The Fortune Cookie (1966)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

I.A.L. Diamond (writer)
Billy Wilder (writer)

Release Date:

19 October 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

SOME PEOPLE WILL DO ANYTHING FOR MONEY!

Plot:

A crooked lawyer persuades his brother-in-law to feign a serious injury.

Plot Keywords:

Cameraman | Lawyer | Football | Law | Insurance

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Jack Lemmon	...	Harry Hinkle
Walter Matthau	...	Willie Gingrich
Ron Rich	...	Luther 'Boom Boom' Jackson
Judi West	...	Sandy Hinkle
Cliff Osmond	...	Purkey
Lurene Tuttle	...	Mother Hinkle
Harry Holcombe	...	O'Brien
Les Tremayne	...	Thompson
Lauren Gilbert	...	Kincaid
Marge Redmond	...	Charlotte Gingrich
Noam Pitlik	...	Max
Harry Davis	...	Dr. Krugman
Ann Shoemaker	...	Sister Veronica
Maryesther Denver	...	Nurse
Ned Glass	...	Doc Schindler

Also Known As:

Meet Whiplash Willie (UK)

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Singapore:PG | USA:Approved | New Zealand:G | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:11 | UK:U (video rating) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Municipal Stadium - 1085 W. Third Street, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Company:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Trivia:

For the scene in which he motors through the city searching for Ron Rich (aka "Boom Boom"), Jack Lemmon also served as a driver, cinematographer and gaffer.

Goofs:

Continuity: Early in the movie, a poster showing the Browns schedule appears. The Washington Redskins are listed as the opponents for a game on December 5. However, later in the movie, mention is made (in connection with the planned Harry Hinkle Charitable Fund announcement) of the game against Washington being scheduled for November 27.

Quotes:

Willie Gingrich: What about Mrs. Cunningham vs. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Ohio, number eighty-nine twenty-seven. Mrs. Cunningham, en route to Cincinnati to visit dying uncle, gets trapped in the toilet on account of a faulty lock. The car is hitched to another train. Mrs. Cunningham winds up in San Bernadino California. By this time, the uncle is dead and she's cut out of the will, so she sues the railroad for damages. Does this ring a bell?
O'Brien: Never heard of it!
Willie Gingrich: None of this has? Because you, gentlemen, represented the railroad.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References "Batman" (1966)

Matthau saves what could have been a tragically dull film...

"The Fortune Cookie" is a light, lovable con/slapstick film about Harry Hinkle (Jack Lemmon), a sports cameraman who is accidentally knocked down by NFL star Boom Boom Jackson (Ron Rich) at a football game. Hinkle suffers a minor concussion but his lawyer brother-in-law, Willie Gingrich (Walter Matthau) is immediately on the seen. Willie thinks that they can sue for millions of dollars if Harry plays that he's got a "compressed vertebrae", and Harry reluctantly agrees. Meanwhile Boom Boom is feeling desperately guilty and is taking care of Harry to make himself feel better.

This movie is labeled as a comedy but most of the humor is dry and subtle. I'd go as far as to call it out-dated, it was probably considered a lot funnier when it first came out.

Though I guess the only character that is supposed to be actually funny is Matthau's, and he is. Hilarious, in fact. He never misses a beat, every movement and line is delivered in perfect accordance to his character. And considering the guy had a heart attack while working on the film, his drive and proffesionalism is admirable.

Aside from Matthau the movie is a little bland, but not bad. The other performances, from Lemmon, Rich and Judi West as Hinkle's gold-digging ex-wife, are all well-played, Rich gives the most notable performance as the guilt-ridden Boom Boom.

The style, direction and other componets of the film are well too...but in the end Matthau's performance is the only real benefit of this film, but it's a big benefit, and gets a 7.5/10 from me.