Walter John Matthau (October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American
actorAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
best known for his role as
Oscar MadisonOscar Madison is a character in The Odd Couple, which began as a Broadway play, then was a film and then a television series.In The Odd Couple, Oscar Madison is the everyman, and is a sportswriter for the New York Herald...
in
The Odd CoupleThe Odd Couple is a comedy film written by Neil Simon, based on his play of the same name, directed by Gene Saks, and starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. It is the story of two divorced men – Felix Ungar, the neurotic neatfreak, and Oscar Madison, the fun-loving slob – who...
and his frequent collaborations with
Odd Couple star
Jack LemmonJohn Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts, Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger, The Out-of-Towners, The China Syndrome, Missing, Glengarry Glen...
, as well as his role as Coach Buttermaker in the 1976 comedy
The Bad News Bears. He won an Academy Award for his performance in the
Billy WilderBilly Wilder was an Austrian-American journalist, filmmaker, screenwriter and producer, whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age...
film
The Fortune CookieThe Fortune Cookie is a 1966 film starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in their first on screen collaboration, and directed by Billy Wilder.- Plot :...
.
Early life
Matthau was born in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
's
Lower East SideThe Lower East Side is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, E. Houston, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street...
on October 1, 1920, the son of
JewThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
ish immigrants Rose (née Berolsky), who was born in
LithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of...
and worked in a sweatshop, and Milton (Melos) Matthau, an electrician and
peddlerA peddler, in British English pedlar, also known as a canvasser, cheapjack, monger, or solicitor , is a travelling vendor of goods. In England, the term was mostly used for travellers hawking goods in the countryside to small towns and villages; they might also be called tinkers or gypsies...
who was from
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. His original surname is often shown as Matuschanskayasky, but this is not true (see Matuschanskayasky below for a detailed discussion). As a young boy, Walter attended a Jewish non-profit sleepaway camp, Tranquility Camp, where he first began acting in the shows the camp would stage on Saturday nights.
Career
During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Matthau served in the U.S. Army Air Forces with the
Eighth Air ForceThe Eighth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Air Force Global Strike Command. It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and is one of three active-duty numbered air forces in Air Combat Command....
in
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as a
B-24 LiberatorThe Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, built by Consolidated Aircraft. It was produced in greater numbers than any other American combat aircraft of World War II and still holds the record as the most produced U.S. military aircraft. It was used by many Allied air forces and...
radioman-gunner, in the same
453rd Bombardment GroupThe 453d Operations Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was to the 43d Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Souda Bay, Greece...
as
James StewartJames Maitland "Jimmy" Stewart was an American film and stage actor, best known for his self-effacing persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
. He reached the rank of
staff sergeantStaff Sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
and became interested in acting. He took classes in acting at the Dramatic Workshop of
The New SchoolThe New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
in New York with the influential German director
Erwin PiscatorErwin Friedrich Maximilian Piscator was a German theatre director and producer who, with Bertolt Brecht, was the foremost exponent of epic theatre, a form that emphasizes the sociopolitical content of drama, rather than its emotional manipulation of the audience or on the production's formal...
. He often joked that his best early review came in a play where he posed as a derelict. One reviewer said, "The others just looked like actors in make-up, Walter Matthau really looks like a
skid rowA skid row or skid road is a run-down or dilapidated urban area with a large, impoverished population. The term originally referred literally to a path along which workingmen skidded logs. Its current sense appears to have originated in the Pacific Northwest...
bum!"
Matthau was a respected
stageTheatre is a branch of the performing arts. While any performance may be considered theatre, as a performing art, it focuses almost exclusively on live performers creating a self contained drama. A performance qualifies as dramatic by creating a representational illusion...
actor for years in such fare as
Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? is an original stage comedy in three acts and four scenes that opened on Broadway October 13, 1955, starring Orson Bean , Martin Gabel , Jayne Mansfield , Harry Clark , Carol Grace , Lou Gallo , William Thourlby and Walter Matthau .It...
and
A Shot in the DarkA Shot in the Dark is a comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and is the second installment in the Pink Panther series. Peter Sellers is featured again as Inspector Jacques Clouseau of the French Sûreté...
. He won the 1962
Tony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American theatre and are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are for Broadway productions and...
for Best Featured Actor in a play.
In 1952, Matthau appeared in the pilot of
Mr. PeepersMr. Peepers is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from July 3, 1952 to June 12, 1955.-Overview:Mr. Peepers starred Wally Cox as Jefferson City's junior high school science teacher Robinson J. Peepers...
with
Wally CoxWallace Maynard Cox was an American comedian and actor, particularly associated with the early years of television in the United States. He appeared in the U.S. TV series Mr. Peepers , plus several other popular shows, and as a character actor in over 20 films...
. For reasons unknown he used the name Leonard Elliot. His role was of the gym teacher Mr. Wall. In 1955, he made his
motion pictureFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
debut as a whip-wielding bad guy in
The KentuckianThe Kentuckian is a 1955 adventure film directed by Burt Lancaster, who also starred. It also marked the feature film debut of Walter Matthau. The picture is an adaptation of the novel The Gabriel Horn by Felix Holt.-Plot:...
opposite
Burt LancasterBurton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor and star, noted for his athletic physique, distinct smile and, later, his willingness to play roles that went against his initial "tough guy" image...
