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{{short description|American actor (1920–2000)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Walter Matthau
| name = Walter Matthau
| image = Walter Matthau - 1973.JPG
| image = Walter Matthau - 1952.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Matthau in 1952
| caption = in ''Pete 'n Tilly'' (1973)
| birth_name = Walter John Matthow
| birth_name = Walter John Matthow
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|10|01|mf=y}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|10|01|mf=y}}
| birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S.
| birth_place = [[New York City]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2000|7|1|1920|10|1|mf=y}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2000|07|01|1920|10|01|mf=yes}}
| death_place = [[Santa Monica, California]], U.S.
| death_place = {{nowrap|[[Santa Monica, California]], U.S.}}
| resting_place = [[Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]]
| death_cause = heart attack
| resting_place = [[Westwood Village Memorial Park]]
| nationality = American
| education = [[Seward Park High School]]
| education = [[Seward Park High School]]
| alma_mater = [[The New School]]
| alma_mater =
| other_names = Walter Matuschanskayasky
| residence = Santa Monica, California
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|comedian|director}}
| home_town = [[Manhattan]], New York City, NY
| religion = Jewish
| height = 6' 2" (1.89 m)
| notable_works = [[The Odd Couple (film)|The Odd Couple]],<br/>[[The Bad News Bears]],<br/>[[The Fortune Cookie]],<br/>[[I.Q. (film)|I.Q.]],<br/>[[Grumpy Old Men (film)|Grumpy Old Men]]
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1948–2000
| years_active = 1948–2000
| notable_works = [[List of Walter Matthau performances|Full list]]
| spouse = Grace Geraldine Johnson (1948–58; divorced; 2 children)<br>[[Carol Grace]] (1959–2000; his death; 1 child)
| spouse = {{plainlist|
| children = [[Charles Matthau]],<br/>Jenny Matthau,<br/>David Matthau
*{{marriage|Grace Geraldine Johnson|1948|1958|end=divorced}}
| parents = Milton Matthau,<br/> Rose (née Berolsky) Matthau
*{{marriage|[[Carol Grace|Carol Marcus]]|1959|<!--As marriage ended by death of Matthau, not by death of his spouse, the year 2000 is omitted here. See instructions on [[Template:Marriage]] for more info-->}}}}
| awards = Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Tony Award, Golden Globe Award
| children = 3, including [[Charles Matthau|Charles]]
| website = [http://matthau.com/walter-matthau/ Walter Matthau]
| parents =
| relatives = [[Aram Saroyan]] (step-son)<br>[[Lucy Saroyan]] (step-daughter)
| awards = {{see below|{{slink||Awards and nominations}}}}
| website =
| module = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
| branch = [[United States Army Air Forces]]
| serviceyears = 1942&ndash;1945
| rank = [[Staff sergeant (U.S. Army)|Staff sergeant]]
| unit = {{plainlist|
* [[Eighth Air Force]]
* [[453rd Bombardment Group]]
}}
}}
| battles = {{tree list}}
'''Walter Matthau''' (October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an [[Americans|American]] actor best known for his role as [[Oscar Madison]] in ''[[The Odd Couple (film)|The Odd Couple]]'' and his frequent collaborations with ''Odd Couple'' star [[Jack Lemmon]], 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 1966 [[Billy Wilder]] film ''[[The Fortune Cookie]].''
* World War II
** [[Battle of the Bulge]]{{tree list/end}}
| awards = {{indented plainlist|
* [[Air Medal]]
* [[Good Conduct Medal (United States)|Army Good Conduct Medal]]
* [[American Campaign Medal]]
* [[European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal]]
* [[World War II Victory Medal]]
}}
}}
}}

