The Fortune Cookie

Watch: The Fortune Cookie

10/19/19662h 5m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ Is he a spy? A security risk? Is he unfaithful? Or is he a nice, normal shnook - out to make a million bucks by sheer accident! ~

Overview:

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 be injured to get her back, but also sees what the strain is doing to the football player who injured him.

Director:

Billy Wilder

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

shadowing
american football
brother-in-law
wheelchair
honesty
insurance fraud
cinematographer
fortune cookie
private investigator
black and white
surveillance
ex-wife
man in wheelchair
cleveland browns
american football player
cleveland, ohio

Cast

Jack Lemmon

~ as ~

Harry Hinkle

Walter Matthau

~ as ~

Willie Gingrich

Ron Rich

~ as ~

Boom Boom Jackson

Judi West

~ as ~

Sandy Hinkle

Cliff Osmond

~ as ~

Purkey

Lurene Tuttle

~ as ~

Mother Hinkle

Harry Holcombe

~ as ~

O'Brien

Les Tremayne

~ as ~

Thompson

Marge Redmond

~ as ~

Charlotte Gingrich

Ann Shoemaker

~ as ~

Sister Veronica

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

John Chard
Written 6 year(s) ago
8
Morality and cynicism not quite the bedfellows Wilder intended?

Wilder's response to his previous film Kiss Me Stupid's criticism was intended to be a bitter attack on American morality, yet many critics of the time felt Wilder chickened out by sweetening the finale. If he actualy did this is obviously down to each individual viewer to decide, but in my case I just feel that it comes together nicely to finish off a very funny and sharp Wilder film.

Camerman Harry Henkle is working the sidelines filming a Browns/Vikings game when he is flattened by running back Boom Boom Jackson and taken to hospital. His crafty chiseller brother-in-law Willie sees an opportunity to make big money by suing all and sundry for negligence, that Harry is actually OK is a minor inconvenience. This sets us up to watch the dynamic duo of Walter Matthau (Willie) & Jack Lemmon (Harry) try and fake major injury to garner a big pay out. Naturally there are many problems along the way as Harry fights with his moral fibre and a burning torch for his ex wife Sandy. While convincing the doctors and insurance people that he is actually injured is not going to be easy, thus it makes for some truly funny sequences.

As you would expect from Wilder & I.A.L Diamond, the script sizzles with wit and cynicism (perfect material here for Matthau who won the best supporting Oscar), and although the running plot strand of Boom Boom Jackson's guilt and subsequent career jolt does dampen the film down a touch, it's still a winner that can be pleasantly sampled from time to time. 8/10