“The plain fact is, I love her.”
Why it's great
After a whole film of evasion, the blunt sentence lands and finally defines him.
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The plain fact is, I don't want this job.
00:00 / 03:17
00:00 / 03:17
Sheldrake Takes Fran off Baxter's Hands, Explained
The Apartment · 1960
Chapter 15 of 15 · 3'17"
Baxter marches in to announce "The plain fact is, I love her" and to relieve Sheldrake of Fran for good. Sheldrake has the same news, only better: he has left his wife and will take her off Baxter's hands. Baxter's great romantic gesture is neutered on the spot, and he is handed a promotion instead.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:12–0:42
❝ Monologue · 9 lines Baxter Tells Sheldrake He Loves Fran
30s - 1:35–2:05
Sheldrake Takes Fran Off Baxter's Hands
30s - 2:23–3:15
Sheldrake Gives Baxter the Big Promotion
52s
Sheldrake Takes Fran off Baxter's Hands, explained
What happens
Baxter phones Sheldrake to say he has good news and goes up to confess that he loves Fran and wants to take her off Sheldrake's hands. Sheldrake counters with his own news: he has moved out, left his wife, and intends to marry Fran. He then rewards Baxter with a promotion and a list of executive perks.
What's really going on
The scene is a machine for deflating Baxter. He comes in glowing with his one grand gesture — "The plain fact is, I love her" — and expects to be thanked for solving Sheldrake's problem. Instead Sheldrake reveals he has already done by his own hand what Baxter was about to propose: left his wife and chosen Fran. Sheldrake's version of events is comic and merciless — "My secretary got to my wife, and my wife fired me. Ain't that a kick in the head?" — and he frames the whole catastrophe as a favor that now owes Baxter a reward. So Baxter gets the office, the expense account, and the executive washroom, but the woman is taken off his hands before he can take her off Sheldrake's. His weak reply, that he got kicked in the head too, is both a joke about his black eye and the truth about the deal he has just accepted.
Key lines & what they mean
- “The plain fact is, I love her.”
- Baxter's blunt confession to Sheldrake. He states his love as a fact rather than a plea, which is what makes the scene's reversal so brutal.
- “After all, you don't really want her, and I do.”
- Baxter's case for being allowed to have Fran: since Sheldrake does not truly want her, he should step aside. It assumes the two men can settle a woman between them.
- “My secretary got to my wife, and my wife fired me. Ain't that a kick in the head?”
- Sheldrake's quip about his own downfall: his secretary told his wife, and his wife threw him out. He calls it a kick in the head, turning humiliation into a punchline.
- “Meanwhile I'm going to enjoy being a bachelor for a while.”
- Sheldrake's plan while the divorce goes through: six weeks in Reno, and until then he means to enjoy being single — the same line men in this film use to keep their options open.
Theme
- Power — Sheldrake takes the woman and buys loyalty with a promotion, proving who holds the power.
- Ambition — Baxter's climb is rewarded precisely when he loses the person he loves.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
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Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“After all, you don't really want her, and I do.”
Why it's great
A polite parallel quietly turns the tables, saying more than any accusation could.
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Neutral
Use it yourself
You don't need this ticket, and I do.
“My secretary got to my wife, and my wife fired me. Ain't that a kick in the head?”
Why it's great
He turns his own scandal into a joke, and the ease of it says everything about him.
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Informal
Use it yourself
I lost my keys and then my wallet. Ain't that a kick in the head?
“Meanwhile I'm going to enjoy being a bachelor for a while.”
Why it's great
The casual enjoy shows his self-interest without him ever admitting it.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
Meanwhile I'm going to enjoy having the flat to myself.
Monologue
One character carrying the scene — shadow the whole passage❝ Baxter's declaration
Mr. Sheldrake, I've got good news for you. All your troubles are over. I'm gonna take Miss Kubelik off your hands. The plain fact is, I love her. I thought you should be the first to know. After all, you don't really want her, and I do. And though it may sound presumptuous, she needs somebody like me. So I think it would be best all around. Solutionwise.
He closes every escape route for himself, then ends on a coined word that undercuts the grandeur.
Takeaways
What you walk away with- Baxter's confession is the first honest move he makes.
- Sheldrake answers a love declaration with a promotion.
- The plain fact is cuts through a whole film of evasion.
- The perks Sheldrake lists are his way of changing the subject.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy does Baxter go to Sheldrake's office?
He thinks he is solving everything: he will take Fran off Sheldrake's hands, and he tells Sheldrake he loves her. He wants to break the arrangement honestly instead of going behind his boss's back.
Why does Sheldrake promote Baxter?
Sheldrake has just taken Fran for himself and needs Baxter's goodwill — and his apartment network is still useful. The promotion is both a reward for past favors and a way to keep Baxter loyal.
Did Sheldrake leave his wife for Fran?
He says he has moved out and is staying at the Athletic Club while the property is settled, with six weeks in Reno to follow. The film leaves open whether Fran is the reason or just the latest beneficiary.
What does a kick in the head mean here?
It means a sudden blow or shock. Sheldrake uses it for being thrown out by his wife; Baxter repeats it for his black eye and for the promotion he cannot enjoy.