertained throughout its 2 hour duration.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age