'''Walter John Matthau''' ({{né}} '''Matthow'''; {{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|æ|θ|aʊ}} {{respell|MATH|ow}};<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150513184937/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/Matthau-Walter Matthau, Walter - Oxford Dictionaries]</ref> October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American screen and stage actor, known for his "hangdog face" and for playing world-weary characters.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-10-01 |title=Walter Matthau: 10 essential films |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/walter-matthau-10-essential-films |access-date=2024-07-25 |website=BFI |language=en}}</ref> He starred in 10 films alongside his real-life friend [[Jack Lemmon]], including ''[[The Odd Couple (film)|The Odd Couple]]'' (1968) and [[Grumpy Old Men (film)|''Grumpy Old Men'']] (1993). ''[[The New York Times]]'' called this "one of Hollywood's most successful pairings".<ref>{{Cite news |date=2001-06-28 |title=Lemmon and Matthau: One of Hollywood's Most Successful Pairings |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/28/obituaries/lemmon-and-matthau-one-of-hollywoods-most-successful-pairings.html |access-date=2021-12-07 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> Among other accolades, he was an [[Academy Award]], a two-time [[BAFTA Award]], and two-time [[Tony Award]] winner.

On [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], Matthau originated the role of [[The Odd Couple (play)#Characters|Oscar Madison]] in ''[[The Odd Couple (play)|The Odd Couple]]'' by playwright [[Neil Simon]], for which he received a [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play]] in 1965, his second after ''[[L'Idiote|A Shot in the Dark]]'' in 1962. He won the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for his performance in the [[Billy Wilder]] film ''[[The Fortune Cookie]]'' (1966), with further [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] nominations for ''[[Kotch]]'' (1971) and [[The Sunshine Boys (1975 film)|''The Sunshine Boys'']] (1975). He gained further recognition for his portrayal of the coach of a hapless little league team in the baseball comedy ''[[The Bad News Bears]]'' (1976).

Matthau is also known for his performances in [[Elia Kazan]]'s ''[[A Face in the Crowd (film)|A Face in the Crowd]]'' (1957), the [[Elvis Presley]] vehicle ''[[King Creole]]'' (1958), [[Stanley Donen]]'s romance ''[[Charade (1963 film)|Charade]]'' (1963), ''[[Fail Safe (1964 film)|Fail Safe]]'' (1964), [[Gene Kelly]]'s musical ''[[Hello, Dolly! (film)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' (1969), [[Elaine May]]'s screwball comedy ''[[A New Leaf (film)|A New Leaf]]'' (1971) and [[Herbert Ross]]'s ensemble comedy ''[[California Suite (film)|California Suite]]'' (1978). He also starred in ''[[Plaza Suite (film)|Plaza Suite]]'' (1971), ''[[Charley Varrick]]'' (1973), ''[[The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974 film)|The Taking of Pelham One Two Three]]'' (1974), ''[[The Sunshine Boys (1975 film)|The Sunshine Boys]]'' (1975), ''[[House Calls (1978 film)|House Calls]]'' (1978), ''[[Hopscotch (film)|Hopscotch]]'' (1980) and ''[[Dennis the Menace (1993 film)|Dennis the Menace]]'' (1993).

In 1982, he received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].