.
Matthau appeared as a villain in many subsequent movies, such as 1958's
King CreoleKing Creole is an American motion picture directed by Michael Curtiz, released by Paramount Pictures on July 2, 1958. The film stars Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, and Walter Matthau...
(in which he is beaten up by
Elvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as Elvis and is also sometimes referred to as The King of Rock 'n' Roll or The King....
). That same year, he made a western called
Ride a Crooked TrailRide a Crooked Trail is a 1958 American western film, with former World War II hero Audie Murphy and future Academy Award winning actor Walter Matthau heading a strong if not well-known cast.-Plot:...
with
Audie MurphyAudie Leon Murphy was a much-decorated American soldier who served in the European Theater during World War II. He later became an actor, appearing in 44 American films, and also found some success as a country music composer.In 27 months of combat action, Murphy became one of the most highly...
and the notorious flop
OnionheadOnionhead is a 1958 movie set on a US Coast Guard ship during World War II starring Andy Griffith, Felicia Farr, Walter Matthau, and Erin O'Brien...
starring
Andy GriffithAndy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer....
and
Erin O'BrienErin O'Brien is an American actress active during the mid-twentieth century and best known as the leading lady of the first made-for-TV movie, Girl on the Run, which also served as the pilot for the television series 77 Sunset Strip . She had six sisters and seven brothers...
. He had a featured role opposite Griffith in the acclaimed drama
A Face in the CrowdA Face in the Crowd is a motion picture starring Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal and Walter Matthau, directed by Elia Kazan. The screenplay was written by Budd Schulberg, based on his short story "Your Arkansas Traveler."...
, directed by
Elia KazanElia Kazan, , was a Turkish-born American film and theatre director, film and theatrical producer, screenwriter, novelist and co-founder of the influential Actors Studio in New York in 1947...
. Matthau also directed a low-budget 1960 movie called
The Gangster Story.
In 1962, he won acclaim as a sympathetic sheriff in
Lonely are the BraveLonely are the Brave is a film adaptation of the Edward Abbey novel The Brave Cowboy. It stars Kirk Douglas as cowboy Jack Burns, Gena Rowlands, and Walter Matthau as a sheriff who sympathizes with Burns but must do his job and chase him down....
, which starred
Kirk DouglasKirk Douglas is an American actor and film producer recognized for his prominent cleft chin, his gravelly voice and his recurring roles as the kinds of characters Douglas himself once described as "sons of bitches". He is the father of Hollywood actor and producer Michael Douglas...
. He played a government agent with a secret in the popular mystery
CharadeCharade is a film directed by Stanley Donen, written by Peter Stone and Marc Behm, and starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. It also features Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy, Dominique Minot, Ned Glass, and Jacques Marin...
, co-starring
Cary GrantArchibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was a British-American actor...
and
Audrey HepburnAudrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian.Born in Ixelles as Audrey Kathleen Ruston, Hepburn spent her childhood chiefly in the Netherlands, including German-occupied Arnhem, Netherlands, during the Second World War...
.
Appearances on
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
were common too, including two on
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
's police drama
Naked CityNaked City may refer to:*Naked City , a 1945 book collection of photographs, by the photographer Usher “Weegee” Fellig.*The Naked City, a 1948 film noir inspired by the 1945 book....
and in the 1963 episode "A Tumble from a Tall White House" of the
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
medical dramaA medical drama is a television drama in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. While not as popular as legal/crime drama, it is still easily identifiable occupational based drama....
about
psychiatryPsychiatry is a medical specialty officially devoted to the treatment and study of mental disorders. The term was first coined by the German physician Johann Christian Reil in 1808....
,
The Eleventh HourThe Eleventh Hour is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer medical drama about psychiatry starring Wendell Corey, Jack Ging, and Ralph Bellamy, which aired sixty-two new episodes plus selected rebroadcasts on NBC from October 3, 1962, to September 9, 1964....
. He appeared eight times between 1962 and 1964 on
The DuPont Show of the Week and as Franklin Gaer in 1964 in the episode "Man Is a Rock" on the medical drama
Dr. KildareDr. James Kildare is a fictional character, the primary character in a series of American theatrical films in the late 1930s and early 1940s, an early 1950s radio series, a 1960s television series of the same name and a comic book based on the TV show...
.
Matthau made many appearances in live TV plays. Although he was constantly working, the fact that he was not handsome in a traditional sense confined him at first to supporting roles.
Comedies also were rare in Matthau's work at that time. He was cast in a number of stark dramas, such as 1964's
Fail-SafeFail-safe or fail-secure describes a device or feature which, in the event of failure, responds in a way that will cause no harm or at least a minimum of harm to other devices or danger to personnel...
, in which he portrayed a White House adviser during a catastrophic global incident.
