---
title: "The Apartment"
year: 1960
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-apartment"
fi1m_id: "the-apartment"
imdb_id: "tt0053604"
tmdb_id: 284
wikidata_id: "Q270510"
fi1m_score: 91
critics_score: 89
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:50.728752+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Apartment (1960)

Directed by Billy Wilder · 2h 06m · Comedy, Drama, Romance

## Identity

The Apartment

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-apartment
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-apartment
- **IMDb ID:** tt0053604
- **TMDB ID:** 284
- **Wikidata ID:** Q270510
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053604/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/284, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q270510

**Fi1m score: 91** · Critics 89 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* Jack Lemmon makes helping the boss have an affair look like an extra duty nobody thought to put in the contract

> Billy Wilder’s office romance is funny, sad and unusually patient with people who ought to know better. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine make its unhappiness matter, even when the second half takes longer than it needs.

## Synopsis

C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) is an employee who helps his bosses conduct their affairs while trying to improve his own position at work. A promotion gives him reason to keep accommodating the men above him. He is also falling for Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), a lift operator, and his romantic hopes become entangled with the private lives he helps to manage. Fred MacMurray plays Jeff D. Sheldrake in a story of office hierarchy, self-deception and complicated loyalties. Baxter has to consider what he is prepared to do for the people who can advance his career, and what he wants from Fran.

## Review

The film is a generous, sharply funny romance about people making themselves unhappy at work, and we would recommend it well beyond the usual audience for romantic comedy. Billy Wilder takes the business of helping the boss conduct an affair seriously enough to ask what it does to the employee who helps. He still finds plenty to laugh at. The trouble comes from recognisable choices: wanting a promotion, wanting someone to like us, and putting off the moment when being agreeable becomes impossible.

Jack Lemmon’s C.C. Baxter is easy company, which makes him a difficult man to judge fairly. His eagerness gives the comedy its speed, but Lemmon does not pretend that helping other men deceive people is harmless. We were more saddened by his willingness to oblige than we expected to be. Lemmon makes the search for approval look exhausting, even when Baxter is being funny. The prospect of promotion gives his behaviour a practical explanation without making it much easier to excuse.

Wilder and co-writer Diamond understand how office rank can survive outside working hours. The men above Baxter expect their wishes to be accommodated, and the humour comes from how little persuading they think this should require. The writing allows us to enjoy the inconvenience before asking us to consider the deceit, without stopping for a lecture about corporate morals. That restraint matters in a story that could easily keep repeating a joke about an obliging employee and demanding bosses.

Shirley MacLaine gives Fran Kubelik enough intelligence to make her romantic self-deception painful. We can believe that she recognises more than she is prepared to act upon, and MacLaine never asks for our pity. Her scenes with Lemmon let awkwardness persist instead of tidying it into charm. Fred MacMurray’s Jeff D. Sheldrake provides a useful measure of how differently people can behave when they expect no consequences. MacMurray makes his unpleasantness ordinary, which is more persuasive than playing him as an exceptional monster.

Joseph LaShelle’s black-and-white photography gives the workplace a severity that helps the jokes: this looks like somewhere Baxter would worry about pleasing his superiors. The production design makes the office feel important enough to explain his anxiety about belonging there. Daniel Mandell’s editing handles the change from farce to sadness without making it feel like a new film has started. Adolph Deutsch’s music encourages a softer response, sometimes more insistently than the performances need. The actors are already giving us plenty of reasons to care.

There is some slack in the second half, when Wilder keeps explaining feelings the performances have already made clear. At 126 minutes, the film has time to repeat itself, and occasionally takes it. Nor does the careful attention given to Baxter and Fran extend equally to the people around them; some of the office comedy is content with a familiar collection of selfish men. These are limitations worth admitting, though none made us lose interest in the two people at its centre.

Romantic comedy often depends on keeping decent people apart for reasons that would not survive a short conversation. Here, their own choices give them enough to struggle with, and Wilder allows those choices to hurt. The pleasure is in spending time with people whose faults have been noticed and whose company remains welcome. Choose it for Lemmon and MacLaine, but allow for more sadness than the comic premise might suggest.

*Fi1m score 91, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The consensus is strongly positive, with praise centred on Billy Wilder’s handling of comedy, loneliness and corporate cruelty. Most critics find that the romance gains weight from the darker material rather than being overwhelmed by it. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are repeatedly singled out for performances that make the farce believable and the sadness felt. The reviews also value the film’s sharp observations about office hierarchies, compromised morals and romantic self-deception.