==Early life==
==Early life==
[[File:Walter Matthau USAF.png|thumb|120px|left|Staff Sergeant Walter John Matthau]]
Matthau was born '''Walter John Matthow'''<ref name=bup>{{Cite book|last=Edelman|first=Rob|authorlink=|coauthors=Audrey E. Kupferberg|title=Matthau: a life|publisher=Taylor Trade Pub.|year=2002|location=|pages=4|month=|url=|isbn=0-87833-274-X}}</ref><ref name=eca>{{Cite book|last=Wright|first=Stuart J.|authorlink=|coauthors=|title=An emotional gauntlet: from life in peacetime America to the war in European skies|publisher=Terrace Books|year=2004|location=|pages=179|month=|url=|isbn=0-299-20520-7}}</ref> in New York City's [[Lower East Side]] on October 1, 1920, the son of Rose (née Berolsky; from [[Lithuania]]), who worked in a sweatshop, and Milton Matthow, an electrician and [[peddler]] (from Russia), both [[Jew]]ish immigrants.<ref>[http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F0071FF83E5D137A93CAA91782D85F4C8685F9 ''New York Times'' obituary]</ref><ref>[http://www.filmreference.com/film/87/Walter-Matthau.html Film Reference biodata]</ref><ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9800E4D81539F931A35754C0A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 Article on Matthau in the ''New York Times'']</ref> His surname has often incorrectly been listed as Matuschanskayasky (see [[Walter Matthau#Jokey pseudonyms|below]] for a detailed discussion). As a young boy, Walter attended a Jewish non-profit sleepaway camp, Tranquillity Camp, where he first began acting in the shows the camp would stage on Saturday nights. He also attended Surprise Lake Camp. His high school was [[Seward Park High School]].<ref>Seward Park High School Alumni Association, history http://www.sewardparkhs.com/famousalumni.php</ref> Matthau had a brief career as a [[Yiddish Theater District]] concessions stand cashier.<ref name="nytimes1">{{cite news|last=Cofone |first=Annie |url=http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com/2012/06/08/stepping-back-into-the-golden-age-of-yiddish-theater/#more-35481 |title=Strolling Back Into the Golden Age of Yiddish Theater |publisher=The New York Times |date=June 8, 2012 |accessdate=March 10, 2013}}</ref>
Matthau was born Walter John Matthow<ref name=bup>{{Cite book|last=Edelman|first=Rob|author2=Audrey E. Kupferberg|title=Matthau: a life|publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_-jwSzbgpWgC|location=Lanham, Maryland|year=2002|page=4|isbn=0-87833-274-X}}</ref><ref name=eca>{{Cite book|last=Wright|first=Stuart J.|title=An emotional gauntlet: from life in peacetime America to the war in European skies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SKY_YI3YtQEC&q=walter+matthow| publisher=Terrace Books|year=2004|page=179|isbn=0-299-20520-7}}</ref> on October 1, 1920, in New York City's [[Lower East Side]]. He had two brothers, one older and one younger.{{Citation needed |date=September 2023}}


His parents were [[Jewish]]; his mother, Rose ({{nee}} Berolsky or Beransky), was a [[Lithuanian Jews|Lithuanian immigrant]] who worked in a garment sweatshop, and his father, Milton Matuschansky, was a [[History of the Jews in Ukraine|Ukrainian]] peddler and electrician from [[Kyiv]]. They married in New York in 1917.<ref name=stone>{{cite news|last=Stone|first=Judy|date=September 8, 1968|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1968/09/08/archives/matthau-a-sex-symbol-or-a-jewish-mother.html| title=Matthau – A Sex Symbol Or a Jewish Mother?|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=February 3, 2014}}subscription required</ref><ref name=gussow>{{cite news|last=Gussow|first= Mel|date=July 2, 2000|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9800E4D81539F931A35754C0A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2|title=Walter Matthau, 79, Rumpled Star and Comic Icon, Dies|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref>
==Career==
During [[World War II]], Matthau served in the [[U.S. Army Air Forces]] with the [[Eighth Air Force]] in England as a [[B-24 Liberator]] radioman-gunner, in the same [[453rd Bombardment Group]] as [[James Stewart]]. He reached the rank of [[staff sergeant]] and became interested in acting. He took classes in acting at the [[Dramatic Workshop]] of [[The New School]] in New York with the influential German director [[Erwin Piscator]]. 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 row]] bum!" Matthau was a respected [[theatre|stage]] actor for years in such fare as ''[[Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (play)|Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?]]'' and ''[[L'Idiote|A Shot in the Dark]]''. He won the 1962 [[Tony Award]] for Best Featured Actor in a play.


As part of a lifelong love of practical jokes, Matthau created the rumors that his middle name was ''Foghorn'' and his last name was originally ''Matuschanskayasky'' (under which he is credited for a cameo role in the film ''[[Earthquake (1974 film)|Earthquake]]'').<ref name=snopes>{{cite web|title=Walter Matthau|url=http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/matthau.asp|website=Snopes.com|date=October 19, 2005|access-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref>
In 1952, Matthau appeared in the pilot of ''[[Mr. Peepers]]'' with [[Wally Cox]]. For reasons unknown he used the name Leonard Elliot. His role was of the gym teacher Mr. Wall. In 1955, he made his [[film|motion picture]] debut as a whip-wielding bad guy in ''[[The Kentuckian]]'' opposite [[Burt Lancaster]].
[[File:Walter Matthau in Charade 2.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Matthau in ''[[Charade (1963 film)|Charade]]'' (1963)]]
Matthau appeared as a villain in subsequent movies, such as 1958's ''[[King Creole]]'' (in which he is beaten up by [[Elvis Presley]]). That same year, he made a [[western movie|western]] called ''[[Ride a Crooked Trail]]'' with [[Audie Murphy]] and ''[[Onionhead]]'' starring [[Andy Griffith]] and [[Erin Joanne O'Brien|Erin O'Brien]], which was a flop. Matthau had a featured role opposite Griffith in the well received drama ''[[A Face in the Crowd (film)|A Face in the Crowd]]'', directed by [[Elia Kazan]]. Matthau also directed a low-budget 1960 movie called ''The Gangster Story''. In 1962, he was a sympathetic sheriff in ''[[Lonely are the Brave]]'', which starred [[Kirk Douglas]]. He appeared opposite [[Audrey Hepburn]] in ''[[Charade (1963 film)|Charade]]''.


