“Shut up and deal.”

In 1960, iconic filmmaker Billy Wilder (DOUBLE INDEMNITY, SUNSET BOULEVARD, SOME LIKE IT HOT, SABRINA, THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH) became the first person to win Academy Awards as producer, director and screenwriter for the same movie.

That movie was  THE APARTMENT, starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. A critical and commercial hit upon its release, this satirical workplace romantic comedy about Bud Baxter (Lemmon), a can-do office man who lends his apartment out as a “safe space” to his philandering bosses in an attempt to gain their favour and climb the corporate ladder, “seems more melancholy with each passing year.” (Rotten Tomatoes) Of course, the tangled situational web lends itself perfectly to Wilder‘s signature screwball comic stylings when Baxter finds himself having to clean up the many messes left behind by the illicit trysts and winds up falling for a beautiful woman (MacLaine) – who just happens to be his boss’ girlfriend.

Bittersweet, funny, heartfelt and tender – not to mention one of the all-time great Holiday rom-coms – THE APARTMENT features career-best performances from Lemmon, MacLaine and MacMurray, who all received Oscar nominations (Lemmon lost; years later Kevin Spacey would famously dedicate his own Oscar win for AMERICAN BEAUTY to him and his performance in THE APARTMENT.) Wilder himself  described THE APARTMENT as being the one with the, “fewest mistakes.” He may well be right – it’s a sheer delight and practically perfect in every way.

“A comedy of men’s-room humours and water-cooler politics that now and then among the belly laughs says something serious and sad about the struggle for success, about what it often does to a man, and about the horribly small world of big business.” (Time Magazine)

Thursday, December 29
Doors 6:15 pm | Movie 6:45 pm

Advance tickets $10 HERE | $12 at the door

*Minors OK in the balcony! Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service and main floor seating.
**Groupons and passes OK! Please redeem at the door.

THE APARTMENT (Billy Wilder, 1960 / 124 mins / PG) Bud Baxter is a minor clerk in a huge New York insurance company, until he discovers a quick way to climb the corporate ladder. He lends out his apartment to the executives as a place to take their mistresses. Although he often has to deal with the aftermath of their visits, one night he’s left with a major problem to solve.