The Apartment Fun Features

This is the section for all our "FUN" The Apartment information - please enjoy!

Did You Know?

… that the budget for The Apartment was $3 million.

… that Billy Wilder was inspired by David Lean's Brief Encounter (1945) in which a doctor and housewife meet at a friend's home to conduct their affair. Wilder wondered about the type of person who would loan his home for a sexual rendezvous and thus The Apartment.

… that Marilyn Monroe wanted to play the part of Fran, but Wilder had just finished directing Some Like It Hot, and was not eager to work with her forty-take-per-scene acting style. (Visit our Tribute to Some Like It Hot and our Tribute to Marilyn Monroe)

... You can read Shirley MacLaine's own account of her memories of making The Apartment on her website. She recounts that they began the movie with only 29 pages of script and no one knew how the movie would end.

… that The Apartment won Academy Awards® in 1961 for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Art Direction and Best Original Screenplay. NY Times critic A. O. Scott will tell you why he agrees it was the best picture of the year.




... Does the name Sheldrake sound familiar to you? Billy Wilder seemed to like that name using it not only for Fred MacMurray's character Jeff Sheldrake but also Sheldrake the producer in Sunset Blvd, and there was a Dr. Sheldrake (played by Mel Blanc- Bugs Bunny voice) in Kiss Me Stupid.

... You can read the screenplay for The Apartment here.

… that the musical Promises, Promises was based on the film. It had a successful 1,281 performances on Broadway. A song from the musical I'll Never Fall in Love Again became a hit single for singer Dionne Warwick. Here's a favorite song from the play -Turkey Lurkey Time.




... The theme song from The Apartment became very popular. It was not written for the movie, however, it was an existing piece of music originally composed in 1949 called Jealous Lover. This nice man would like to play it for you on his piano.

The Apartment On Location

Grauman's/Mann's Chinese Theater Footprints
Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are two of the many legendary celebrities to leave hand and footprints outside the famous Grauman's (now Mann's) Chinese Theater.

Jack Lemmon Prints
Mann's Chinese Theater
6925 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA
SEE MAP

Shirley MacLaine Prints
Mann's Chinese Theater
6925 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA
SEE MAP


Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
In the early 1960's, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce developed the idea of the "Hollywood Walk of Fame." The sidewalks of the most famous streets in the heart of Hollywood were lined with "stars" recognizing celebrities' life-long contributions to the entertainment industry. Receiving a star is still to this day considered a huge honor. Here's where you can find the stars of Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray and director Billy Wilder:

Jack Lemmon
Walk of Fame Star
(Motion Pictures)
6357 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA

Shirley MacLaine
Walk of Fame Star
(Motion Pictures)
1617 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA

Fred MacMurray
Walk of Fame Star
(Motion Pictures)
6421 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA

Billy Wilder
Walk of Fame Star
(Motion Pictures)
1751 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA


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