As a young boy, Matthau attended a Jewish non-profit sleepaway camp, Tranquillity Camp, where he began acting in the shows that the camp staged on Saturday nights. He also attended Surprise Lake Camp. His high school was [[Seward Park High School]].<ref name=seward>{{cite web|url=https://sewardparkhs.com/yesterday/#alumni|publisher=Seward Park High School Alumni Association|title=Famous Alumni|access-date=March 29, 2021}}</ref> He worked for a short time as a concession stand cashier in the [[Yiddish Theatre District]].<ref name="nytimes1">{{cite news |last=Cofone |first=Annie |url=http://localeastvillage.com/2012/06/08/stepping-back-into-the-golden-age-of-yiddish-theater/ |title=Strolling Back Into the Golden Age of Yiddish Theater |work=The Local – East Village |date=June 8, 2012|access-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Matthau - May.jpg|thumb|with [[Elaine May]] in ''A New Leaf'' (1971)]]
Appearances on [[television]] were common too, including two on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s police drama, ''[[Naked City (TV series)|Naked City]]'', as well as the 1963 episode "A Tumble from a Tall White House" of ''[[The Eleventh Hour (1962 TV series)|The Eleventh Hour]]''. 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 ''[[Dr. Kildare]]''. Lastly, he starred in the syndicated crime drama ''[[Tallahassee 7000]]'', as a Florida-based state police investigator, in the 1961–1962 season.


==World War II==
Comedies were rare in Matthau's work at that time. He was cast in a number of stark dramas, such as 1964's ''[[Fail-Safe (1964 film)|Fail-Safe]]'', in which he portrayed Pentagon adviser Dr. Groeteschele, who urges all out nuclear attack on the Soviet Union in response to an accidental transmission of an attack signal to U.S. Air Force bombers, in the tense, and timely cold-war thriller.
During [[World War II]], Matthau saw active service as a radioman-gunner on a [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator]] bomber in the [[United States Army Air Forces|U.S. Army Air Forces]] with the [[Eighth Air Force]] in England. He was with the same [[453rd Operations Group|453rd Bombardment Group]] as [[James Stewart]]. While based in England at [[RAF Old Buckenham]], [[Norfolk]], he flew missions to continental Europe during the [[Battle of the Bulge]]. He ended the war with the rank of [[Staff Sergeant]] and returned home to America for demobilization at the war's end, intent on pursuing a career as an [[actor]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1346306/Walter-Matthau.html|title=Walter Matthau|access-date=September 21, 2017|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=July 3, 2000}}</ref>


==Acting career==
In 1965, however, a plum comedy role came Matthau's way when [[Neil Simon]] cast him in the hit [[stage play|play]] ''[[The Odd Couple]]'' playing the slovenly sportswriter Oscar Madison opposite [[Art Carney]] as [[Felix Unger|Felix Ungar]]. Matthau would later reprise the role in the [[The Odd Couple (film)|film version]] opposite [[Jack Lemmon]] as Felix Ungar. Also in 1965, he played detective Ted Casselle in the Hitchcockian thriller ''[[Mirage (1965 film)|Mirage]]'', with [[Gregory Peck]] and [[Diane Baker]], a film directed by [[Edward Dmytryk]], based on a novel by [[Howard Fast]].
=== Early work ===
Matthau was trained in acting at the [[Dramatic Workshop]] of [[The New School]] with German director [[Erwin Piscator]]. 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 row]] bum!" Matthau was a respected [[theatre|stage]] actor for years in such fare as ''[[Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (play)|Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?]]'' and ''[[L'Idiote|A Shot in the Dark]]'', for his performance in the latter winning the [[16th Tony Awards|1962]] [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play]].<ref name="ibdb"/>


