50 years ago: The Apartment, Best Picture Oscar winner, released

The Apartment Released: June 15, 1960 Studio: United Artists Genre: comedy/drama/romance Box Office (numbers in millions): Domestic: 18.60 Worldwide: ? Adjusted for Inflation: Domestic: 232.10 Worldwide: ?

Directing: Billy Wilder Screenwriting: I.A.L. Diamond, Billy Wilder Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Jack Kruschen Review: The Apartment is “a classic, caustically-witty, satirically cynical, melodramatic comedy” FS Its “wry take on corporate America skewers the climb through the bedroom to the boardroom.” A07 Reportedly, director/screenwriter Billy Wilder’s inspiration for The Apartment came from a scene in Brief Encounter in which a man lets a friend use his apartment for an affair. MSN In this movie, it is C.C. Baxter (Lemmon), “an ambitious, lowly, misguided and young insurance clerk,” FS who is loaning out his apartment, but to his “company’s higher-up, philandering executives.” FS This includes “his callous married boss J. D. Sheldrake (MacMurray).” FS However, Baxter’s plan falls apart when he develops a crush on Fran Kubelik, the building’s melancholy elevator operator. She turns out to be “the boss’ flighty and fragile girlfriend.” A98 After she attempts suicide in the apartment, Baxter is convinced by his “next-door, philosophizing doctor/neighbor Dr. Dreyfuss (Kruschen)” FS that it is time to “confront the craven ethics of his superiors – and he wins the affections of Fran.” FS Sources: A98 American Film Institute (1998). “AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Movies” A07 American Film Institute (2007). “AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies – 10th Anniversary Edition” FS Filmsite.org “100 Greatest Films” MSN MSN Entertainment (7/19/2018). “100 Best Movies” by Shahnaz Mahmud

Awards/Honors/Lists: Dave’s Movie Database Lists: Dave’s Movie Database Genre Lists: Oscars: Wins: 5 – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Story and Screenplay, Best B/W Art Direction/Set Decoration, Best Film Editing Nominations: 10 – including Best Actor (Lemmon), Best Actress (MacLaine), Best Supporting Actor (Kruschen), Best B/W Cinematography, Best Sound. Other Awards: Other Lists/Honors: Critics’ Picks: Roger Ebert Francis Ford Coppola First posted 5/30/2023.

 

Some Like It Hot released 50 years ago today

Some Like It Hot Released: March 29, 1959 Studio: United Artists Genre: comedy/romance Box Office (numbers in millions): Domestic: 25.00 Worldwide: ? Adjusted for Inflation: Domestic: 437.70 Worldwide: ?

Directing: Billy Wilder Screenwriting: Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Joe E. Brown, George Raft Review: “Billy Wilder was at the height of his powers when he made this uproarious” TV and “expertly constructed farce.” ML The “wonderfully-satirical, funny comedy” FS is “sensational from start to finish, with dazzling performances by Lemmon and Curtis, a memorably comic turn by Monroe as Sugar Kane, and Oscar-winning costumes by Orry-Kelly.” LM The movie was “deliberately shot in black-and-white to avoid the pitfalls of camp or transvestism.” T95 Because it “featured cross-dressing and homosexuality” MSN it “was released without receiving a certificate of approval of the Production Code Administration, which enforced the Motion Picture Production Code of moral guidelines. The code was decreasing in importance at the time because of increased social tolerance. Because of its success, Some Like It Hot was considered to be a main catalyst for the code to completely be abandoned.” MSN Joe (Curtis) and Jerry (Lemmon) are two unemployed jazz musicians who accidentally witness the 1929 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. To escape Chicago hitmen, led by “dime-flipping, spats-wearing ringleader Spats Columbo (Raft),” FS they dress in drag and join an all-girl band headed to Florida. “They’re a couple of goners” A07 when they meet “luscious, voluptuous singer Sugar Kowalczyk (Monroe)” FS “(‘Look how she moves! It’s like Jell-O on springs!’).” A07 To attract her attention, Joe, in a “dead-on lampoon of Cary Grant,” TV also dresses as a wealthy, yacht owner. “Daphne (impressed with his own new sexy image) distracts the real millionaire – a smitten, oft-wed Osgood Fielding III (Brown).” FS The latter leads to “the greatest fade-out line in film history:” FS “Brown’s bland ‘Nobody’s perfect’ when his fiancee (Lemmon) finally confesses that she’s a he.” TO’95 Sources: A07 American Film Institute (2007). “AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies – 10th Anniversary Edition” FS Filmsite.org “100 Greatest Films” LM Leonard Maltin “100 Must-See Films of the 20th Century” ML Movieline (Dec. 1995). “100 Best Movies Ever Made” by Virginia Campbell and Edward Margulies MSN MSN Entertainment (7/19/2018). “100 Best Movies” by Shahnaz Mahmud T95 Time Out (1995). “Centenary Top One Hundred Films” TV TV Guide (August 8-14, 1998 issue). “50 Greatest Movies on TV and Video”

Awards/Honors/Lists: Dave’s Movie Database Lists: Dave’s Movie Database Genre Lists: Awards: Oscars: Wins: 1, Best B/W Costume Design Nominations: 6 – including Best Director, Best Actor (Lemmon), Best Screenplay Other Lists/Honors: Critics’ Picks: Roger Ebert Leslie Halliwell/John Walker Leonard Maltin First posted 8/12/2019; last updated 6/2/2023.