The Couch Potato’s Guide to Old Hollywood: The Legacy of Jack Lemmon

Wire photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

By Geoff Carter

Jack Lemmon really wasn’t one of your cool, macho sort of leading man actors. Instead, he typically played the everyday, normal, and, well, goofy kind of guy. Even though he was sometimes impatient, sometimes short-tempered (sort of a human Daffy Duck), he was usually a good guy, the salt of the Earth, and more often than not, a lone voice of morality in a cold and cynical world. In The Apartment, Lemmon’s young and ambitious C.C. Baxter was willing make a somewhat seamy arrangement with his supervisors to get ahead—until he’d had enough. His rendition of Ensign Pulver in Mr. Roberts was laughably naïve and clueless—up until the point where he got fed up and gave the captain a piece of his mind. The essence of Lemmon’s screen persona, his eventual—and inevitable—turn to decency, is his hallmark. 

Even though he was known primarily as a comic actor early in his career, Lemmon also had the ability to intertwine a sense of pathos into the DNA of his characters. We laughed at the naivete and enthusiastic ingenuity of a Baxter straining his spaghetti through a tennis racket but felt his anguish—and tenderness—as he sorted through his conflicted tangle of feelings for Miss Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine) after he discovers her liaison with their boss—in his apartment. 

Of course, for sheer comedy, Lemmon was a genius. His turn as a cross-dressing bass player in Some Like it Hotor as the fastidious Felix Unger in The Odd Couple are simply hilarious. And Baxter’s attempts to cover up the shenanigans in his apartment to his neighbor are vintage Jack Lemmon. 

Later in his career, though, Lemmon continued to prove excellence in his craft—this time as a dramatic actor. From his depiction of Joe Clay, a decent man falling into alcoholism and then eventually crawling back out of the bottle in Days of Wine and Roses, to the struggling and world-weary businessman Harry Stoner in Save the Tiger, Lemmon showed a range that went far beyond his comedic abilities. These characters typically dealt with the conflict between doing the smart thing and doing the right thing—and we always expected Jack Lemmon to do the right thing. 

Although later in his career—excepting comic turns in Grumpy Old Men and Out to Sea (with Walter Matthau)—Lemmon’s characters became lost in the moral quagmire of life in the modern world. His Shelly in Glengarry Glen Rossis a decent man caught adrift in a sea of cutthroat ruthlessness; his Paul Finnagan in Raymond Carver’s Shortcuts is simply a fast-talking self-centered sleazeball.

Lemmon did it all—and did it well. His characters could be charming, funny, kind, and compassionate, but—especially in the latter part of his career—he could also tap into a vein of pathos, eliciting sympathy for him, ourselves, and the entire human condition. 

---

The Top Ten Films of Jack Lemmon

---

The Apartment: Junior executive C.C. Baxter (Lemmon) tries to expedite his climb up the corporate ladder by lending out his apartment to his bosses for their extra-marital trysts. He soon gets the attention of Mr. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), the personnel manager, and finds himself promoted to a corner office where he tries to woo Miss Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), a pretty young elevator operator. Matters get complicated when he discovers that Mr. Sheldrake’s rendezvous in Baxter’s apartment is Miss Kubelik. Lemmon gives Baxter’s character an interesting mix of opportunistic ambition, naïve romanticism, and plain human decency—all entirely believable. Notable for the great supporting performances of MacMurray, Ray Walston, and Jack Kruschen. 

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Edie Adams, and Jack Kruschen. Written and directed by Billy Wilder. 

---

The Fortune Cookie: TV cameraman Harry Hinkle (Lemmon) is accidentally run over and knocked out by Luther “Boom Boom” Jackson (Ron Rich) during a Cleveland Browns game. Although his injuries are minor, his attorney brother-in-law “Whiplash” Gingrich (Walter Matthau) convinces him to fake paralysis so he can collect a big settlement from the insurance company. Hinkle is less interested in the money than he is in persuading his ex-wife Sandy to return to him. Gingrich convinces him the money might do that. The insurance company, convinced Hinkle is faking, hires a private eye to spy on him. After learning Sandy has returned strictly for the money and that “Boom Boom” is racked with guilt over his “injuries”, Hinkle makes a major decision. This is vintage Jack Lemmon, a man who goes along with the wrong plan for the right reason, but finally does the right thing. Notable for Matthau’s performance; he had recently recovered from a heart attack and had to wear padding to conceal his weight loss. 

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ron Rich, Judi West, Cliff Osmond, and Lurene Tuttle. Written and directed by Billy Wilder.  

---

Some Like it Hot: Two destitute Chicago musicians Jerry (Lemmon) and Joe (Tony Curtis) accidentally witness a gangland massacre. Desperate to save their lives, they decide to dress up as woman and take jobs with an all-girl band on their way to Florida. On the train, Joe and Jerry meet Sugar (Marilyn Monroe), the band’s singer. Joe persuades Jerry that the two of them should continue the masquerade so he can—posing as a millionaire (a male millionaire)—pursue Sugar. Things get complicated when the Chicago gangsters happen to show up at the resort. Lemmon’s performance is pure madcap fun. The scene in the train’s sleeping car is simply hilarious. Notable for one of Monroe’s best performances.

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe, George Raft, Pat O’Brien, and Joe E. Brown. Written and directed by Bill Wilder.

