The Apartment
A Manhattan insurance clerk tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but office politics and his own romantic hopes complicate matters.
Directed by Billy Wilder · Comedy · Drama · Romance · 125 min · 1960
Trailer
Director
Billy Wilder
Writer
Billy Wilder, I. A. L. Diamond
Studio
The Mirisch Company
Release
29 Jun 1960
Runtime
125 min
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Full Plot
As of November 1, 1959, mild mannered C.C. Baxter has been working at Consolidated Life, an insurance company, for close to four years, and is one of close to thirty-two thousand employees located in their Manhattan head office. To distinguish himself from all the other lowly cogs in the company in the hopes of moving up the corporate ladder, he often works late, but only because he can't get into his apartment, located off of Central Park West, since he has provided it to a handful of company executives - Mssrs. Dobisch, Kirkeby, Vanderhoff and Eichelberger - on a rotating basis for their extramarital liaisons in return for a good word to the personnel director, Jeff D. Sheldrake. When Baxter is called into Sheldrake's office for the first time, he learns that it isn't just to be promoted as he expects, but also to add married Sheldrake to the list to who he will lend his apartment. Dobisch, Kirkeby, Vanderhoff and Eichelberger are now feeling neglected as Baxter no longer needs their assistance in moving up.
Cast & Characters
Calvin Clifford (CC) "Buddy Boy" Baxter, an office worker
Jack Lemmon
Fran Kubelik, an elevator operator
Shirley MacLaine
Jeff D. Sheldrake, personnel manager, Baxter's boss and apartment user
Fred MacMurray
Joe Dobisch, public relations manager and Baxter's apartment user
Ray Walston
Dr. David Dreyfuss, Baxter's neighbor
Jack Kruschen
Al Kirkeby, claims department manager and Baxter's apartment user
David Lewis
Mrs. Margie MacDougall, a woman whom Baxter meets at the bar
Hope Holiday
Sylvia, Al's partner
Joan Shawlee
Mrs. Mildred Dreyfuss, David's wife
Naomi Stevens
Karl Matuschka, Fran's cab driving brother-in-law
Johnny Seven
the blonde in the bar
Joyce Jameson
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $3.0M, The Apartment has grossed $25.0M worldwide — about 8.3x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Billy Wilder has directed 5 films in our catalog, including Some Like It Hot, Sunset Boulevard.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Immediately following the success of 1959's Some Like It Hot, Wilder and Diamond wished to make another film with Jack Lemmon.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
The Apartment holds 8.3/10 on IMDb (217,548 votes), 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 94/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of July 30, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.3/10 on IMDb (217,548 votes), 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 94/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Apartment's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
The Apartment holds a 93% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is The Apartment's IMDb rating?+
The Apartment has a 8.3/10 rating on IMDb from 217,548 votes.
What is The Apartment's Metacritic score?+
The Apartment has a Metascore of 94/100 on Metacritic.
Is The Apartment good? What are critics saying?+
The Apartment holds 8.3/10 on IMDb (217,548 votes), 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 94/100 on Metacritic.
How long is The Apartment?+
The Apartment has a runtime of 125 min.
Who directed The Apartment?+
The Apartment was directed by Billy Wilder.
Where can I watch The Apartment?+
The Apartment is available to stream, rent, or buy on Philo, YouTube TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex, MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, MGM Plus Amazon Channel, Rakuten TV, Sky Store.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to "The Apartment" is generally positive, with many reviewers praising its script and performance from Jack Lemmon. A few critics have also noted that the movie's light-hearted story and comedic elements make it an enjoyable watch. The fact that it won Best Picture at the Oscars in 1960 has been cited as a notable achievement for the film.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
A tiypical Billy Wilder comedy. Fun and with great script and performance from Jack Lemmon. A must to see.
Andres Gomez · 8/10Essential viewing once a year for soul maintenance
tmdb47633491 · 9/10**It's a good movie, but Best Picture at the Oscars? Frankly…** I really enjoyed this film, largely thanks to the lightness of its story, and the funny way in which the film plays with the situation in which the protagonist finds himself intertwined. The film was, in fact, the bi…
Filipe Manuel Neto · 7/10"Baxter" (Jack Lemmon) has hit on an unique way to work his way up the greasy pole. He sublets his apartment, by the evening, to his bosses at work so they can entertain their lady friends - all in the hope that promotion from his $90-a-week job will result. This policy frequentl…
CinemaSerf · 7/10
From the trailer's comments
I just read that The Apartment, was voted Best Picture in 1960. The last black and white movie to win the award before color came in.
@jamespatterson1433 · 126 likesThis film has aged like a fine red wine. Mwah! It's a chefs kiss of movie!
@Stefarooh · 75 likesone of the best movies of all time
@gracevarela5494 · 85 likesJust crazy. They were spoilering the last scene.
@ultimospettacolo · 87 likesi saw this movie in a theatre with my parents. Delightful movie with great acting. My mother had the music from the theme song. She was a pianist.
@karyannfontaine8757 · 159 likesThey will never make a film better than this! Perfection!
@lawrencejhutchinson · 149 likesThe most beautiful time of New York City.
@DesignerQoo · 30 likes大みそかの独り者に、ささやかな幸せ感。名画は朽ちない！
@言の葉陰 · 20 likes
