The
Fortune Cookie (1966) – B. Wilder
This first pairing of Lemmon and Matthau for
writer-director Billy Wilder is as cynical as you would expect – but I didn’t
find it particularly funny. Matthau is “Whiplash
Willie” Gingrich, a personal injury lawyer who sees profit in his brother-in-law’s
freak accident on the sidelines of an NFL game in Cleveland. Lemmon is the cameraman (named Harry Hinkle)
who gets knocked down by wide receiver “Boom Boom” Jackson (Ron Rich) and is
persuaded somewhat begrudgingly to pretend to be seriously hurt in order to
facilitate a suit against the Cleveland Browns etc. Of course, the insurance company investigates
and of course Matthau has some tricks up his sleeve to deceive them. Hinkle’s ex-wife (Judi West) returns (for the
money obviously) to sweet-talk him further into playing along – but Jackson, a
really nice guy, takes it hard, making Hinkle feel guilty. That’s the basic set-up. I suppose the comedy here isn’t as shocking
as it was in 1966 because we now live in a world where we take it for granted
that people cheat and look after their self-interest only, that insurance
companies and others spy on us constantly, and that those who don’t have these
motives might turn to drink to escape this sad reality. Surprisingly, Wilder gives us a happy ending
that we probably don’t deserve – or maybe there’s still hope? Lemmon and Matthau are solid as usual but
better elsewhere.
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