In 1965, however, a plum comedy role came Matthau's way when
Neil SimonMarvin Neil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. His numerous Broadway succcesses have led to his work being among the most regularly performed in the world...
cast him in the hit play
The Odd CoupleThe Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing but...
playing the slovenly sportswriter Oscar Madison opposite
Art CarneyArthur William Matthew “Art” Carney was an American actor in film, stage, television and radio. Carney portrayed the upstairs neighbor and sewer worker Ed Norton, opposite Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden in the situation comedy The Honeymooners.-Personal life:Carney, youngest of six sons , was...
as his fussy roommate Felix Unger. Matthau would later join Jack Lemmon in the movie version.
He achieved a great film success in a 1966 comedy as a shyster lawyer called "Whiplash Willie" Gingrich starring opposite Lemmon in
The Fortune CookieThe Fortune Cookie is a 1966 film starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in their first on screen collaboration, and directed by Billy Wilder.- Plot :...
, the first of what would be many collaborations with Billy Wilder and a role that would earn him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Filming had to be placed on a five-month hiatus after Matthau suffered a
heart attackMyocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, is the interruption of blood supply to part of the heart, causing some heart cells to die...
.
Matthau was visibly banged up during the awards show, having been involved in a bicycle accident. He scolded nominated actors who were perfectly healthy but had not bothered to come to the ceremony, especially three of the other four major award winners:
Elizabeth TaylorDame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, DBE , also known as Liz Taylor, is an English-born British-American actress. Known for her acting skills and beauty, as well as her Hollywood lifestyle, including many marriages...
,
Sandy DennisSandra Dale “Sandy” Dennis was an American theater and film actress.-Early life:Dennis was born in Hastings, Nebraska, the daughter of Yvonne, a secretary, and Jack Dennis, a postal clerk. She had a brother, Frank. A high school classmate of Dick Cavett, she attended the Nebraska Wesleyan...
and
Paul ScofieldDavid Paul Scofield, CH, CBE was an English actor of stage and screen. Noted for his distinctive voice and delivery, Scofield received an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for his performance as Sir Thomas More in the 1966 film A Man for All Seasons, a reprise of the role he played in the stage...
.
Oscar nominations would come Matthau's way again for 1972's
KotchKotch is a 1971, Oscar-nominated comedy film which tells the story of an elderly man who runs away so as not to be put into a nursing home, and strikes up a friendship with a pregnant teenage girl. It stars Walter Matthau, Deborah Winters, Felicia Farr, Charles Aidman and Ellen Geer.The movie was...
, directed by Lemmon, and 1975's
The Sunshine BoysThe Sunshine Boys is a 1975 film produced by Ray Stark and directed by Herbert Ross, based on the play of the same name. The cast included real-life experienced vaudevillian actor George Burns as Lewis, Walter Matthau as Clark, and Richard Benjamin as Ben, with Lee Meredith, F...
, another Simon vehicle transferred from the stage, this one about a pair of former
vaudevilleVaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
stars. For the latter role he won a Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.
Broadway hits turned into films continued to cast Matthau in the leads with 1969's
Hello, Dolly!Hello, Dolly! may refer to:*Hello, Dolly! , by Jerry Herman*"Hello, Dolly!" , from the musical*Hello Dolly! , based on the musical*Hello, Dolly! , 1964 album by Ella Fitzgerald...
and that same year's
Cactus FlowerCactus Flower is a farce by Abe Burrows. It played for years on Broadway before being adapted by I.A.L. Diamond into a 1969 feature film directed by Gene Saks....
, for which co-star
Goldie HawnGoldie Jean Hawn is an American actress, film director and producer, whose career has spanned nearly four decades. Hawn is perhaps best known for her roles in Private Benjamin, Wildcats, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, and The Banger Sisters...
received an Oscar. He played three different roles in the 1971 film version of Simon's
Plaza SuitePlaza Suite is a comedy play by Neil Simon.-Plot:The play is composed of three acts, each involving different characters but all set in Suite 719 of New York City's Plaza Hotel...
and would be in the cast of its followup
California SuiteCalifornia Suite is a 1976 play by Neil Simon. Similar in structure to his earlier Plaza Suite, the comedy is composed of four playlets set in Suite 203-04, which consists of a living room and an adjoining bedroom with an ensuite bath, in The Beverly Hills Hotel.-Plot:In Visitor from New York,...
in 1978.
Matthau starred in three crime dramas in the mid-'70s, as a detective investigating a mass murder on a bus in
The Laughing PolicemanThe Laughing Policeman may refer to:*"The Laughing Policeman" , a 1920s music-hall song by Charles Jolly *The Laughing Policeman , a 1968 detective novel by Swedish writers Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö...
, as a bank robber on the run from the Mafia and the law in
Charley VarrickCharley Varrick is a 1973 crime film directed by Don Siegel and starring Walter Matthau, Andrew Robinson, Joe Don Baker and John Vernon. The film was based on the novel The Looters by John H. Reese.-Plot:...
and as a New York transit cop in the action-adventure
The Taking of Pelham One Two ThreeThe Taking of Pelham One Two Three is a thriller novel by Morton Freedgood, writing under the pen name John Godey. The novel's title is derived from the train's radio call sign...
.
A change of pace about misfits on a
Little LeagueLittle League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world...
baseball team turned out to be a solid hit in 1976 when Matthau starred as coach Morris Buttermaker in the comedy
Bad News Bears.
