Product Details

• Actors: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ron Rich, Judi West, Cliff Osmond
• Directors: Billy Wilder
• Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• VHS Release Date: August 12, 1997
• Run Time: 126 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304508441
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,899 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  #13 in	Video > Classics > Classic Comedies > Farce
  #22 in	Video > Comedy > Comedy Stars > Walter Matthau
  #22 in	Video > Comedy > Comedy Directors > Billy Wilder

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

Billy Wilder's insurance-scam comedy, written with partner I.A.L. Diamond, is one of the legendary filmmaker's surlier efforts. Were it not for the star-making performance of Walter Matthau (which won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), it might not have registered so strongly with audiences. Shot in a grimy black and white, the story begins as CBS cameraman Harry Hinkle (Jack Lemmon) is injured on the sidelines of a football game when Cleveland Browns star Boom Boom Jackson (Ron Rich) accidentally barrels into him. Hinkle's all right, but his ambulance-chasing brother-in-law William Gingrich (Matthau), also known as "Whiplash Willie," has a lawsuit filed before Hinkle even wakes up at the hospital. Hinkle is reluctant to join in on the scheme, which involves staying in a wheelchair, until he realizes it may bring his ex-wife (Judi West) back, even though her eyes practically flash dollar signs at the thought of his case's settlement potential. Working on Hinkle's conscience, however, is a burgeoning friendship with Jackson, who feels horrible about the incident. Not as sure-footed or as brazenly funny as many other Wilder efforts, the film nevertheless boasts a comic turn by Matthau that is deliciously conniving and endlessly inventive. Wilder, Hollywood's most caustically funny blend of pessimist and optimist, doesn't even aim for balance here. He clearly loves Matthau's character above all others and lets him run the show. The Lemmon and Matthau franchise began here and would go on to include their reteaming for Wilder's films The Front Page and Buddy Buddy. --Robert Abele

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Four stars for content, but........, April 15, 2002

By	Marc T. Smith (Dayton, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fortune Cookie (DVD)

"The Fortune Cookie" has long been one of my favorite Billy Wilder movies, and I was pleased to see it's release on DVD, especially in the original widescreen format. While the movie and performances are great (especially Walter Matthau in his Oscar-winning turn), and the script by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond hits the target, I was very disappointed in the lackluster transfer to disc that this unqualified classic received. Sure, the letterboxing is great, but halfway through the film, the sound quality takes a turn for the worse - less audible, and almost scratchy at times. Plus, the only "extra" is the original trailer, and there is no additional booklet. Surely a genius like Wilder deserves better preservation than this!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Movie to Remember Walter by., February 28, 2007

By	Bruce Duguid (Carol Stream, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Fortune Cookie (DVD)

If I had to buy a single movie showing Walter Matthau's genius as an actor, this may be the one, for as good as Jack Lemmon always is in a movie, Walter shines here as the shyster brother-in-law lawyer, and the Best Supporting Oscar was awarded to him rightly for this role. Matthau, always the man who acted through sicknesses went through a heart attack during this one. The scene that he runs up the stairs after receiving the settlement check, a keen eye could notice that he is thinner at the top of the stairs. That was because he shot that scene after his attack. This movie begins the long association with Lemmon/Matthau. The next movie was to be "The Odd Couple". What a great bunch of entertaining movies they were. And this was the first one.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An under-appreciated little gem, March 17, 2006

By	B. Tarver (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Fortune Cookie (DVD)

I first saw this film on television when I was a kid way back in the 70's, and immediately fell in love with it, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. It is not a laugh riot, but a cleverly written little film with witty references, tongue-in-cheek throw away lines and fine, subtle performances.

Equally under-appreciated is Andre Previn's haunting musical score. I wish THAT were available as a CD somewhere. A stirring use of strings.