Lemmon & Matthau Films (5 Best & 1 Worst)
By Eric Grigs | December 28, 2022
Movie audiences can’t get enough of “buddy pictures.” Hearing that old phrase, I’m sure a few immediately spring to mind. Thelma & Louise. The Lethal Weapon series. Bad Boys. Hell, maybe even Zootopia. Somehow, these action and comedy partnerships signal our serotonin to kick into high gear. Hijinks and mixups are about to happen. It’s gonna be fun.
So, if you had to pick your favorite ride-or-die movie mates—your Batman & Robin-level dynamic duo—who would it be? Are you more of a Martin and Lewis screwball comedy fan or perhaps you’d choose the subversiveness of Cheech and Chong? I’m willing to wager that even though we all love a good frenemy situation (looking at you, Joan Crawford and Bette Davis!), something magical happens when you realize the actors genuinely enjoy each other’s company behind the camera (looking at you, Doris Day and Rock Hudson!).
For all-time best co-star coupling, my money’s on Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau—one of the longest repeating pairs in movie history to date. Hollywood legends who developed a close friendship, they were widely recognized and admired in the industry throughout their distinguished careers.
Both born in the early 1920s, Matthau was known for his brusk manner and quick wit, while Lemmon was noted for his fussy but affable, everyman quality. Despite the differences in personality the two men projected, they quickly formed a strong bond and worked together on numerous film and stage projects over the years.
Off-screen, the two men were known for their mutual respect and genuine affection for one another, remaining close until Matthau’s death in 2000. Lemmon’s son Chris once remarked, “My father found the brother he’d always wanted in Walt.”
On-screen, however, they made a habit of playing characters who clashed—so well, in fact, that you’d be forgiven if you thought they were constantly at each other’s throats in real life. Many try to imitate this winning formula of depicting polar opposites, but few deliver it quite as effortlessly as these two.
Their acting alchemy began with 1966’s The Fortune Cookie (for which Matthau won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award), spanning over three decades and almost a dozen films together. We lucky audiences didn’t deserve these two charmers, who only got sweeter with age. Here are five of their best, and one that should have been.
The Fortune Cookie (1966)
Matthau stars as huckster “Whiplash Willie,” ready to make a quick buck through insurance fraud. He simply needs to convince his bother-in-law, played by Lemmon, to milk a fluke accidental injury that happened on the sidelines of a football game. This sharp comedy was the first of three movies where the two actors were directed by Billy Wilder.
The Odd Couple (1968)
The chemistry from The Fortune Cookie was taken to new heights in Neil Simon’s adaptation of his hit Broadway play. Felix and Oscar have endured as the poster boys for incompatibility when these characters were spun-off into TV reboots (and a disappointing sequel with Lemmon and Matthau in 1998, their last onscreen pairing). In a world where we attempt to divide everything neatly into two sides, this story provides a good reminder that we all have within us the capacity to remain friends despite contrasting viewpoints and personalities.
Buddy Buddy (1981)
As Billy Wilder’s last directorial effort, this dark comedy remade the French film L'emmerdeur (a huge hit in Europe but released as A Pain in the Ass in the United States). Critically panned, it never got a commercial home video release in the U.S., which makes it oddly hard to find for a major movie starring these two powerhouses. I found this one quite fun and overdue for a reappraisal. Lemmon leans into the nervous, sad-sack routine he does best. Ready to end it all after his wife leaves him, his bumbling suicide attempts continually get in the way of Matthau’s hitman character executing his current job.
Grumpy Old Men (1993) and Grumpier Old Men (1995)
Family feuds, lovers stolen, fishing competitions—as the stakes against each other ratchet up, it looks like there won’t ever be a way out of this one-upmanship. Although, while you expect a strike to the jugular, instead it goes straight for the heart. For Grumpier, add Sophia Loren as the new widow neighbor on the block (just as Ann-Margaret was the agent of suburban chaos in the first) and you might suspect it’s just a repetitive sequel. Sure, there are some shared story beats, but the characters grow in new directions. Audiences see how the men’s rivalry affects their children’s impending nuptials, why facing change doesn’t get any easier as you age, and experience the poignant loss of a parent. The “Grumpy” franchise should have gotten a proper trilogy. A third was planned—but due to the missteps of Out to Sea and Odd Couple II, it was shelved.
Out to Sea (1997)
If only director Martha Coolidge (Real Genius, Valley Girl) could have delivered on the promise contained in the trailer for this film! Over a blaring soundtrack of Gloria Estefan’s “Conga,” we’re teased a caper involving some gold digging on a cruise ship full of seniors—and Matthau’s compulsive gambler character has signed the pair up as dance instructors. The supporting cast is stellar: Dyan Cannon, Elaine Stritch, Rue McClanahan, Brent Spiner, Hal Linden—and even Donald O’Connor is on hand to do some dancing. I was prepared for a great time on the high seas, but the material sunk to the bottom.
It was a joy to revisit such treasures from two complete pros. Though, as I watched Grumpy Old Men again, I was struck by the GenX attitude of it all. Released at a time when studios were chasing the youth market more than ever, the film became a surprise hit by somehow getting us all to care about a forgotten generation. Instead, here it’s seniors who seemingly have given up on life and don’t give a shit about each other (but deep down really do).
Tricking me with tons of cynical laughs, it actually ends up giving me hope that humans can coexist. In a time when everyone looks for something inconsequential to fight over, it takes real effort to loosen our tight grips on the things we hold as justification for not getting along. It’s a message in desperate need of hearing right now, and feels as fresh as the day it was released. As a grown-up GenXer who now closely resembles these grumpy old men, I hope I’ve made a few lasting friendships like Lemmon and Matthau along the way.
Eric Grigs is a pop culture writer, artist, and co-host of the Pop Trash Podcast.