Jack Lemmon Turns 100 at The Film Forum

Shakespeare ​famously ​wrote, ​what's ​in ​a ​name? ​ ​But ​let's ​say ​it ​out ​loud. ​ ​Jack ​ ​Lemmon. ​It ​says ​it ​all ​right ​there ​in ​the ​name. ​​Jack. Ordinary, ​​the ​guy ​across ​from ​you ​on ​the ​subway. Lemon. The ​one ​that ​got ​the ​broken ​car. ​ ​The ​bitter ​taste, ​yet ​the ​surprising ​brightly ​colored ​yellow ​sun ​inside ​of ​the ​bad ​luck. ​Jack ​Lemmon, ​arguably ​the ​greatest ​comic ​and ​dramatic ​actor ​to ​ever ​grace ​the ​screen, ​who ​is ​unrivaled ​​as ​the ​everyman ​who ​trips, ​stumbles, ​ ​triumphs ​and ​gets ​the ​girl. ​Or ​in ​the ​case ​of ​Some ​like ​it ​Hot, ​the ​guy. ​ ​

Starting ​this ​week ​at ​one ​of ​my ​very ​favorite ​movie ​theaters, ​the ​Film ​Forum ​on ​Houston ​Street, ​Jack ​Lemmon ​turns ​100. ​ Can ​you ​believe ​it? ​And ​the ​Film ​Forum ​is ​opening ​its ​two ​week ​tribute ​on ​Friday, ​May ​16th ​with ​the ​iconic ​story ​of ​opposites, ​the ​Odd ​Couple. ​But ​I'm ​not ​here ​to ​talk ​about ​Mr. ​Lemon's ​legendary ​roles ​in ​Days ​of ​Wine ​and ​Roses, ​Glengarry ​Glen ​Ross ​ ​having ​a ​revival ​on ​Broadway ​now ​with ​Bob ​Odenkirk ​reprising ​Lemon's ​unforgettable ​Shelley ​Levine, ​The ​Front ​Page, ​Mr. ​Roberts, ​Bell, ​Book ​and ​A Candle. ​A ​personal ​favorite ​of ​mine, ​Some ​like ​it ​Hot, ​which ​I ​watched ​on ​VHS ​until ​the ​tape ​broke…

I ​am ​here ​to ​talk ​about ​one ​of ​the ​greatest ​comedies, ​if ​you ​can ​call ​a ​film ​about ​a ​mid ​level ​office ​drone ​working ​at ​an ​insurance ​company ​ ​who ​lets ​his ​superiors ​bully ​him ​into ​letting ​them ​have ​his ​apartment ​for ​their ​affairs ​in ​hopes ​of ​him ​getting ​promoted ​and ​the ​suicidal ​elevator ​girl ​who ​whom ​he ​falls ​in ​love ​with. ​A comedy ​​The ​Apartment. ​ Legendary ​director ​Billy ​Wilder, ​coming ​off ​the ​wild ​success ​of ​Some ​like ​it ​Hot ​with ​Marilyn ​Monroe, ​wanted ​to ​keep ​his ​collaboration ​with ​Lemon ​going. ​So ​in ​1960, ​Wilder ​and ​I.A.L ​diamond ​(Come ​on, ​is ​that ​the ​coolest ​name?)​ who ​wrote ​Some ​Like ​It ​Hot ​with ​Wilder ​were ​inspired ​by ​an ​infamous ​Hollywood ​murder ​story ​about ​agent ​Jennings ​Lange ​who ​was ​having ​an ​affair ​with ​actress ​Joan ​Bennett ​in ​an ​underlings ​apartment. ​So ​her ​husband, ​producer ​Walter ​Wanger, ​shot ​and ​killed ​Lange. ​Check ​out ​Karina ​Longworth's ​excellent ​podcast ​Love ​Is A Crime from ​You ​Must ​Remember ​This ​for ​the ​full ​retelling ​to ​you ​and ​I. ​This ​might ​not ​seem ​like ​source ​material ​for ​one ​of ​our ​greatest ​comedies, ​but ​in ​Wilder, ​Lemon ​and ​the ​adorable ​Shirley ​MacLaine's ​Hands, ​it ​was ​a ​box ​office ​smash, ​winning ​five ​Oscars ​out ​of ​ten ​nominations. ​

Now ​I ​could ​go ​on ​and ​on ​about ​Billy ​Wilder's ​meticulous ​directorial ​precision, ​Lemon's ​unreal ​​comic ​timing ​and ​turn ​on ​a ​dime ​pathos ​why ​Ving ​Rhames ​spontaneously ​gave ​him ​his ​very ​own ​Golden ​Globe ​in ​1998. ​

But I’m actually here to talk about a hat, a haircut, and a mirror. Let’s rewind to 1960 - President Kennedy just took office, Roy Orbison’s ‘Only The Lonely’ was on the radio, and the kids were doing Chubby Checker’s ‘The Twist’. The very seriously subversive theme and subject of The Apartment can not be over stated in this climate. The film, shot in gorgeous black & white by Joseph LaShelle of Laura and Marty fame, puts us smack-dab in what I’d call ‘Mad Men’ central - a heady swirl of cigarette smoke and ‘Tom & Jerry’ cocktail mix, office Christmas parties, wives holding on line 2 while executive husbands scheduled accepted trysts before dinner and kissing the kids goodnight. Lemmon plays ‘C.C. Baxter’, a hard-working, well-meaning drone who somehow gets himself turned into a sort of brothel landlord. His neighbors wonder how he can withstand being such a Lothario - the sounds coming through the walls everynight don’t match C.C. Baxter’s unassuming Brooks Brothers suit with a rumpled white shirt with rounded collars and tie-bar to boot.

But Baxter is caught in a hilarious cycle of paying his dues to climb the corporate ladder. This is what you must do. You must get out of bed at midnight to allow your boss to wine and bed his mistress in your Upper Westside apartment even if it involves you sleep