His partnership with Lemmon became one of the most successful pairings in Hollywood. They became lifelong friends after making
The Fortune Cookie and would make a total of 10 movies together -- 11 counting
KotchKotch is a 1971, Oscar-nominated comedy film which tells the story of an elderly man who runs away so as not to be put into a nursing home, and strikes up a friendship with a pregnant teenage girl. It stars Walter Matthau, Deborah Winters, Felicia Farr, Charles Aidman and Ellen Geer.The movie was...
, in which Lemmon has a
cameoA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television. Short appearances by film directors, politicians, athletes, musicians, and other celebrities are common. These roles are generally small, and...
as a sleeping bus passenger. Aside from their many comedies, each appeared (though not on screen together) in the 1991
Oliver StoneWilliam Oliver Stone is an American film director and screenwriter. Stone came to prominence as a director with a series of films about the Vietnam War, in which he had participated as an American infantry soldier, and his work continues to focus frequently on contemporary political and cultural...
drama about the presidential assassination,
JFK.
They had a surprise box-office hit in the comedy
Grumpy Old MenGrumpy Old Men refers to:* Grumpy Old Men , a 1993 comedy film starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau* Grumpy Old Men , a 2000s BBC Two television programme...
, reuniting for a sequel,
Grumpier Old MenGrumpier Old Men is a 1995 romantic comedy film, and a sequel to the 1993 film Grumpy Old Men. The film stars Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, and Sophia Loren, with Burgess Meredith, Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollak, Katie Sagona, Ann Morgan Guilbert...
, that co-starred
Sophia LorenSophia Loren is an Italian film actress and an international sex symbol. In 1961, she won an Academy Award for Best Actress for Two Women, becoming the first actor to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance....
and
Ann-MargretAnn-Margret Olsson is a Swedish-American actress, singer and dancer.-Early life:Ann-Margret was born in Stockholm, the daughter of Anna and Gustav Olsson, a native of Örnsköldsvik...
. That led to more pairings late in their careers, notably
Out to SeaOut to Sea is a 1997 romantic comedy film starring Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Rue McClanahan, Dyan Cannon and Brent Spiner. The film was directed by Martha Coolidge, with a screenplay by Robert Nelson Jacobs...
and a Simon-scripted sequel to one of their great successes,
The Odd Couple IIThe Odd Couple II is the 1998 sequel to 1968's The Odd Couple. It reunites Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in their last film together.- Plot :...
.
Hanging UpHanging Up is a 2000 American comedy-drama film about a trio of sisters who bond over their ambivalence toward the approaching death of their curmudgeonly father, to whom none of them were particularly close...
, a 2000 film directed by and starring
Diane KeatonDiane Keaton is an American film actress, director, and producer. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
, turned out to be Matthau's final appearance on screen.
Matuschanskayasky
There is a persistent rumor that his birth name was Matuschanskayasky, which is false, as are the rumors that his name was Matashansky or Matansky, or any of the other reported names. In truth, as reported by the authors of
Matthau: A Life by Rob Edelman and Audrey Kupferberg (along with Walter's son, Charlie Matthau), Walter was a teller of tall tales. In his youth, he found that the joy of embellishment lifted a story (and the listener) to such enjoyable heights that he could not resist trying to pass off the most bogus of information, just to see who was gullible enough to believe it. Matthau told many stories to many reputable people, including the
Social Security AdministrationThe United States Social Security Administration is an independent agency of the United States federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits...
. When he registered for a number, he was amazed that they only wanted him to write his name, and offer no proof of his identity. So, as another of his traditional goofs, he wrote that his true name was "Walter Foghorn Matthau."
The "Matuschanskayasky" name rumor culminated with the release of
1974The year 1974 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 7 - Blazing Saddles is released in USA*May 1 - George Lucas creates the first draft of what would eventually become Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope....
's
Earthquake. The executive producer,
Jennings LangJennings Lang was an American film producer, as well as a screenwriter and actor.-Biography:Lang, originally a lawyer from New York City, came to Hollywood in 1938 and set up an office as a talent agent. In 1940 he joined the Jaffe agency and within a few years became the company's president, and...
, had worked with Matthau the previous year on the film
Charley VarrickCharley Varrick is a 1973 crime film directed by Don Siegel and starring Walter Matthau, Andrew Robinson, Joe Don Baker and John Vernon. The film was based on the novel The Looters by John H. Reese.-Plot:...
, and persuaded him to take a cameo role in
Earthquake – the small part scripted only as a "drunk at the end of the bar." On a whim, Matthau agreed to take the part, without compensation, on the condition that he not be credited under his real name. After Matthau agreed, the part of the "drunk" was expanded to provide comic relief for the film, the character offering toasts to various people (
Spiro AgnewSpiro Theodore Agnew was the 39th Vice President of the United States , serving under President Richard Nixon, and the 55th Governor of Maryland...
,
Bobby RiggsRobert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947...
, and
Peter FondaPeter Henry Fonda is an American actor. He is the son of Henry Fonda, the brother of Jane Fonda, and the father of Bridget and Justin Fonda...
