Walter Matthau

Walter Matthau (born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, comedian and film director. He is best known for his film roles in A Face in the Crowd (1957), King Creole (1958) and as a coach of a hapless little league team in the baseball comedy The Bad News Bears (1976). He also starred in 10 films alongside Jack Lemmon, including The Odd Couple (1968), The Front Page (1974) and Grumpy Old Men (1993). Matthau won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the Billy Wilder film The Fortune Cookie (1966). Matthau is also known for his performances in Stanley Donen's romance Charade (1963), Gene Kelly's musical Hello, Dolly! (1969), Elaine May's screwball comedy A New Leaf (1971) and Herbert Ross' ensemble comedy California Suite (1978). He also starred in Plaza Suite, Kotch (both 1971), Charley Varrick (1973), The Sunshine Boys (1975), and Hopscotch (1980). On Broadway, Matthau originated the role of Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple by playwright Neil Simon, for which he received a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1965, his second after A Shot in the Dark in 1962. Matthau also received two British Academy Film Awards and a Golden Globe Award. In 1963, he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance in The DuPont Show of the Week. In 1982, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Description above from the Wikipedia article Walter Matthau, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of ...

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A Face in the Crowd (1957)

The rise of a raucous hayseed named Lonesome Rhodes from itinerant Ozark guitar picker to local media rabble-rouser to TV superstar and political king-maker. Marcia Jeffries is the innocent Sarah Lawrence girl who discovers the great man in a back-country jail and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Elia Kazan
CAST:  Andy Griffith  •  Patricia Neal  •  Walter Matthau  •  Lee Remick

The rise of a raucous hayseed named Lonesome Rhodes from itinerant Ozark guitar picker to local media rabble-rouser to TV superstar and political king-maker. Marcia Jeffries is the innocent Sarah Lawrence girl who discovers the great man in a back-country jail and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Elia Kazan
CAST:  Andy Griffith  •  Patricia Neal  •  Walter Matthau  •  Lee Remick

A New Leaf (1971)

UpliftingCharmingCleverCute

Henry Graham lives the life of a playboy. When his lawyer tells him one day that his lifestyle has consumed all his funds, he needs an idea to avoid climbing down the social ladder.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Elaine May
CAST:  Walter Matthau  •  Elaine May  •  Jack Weston  •  George Rose

Henry Graham lives the life of a playboy. When his lawyer tells him one day that his lifestyle has consumed all his funds, he needs an idea to avoid climbing down the social ladder.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Elaine May
CAST:  Walter Matthau  •  Elaine May  •  Jack Weston  •  George Rose

Candy (1968)

A high school girl encounters a variety of kookie characters and humorous sexual situations while searching for the meaning of life.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Christian Marquand
CAST:  Charles Aznavour  •  Marlon Brando  •  Richard Burton  •  James Coburn

A high school girl encounters a variety of kookie characters and humorous sexual situations while searching for the meaning of life.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Christian Marquand
CAST:  Charles Aznavour  •  Marlon Brando  •  Richard Burton  •  James Coburn

Charade (1963)

HeistRomanticClassicSlow moving

After Regina Lampert falls for the dashing Peter Joshua on a skiing holiday in the French Alps, she discovers upon her return to Paris that her husband has been murdered. Soon, she and Peter are giving chase to three of her late husband's World War II cronies, Tex, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Stanley Donen
CAST:  Cary Grant  •  Audrey Hepburn  •  Walter Matthau  •  James Coburn

After Regina Lampert falls for the dashing Peter Joshua on a skiing holiday in the French Alps, she discovers upon her return to Paris that her husband has been murdered. Soon, she and Peter are giving chase to three of her late husband's World War II cronies, Tex, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Stanley Donen
CAST:  Cary Grant  •  Audrey Hepburn  •  Walter Matthau  •  James Coburn

Charley Varrick (1973)

Charley Varrick robs a bank in a small town with his friends, but instead of obtaining a small amount of money, they discover they stole a very large amount of money belonging to the mob. Charley must now come up with a plan to not only evade the police but the mob ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Don Siegel
CAST:  Walter Matthau  •  Joe Don Baker  •  Felicia Farr  •  Andrew Robinson

Charley Varrick robs a bank in a small town with his friends, but instead of obtaining a small amount of money, they discover they stole a very large amount of money belonging to the mob. Charley must now come up with a plan to not only evade the police but the mob ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Don Siegel
CAST:  Walter Matthau  •  Joe Don Baker  •  Felicia Farr  •  Andrew Robinson

Earthquake (1974)