Reservations are scarce, and the differences are chiefly in emphasis. The Times celebrates the balance of darkness and compassion as central to its success as a romantic comedy; Slant Magazine gives greater weight to corporate servitude and the awkward comedy interrupting the sadness. Variety identifies some looseness in the second half, while still praising Wilder’s ability to sustain the film. Even the more measured responses remain positive, with little disagreement about the central performances.

## Straight answers

**Is The Apartment worth watching?**

*The Apartment* is worth watching for anyone who likes a romance with more sadness in it than the comic premise suggests, and we scored it 91. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine make two people's self-deception at work funny and then painful, and the film is patient with both. The second half runs longer than it needs, but we never lost interest in the pair at its centre.

**How long is The Apartment, and what is it rated?**

*The Apartment* runs 2h 06m. It is a comedy and drama film.

**Where can I watch The Apartment in the US?**

*The Apartment* is streaming on Tubi in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. It leaves Tubi on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does The Apartment compare to Brief Encounter?**

*The Apartment* and [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) are both romances in which ordinary routine makes private unhappiness harder to bear, but Wilder's film is a comedy first and Lean's is not. The earlier film is tighter and more frightening about falling in love; ours is funnier, warmer and slacker in its second half. Choose Lean for concentration, Wilder for company you enjoy keeping.

**What should I watch after The Apartment?**

After *The Apartment*, try [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) (1945, Fi1m 90): For another romance in which ordinary routines make private unhappiness harder to bear. Then [*The Shop Around the Corner*](https://film.one/film/the-shop-around-the-corner) (1940, Fi1m 88): A workplace romance with sharp colleagues and tenderness that survives their interference; and [*The Lunchbox*](https://film.one/film/the-lunchbox) (2013, Fi1m 75): For lonely workers finding intimacy through small, practical acts of attention.

### Reviews we read (17)

- **Radio Times**, Andrew Collins (5/5): The critic calls it an unforgettable classic romance that veils its darker side as light comedy and earned five Oscars. It singles out Lemmon’s sympathetic performance and the redemption arc for particular praise. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-x2yr3e/the-apartment/)
- **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★★★★★): This is the perfect rom-com, not because it is light but because it is dark, brilliantly balancing light and dark with gritty material infused with compassion. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are splendid as a damaged odd couple in one of the most exquisite pairings in rom-com history. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/the-apartment-1960-film-review-billy-wilder-tnlzvbhdc)
- **Evening Standard**, Alexander Walker (90/100, inferred): Wilder's film is his funniest after Some Like It Hot and a bittersweet love story that balances cynicism with romance; MacMurray is sleazy, MacLaine and Lemmon shine, and the spaghetti-straining scene is a masterstroke. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-apartment-7433469.html)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (90/100, inferred): Ebert finds the film a precise balance of farce and sadness, praising its adult sensibility about working life and corporate values. He singles out the performances of Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine for anchoring the story and giving it emotional weight. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-apartment-1960)
- **Empire**, Kim Newman (85/100, inferred): The re-release shows the film as fresher than many classics; its barbed jokes about office affairs and the shift from farce to affecting drama in the overdose scene stand out, with strong performances from Lemmon and MacLaine. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/apartment-review/)
- **The AV Club**, Caroline Siede (80/100, inferred): The critic views the film as a prescient indictment of toxic masculinity and corporate culture, highlighting its blend of comedy and drama through the story of a man enabling his bosses' affairs while falling for the woman involved. It singles out the nuanced performances of Lemmon and MacLaine and the film's timeless relevance for praise. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/on-its-60th-anniversary-billy-wilder-s-the-apartment-l-1844004988)
- **Time Out**, Wally Hammond (4/5): The critic finds this a sharper, multi-Oscar-winning comedy that traces corporate compromises and the self-deception in romantic liaisons. It singles out the exquisite design, black-and-white photography, and strong performances from Lemmon and MacLaine for praise. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-apartment)
- **Slant Magazine**, Jake Cole (75/100, inferred): The review appreciates the film's bleak vision of corporate servitude and its middle ground of somber tragedy undercut by awkward comedy, praising the performances and Wilder's direction in balancing tones. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/the-apartment/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Philip K. Scheuer: Scheuer praises Wilder for handling risqué situations with innocent wonderment and eliciting top seriocomic playing from the cast. He highlights the film's frank commentary on contemporary morals while avoiding excess. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/story/2022-09-01/from-the-archives-the-apartment-wilder-touch-brightens-sly-sex-at-high-altitude)
- **The Guardian**: Billy Wilder's The Apartment is a big-city satire with a romantic heart of gold and a welcome re-release. It is a tendresse with complications featuring luminous performances from Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/jun/14/apartment-review)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, James Powers: The critic praises Billy Wilder's film as an important and provocative work that delivers a blistering commentary on amoral society through humor and romance. The sparkling direction and performances, especially Jack Lemmon's, make it highly entertaining despite tonal shifts. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/apartment-review-1960-movie-1011488/)
- **The New York Times**, Bosley Crowther: Crowther calls the film gleeful, tender and even sentimental, crediting Billy Wilder's clever direction and Jack Lemmon's grand performance as the amiable bachelor. He notes the strong support from Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1960/06/16/archives/screen-busy-apartmentjack-lemmon-scores-in-billy-wilder-film.html)
- **The Telegraph**: Billy Wilder's The Apartment is a remarkable film that feels truly radical and chimes with modern preoccupations about office politics and corporate life. It marks the high-water mark of Wilder's career with its harsh yet perfectly observed environment. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/9331259/The-Apartment-Rum-business-remarkable-film.html)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff: The review commends the one-hook plot for delivering high comedy, warmth and strong performances from Lemmon, MacLaine and MacMurray. It notes Wilder's skill sustains the film despite some looseness in the second half. [Read](https://variety.com/1960/film/reviews/the-apartment-1200419766/)
- **The Skinny**, Paul Greenwood (5/5): The critic calls The Apartment the best film of the 1960s, praising its brilliant script, Jack Lemmon's genius performance, and how it cuts through cynicism with decency and humanity. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-apartment)
- **Den of Geek**, Paul Bullock (90/100, inferred): The critic hails Billy Wilder's The Apartment as a dark, satirical masterpiece about corporate immorality and personal change, praising its avoidance of moralizing and Jack Lemmon's humane performance as the standout element. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-apartment-kindness-and-the-power-of-change/)
- **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff ([A]): Wilder’s The Apartment is one of the most enduring and beloved romantic comedies of all time, though it is not without its dark side and is essentially antithetical in tone to the rom-coms of today. It employs serious, dark undertones and even evinces a suicide attempt, but is done more truthfully and heartbreakingly than modern entries in the genre. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/the-films-of-billy-wilder-a-retrospective-20120327/5/)