[[File:Walter Matthau in Charade 2.jpg|thumb|left|Matthau in ''[[Charade (1963 film)|Charade]]'', 1963]]
He achieved great film success in a 1966 comedy as a shyster lawyer called William H. "Whiplash Willie" Gingrich starring opposite Lemmon in ''[[The Fortune Cookie]]'', the first of numerous [[collaboration]]s 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 [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]].
Matthau appeared in the pilot of ''[[Mister Peepers]]'' (1952) with [[Wally Cox]]. For reasons unknown, he used the name Leonard Elliot. His role was of the gym teacher Mr. Wall. He made his motion picture debut as a whip-wielding bad guy in ''[[The Kentuckian (1955 film)|The Kentuckian]]'' (1955) opposite [[Burt Lancaster]]. He played a villain in ''[[King Creole]]'' (1958), in which he gets beaten up by [[Elvis Presley]]. Around the same time, he made ''[[Ride a Crooked Trail]]'' with [[Audie Murphy]], and ''[[Onionhead]]'' (both 1958) starring [[Andy Griffith]]; the latter a box-office flop. Matthau and Griffith appeared previously the critical and box-office hit ''[[A Face in the Crowd (film)|A Face in the Crowd]]'' (1957), directed by [[Elia Kazan]]. Matthau appeared with [[James Mason]] in ''[[Bigger Than Life]]'' (1956), directed by [[Nicholas Ray]]. Matthau directed a low-budget movie called ''The Gangster Story'' (1960) and played a sympathetic sheriff in ''[[Lonely Are the Brave]]'' (1962), which starred [[Kirk Douglas]]. He appeared in the [[Cary Grant]]-[[Audrey Hepburn]] crime thriller ''[[Charade (1963 film)|Charade]]'' (1963).


On [[television]], he appeared twice on ''[[Naked City (TV series)|Naked City]]'', as well as in four installments of ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]''. He appeared eight times between 1962 and 1964 on ''[[The DuPont Show of the Week]]'' and as Franklin Gaer in an episode of ''[[Dr. Kildare (TV series)|Dr. Kildare]]'' ("Man Is a Rock", 1964).
Matthau was visibly banged up during the Oscar telecast, having been involved in a bicycle accident, nonetheless he scolded actors who had not bothered to come to the ceremony, especially the other major award winners that night: [[Elizabeth Taylor]], [[Sandy Dennis]] and [[Paul Scofield]].


=== 1960s ===
Oscar nominations would come Matthau's way again for 1972's ''[[Kotch]]'', directed by Lemmon, and 1975's ''[[The Sunshine Boys (film)|The Sunshine Boys]]'', another Simon vehicle transferred from the stage, this one about a pair of former [[vaudeville]] stars. For the latter role he won a [[Golden Globe]] award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.
[[File:Walter Matthau Art Carney The Odd Couple Broadway 1965.JPG|thumb|Matthau and [[Art Carney]] in ''[[The Odd Couple (play)|The Odd Couple]]'', 1965]]
Comedies were rare in Matthau's work at that time. He was cast in a number of stark dramas, such as ''[[Fail Safe (1964 film)|Fail Safe]]'' (1964), in which he portrayed Pentagon adviser Dr. Groeteschele, who urges an all-out nuclear attack on the [[Soviet Union]] in response to an accidental transmission of an attack signal to U.S. Air Force bombers. [[Neil Simon]] cast him in the [[stage play|play]] ''[[The Odd Couple (play)|The Odd Couple]]'' in 1965, with Matthau playing slovenly sportswriter Oscar Madison, opposite [[Art Carney]] as Felix Ungar.<ref name="ibdb">{{IBDB name|68261}}</ref> Matthau reprised the role in the [[The Odd Couple (film)|film version]], with [[Jack Lemmon]] as Felix Unger. He played detective Ted Casselle in the Hitchcockian thriller ''[[Mirage (1965 film)|Mirage]]'' (1965), directed by [[Edward Dmytryk]].


