The Apartment
As of November 1, 1959, mild mannered C.C. Baxter has been working at Consolidated Life, an insurance company, for close to four years, and is one of close to thirty-two thousand employees located in their Manhattan head office. To distinguish himself from all the other lowly cogs in the company in the hopes of moving up the corporate ladder, he often works late, but only because he can't get into his apartment, located off of Central Park West, since he has provided it to a handful of company executives - Mssrs. Dobisch, Kirkeby, Vanderhoff and Eichelberger - on a rotating basis for their extramarital liaisons in return for a good word to the personnel director, Jeff D. Sheldrake. When Baxter is called into Sheldrake's office for the first time, he learns that it isn't just to be promoted as he expects, but also to add married Sheldrake to the list to who he will lend his apartment. Dobisch, Kirkeby, Vanderhoff and Eichelberger are now feeling neglected as Baxter no longer needs their assistance in moving up.
Despite its tight budget of $3.0M, The Apartment became a box office phenomenon, earning $25.0M worldwide—a remarkable 733% return. The film's unconventional structure found its audience, illustrating how strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
5 Oscars. 25 wins & 8 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Apartment (1960) showcases deliberately positioned dramatic framework, characteristic of Billy Wilder's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 5 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 3.7, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
C.C. "Bud" Baxter
Fran Kubelik
J.D. Sheldrake
Dr. Dreyfuss
Margie MacDougall
Main Cast & Characters
C.C. "Bud" Baxter
Played by Jack Lemmon
A lonely insurance clerk who loans his apartment to company executives for their extramarital affairs in hopes of climbing the corporate ladder.
Fran Kubelik
Played by Shirley MacLaine
An elevator operator with a melancholic charm who is trapped in an affair with a married executive and eventually finds connection with Bud.
J.D. Sheldrake
Played by Fred MacMurray
The manipulative personnel director who exploits Bud's apartment for his affair with Fran while maintaining a facade of corporate respectability.
Dr. Dreyfuss
Played by Jack Kruschen
Bud's judgmental neighbor and physician who initially assumes Bud is a womanizer but comes to understand the truth.
Margie MacDougall
Played by Edie Adams
Sheldrake's secretary who tries to warn Fran about Sheldrake's history of broken promises to other women.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes C.C. Baxter narrates his mundane existence as a low-level insurance clerk in a massive NYC corporation, revealing he loans his apartment to company executives for their extramarital affairs to advance his career.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Personnel Director Sheldrake discovers Baxter's arrangement and demands exclusive use of the apartment for his own affair, threatening Baxter's job security while dangling a promotion.. At 10% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 22% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Baxter discovers that Sheldrake's mistress is Fran Kubelik - the woman Baxter loves. He must choose to continue the arrangement despite his heartbreak, fully entering the compromised world., moving from reaction to action.
At 55 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 44% of the runtime—arriving early, accelerating into Act IIb complications. Of particular interest, this crucial beat False defeat: On Christmas Eve, Baxter finds Fran has attempted suicide with sleeping pills in his apartment after Sheldrake abandons her. The stakes escalate from career compromise to life and death., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 83 minutes (66% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Baxter's reputation is destroyed when Fran's brother-in-law punches him at a bar, publicly humiliating him. Simultaneously, Sheldrake fires his secretary (who revealed the truth to Mrs. Sheldrake) and prepares to divorce his wife for Fran. Baxter's complicity has cost him everything., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 90 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 72% of the runtime. Baxter refuses to give Sheldrake the apartment key, quits his job, and reclaims his integrity. "I've decided to become a mensch." He chooses humanity over advancement., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Apartment's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping The Apartment against these established plot points, we can identify how Billy Wilder utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Apartment within the comedy genre.
Billy Wilder's Structural Approach
Among the 10 Billy Wilder films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 5.6, showcasing experimental approaches to narrative form. The Apartment takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Billy Wilder filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Bad Guys, Ella Enchanted and The Evening Star. For more Billy Wilder analyses, see Sabrina, Some Like It Hot and Buddy Buddy.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
C.C. Baxter narrates his mundane existence as a low-level insurance clerk in a massive NYC corporation, revealing he loans his apartment to company executives for their extramarital affairs to advance his career.
Theme
Dr. Dreyfuss, Baxter's neighbor, suggests "be a mensch" - be a human being, have integrity. This states the film's central question: can you succeed by compromising your humanity?
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Baxter's world: the dehumanizing corporate environment, his apartment-lending scheme serving four executives, his loneliness, catching constant colds, and glimpses of elevator operator Fran Kubelik whom he admires from afar.
Disruption
Personnel Director Sheldrake discovers Baxter's arrangement and demands exclusive use of the apartment for his own affair, threatening Baxter's job security while dangling a promotion.
Resistance
Baxter wrestles with giving Sheldrake the key, receives his promotion, begins to fall for Fran Kubelik at the Christmas party, and debates whether this corrupt path is worth it.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Baxter discovers that Sheldrake's mistress is Fran Kubelik - the woman Baxter loves. He must choose to continue the arrangement despite his heartbreak, fully entering the compromised world.
Mirror World
Baxter observes Fran's vulnerability and humanity in contrast to Sheldrake's callousness. Fran represents authentic emotion and integrity - everything the corporate world lacks.
Premise
The promise of the premise: Baxter continues the apartment scheme while climbing the corporate ladder, receives his promotion and office, all while watching Fran suffer in her affair with Sheldrake. His complicity deepens.
Midpoint
False defeat: On Christmas Eve, Baxter finds Fran has attempted suicide with sleeping pills in his apartment after Sheldrake abandons her. The stakes escalate from career compromise to life and death.
Opposition
Baxter cares for Fran while she recovers, their connection deepens. His neighbor Dr. Dreyfuss assumes Baxter is the one who hurt her. Sheldrake pressures Baxter to continue the arrangement. Baxter faces judgment from all sides.
Collapse
Baxter's reputation is destroyed when Fran's brother-in-law punches him at a bar, publicly humiliating him. Simultaneously, Sheldrake fires his secretary (who revealed the truth to Mrs. Sheldrake) and prepares to divorce his wife for Fran. Baxter's complicity has cost him everything.
Crisis
Baxter attends the office New Year's Eve party bruised and defeated. Sheldrake assumes Baxter will continue enabling him. Baxter faces the dark truth: he has become a pimp for his boss at the cost of his soul.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Baxter refuses to give Sheldrake the apartment key, quits his job, and reclaims his integrity. "I've decided to become a mensch." He chooses humanity over advancement.
Synthesis
Baxter packs to leave his apartment. When Fran hears "mensch" from Sheldrake (who is trying to explain away his divorce), she realizes Baxter has stood up for himself. She runs through the streets to find him.
Transformation
Fran arrives at Baxter's apartment. They play gin rummy - simple, honest, human connection. "Shut up and deal." Two people who chose integrity over compromise find each other. Transformation complete.