Me: Wilder was very much an outsider, not being an American. He’s from Austria. He’s definitely someone who came into Hollywood critiquing it. He saw everything about America’s society that he didn’t like and used his films to highlight them.
Anna: We definitely saw that in Sunset Boulevard.
Me: Probably my favourite of his that I’ve seen.
Anna: I like too many of his movies personally.
Me: I think if I actually took the time to go through his entire catalogue I would have to revamp my entire top ten list that I’ve concocted over time.
Anna: Well The Apartment is definitely in my Top Ten. Among my Top Hundred would be Some Like It Hot and Ace in the Hole.
Me: I don’t know why but I always have a soft spot for The Fortune Cookie, it might be because I love Walter Mathau.
Anna: I saw that one recently. That was funny.
Me: The Apartment was released the year after Some Like it Hot, which was a big hit with Marilyn Munroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. Everyone was begging for him to return to the big screen with a similar film like Some Like It Hot, however he came back with this movie. In addition the decision to have Shirley McLaine in the film instead of a Marilyn Munroe (blonde bombshell) type of actress. It was obvious that he wanted to go for more of a grounded romance than the outlandish in Some Like It Hot. Do you find any difference between those two films?
Anna: Wilder was definitely a very versatile director, he did film noir with Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, Ace in the Hole; he could do comedy with The Fortune Cookie and Some Like It Hot; and he could do drama like with Witness for the Prosecution. But with The Apartment it’s more grounded and you’re just amazed that it’s made by the same person.
You even brought up the whole “blonde bombshell”thing. You might remember a scene where one of the coworkers asks for the apartment and he says, “she looks like Marilyn Munroe!” and the way she speaks sounds like Munroe as well. From what I’ve read that was Wilder’s revenge on Munroe for causing living hell on the set of Some Like it Hot.
Me: Well last year we got My Week With Marilyn where we got to see how she can cause hell on a set.
Anna: I haven’t seen it yet, but I’ve heard mixed responses, and bear in mind that she wasn’t exactly the most stable of stars back then. She suffered from depression, drug abuse, failed marriages and a string of affairs.
Me: When you’re watching this film, what do you actually pay attention to more? The drama of C.C. Baxter trying to progress in his professional life or the romance of him and Ms. Kubelick or just the comedy of the Dreyfuss’ realizing another party is about to happen next door?
Anna: Oh god that was funny. Personally I just focus on Baxter in general. You just see his slow rise in the business world while at the same time he’s trying to get along with Ms. Kubelick as well as Sheldrake and at the same time you’re watching him go down with his personal life. He’s having trouble getting along with his neighbours because he causes too much noise. As opposed to seeing just comedy or drama in the film I just focus on Baxter in general.
Me: What would be the next film after watching The Apartment that had the same effect on you that The Apartment did?
Anna: Not necessarily the first time I watched it, but when I revisited The Sweet Smell of Success it made me go, “this is really good.”
Me: Well I don’t think there’s anything else I can think to ask. Is there anything else you want to add before we sign off?
Anna: Well, this is my question to you: The Apartment stars Jack Lemmon, who did other films with Billy Wilder. Do you think that Wilder & Lemmon are one of the greatest partnerships in film history?
Me: One of the greatest? Yes. Is it the greatest? No.
Anna: What is the greatest then?
Me: Honestly I don’t think that you can beat Kurosawa and Mifune. They made near twenty films together, I can’t remember the exact number, I’ve probably only seen half of those at this point but the ones I’ve seen are all awesome.