He achieved great success in the comedy film ''[[The Fortune Cookie]]'' (1966) as [[shyster]] lawyer William H. "Whiplash Willie" Gingrich, starring yet again opposite Lemmon; the first of many [[collaboration]]s 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 had a serious [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]]. He gave up his three-pack-a-day smoking habit as a result.<ref name="theguardian.com">[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/jul/01/news Obituary], guardian.com; accessed August 20, 2015.</ref> Matthau appeared during the Oscar telecast shortly after having been injured in a bicycle accident; nonetheless, he scolded actors who had not attended the ceremony, especially the other major award winners that night: [[Paul Scofield]], [[Elizabeth Taylor]] and [[Sandy Dennis]].<ref>[http://hollywood-legacy.tumblr.com/post/29981916902/the-fortune-cookie-lemmon-matthau-behind-the-scenes ''The Fortune Cookie'' Lemmon & Matthau Behind-the-Scenes] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121100331/http://hollywood-legacy.tumblr.com/post/29981916902/the-fortune-cookie-lemmon-matthau-behind-the-scenes |date=November 21, 2015 }}, ''Hollywood Legacy''. Accessed November 3, 2022.</ref> Broadway-hits-cum-films continued to cast Matthau in lead roles such as ''[[Hello, Dolly! (film)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' and ''[[Cactus Flower (film)|Cactus Flower]]'' (both 1969); for the latter, [[Goldie Hawn]] received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.[[File:Hello, Dolly!9.jpg|thumb|Matthau in ''[[Hello, Dolly! (film)|Hello, Dolly!]]'', 1969]]
Broadway hits turned into films continued to cast Matthau in the leads with 1969's ''[[Hello, Dolly! (film)|Hello, Dolly!]]'' and that same year's ''[[Cactus Flower (film)|Cactus Flower]]'', for which co-star [[Goldie Hawn]] received an Oscar. He played three different roles in the 1971 film version of Simon's ''[[Plaza Suite (film)|Plaza Suite]]'' and was in the cast of its followup ''[[California Suite]]'' in 1978.
[[File:Hello, Dolly!9.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Matthau in [[Hello, Dolly! (film)|Hello, Dolly!]], 1969]]
Matthau starred in three crime dramas in the mid-1970s, as a detective investigating a mass murder on a bus in ''[[The Laughing Policeman (film)|The Laughing Policeman]]'', as a bank robber on the run from the Mafia and the law in ''[[Charley Varrick]]'' and as a New York transit cop in the action-adventure ''[[The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974 film)|The Taking of Pelham One Two Three]]''. A change of pace about misfits on a [[Little League]] baseball team turned out to be a solid hit in 1976 when Matthau starred as coach Morris Buttermaker in the comedy ''[[The Bad News Bears]]''


=== 1970s ===
In 1982, Matthau portrayed Herbert Tucker in ''[[I Ought to Be in Pictures (film)|I Ought to Be in Pictures]]''. There he worked with [[Ann-Margret]] and [[Dinah Manoff]], the daughter of the actress whom Matthau starred with in ''Plaza Suite'', [[Lee Grant]].
It was during this time that Matthau began to appear in more comedy films, including the [[black comedy]] ''[[A New Leaf (film)|A New Leaf]]'' (1971) and the comedy-drama ''[[Pete 'n' Tillie]]'' (1972). Oscar nominations would come his way again for ''[[Kotch]]'' (1971), directed by Lemmon, and ''[[The Sunshine Boys (1975 film)|The Sunshine Boys]]'' (1975). The latter was another adaptation of a Neil Simon stage play—this time about a pair of former [[vaudeville]] stars. For the latter, he won a [[Golden Globe Award|Golden Globe award]] for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, tying with his co-star [[George Burns]]. Meanwhile, their other co-star, [[Richard Benjamin]], won a supporting award.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Walter Matthau |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/walter-matthau |access-date=2022-07-25 |website=www.goldenglobes.com}}</ref>