Various interconnected people struggle to survive when an earthquake of unimaginable magnitude hits Los Angeles, California.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Mark Robson
CAST:  Charlton Heston  •  Ava Gardner  •  George Kennedy  •  Lorne Greene

Various interconnected people struggle to survive when an earthquake of unimaginable magnitude hits Los Angeles, California.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Mark Robson
CAST:  Charlton Heston  •  Ava Gardner  •  George Kennedy  •  Lorne Greene

Fail Safe (1964)

Because of a technical defect an American bomber team mistakenly orders the destruction of Moscow. The President of the United States has but little time to prevent an atomic catastrophe from occurring.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Lumet
CAST:  Henry Fonda  •  Walter Matthau  •  Fritz Weaver  •  Larry Hagman

Because of a technical defect an American bomber team mistakenly orders the destruction of Moscow. The President of the United States has but little time to prevent an atomic catastrophe from occurring.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Lumet
CAST:  Henry Fonda  •  Walter Matthau  •  Fritz Weaver  •  Larry Hagman

Hopscotch (1980)

When CIA operative Miles Kendig deliberately lets KGB agent Yaskov get away, his boss threatens to retire him. Kendig beats him to it, however, destroying his own records and traveling to Austria where he begins work on a memoir that will expose all his former ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ronald Neame
CAST:  Walter Matthau  •  Sam Waterston  •  Herbert Lom  •  Ned Beatty

When CIA operative Miles Kendig deliberately lets KGB agent Yaskov get away, his boss threatens to retire him. Kendig beats him to it, however, destroying his own records and traveling to Austria where he begins work on a memoir that will expose all his former ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ronald Neame
CAST:  Walter Matthau  •  Sam Waterston  •  Herbert Lom  •  Ned Beatty

I.Q. (1994)

Albert Einstein helps a young man who's in love with Einstein's niece to catch her attention by pretending temporarily to be a great physicist.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Fred Schepisi
CAST:  Tim Robbins  •  Meg Ryan  •  Walter Matthau  •  Lou Jacobi

Albert Einstein helps a young man who's in love with Einstein's niece to catch her attention by pretending temporarily to be a great physicist.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Fred Schepisi
CAST:  Tim Robbins  •  Meg Ryan  •  Walter Matthau  •  Lou Jacobi

JFK (1991)

BrilliantDramaticEmotionalInsightful

Follows the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Oliver Stone
CAST:  Kevin Costner  •  Tommy Lee Jones  •  Gary Oldman  •  Kevin Bacon

Follows the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Oliver Stone
CAST:  Kevin Costner  •  Tommy Lee Jones  •  Gary Oldman  •  Kevin Bacon

Lonely Are the Brave (1962)

A fiercely independent cowboy arranges to have himself locked up in jail in order to then escape with an old friend who has been sentenced to the penitentiary.  (more)

DIRECTION:  David Miller
CAST:  Kirk Douglas  •  Gena Rowlands  •  Walter Matthau  •  Carroll O'Connor

A fiercely independent cowboy arranges to have himself locked up in jail in order to then escape with an old friend who has been sentenced to the penitentiary.  (more)

DIRECTION:  David Miller
CAST:  Kirk Douglas  •  Gena Rowlands  •  Walter Matthau  •  Carroll O'Connor

Out to Sea (1997)

Care-free Charlie cons his widower brother-in-law Herb into an expenses-paid luxury cruise in search of rich, lonely ladies. The catch is that they are required to be dance hosts! With a tyrannical cruise director, and the luscious Liz and lovely Vivian, our heroes ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Martha Coolidge
CAST:  Jack Lemmon  •  Walter Matthau  •  Dyan Cannon  •  Brent Spiner

Care-free Charlie cons his widower brother-in-law Herb into an expenses-paid luxury cruise in search of rich, lonely ladies. The catch is that they are required to be dance hosts! With a tyrannical cruise director, and the luscious Liz and lovely Vivian, our heroes ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Martha Coolidge
CAST:  Jack Lemmon  •  Walter Matthau  •  Dyan Cannon  •  Brent Spiner

The Bad News Bears (1976)

An aging, down-on-his-luck ex-minor leaguer coaches a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive California little league.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Ritchie
CAST:  Walter Matthau  •  Tatum O'Neal  •  Ben Piazza  •  Vic Morrow

An aging, down-on-his-luck ex-minor leaguer coaches a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive California little league.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michael Ritchie
CAST:  Walter Matthau  •  Tatum O'Neal  •  Ben Piazza  •  Vic Morrow

The Fortune Cookie (1966)

