Page One: ‘The Apartment’ (1960)

Written by Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond

The movie version of the opening scene:

The Apartment is my favorite movie of all time as Billy Wilder is my favorite filmmaker. You can read the screenplay here. Check out this great article on Cinephilia & Beyond about the movie’s background. Released in 1960, it was a cutting edge film: a dark comedy about sexual politics in the workplace. The tone is absolutely pitch perfect. If you’ve never seen the movie, do yourself a favor and watch it. Great holiday movie, too!

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

For more Page One posts, go here.

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