), as well as delivering the punchline "Hey, who do you have to know to get a drink around here?" in the midst of a bar devastated by a major earthquake. As requested, when it came time to insert the credits for
Earthquake, the long name "Matuschanskayasky" was used, as agreed, by Jennings Lang and Matthau.
Despite the facts, this fake name continued to appear in the
World AlmanacThe World Almanac and Book of Facts is an American-published reference work and is the bestselling almanac conveying information about such subjects as world changes, tragedies, sports feats, etc...
section on "Original Names of Selected Entertainers" as recently as the 2009 edition (p.278).
Marriages
Matthau was married twice; first to Grace Geraldine Johnson (1948 – 1958), and from 1959 until his death in 2000 to
Carol MarcusCarol Grace was an American actress and author. She is usually referred to as Carol Marcus Saroyan or Carol Matthau....
. He had two children, Jenny Matthau and David Matthau (now a radio news reporter for WKXW "New Jersey 101.5" in Trenton NJ) , with his first wife, and a son,
Charlie MatthauCharles Matthau , is an actor, film and television director, son of actor Walter Matthau.He appeared as a child actor alongside his father,in such films as Charley Varrick , The Bad News Bears and House Calls .Among his directorial projects have been The Grass Harp, from a novella by Truman...
, with his second. He also helped raise Carol's children
Aram SaroyanAram Saroyan is an American poet, novelist, biographer, memoirist and playwright. There has been a resurgence of interest in his work in the 21st century, evidenced by the publication in 2007 of several previous collections reissued together as Complete Minimal Poems.- Biography :Saroyan was born...
and
Lucy SaroyanLucy Saroyan was an American actress.Saroyan was born in San Francisco, California, the daughter of the writer William Saroyan and the actress Carol Grace. Her brother is writer Aram Saroyan...
. His grandchildren include William Matthau and Emily Roman. His son, Charlie, directed Matthau in the movie
The Grass Harp (1995).
Death
Matthau died of full
cardiac arrestA cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively during systole....
in
Santa MonicaSanta Monica is a city in western Los Angeles County, California, USA. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and Venice on the...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
, 2000. After undergoing heart surgery in 1985, doctors discovered that he had colon cancer which, by the time of his death, had spread to his
liverThe liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals; it has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
, lungs, and
brainThe brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate, and most invertebrate, animals. Some primitive animals such as jellyfish and starfish have a decentralized nervous system without a brain, while sponges lack any nervous system at all...
. However, on his death certificate the causes of death are listed as
cardiac arrestA cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively during systole....
and atherosclerotic heart disease, with ESRD and
atrial fibrillationAtrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and involves the two upper chambers of the heart. Its name comes from the fibrillating of the heart muscles of the atria, instead of a coordinated contraction...
added as "other significant conditions contributing to death but not related to [primary] cause..." He is interred in the
Westwood Village Memorial Park CemeteryThe Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles, California....
in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
.
Just under one year later, Jack Lemmon was buried at the cemetery next to his friend after dying from colon cancer and bladder cancer. After Matthau's death, Lemmon as well as other friends and relatives appeared on
Larry KingLawrence Harvey Zeiger , better known by his stage name Larry King, is an American television and radio host.He is recognized in the United States as one of the premier broadcast interviewers. King has conducted some 40,000 interviews with politicians, athletes, entertainers, and other newsmakers...
Live in an hour of tribute and remembrance; many of those same people appeared on the show one year later, reminiscing about Lemmon.
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books and popular culture. Unlike celebrity-focused publications US Weekly, People, and In Touch Weekly, EWs primary concentration is on entertainment...
's article in memory of Matthau was titled "Grumpy Old Mensch."
His widow, Carol, died of a brain aneurysm in 2003 and was buried next to him.
Filmography
- Atomic Attack (1950) (short subject)
- The Kentuckian
The Kentuckian is a 1955 adventure film directed by Burt Lancaster, who also starred. It also marked the feature film debut of Walter Matthau. The picture is an adaptation of the novel The Gabriel Horn by Felix Holt.-Plot:...
(1955)
- The Indian Fighter
The Indian Fighter is a 1956 Western movie. It is from an original story by Robert L. Richards.-Plot:Johnny Hawks is a man who made his name fighting Indians...
(1955)
- Bigger Than Life
Bigger Than Life is an American film made in 1956 directed by Nicholas Ray and starring James Mason, who also co-wrote and produced the film, about a school teacher and family man whose life spins out of control upon becoming addicted to cortisone. The film co-stars Barbara Rush as his wife and...
(1956)
- A Face in the Crowd (1957)
- Slaughter on Tenth Avenue
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue is a ballet with music by Richard Rodgers and choreography by George Balanchine. It occurs near the end of Rodgers and Hart's 1936 Broadway musical comedy On Your Toes. Slaughter is the story of a hoofer who falls in love with a dance hall girl who is then shot and killed...
(1957)
- King Creole
King Creole is an American motion picture directed by Michael Curtiz, released by Paramount Pictures on July 2, 1958. The film stars Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, and Walter Matthau...