---

The Odd Couple: Felix Unger (Lemmon) an annoyingly fastidious man, is kicked out his apartment by his wife. He asks his old friend Oscar Madison (Walter Matthau), as much of a slob as Felix is a neatnik, if he can move in with him. Feeling sorry for him, and against his better judgement, Oscar says yes. After a week, Felix, who has been obsessively cleaning, picking up after Oscar, and constantly nagging, is driving him completely nuts. Oscar tries to get Felix to quit moping about his separation by arranging a date with the Pigeon sisters, who live upstairs. Things come to a head when Felix ruins the date. Notable for yet another great pairing of Lemmon and Matthau. 

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Herb Edelman, John Fiedler, Larry Haines, Monica Evans, and Carole Shelley. Written by Neil Simon. Directed by Gene Saks.

---

Mr. Roberts: Mr. Roberts (Henry Fonda) the cargo officer on a rundown WWII ship supplying the South Pacific Theater of War with toilet paper and toothpaste is aching to get into the real war, but his autocratic Captain (James Cagney), knowing the boat will founder without Roberts, won’t hear of it. With the help of Doc (Dick Powell) and the laundry officer, Ensign Pulver (Jack Lemmon), Roberts keeps trying to get off the ship while still keeping his crew happy and healthy. Lemmon won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as Ensign Pulver and his performance is a chaotic mix of unbounded sexual energy and misdirected ambition. Notable for Dick Powell’s great performance as the cynical Doc.

Starring: Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmone, James Cagney, Dick Powell, Ward Bond, Ken Curtis, and Philip Carey. Written by Frank S. Nugent. Directed by John Ford, Mervyn LeRoy, and Josh Logan.

---

Days of Wine and Roses: Joe Clay (Lemmon) meets a young secretary Kristen Armesen (Lee Remick), who is a teetotaler. After they begin dating, they find themselves—Kristen says she enjoys it. They get married and have a daughter. They both begin drinking more and more heavily until Joe gets demoted and eventually loses his job. Realizing alcohol is taking over his life, Joe convinces Kristen they have to quit, but they discover they cannot stop. Joe is committed to a sanatorium and eventually joins AA. He stays sober but Kristen can’t quit. Eventually, Joe realizes that he must make a choice between sobriety and Kristen. Lemmon’s Joe Clay runs the gamut from happy and funny drunk to a man who realizes he’s a drunk to a husband who knows he’s lost his life. Notable for Lee Remick’s fine performance. 

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick, Charles Bickford, Jack Klugman, Alan Hewitt, and Tom Palmer. Written by JP Miller. Directed by Blake Edwards.

---

Save the Tiger: Harry Stoner (Lemmon), the owner of a struggling apparel company is faced with the loss of his business. Because he and his partner have only been able to keep it going by cooking the books, Stoner is faced with either setting fire to his warehouse for the insurance money or losing the business. Greene (Jack Gilford), his partner, reluctantly agress to the scheme. Tortured by his past memories of combat in World War II and burdened with his present dilemmas with his business, Harry drinks heavily, all the while lamenting the condition of the world, finally reaching the realization that his connection with the world is—at the very least—tenuous. Notable for Lemmon’s stirring performance as a pitiful but sympathetic and desperate human being.

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Jack Gilford, Laurie Heineman, Norman Burton, Patricia Smith, and Janina. Written by Steven Shagan. Directed by John G. Avildsen.

---

Missing: Based on a true story, this biopic follows Charles Horman (Lemmon) and his daughter-in-law Beth (Sissy Spacek) as they arrive in Chile to find Horman’s missing son, Charlie (John Shea) a journalist who had been in the country covering the recent military coup. Horman suspects that his son’s and Beth’s radical politics are at the root of his disappearance. Beth suspects the American government. As Horman finds it increasingly difficult to get a straight answer from U.S. military officials and embassy representatives, he begins to wonder exactly who was really responsible for his son’s disappearance. Lemmon’s slow realization that his own country may be responsible for the death of his son fuels one of the finest performances of his career. Notable for Costa-Gravas’ award-winning screenplay. 

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Sissy Spacek, Melanie Mayron, Charles Cioffi, David Clennon, and John Shea. Written and directed by Costa-Gravas.

---

Glengarry Glen Ross: Based on David Mamet’s play, this scathing film examines two days in the lives of four real-estate agents so desperate to make a sale that they are willing to do anything to succeed—including larceny. After their supervisor waves the Glengarry sales leads in front of them, the four of them lie to and manipulate clients, attack each other, the boss, the office manager, and even plot to rob the office. The chilling first scene in which Blake (Alec Baldwin) chastises the crew and insults them is only a shadow of the nastiness to come. Lemmon’s character ping-pongs from desperation to smugness to tenderness the audience cannot help but to feel desperation for his plight. Notable for an incredible supporting cast, particularly Al Pacino and Kevin Spacey.

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Alan Arkin, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey, Jonathan Price, and Alec Baldwin. Written by David Mamet. Directed by James Foley.

---

Grumpy Old Men: A reunion of the classic combination of Lemmon and Matthau as two aged—and contentious—neighbors in the small town of Wabasha, Minnesota. John Gustafson (Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Matthau) have been feuding for years and amuse themselves by playing practical jokes on each other. When Ariel Truax (Ann-Margret) a mysterious and attractive stranger—as well as being an eligible middle-aged woman—moves into the neighborhood, both men find themselves attracted to her and ready to do anything to win her over. And to beat the other guy. Although older—though not quite as old as their buddy schtick—the pair is winning as exactly what they are—grumpy old men. Notable for Ann-Margret’s whimsical performance as a new-age meditation guru. 

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith, Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollak, and Ossie Davis. Written by Mark Steven Johnson. Directed by Donald Petrie.

---

Honorable Mention

---

The Out-of-Towners

Bell, Book, and Candle

Shortcuts

Good Neighbor Sam

The China Syndrome

---