diff --git a/Lib/distutils/archive_util.py b/Lib/distutils/archive_util.py
index 6aa5e63..b725a14 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/archive_util.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/archive_util.py
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@
     func = format_info[0]
     for (arg,val) in format_info[1]:
         kwargs[arg] = val
-    filename = apply(func, (base_name, base_dir), kwargs)
+    filename = func(base_name, base_dir, **kwargs)
 
     if root_dir is not None:
         log.debug("changing back to '%s'", save_cwd)
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py b/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py
index 4191c76..6ea5d57 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/command/build_ext.py
@@ -613,8 +613,8 @@
         # extensions in debug_mode are named 'module_d.pyd' under windows
         so_ext = get_config_var('SO')
         if os.name == 'nt' and self.debug:
-            return apply(os.path.join, ext_path) + '_d' + so_ext
-        return apply(os.path.join, ext_path) + so_ext
+            return os.path.join(*ext_path) + '_d' + so_ext
+        return os.path.join(*ext_path) + so_ext
 
     def get_export_symbols (self, ext):
         """Return the list of symbols that a shared extension has to
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/command/build_py.py b/Lib/distutils/command/build_py.py
index 621bcb4..3b7ec62 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/command/build_py.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/command/build_py.py
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@
 
         if not self.package_dir:
             if path:
-                return apply(os.path.join, path)
+                return os.path.join(*path)
             else:
                 return ''
         else:
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@
                     del path[-1]
                 else:
                     tail.insert(0, pdir)
-                    return apply(os.path.join, tail)
+                    return os.path.join(*tail)
             else:
                 # Oops, got all the way through 'path' without finding a
                 # match in package_dir.  If package_dir defines a directory
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@
                     tail.insert(0, pdir)
 
                 if tail:
-                    return apply(os.path.join, tail)
+                    return os.path.join(*tail)
                 else:
                     return ''
 
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@
 
     def get_module_outfile (self, build_dir, package, module):
         outfile_path = [build_dir] + list(package) + [module + ".py"]
-        return apply(os.path.join, outfile_path)
+        return os.path.join(*outfile_path)
 
 
     def get_outputs (self, include_bytecode=1):
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/dir_util.py b/Lib/distutils/dir_util.py
index 43994db..a4aff58 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/dir_util.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/dir_util.py
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@
     _build_cmdtuple(directory, cmdtuples)
     for cmd in cmdtuples:
         try:
-            apply(cmd[0], (cmd[1],))
+            cmd[0](cmd[1])
             # remove dir from cache if it's already there
             abspath = os.path.abspath(cmd[1])
             if _path_created.has_key(abspath):
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/filelist.py b/Lib/distutils/filelist.py
index 43f9aaa..4bbdd1f 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/filelist.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/filelist.py
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
         sortable_files.sort()
         self.files = []
         for sort_tuple in sortable_files:
-            self.files.append(apply(os.path.join, sort_tuple))
+            self.files.append(os.path.join(*sort_tuple))
 
 
     # -- Other miscellaneous utility methods ---------------------------
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/util.py b/Lib/distutils/util.py
index 387e9bd..889bf13 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/util.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/util.py
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
         paths.remove('.')
     if not paths:
         return os.curdir
-    return apply(os.path.join, paths)
+    return os.path.join(*paths)
 
 # convert_path ()
 
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@
 
     log.info(msg)
     if not dry_run:
-        apply(func, args)
+        func(*args)
 
 
 def strtobool (val):