Attribution: Trailer screenshot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
By Geoff Carter
He certainly doesn’t look like a Hollywood movie star—much less a leading man. His long hangdog face always seems to be locked into either a grimace or a frown full of world-weary disdain. Walter Matthau is the embodiment of an everyman, a guy used to a world that tries to kick him around, but who’s always smart enough to duck. His slouching posture and shuffling gait revealed a man burdened with—but not overcome by—the weight of the world, yet his characters nearly always reluctantly display streaks of humanity, sympathy, and even sweetness—however gruffly expressed.
His wry sense of humor—which seems to shine through in nearly all of his characters—is the counterweight to his cynical and jaded countenance, the façade covering his well-hidden good-naturedness. The sly smile and raised eyebrows coupled with sarcastic one-liners delivered with his laconic baritone created a subtle comic effect that almost no other actor could even approach. He can be gruff and brusque, but he cares. Usually. In his turn as Morris Buttermaker, the Little League coach in The Bad News Bears, his exchange with a young outfielder who has hidden in a tree to conceal his embarrassment is simultaneously touching and hilarious. He is the embodiment of a gruff and kindly, but somewhat bewildered, papa bear.
Paired with the manic energy of Jack Lemmon, with whom Matthau appeared with in ten movies, the comic synergy between the two was simply brilliant. Lemmon’s Felix to Matthau’s Oscar in The Odd Couple, Lemmon’s Gustafson and Matthau’s Goldman in Grumpy Old Man prove the old adage that the sum is greater than its parts.
While Matthau’s timing and delivery were stellar, his work as a dramatic actor was equally as brilliant. His turn as the vehement anti-communist Professor Groeteschele in Fail Safe is chilling when Matthau—the epitome of rationality—argues for a full-scale nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. In this case, his sophisticated cynicism is not the burden of the everyman, but the rationale for hatred and mass destruction.
That a Hollywood leading man—even a comedic one—could look like an ordinary guy was in Matthau’s day, unusual. That such a singular and unusual talent was able to transcend the norms of the time to bring us his great gifts was fortunate for all of us.
Walter Matthau’s Ten Best Movies
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 as the conniving and cynical Gingrich; he had recently recovered from a heart attack and had to wear padding to conceal his weight loss.
Kotch: In this somewhat convoluted family drama, Matthau plays Kotch, an elderly man whose family wants to place him in a nursing home. Kotch declines and befriends Erica (Deborah Winters) a former babysitter to his grandson who is going to have a baby herself. He helps her out and takes a long cross-country bus ride and returns. Seeing that Erica is still having problems, he offers her a job as his housekeeper and eventually helps her deliver the baby at a gas station. When his son and daughter invite him to move back in, he declines. In Kotch’s search for identity in his new role as an old man is both touching and revelatory. Matthau imbues the character with a patina of bewilderment that cannot tarnish his determination to do the right thing for Erica and others in need. He is—once again—an unlikely and unexpected hero.
Fail-Safe: In this speculative thriller concerning the possibility of mechanical failure causing a nuclear holocaust, a bomber group armed with an atomic bomb is erroneously sent to take out Moscow. Scrambling to surmount all the safeguards meant to protect the mission, the military, the president (Henry Fonda) and the administration find themselves faced with a horrible choice. Matthau plays rabid anti-communist Professor Groteschele, who advocates that the US turn the accidental attack on Russia into a full-fledged attack. Matthau’s Groteschele is cold, rational, incisive, and frighteningly arrogant. Matthau, who usually conveys an aura of bonhomie and goodwill, is very nearly reptilian in this role. He is remorseless and ruthless in his obsession to eradicate Communism, showing a dark side to Matthau’s worldliness.
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.
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.
The Bad News Bears: A great comedy about a washed-up major-leaguer, Morris Buttermaker, who is enlisted to coach a team of little league misfits. After first barely trying to work with the kids, Buttermaker warms up to his task, enlisting the help of an old girlfriend’s daughter, Amanda—a fireballer, and a juvenile delinquent—a natural talent, to help propel his team to the top of their league. Along the way, Buttermaker loses sight of the fact that his team is comprised of children and that winning is not the ultimate aim of Little League Baseball. Matthau is at his best here: cynical and jaded—especially when determined to win the Little League title—but still human enough to see his own faults—and to put the kids first. Notable for a very early appearance by Jackie Earl Haley.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three: In this thrilling caper film involving the hijacking of a New York City subway car full of innocent hostages, Matthau plays NYC Transit Police Lieutenant Zachary Garber who acts as the head negotiator with the kidnappers. Communicating with Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw) the ruthless head of the operation, Garber agrees to pay the ransom. Police surround the stopped subway car, shots are exchanged during the payoff, and the conductor is killed. Activating the dead man’s switch that allows the car to run without a motorman, the hijackers try to escape but are apprehended by Garber. The film’s gritty realism and witty screenplay were a perfect backdrop for Matthau’s wryly intelligent and street-smart persona. He is the epitome of the rumpled investigator, sort of a pre-Colombian Columbo.
A New Leaf: Elaine May has always been an underrated talent. This beautiful little film follows New York heir Henry Graham (Walter Matthau) who has been informed he has squandered his entire fortune. Unwilling to change his lifestyle, he decides to marry into wealth and settles upon Henrietta Lowell (May), a shy and socially inept botany professor who is heiress to a huge fortune. Over the objections of her attorney (Jack Weston), she marries Henry who takes charge of her disorganized household. He takes charge of her estate and—being uncharacteristically responsible—takes charge of her accounts, all the while planning to kill her for her money. When Henrietta discovers a new fern and names it after Henry, he is touched but is resolute in his plans. Matthau is at his grumpy best in this movie, brusquely patient with his bride while barely hiding his aggravation—along with his reluctant affection for her. May is simply brilliant as the clueless Henrietta and as the director of this beautiful—and scarcely known—romantic comedy.
Lonely are the Brave: Jack Burns (Douglas), a cowboy who refuses to acknowledge the trappings of civilization, rides into town in order to visit Paul (Michael Kane), an old friend. Learning from Paul’s wife (Gena Rowlands) that Paul is in jail, Burns gets himself arrested so he can break his old buddy out. Realizing the futility of escape, Paul refuses. Jack breaks out, instigating a manhunt that tracks him—and his horse Whiskey—up into the rugged canyon rim country in his bid for freedom. Burns is a happy-go-lucky cowboy who seems to take life as it comes. His decisions are not always sound, but his heart is in the right place. Notable for Walter Matthau’s performance as the laconic sheriff hunting Burns down.
Pete ‘N Tillie: In this bittersweet “modern” romance, Tillie (Carol Burnett), a single woman, meets confirmed bachelor Pete (Matthau), an eccentric motivational researcher and punster. The two click, but Pete does not want to be tied down, but when Tillie gets pregnant, they wed, buy a house, and have a son, but Pete’s womanizing ways continue. When their son Robbie (Lee H. Montgomery) is stricken with a fatal disease and eventually dies, the marriage dissolves and Tillie renounces her faith in God. After Pete leaves, she eventually ends up in a sanitarium until Pete arrives. The two leave together. The chemistry between Burnett and Matthau—two comic geniuses—is electric in this movie. The scene in which Tillie wakes up to find Pete playing the piano naked is priceless. Matthau’s inherent gruffness is mostly self-centered in this role. He protects his selfish behaviors with a dismissive independence which is vintage Matthau. For all that, Pete is funny and likable, a fine foil for Tillie’s ever-present ennui.