The Fortune Cookie (1966)

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

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

Release Date:

19 October 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | 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:

Whistler's Mother | Insurance | Friendship | Fraud | Football

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	...	Ferret-faced Nurse
Ned Glass	...	Doc Schindler
Sig Ruman	...	Professor Winterhalter
Archie Moore	...	Mr. Jackson
Howard McNear	...	Mr. Cimoli
William Christopher	...	Intern (as Bill Christopher)
Bartlett Robinson	...	The Specialists
Robert P. Lieb	...	The Specialists
Martin Blaine	...	The Specialists
Ben Wright	...	The Specialists
Dodie Heath	...	Nun
Herbie Faye	...	Maury, the Equipment Man
Billy Beck	...	Maury's Assistant
Judy Pace	...	Elvira
Helen Kleeb	...	The Lawyers' Receptionist
Lisa Jill	...	Ginger Gingrich
John Todd Roberts	...	Jeffrey, Gingrich
Keith Jackson	...	Football Announcer
Herbert Ellis	...	TV Director (as Herb Ellis)
Don Reed	...	Newscaster
Louise Vienna	...	Girl on TV
Robert DoQui	...	Man in Bar (as Bob DoQui)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Anderson	...	Abraham Lincoln (uncredited)
Leroy Kelly	...	Running Back Number 44 (archive footage) (uncredited)
Jon Silo	...	Tailor (uncredited)

Directed by
Billy Wilder

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
I.A.L. Diamond		writer
Billy Wilder		writer

Produced by
I.A.L. Diamond	....	associate producer
Doane Harrison	....	associate producer
Billy Wilder	....	producer

Original Music by
André Previn		(as Andre Previn)

Cinematography by
Joseph LaShelle		(as Joseph La Shelle)

Film Editing by
Daniel Mandell

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Art Direction by
Robert Luthardt

Set Decoration by
Edward G. Boyle

Makeup Department
Loren Cosand	....	makeup artist
Alice Monte	....	hair stylist
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Patrick J. Palmer	....	unit manager
Allen K. Wood	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack N. Reddish	....	assistant director

Art Department
Frank Agnone	....	property master
Duncan A. Spencer	....	scenic artist

Sound Department
Wayne Fury	....	sound editor
Robert Martin	....	sound
Buddy Myers	....	sound re-recordist

Special Effects by
Sass Bedig	....	special effects

Stunts
John Moio	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Don Stott	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Arrico	....	wardrobe (as Chuck Arrico)
Paula Giokaris	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Richard Carruth	....	music editor

Other crew
Marshall J. Wolins	....	script supervisor (as Marshall Wolins)

Production Companies

• Mirisch Corporation, The
• Phalanx-Jalem

Distributors

• United Artists (1966) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1969) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)

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:

USA:Approved | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Singapore:PG | New Zealand:G | 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:

This was director Billy Wilder's second film in a row in which one of his lead actors suffered a heart attack. In preceding film, 1964's Kiss Me, Stupid (1964), Peter Sellers' health problem forced Wilder to replace him with Ray Walston. In Fortune Cookie, Walter Matthau suffered attack midway through production but shooting was postponed until he recovered; his drastic weight loss from scene to scene is noticeable.

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:

Doc Schindler: I'm looking for a freckle!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The American Film Institute Salute to Jack Lemmon (1988) (TV)

Fun to watch for the first time

Finally caught it on TCM yesterday, and was able to watch it "fresh," compared to "The Odd Couple" or "The Front Page," which one might already know all about.

A fine study in contrasts at work here; Matthau, as the shyster lawyer has something resembling a family life, while Lemmon, ostensibly the nice guy, is shown to be very lonely, still stuck in the apartment his wife left him in (and aren't those exteriors filmed in Cleveland? I don't think those buildings on his street were seen in any other Hollywood backlot, and they looked a touch more shabby than ordinary). So we have "Boom Boom" as the real moral center of the movie. He's racked with guilt over having injured Hinkle (Lemmon), so much so that he sees to Hinkle's recovery, even carrying him around like a wounded puppy, letting his game suffer, and he's the one who's most hurt by the scam.

The movie also shows a hopeful light on race relations in the mid-60's: Ron Rich gets to play a character with some feelings and some ambition beyond the NFL, and it's he and Lemmon's characters who become buddies at the end.