57. The Apartment (1960)

In the film Brief Encounter, Alec is lent the use of a friend's apartment to meet up with the woman he is having an affair with. Billy Wilder took inspiration from this scenario and wrote about the third man. The man who would lend out his apartment for such a sordid use.

Jack Lemmon plays CC Baxter. A clerk in an office who is allowing his apartment to be used by executives, who meet up with their mistresses there, on the promise of a promotion in the company. At first he comes across as a bit of a doormat having to wait outside his apartment when the trysts run over, but we quickly learn that we have entered this story well into a situation that is now beyond his control. This is epitomised in a comic scene as Baxter struggles to balance his diary to allow himself a night alone in bed to recover from a cold.
Baxter's boss, Mr. Sheldrake, gets to hear of this apartment and now wishes to use it to conduct an affair. Unfortunately the affair is with Fran Kubelik. The one woman who pays attention to Baxter and someone he finally has a date with. Poor Baxter, always the played, though he finally gets his promotion.
 It's Fran who is being played along too and after finding out that Mr. Sheldrake's promises to divorce his wife are false and she is one in a long string of mistresses, she takes an overdose of pills in Baxter's apartment. Baxter finds her in time and with the help of his doctor neighbour, save her life. She is told to stay put for a couple of days and the two strike up a friendship further strengthening Baxter's feelings for her, but can h give her up when Mr. Sheldrake wants her back? Will she finally settle for Mr. Sheldrake?

This is a mixed genre piece. Starting off as a satirical comedy, dipping into emotional drama and then finishing with romantic comedy it certainly never gets boring. I'm not sure I find Lemmon and Maclaine to be a particularly believable couple though. I can buy them as friends though and with the excellent last line and the fact that she never shows any romantic inkling to Baxter, I can take it that they will be just good friends. Poor Baxter. Will he ever get what he wants or even deserves?!

Despite their lack of chemistry, Maclaine and Lemmon both shine here. The whole ensemble is great. Particular dues to Jack Kruschen and Naomi Stevens playing Baxter's next door neighbours. He has them convinced that it's him who is partying with different women every night. "Mildred! He's at it again!"

A clever punchy script, acted well and shot lovingly. It's not Wilder's best, but it's certainly up there. Certainly belongs on this list.