SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 51 Min.
Produced in 1997, this biographical film from Wombat Productions was produced in cooperation with Matthau and his son, Charles.
Actor Jack Lemmon starts off with an anecdote about an elderly female stranger complimenting Matthau in a supermarket encounter about his supposed ‘It’ factor after casually dismissing his average looks. For over ten minutes, Matthau explains his rise from an impoverished childhood in Depression-era New York City; his start in the city’s theatre scene; and then his World War II service.
From that point on, various interviewees take turns narrating. Featuring interview footage from: Lemmon; playwright-director Neil Simon; actress Julie Harris; actor Ossie Davis; director Herbert Ross; agent Leonard Hirshan; director Billy Wilder; and both Walter and Charles Matthau, this documentary fondly explores the actor’s life and career up through the late 1990’s, including Grumpier Old Men and I’m Not Rappaport. Matthau subsequently passed away in 2000.
REVIEW:
Imbued with Matthau’s distinctive wit, this fawning biography relives the actor’s days in obscurity as a Broadway and live television actor before his legendary movie career.
For instance, who knew that Matthau’s Hollywood presence was launched by early villainous gigs playing opposite Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas and then a heroic turn against Andy Griffith in A Face in the Crowd? Or that Matthau would have actually preferred the “Felix Unger” role in The Odd Couple because it offered a more interesting acting challenge? These little-known trivia bits are terrific.
Long-time friends, such as Ossie Davis and Jack Lemmon, elaborate on how Matthau’s unique down-to-earth look, in addition to his improvisational and writing skills, boosted his big-screen opportunities. Considering that he once subbed for a retired Cary Grant in 1969’s Cactus Flower, this documentary labeling a suave Matthau as the “Lithuanian Cary Grant” is a hoot. Matthau’s Best Supporting Actor Oscar win for The Fortune Cookie and his various movie roles in the late 1960’s and into the 1970’s are also casually discussed.
Yet, Matthau’s credits from the late 1970’s and the entire 80’s are ignored before the narrative resumes with the 1990’s. It’s inexplicable that his top-notch work in memorable comedies, such as House Calls and Hopscotch, isn’t deemed worthy of mention, but his role as a crotchety Mr. Wilson in a forgettable live-action Dennis the Menace film somehow is.
The only remotely critical hit re: Matthau’s personal life (of what little is revealed) pertains to a lifelong gambling habit. Matthau downplays it as a hobby, which makes the topic instantly forgettable. Instead, one is left to ponder why only a passing reference of Matthau’s two older children (and none re: his two step-children) is made.
Per the interviews and photos of Matthau with his son, Charles, this film inexplicably conveys that Charles is his only offspring (per Matthau’s second wife). It just seems awkward watching the two Matthaus speak exclusively of one another.
Aside from some evidently deliberate omissions, this autobiographic film is worth viewing to remember an irreplaceable Hollywood icon. His acerbic true-to-life charm remains sorely missed in today’s cinema.
BONUS FEATURES:
None.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
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