(1958)
- Voice in the Mirror (1958)
- Ride a Crooked Trail
Ride a Crooked Trail is a 1958 American western film, with former World War II hero Audie Murphy and future Academy Award winning actor Walter Matthau heading a strong if not well-known cast.-Plot:...
(1958)
- Onionhead
Onionhead is a 1958 movie set on a US Coast Guard ship during World War II starring Andy Griffith, Felicia Farr, Walter Matthau, and Erin O'Brien...
(1958)
- Gangster Story
- Cast :*Walter Matthau as Jack Martin*Carol Grace as Carol Logan, Librarian*Bruce MacFarlane as Earl J. Dawson*Garry Walberg as Adolph*Raikin Ben-Ari as 'Plumber' a Hood*David Leonard as Bank President W. Palmer*John Albright as Henchman...
(1960) (also director)
- Strangers When We Meet
Strangers When We Meet is a 1960 drama film about two married neighbors who have an affair. The movie was adapted by Evan Hunter from his novel of the same name and directed by Richard Quine...
(1960)
- Lonely are the Brave
Lonely are the Brave is a film adaptation of the Edward Abbey novel The Brave Cowboy. It stars Kirk Douglas as cowboy Jack Burns, Gena Rowlands, and Walter Matthau as a sheriff who sympathizes with Burns but must do his job and chase him down....
(1962)
- Who's Got the Action?
Who's Got the Action? is a 1962 comedy film about a man suffering from an addiction to gambling, starring Dean Martin, Lana Turner, Eddie Albert, and Walter Matthau...
(1962)
- Island of Love (1963)
- Charade
Charade is a film directed by Stanley Donen, written by Peter Stone and Marc Behm, and starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. It also features Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy, Dominique Minot, Ned Glass, and Jacques Marin...
(1963)
- Ensign Pulver
Ensign Pulver is a 1964 American film and a sequel to the 1955 film Mister Roberts. The movie features Robert Walker, Burl Ives, Walter Matthau, Tommy Sands, Millie Perkins, Kay Medford, Peter Marshall, Jack Nicholson, Richard Gautier, George Lindsey, James Farentino, and James Coco.- Plot :In this...
(1964)
- Fail-Safe
Fail-Safe is a 1964 film directed by Sidney Lumet, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. It tells the story of a fictional Cold War nuclear crisis, and the US President's attempt to end it.-Plot:...
(1964)
- Goodbye Charlie
Goodbye Charlie is a 1964 comedy film about a callous womanizer who gets his just reward. It was adapted from George Axelrod's play Goodbye, Charlie and starred Debbie Reynolds and Tony Curtis....
(1964)
- Mirage
Mirage is a thriller directed by Edward Dmytryk from a script by Peter Stone , starring Gregory Peck, Diane Baker, Walter Matthau, and Kevin McCarthy, and released by Universal Pictures.-Plot synopsis:...
(1965)
- The Fortune Cookie
The Fortune Cookie is a 1966 film starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in their first on screen collaboration, and directed by Billy Wilder.- Plot :...
(1966)
- A Guide for the Married Man
A Guide for the Married Man is a 1967 American comedy film starring Walter Matthau, Robert Morse, and Inger Stevens. It was directed by Gene Kelly. It includes a large number of cameos, a few being Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Terry-Thomas, Jayne Mansfield, Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, Joey Bishop, and...
(1967)
- The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a comedy film written by Neil Simon, based on his play of the same name, directed by Gene Saks, and starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. It is the story of two divorced men – Felix Ungar, the neurotic neatfreak, and Oscar Madison, the fun-loving slob – who...
(1968)
- The Secret Life of an American Wife
The Secret Life of an American Wife is a 1968 comedy film written and directed by George Axelrod. The film was released by 20th Century Fox in 1968, and was considered a box-office failure. It features a music score by Billy May...
(1968)
- Candy
Candy is a 1968 film directed by Christian Marquand. Based on the 1958 novel by Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg, it starred Ewa Aulin, Charles Aznavour, Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, James Coburn, John Huston, Walter Matthau, Sugar Ray Robinson and Ringo Starr...
(1968)
- Hello, Dolly! (1969)
- Cactus Flower
Cactus Flower is a 1969 comedic film directed by Gene Saks and starring Walter Matthau, Ingrid Bergman, and Goldie Hawn. The film is adapted from an earlier Broadway stage play, written by Abe Burrows, which in turn was based upon the French play Fleur de cactus...
(1969)
- A New Leaf
A New Leaf is a black comedy film based on a short story by Jack Ritchie, starring Elaine May, Walter Matthau, George Rose and James Coco...
(1971)
- Plaza Suite
Plaza Suite is a 1971 American comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller. The screenplay by Neil Simon is based on his 1968 play of the same title.-Plot:Like the play, the film is divided into three acts, all set in Suite 719 of New York City's Plaza Hotel...
(1971)
- Kotch
Kotch is a 1971, Oscar-nominated comedy film which tells the story of an elderly man who runs away so as not to be put into a nursing home, and strikes up a friendship with a pregnant teenage girl. It stars Walter Matthau, Deborah Winters, Felicia Farr, Charles Aidman and Ellen Geer.The movie was...