## Details

- **Director:** Billy Wilder
- **Director:** Billy Wilder
- **Writer:** Billy Wilder, I. A. L. Diamond
- **Cinematography:** Joseph LaShelle
- **Editor:** Daniel Mandell
- **Music:** Adolph Deutsch
- **Producer:** Billy Wilder
- **Cast:** Jack Lemmon as C.C. Baxter; Shirley MacLaine as Fran Kubelik; Fred MacMurray as Jeff D. Sheldrake; Ray Walston as Joe Dobisch; Jack Kruschen as Dr. Dreyfuss; David Lewis as Al Kirkeby; Hope Holiday as Margie MacDougall; Joan Shawlee as Sylvia
- **Runtime:** 2h 06m
- **Release (the US):** 21 June 1960
- **Genres:** Comedy, Drama, Romance
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Winner, 1960); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Winner, 1960)
- **Budget:** $3 million
- **Box office:** $25 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcslkrBMLGc

## Where to watch in the US

- Tubi: free, hd, leaving 2026-10-01
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, HU, IE, IN, IT, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1961: Best Actor (nominated); Best Actress (nominated); Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated); Best Sound (nominated); Best Supporting Actor (nominated); Best Art Direction, Black and White (won); Best Director (won); Best Film Editing (won); Best Picture (won); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (won)

## If you liked this

- *Brief Encounter* (1945), Fi1m 90: For another romance in which ordinary routines make private unhappiness harder to bear. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter.md)
- *The Shop Around the Corner* (1940), Fi1m 88: A workplace romance with sharp colleagues and tenderness that survives their interference. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-shop-around-the-corner.md)
- *The Lunchbox* (2013), Fi1m 75: For lonely workers finding intimacy through small, practical acts of attention. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lunchbox.md)
- *Drifting Clouds* (1996): Work, wounded dignity and dry humour, with no patience for easy consolation.
- *Toni Erdmann* (2016), Fi1m 86: Corporate manners meet personal embarrassment in a comedy that allows loneliness room. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/toni-erdmann.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-apartment