A cameraman is knocked over during a football game. His brother-in-law, as the king of the ambulance-chasing lawyers, starts a suit while he's still knocked out. The cameraman is against it until he hears that his ex-wife will be coming to see him. He pretends to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Billy Wilder
CAST:  Jack Lemmon  •  Walter Matthau  •  Ron Rich  •  Judi West

A cameraman is knocked over during a football game. His brother-in-law, as the king of the ambulance-chasing lawyers, starts a suit while he's still knocked out. The cameraman is against it until he hears that his ex-wife will be coming to see him. He pretends to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Billy Wilder
CAST:  Jack Lemmon  •  Walter Matthau  •  Ron Rich  •  Judi West

The Odd Couple (1968)

In New York, Felix, a neurotic news writer who just broke up with his wife, is urged by his chaotic friend Oscar, a sports journalist, to move in with him, but their lifestyles are as different as night and day are, so Felix's ideas about housekeeping soon begin to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Gene Saks
CAST:  Jack Lemmon  •  Walter Matthau  •  John Fiedler  •  Herb Edelman

In New York, Felix, a neurotic news writer who just broke up with his wife, is urged by his chaotic friend Oscar, a sports journalist, to move in with him, but their lifestyles are as different as night and day are, so Felix's ideas about housekeeping soon begin to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Gene Saks
CAST:  Jack Lemmon  •  Walter Matthau  •  John Fiedler  •  Herb Edelman

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

In New York, armed men hijack a subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. Even if it's paid, how could they get away?  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph Sargent
CAST:  Walter Matthau  •  Robert Shaw  •  Martin Balsam  •  Hector Elizondo

In New York, armed men hijack a subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. Even if it's paid, how could they get away?  (more)

DIRECTION:  Joseph Sargent
CAST:  Walter Matthau  •  Robert Shaw  •  Martin Balsam  •  Hector Elizondo

Kotch (1971)

When retired salesman Joseph Kotcher begins to feel pressure to move out of the house he shares with the family of his son, he opts to embark on a road trip instead of settling in a retirement home. Befriending Erica, a young pregnant woman and his grandson's ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jack Lemmon
CAST:  Walter Matthau  •  Deborah Winters  •  Felicia Farr  •  Charles Aidman

When retired salesman Joseph Kotcher begins to feel pressure to move out of the house he shares with the family of his son, he opts to embark on a road trip instead of settling in a retirement home. Befriending Erica, a young pregnant woman and his grandson's ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jack Lemmon
CAST:  Walter Matthau  •  Deborah Winters  •  Felicia Farr  •  Charles Aidman

Grumpy Old Men (1993)

FunnyGoofyCharmingEnjoyable

For decades, next-door neighbors and former friends John and Max have feuded, trading insults and wicked pranks. When an attractive widow moves in nearby, their bad blood erupts into a high-stakes rivalry full of naughty jokes and adolescent hijinks.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Donald Petrie
CAST:  Jack Lemmon  •  Walter Matthau  •  Ann-Margret  •  Burgess Meredith

For decades, next-door neighbors and former friends John and Max have feuded, trading insults and wicked pranks. When an attractive widow moves in nearby, their bad blood erupts into a high-stakes rivalry full of naughty jokes and adolescent hijinks.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Donald Petrie
CAST:  Jack Lemmon  •  Walter Matthau  •  Ann-Margret  •  Burgess Meredith

Grumpier Old Men (1995)

ChristmasBrainy

A family wedding reignites the ancient feud between next-door neighbors and fishing buddies John and Max. Meanwhile, a sultry Italian divorcée opens a restaurant at the local bait shop, alarming the locals who worry she'll scare the fish away. But she's less ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Howard Deutch
CAST:  Walter Matthau  •  Jack Lemmon  •  Ann-Margret  •  Sophia Loren

A family wedding reignites the ancient feud between next-door neighbors and fishing buddies John and Max. Meanwhile, a sultry Italian divorcée opens a restaurant at the local bait shop, alarming the locals who worry she'll scare the fish away. But she's less ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Howard Deutch
CAST:  Walter Matthau  •  Jack Lemmon  •  Ann-Margret  •  Sophia Loren

Hanging Up (2000)

A trio of sisters bond over their ambivalence toward the approaching death of their curmudgeonly father, to whom none of them was particularly close.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Diane Keaton
CAST:  Meg Ryan  •  Diane Keaton  •  Lisa Kudrow  •  Walter Matthau

A trio of sisters bond over their ambivalence toward the approaching death of their curmudgeonly father, to whom none of them was particularly close.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Diane Keaton
CAST:  Meg Ryan  •  Diane Keaton  •  Lisa Kudrow  •  Walter Matthau
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