(1971)
- Pete 'n' Tillie
Pete 'n' Tillie is a comedy-drama film released in 1972. It stars Walter Matthau and Carol Burnett in the title roles. Its advertising tagline was "Honeymoon's over...
(1972)
- The Laughing Policeman
The Laughing Policeman may refer to:*"The Laughing Policeman" , a 1920s music-hall song by Charles Jolly *The Laughing Policeman , a 1968 detective novel by Swedish writers Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö...
(1973)
- Charley Varrick
Charley Varrick is a 1973 crime film directed by Don Siegel and starring Walter Matthau, Andrew Robinson, Joe Don Baker and John Vernon. The film was based on the novel The Looters by John H. Reese.-Plot:...
(1973)
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
- Earthquake
Earthquake is a 1974 American disaster film that achieved huge box-office success, continuing the disaster film genre of the 1970s where recognizable all-star casts attempt to survive life or death situations...
(1974) (credited as "Walter Matuschanskayasky")
- The Front Page
The Front Page is a 1974 American comedy-drama film directed by Billy Wilder. The screenplay by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is based on the 1928 play of the same title by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, which previously was adapted for the screen under its original title in 1931 and as His Girl...
(1974)
- The Lion Roars Again
The Lion Roars Again is a short film that documents an event that was hosted by Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer. The event was the International Press Conclave of 1975. The film was shot in a span of a couple days and was used as a preview of upcoming MGM movies...
(1975) (short subject)
- The Gentleman Tramp (1975) (documentary)
- The Sunshine Boys
The Sunshine Boys is a 1975 film produced by Ray Stark and directed by Herbert Ross, based on the play of the same name. The cast included real-life experienced vaudevillian actor George Burns as Lewis, Walter Matthau as Clark, and Richard Benjamin as Ben, with Lee Meredith, F...
(1975)
- The Bad News Bears (1976)
- Casey's Shadow (1978)
- House Calls (1978)
- California Suite
California Suite is a 1978 American comedy film directed by Herbert Ross. The screenplay by Neil Simon is based on his play of the same title...
(1978)
- Portrait of a 60% Perfect Man (1980) (documentary)
- Little Miss Marker
Little Miss Marker is a 1980 American film written and directed by Walter Bernstein, based on Damon Runyon's story, starring Walter Matthau, Tony Curtis and Julie Andrews.It is a remake of a 1934 version that starred Shirley Temple.-Plot:...
(1980)
- Hopscotch
Hopscotch is a 1980 American film directed by Ronald Neame and produced by Otto Plaschkes. It was written by Bryan Forbes and Brian Garfield, based on his novel of the same name....
(1980)
- First Monday in October
First Monday in October is a play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. The title refers to the day on which the United States Supreme Court traditionally convenes following its summer recess....
(1981)
- Buddy Buddy
Buddy Buddy is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Billy Wilder. The screenplay by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is based on the 1973 French language film L'Emmerdeur, which screenwriter Francis Veber had adapted from his play Le contrat....
(1981)
- I Ought to Be in Pictures
I Ought to Be in Pictures is a play by Neil Simon that later became a film of the same name.The three-character comedy-drama focuses on Herbert Tucker, a struggling, writer's-blocked screenwriter who abandoned his New York family 16 years earlier...
(1982)
- The Survivors (1983)
- Movers & Shakers
Movers & Shakers is a 1985 comedy movie distributed by MGM. It was directed by William Ashner.-Synopsis:The film follows the story of the Head of Production at a Hollywood studio who wants to make a movie to fulfill a promise made to a dying friend. The film was written by Charles Grodin, who also...
(1985)
- Pirates (1986)
- The Little Devil
The Little Devil is a 1988 Italian film directed by and starring Roberto Benigni, also starring Walter Matthau, Stefania Sandrelli, Nicoletta Braschi and John Lurie. In some European countries, English versions of the film, with local subtitles, have been screened and circulated in VHS...
(1988)
- The Couch Trip
The Couch Trip is a 1988 comedy film starring Dan Aykroyd as a mental patient who gets a chance to go to Hollywood and host a radio talk show.-Plot:...
(1988)
- JFK
JFK is a 1991 American film directed by Oliver Stone. It examines the events leading to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and alleged subsequent cover-up, through the eyes of former New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison...
(1991) as Senator Russell B. LongRussell Billiu Long was an American politician who served in the United States Senate as a Democrat from Louisiana from 1948 until 1987.-Early life:...
- Beyond 'JFK': The Question of Conspiracy (1992) (documentary)
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1992)
- Dennis the Menace
Dennis the Menace is a 1993 live-action American family film based on the Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name....
(1993)
- Grumpy Old Men
Grumpy Old Men is a 1993 romantic comedy film starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Ann-Margret, with Burgess Meredith, Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollak, Katie Sagona, Ossie Davis, and Buck Henry. Directed by Donald Petrie, the screenplay was written by Mark Steven Johnson, who also wrote the sequel,...
(1993)
- I.Q.
I.Q. is a 1994 romantic comedy film directed by Fred Schepisi, starring Tim Robbins, Meg Ryan, and Walter Matthau. The original music score was composed by Jerry Goldsmith.-Plot details:...
