Billy Wilder's "The Apartment is his greatest accomplishment. It is his most successful melding of comedy and drama that he never quite pulled off again. I'm glad the Academy had enough good taste to award Wilder The Triple Crown: Best Picture/Director/Screenplay. But they still had enough bad taste to deny Jack Lemmon a Best Actor award, Shirley MacLaine a Best Actress award and Fred MacMurray a nomination and award.

The plot this time: C.C. Baxter (Lemmon; in case you're wondering: "C for Calvin C for Clifford, but most people call me "Bud")lends out his apartment to executives for their extramarital trysts in the faint hope of a promotion. Eventually, his boss, Sheldrake (MacMurray, excellent in a rare straight role) finds out and wants the key for his own affairs. Meanwhile, Baxter has a crush on Miss Kubelik (MacLaine, in a strong performance)the elevator operator.

For those who accuse me of spoiling the whole movie: rest assured. This only covers the first 20 minutes or so of the 126 minute feature. Wilder has many twists and tricks up his sleeve and I'll leave you to discover what happens. What amazes me about "The Apartment" is that unlike most films, this isn't about the plot. It's a study in human nature and the mistakes they make. That is a strong trait of most Wilder films (including "Kiss Me, Stupid" and "The Fortune Cookie", both hilarious comedies with a hidden meaning)

Also the dialogue by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond isn't just one-liners (although they are funny; especially when spoken by Lemmon and Ray Walston)There is real heartfelt sentiment here and it isn't the syrupy kind that makes my stomach churn (as in films like "Patch Adams") Wilder allows enough to make his points and then gets back to comedy.

The cinematography is fabulous too. Wilder's film (as most of his 60s films) is in widescreen Black and White (shot by Joseph LaShelle, in Panavision; one of the most unsung and unrecognized cinematographers in history, he was nominated but lost) It has a crisp,clean look and is one of the few widescreen films that actually make the viewer feel confined in a tight space.

"The Apartment" is a superior example of the "serious comedy", films that work as both comedy and drama. Sadly, many of today's filmmakers have lost touch with this genre. I can't help but feel that the freedoms granted today that weren't in the 1950s and 60s haven't been an advance. They've been holding us back. Smart characters have lost way to stupid and oversexed ones. That's a real shame and it's high time we go back to our roots.

**** out of 4 stars

One of the finest examples of smart, satiric comedy-drama ever created for the screen. Jack Lemmon (in amazing comic form) plays a working stiff in Corporate America--via New York City--whose bachelor apartment inadvertently becomes a love-nest for amorous, married executives. The film is extremely modern for 1960 and features a non-stop barrage of funny, clever talk. Lemmon is a mad genius at frenzied (yet sympathetic) characterization, and "The Apartment" catches him at his professional peak in the movies. Working alongside huggable neurotic Shirley MacLaine (also at her peak) and shady Fred MacMurray (parlaying his slimeball role with curt persuasion),Lemmon creates a new kind of acting: screwball realism. **** from ****

Over the years, I have heard that THE APARTMENT was a comedy, however I really saw nothing particularly funny about the film. Instead, it's a drama about human nature and its darker instincts. A good film, yes, but I really can't see this as a comedy.

Jack Lemmon plays a guy who is determined to get ahead at the huge insurance company where he works. His plan is to ingratiate himself to the supervisors so they'll notice him and owe him a promotion. The problem is that to do this, he lowers himself to the level of a pimp, of sorts. You see, the bosses all want to have a secret place to take their mistresses. Often this means that Lemmon is stuck outside waiting for these "men" to finish up their sexual escapades instead of sleeping or otherwise enjoying his own little apartment. However, with his eyes on the prize, no matter how thoughtless these cads are, Lemmon is always obliging.

Eventually, however, the big boss (Fred MacMurray) finds out and Lemmon is happy--maybe the shenanigans can stop and he can finally have his apartment back each night. However, MacMurray, too, wants in on the love shack and his fling involves a nice lady that Lemmon has admired for some time. However, being basically a coward and power-hungry, Lemmon says nothing and goes along with MacMurray's sleazy plan.

Eventually, Lemmon gets the advancements he wanted but also has a hard time living with what he's become. His neighbor's words--"do you want to be a mensch (Yiddish for 'man' or 'person')" come to haunt him. Will he continue to do just about anything for a raise? Or, will he stand up, for once, and be a man? The movie has a lot going for it. In particular, Jack Lemmon's performance is exceptional as are the other performances. In a role that is rather against type, MacMurray plays a low down dog--a character even more unlikable than the one he played in DOUBLE INDEMNITY. Otherwise, excellent direction, a gritty and amazing script and some haunting music all contribute to make this an exceptional picture--though I do think it's a tiny bit overrated (given that it received so much notice at the Oscars). Still, you can't do wrong with this surprisingly adult drama from 1960--though younger kids won't enjoy it and the sexual innuendo is a reason not to let them watch it as well.