Matthau played three roles in the film version of Simon's ''[[Plaza Suite (film)|Plaza Suite]]'' (1971), and was in the cast of its followup ''[[California Suite (film)|California Suite]]'' (1978). He starred in ''[[House Calls (1978 film)|House Calls]]'' (1978), sharing the screen with [[Glenda Jackson]] and his ''Odd Couple'' stage partner, Carney.
Matthau played Albert Einstein in the film "[[IQ (film)|IQ]]", also starring Tim Robbins and Meg Ryan.
[[File:Walter Matthau Art Carney The Odd Couple Broadway 1965.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Matthau and [[Art Carney]] in [[The Odd Couple]], 1965]]
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 ''[[Kotch]]'', in which Lemmon has a [[cameo appearance|cameo]] as a sleeping bus passenger. Apart from their many comedies, the two appeared (though not on screen together) in the 1991 [[Oliver Stone]] drama about the presidential assassination, ''[[JFK (film)|JFK]]''.


Matthau starred in three crime dramas in the mid-1970s: as a detective investigating a mass murder on a bus in ''[[The Laughing Policeman (film)|The Laughing Policeman]]'' (1973), as a bank robber on the run from the Mafia and the law in ''[[Charley Varrick]]'' (also 1973) and as a New York transit official in the action-thriller ''[[The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974 film)|The Taking of Pelham One Two Three]]'' (1974). He also reunited with Lemmon in the black comedy-drama ''[[The Front Page (1974 film)|The Front Page]]'' (1974). A change of pace about misfits and delinquents on a [[Little League]] baseball team turned out to be a solid hit when Matthau starred as coach Morris Buttermaker in the comedy ''[[The Bad News Bears]]'' (1976).
Matthau played the role of Mr. Wilson in the 1993 movie ''[[Dennis the Menace (film)|Dennis the Menace]]''.


=== 1980s ===
They had a surprise box-office hit in the comedy ''[[Grumpy Old Men (film)|Grumpy Old Men]]'', reuniting for a sequel, ''[[Grumpier Old Men]]'', that co-starred [[Sophia Loren]] and [[Ann-Margret]]. That led to more pairings late in their careers, notably ''[[Out to Sea]]'' and a Simon-scripted sequel to one of their great successes, ''[[The Odd Couple II]]''. ''[[Hanging Up]]'', a 2000 film directed by [[Diane Keaton]], was Matthau's final appearance on screen.
Matthau produced some films with [[Universal Pictures]], with his son [[Charles Matthau|Charlie]] also becoming involved in his production company, Walcar Productions, but the only film that he produced was the third remake of ''[[Little Miss Marker (1980 film)|Little Miss Marker]]'' (1980).<ref>{{cite magazine |page=4|title=Matthau & Son Tied To Universal|magazine=[[Variety (Magazine)|Variety]] |date=April 12, 1978}}</ref>

He was nominated for the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Golden Globe Award for Best Actor—Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]] for his portrayal of former CIA field operative Miles Kendig in the elaborate spy comedy ''[[Hopscotch (film)|Hopscotch]]'' (1980), reuniting with Jackson. The original script, a dark work based on the novel of the same name, was rewritten and transformed into a comedy in order to play to Matthau's specific talents. The rewrite was a condition of his participation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Hopscotch (1980) - Articles - TCM.com|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/23573/Hopscotch/articles.html|access-date=June 21, 2020|website=Turner Classic Movies}}</ref> Matthau participated in the script revisions, and the film's director [[Ronald Neame]] observed that Matthau's contributions entitled him to screen credit, but that was never pursued.<ref name="Hopscotch">{{Cite web|title=Hopscotch|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/56438-HOPSCOTCH?sid=d51fbd14-6418-45ca-8428-9133929f2363&sr=10.472283&cp=1&pos=0|access-date=June 21, 2020|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> Matthau wrote the scene in which Kendig and Isobel—apparently strangers—meet in a [[Salzburg]] restaurant and strike up a conversation about wine that ends in a passionate kiss. He also wrote the last scene of the film, where Kendig, presumed to be dead, disguises himself as a [[Sikhs|Sikh]] to enter a bookshop. He also helped to choose appropriate compositions by [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] that made up much of the score.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hopscotch (1980) - Articles - TCM.com|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/23573/Hopscotch/articles.html|access-date=June 21, 2020|website=Turner Classic Movies}}</ref><ref name="Hopscotch"/> [[Turner Classic Movies|TCM's]] Susan Doll observes that "''Hopscotch'' could be considered the end of a long career peak or the beginning of (Matthau's) slide downhill, depending on the viewpoint", as character parts and supporting parts became the only thing available to an actor his age.<ref name=":0" />

