The Apartment (1960)
Director: Billy Wilder
Watching this movie reminded me very much of 'Mad Man', the TV series. There is so much of partying and infidelity going on in a place where people were supposed to bring home an honest pay. But instead what goes on is apple polishing, intimidation, dangling of carrot and scurrying for strewn shreds of bones for the dogs a.k.a. subordinates. In fact, it is said to be based on a showbiz producer's affair and his usage of his staff's apartment for his tryst. The husband had supposedly shot the lover boy. Well, if you think the story sounds like a heavy drama with explicit display of emotion, you are wrong. With actor like Jack Lemmon, you can only expect comedy. This one is a romedy (romantic comedy). In fact it was nominated for 10 Oscars and won 5.
CC Baxter (Jack Lemmon) is a lowly clerk who is a hit among his bosses at an insurance mega company. He is a hit not because of his undivided commitment to his profession but because his apartment is strategically located for his bosses' extra-marital clandestine activities with their subordinates- secretaries, telephonists and elevator attendants. In fact, CC has a log to ensure their usage does not clash. For his sacrifice, he gained the notoriety of being labelled a woman's man by his neighbours and he spending many cold nights in the park to accommodate his bosses.Slowly, CC climbs the ladder of promotion. The problem starts when CC falls for the same elevator girl (Shirley MacLaine) as his immediate boss. In midst of covering up for his boss, nursing a suicidal girl and seeing an innocent girl being taken for a ride, he finally confesses and gets the love of his life.
This film had its own problem with its denigrators who accused the filmmakers as making a 'dirty filthy movie'. CC Baxter's boss in the movie, played by Fred MacMurray, who had an affair in the movie, was hit on the head with a purse for high negative role by an old woman in the street! Not much different from India!
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