Running Time: 125 minutes
Directed By: Billy Wilder
Written By: Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond
Main Cast: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Jack Kruschen
Click here to view the trailer
WILDER WEEK: CHAPTER III
"That's the way it crumbles... cookie-wise."
So since I was going to be forced to break up the chronology of the Wilder movies anyway, I figured why not really mess it up and go in any order I felt like. Since I was chomping at the bit to relive "The Apartment", I just couldn't wait any longer...so here we are.
C.C. Baxter (Lemmon) works for the Consolidated Life Insurance Company of New York City, sitting at desk #861 and is pretty good at what he does. He's in good health, he's a bachelor and has a decent apartment, for which he pays $85 a month (it was $80 up until the landlady put in an air conditioner). And with the mention of the apartment, we come to the catalyst of this little tale. You see, C.C. Baxter (or "Buddy Boy" as he's commonly referred) has a primo apartment, one that certain executives at Consolidated Life like to use when they're "entertaining" women, behind their wives backs of course. Baxter has four clients: Mr. Dobisch (Walston), Mr. Kirkeby, Mr. Vanderhoff and Mr. Eichelberger, who, through the passing of a key around the office, schedule appointments with "buddy boy" whenever they have a hot date. Baxter departs the apartment, allowing the men to attend to their lady friends and slips in when they've finished. Baxter allows these activities to continue, because over and over he's promised a promotion at Consolidated Life, in exchange for the use of the apartment. Well, the day finally comes when Baxter is called up to the 27th floor, where personnel director Jeff Sheldrake (MacMurray) has his office. It seems that Sheldrake already knows about the scandal with the apartment, but instead of being angry, asks permission to use it himself. This request comes with the promise that when a position opens up, Baxter will be the man for the job. Enter Ms. Frank Kubelik (MacLaine), the elevator operator that Baxter is utterly smitten about. What Baxter doesn't know is that she'll be in his apartment soon enough...in the company of Mr. Sheldrake.
SPOILER ALERT!
Seriously folks, if you've never seen "The Apartment", you need to do yourself a favor and see it ASAP. "The Apartment" is ONE OF the first black & white movies I saw, at a time in my life when I pronounced myself as someone who "doesn't watch old movies". I was a snotty, ignorant punk, what can I say? I had happened upon the AFI 100 Years...100 Movies list and at one of my early attempts to expand my cinematic knowledge, had decided that I was not only going to watch them all, but purchase them all, so that I'd have them for future viewings. Of course, when I bought them, I'd watch them and when I got to #93 I was introduced, for the first time, to Jack Lemmon, Billy Wilder and this outstanding picture. I was approximately fifteen or so, so as I sat there watching, my interest continued to peak, more and more as the film rolled on. God, I hoped so hard that C.C. Baxter would get the girl, the promotion and a wonderful life, where he wouldn't have to eat a fried chicken TV dinner all alone in an empty apartment, an apartment where other, more selfish, less loyal men had had the company that Baxter so desired. I hoped that Fran Kubelik would see the error of her choice, kick Jeff Sheldrake to the curb and go running down the street toward C.C. Baxter. I watched in near horror, hoping that doctor could smack the life back into Fran Kubelik and felt for Baxter every time he had to lie for her; making her look better, while making himself look like the bad guy - to protect her. I watched and hoped that eventually "buddy boy" would tell these five adulterers to stop calling him "buddy boy", throw their fancy job back in their faces and keep his apartment key to himself. I wished for all these things and my imagination flowed as I was transported into the world of Jack Lemmon's Baxter.
It's a great film, end of story. It's one that always takes me back to that first viewing and refills me with all the feelings I felt so long ago. I guess you'd call that a timeless classic, but I'll skip the fancy talk and just call it a definite must see film, one that everybody should see and one that is almost immune to feeble excuses of dislike. If you can't watch this and love Jack Lemmon's performance, get lost in the sometimes outrageous but always interesting, heartwarming and brilliant plot, then there's a problem and chances are it's not a problem with the film. Even if I continued typing for hours upon hours, I couldn't shower this film with enough praise, so I might as well quit now.
RATING: 10/10 So I'm four films in and nothing has yet to dip below a '7' and I already have two '10' films on my hands. WOW! Is this going to be a season to remember or what? Next up in "Wider Week": Probably "Ace in the Hole".
MOVIES WATCHED: 605
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 396
January 31, 2013 6:41pm
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