(1994)
- The Grass Harp (1995)
- Grumpier Old Men
Grumpier Old Men is a 1995 romantic comedy film, and a sequel to the 1993 film Grumpy Old Men. The film stars Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, and Sophia Loren, with Burgess Meredith, Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollak, Katie Sagona, Ann Morgan Guilbert...
(1995)
- I'm Not Rappaport
I'm Not Rappaport is a play by Herb Gardner originally staged by Seattle Repertory Theatre in 1984. Its Broadway debut production, directed by Daniel Sullivan, starring Judd Hirsch, Cleavon Little, Jace Alexander, and Mercedes Ruehl, opened on November 19, 1985 at the Booth Theatre, where it ran...
(1996)
- Out to Sea
Out to Sea is a 1997 romantic comedy film starring Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Rue McClanahan, Dyan Cannon and Brent Spiner. The film was directed by Martha Coolidge, with a screenplay by Robert Nelson Jacobs...
(1997)
- The Odd Couple II
The Odd Couple II is the 1998 sequel to 1968's The Odd Couple. It reunites Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in their last film together.- Plot :...
(1998)
- The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg
The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg is a documentary film directed, produced and written by Aviva Kempner about Hall of Fame first baseman Hank Greenberg of the Detroit Tigers. A Jewish player who chose not to play on Yom Kippur in 1934 during a heated pennant race, Greenberg experienced a great...
(1998) (documentary)
- Hanging Up
Hanging Up is a 2000 American comedy-drama film about a trio of sisters who bond over their ambivalence toward the approaching death of their curmudgeonly father, to whom none of them were particularly close...
(2000)
Stage
- Anne of the Thousand Days
Anne of the Thousand Days is a 1969 costume drama made by Hal Wallis Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Charles Jarrott and produced by Hal B. Wallis. The film tells the story of Anne Boleyn...
(1948)
- The Liar (1950)
- Twilight Walk (1951)
- Fancy Meeting You Again (1952)
- One Bright Day
Contrary to the apparent track listing from the CD label, liner notes or how it may pop up in your particular music library, the actual track listing is as follows:-Actual Track Listing:# Black My Story # One Bright Day# Who Will Be There...
(1952)
- In Any Language (1952)
- The Grey-Eyed People (1952)
- The Ladies of the Corridor (1953)
- The Burning Glass (1953)
- Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?
Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? is an original stage comedy in three acts and four scenes that opened on Broadway October 13, 1955, starring Orson Bean , Martin Gabel , Jayne Mansfield , Harry Clark , Carol Grace , Lou Gallo , William Thourlby and Walter Matthau .It...
(1955)
- Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls is a musical, with the music and lyrics written by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon. It also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most...
(1955)
- Once More, with Feeling!
Once More, with Feeling! is a 1960 comedy film made by Columbia Pictures. It was directed and produced by Stanley Donen from a screenplay by Harry Kurnitz, based on his play. The film has music by Franz Liszt, Ludwig van Beethoven and Richard Wagner, arranged by Muir Mathieson...
(1958)
- Once There Was a Russian (1961)
- A Shot in the Dark
A Shot in the Dark is a comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and is the second installment in the Pink Panther series. Peter Sellers is featured again as Inspector Jacques Clouseau of the French Sûreté...
(1961)
- My Mother, My Father and Me (1963)
- The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing but...
(1965)
Television
- Dry Run, episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an anthology television series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers and mysteries...
series (1959)
- Juno and the Paycock
Juno and the Paycock is a play by Sean O'Casey, the second of his well-known "Dublin Trilogy" and one of the most highly regarded and oft-performed plays in Ireland. It was first staged at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1924...
(1960)
- Route 66
Route 66 is an American TV series in which two young men traveled across America. The show ran weekly on CBS from 1960 to 1964. It starred Martin Milner as Tod Stiles and, for two and a half seasons, George Maharis as Buz Murdock. Maharis was ill for much of the third season, during which time Tod...
(1961)
- Tallahassee 7000 (cast member in 1961)
- Awake and Sing!
Awake and Sing! is a drama written by American playwright Clifford Odets. The play was initially produced by The Group Theatre in 1935.-Summary and characters:...
(1972)
- Actor (1978)
- The Stingiest Man in Town
The Stingiest Man in Town is a Christmas special created by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass, which featured traditional animation rather than the Animagic most often used by the company. It was an animated remake of a long unseen, but quite well-received, live-action musical special which had...
(1978) (voice)
- The Incident
The Incident was a TV movie starring Walter Matthau, originally broadcast on the CBS network on March 4, 1990. The film marked Matthau's return to television after over 20 years.-Plot:...
(1990)
- Mrs Lambert Remembers Love (1991)
- Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore (1992)
- Incident in a Small Town (1994)
- The Marriage Fool (1998)
- Target: The Corruptors!
Target: The Corruptors! is a 35-episode crime drama starring Stephen McNally as newspaper reporter Paul Marino, which aired on ABC from September 29, 1961 to June 8, 1962. The character Jack Flood, Marino's undercover agent, was portrayed by Robert Harland...
(1961-1962), two episodes
External links