Directed by:
Billy WilderCinematography:
Joseph LaShelleComposer:
André PrevinCast:
Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Judi West, Cliff Osmond, Lurene Tuttle, Harry Holcombe, Les Tremayne, Marge Redmond, Ann Shoemaker, Ned Glass, William Christopher (more)Plots(1)
Harry Hinkle (Jack Lemmon) is one lucky guy! When he's accidentally clobbered by a 220-pound halfback, all Harry suffers is a slight concussion. All, that is, until Whiplash Willie (Walter Matthau) a legal scoundrel of the first order arrives on the scene! For if Harry follows shyster Willie's advice and feigns a crippling injury, the two charlatans can split a cool million in phony insurance claims. But can Willie's world-class finagling dispel those ominous words that lie within the fortune cookie on Harry's hospital plate: You can't fool all of the people all of the time? (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (1)
What should I tell you? I wasn't as thrilled as Harry. I don't mean to say it was a bad movie. It's just that the story and its execution didn't really grab me. The premise wasn't very demanding. Still, if the creators had focused only on the insurance event, they could have made a comedy worth four stars. Walter Matthau was great in the role of Willie Gingrich, a generous advocate for single mothers, and stole the film for himself. By combining three different themes, the whole thing fell utterly flat. I had to cool down afterward to be able to give more than two stars. Walter Matthau's performance deserved more than that. / Lesson learned: Having a lawyer in the family is priceless.
()