The next year, he was nominated again for the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Golden Globe Award for Best Actor—Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]] for his portrayal of the fictional [[Associate justice|Associate Justice]] Daniel Snow in ''[[First Monday in October (film)|First Monday in October]]'' (1981). The film was about the (then-fictional) first appointment of a woman (played by [[Jill Clayburgh]]) to the [[Supreme Court of the United States]]. It was scheduled for release in 1982, but when [[Ronald Reagan|President Ronald Reagan]] named [[Sandra Day O'Connor]] in July 1981, the release date was moved up to August 1981.{{CN|date=January 2023}} ''[[The New York Times]]'' critic [[Janet Maslin]] disliked the film but praised Matthau's performance.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Maslin|first=Janet|date=August 21, 1981|title=First Monday in October|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/21/movies/first-monday-in-october.html|access-date=June 21, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Matthau reunited with Lemmon in the comedy ''[[Buddy Buddy]]'' (1981). He also portrayed Herbert Tucker in ''[[I Ought to Be in Pictures (film)|I Ought to Be in Pictures]]'' (1982) with [[Ann-Margret]] and [[Dinah Manoff]]. He co-starred with [[Robin Williams]] in the 1983 dark comedy film [[The Survivors (1983 film)|''The Survivors'']]. Although a box-office dud that barely grossed its budget, the film found a new audience via repeated broadcasts on cable TV in the following years.{{cn|date=August 2024}} He took the leading role of Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red in [[Roman Polanski]]'s swashbuckler ''[[Pirates (1986 film)|Pirates]]'' (1986).

During the 1980s and 1990s, Matthau served on the advisory board of the [[National Student Film Institute]].<ref>{{cite book|title=National Student Film Institute/L.A: The Sixteenth Annual Los Angeles Student Film Festival|date=June 10, 1994|location=The Directors Guild Theatre|pages=10–11|ref=Program}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Los Angeles Student Film Institute: 13th Annual Student Film Festival|date=June 7, 1991|location=The Directors Guild Theatre|page=3|ref=Program}}</ref>

=== 1990s ===
Matthau narrated the ''[[Dr. Seuss|Doctor Seuss]] Video Classics: [[How the Grinch Stole Christmas!]]'' (1992), and played the role of [[George Everett Wilson|George Wilson]] in the film ''[[Dennis the Menace (1993 film)|Dennis the Menace]]'' (1993). In a change of pace, Matthau played [[Albert Einstein]] in the film ''[[I.Q. (film)|I.Q.]]'' (1994) starring [[Tim Robbins]] and [[Meg Ryan]].

His partnership with Jack Lemmon became one of the most enduring collaborations in [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]]. They became lifelong friends after making ''The Fortune Cookie'' and would make a total of 10 movies together—11 counting ''[[Kotch]]'', in which Lemmon has a [[cameo appearance|cameo]] as a sleeping bus passenger. Apart from their many comedies, the two appeared (although they did not share any scenes) in the [[Oliver Stone]] drama ''[[JFK (film)|JFK]]'' (1991). Matthau and Lemmon reunited for the comedy ''[[Grumpy Old Men (film)|Grumpy Old Men]]'' (1993), co-starring [[Ann-Margret]], and its sequel ''[[Grumpier Old Men]]'' (1995), co-starring [[Sophia Loren]]. This led to further pairings late in their careers, including appearances in [[The Grass Harp (film)|''The Grass Harp'']] (1995), ''[[Out to Sea]]'' (1997) and a Simon-scripted sequel to their much earlier success, ''[[The Odd Couple II]]'' (1998).

''[[Hanging Up]]'' (2000), directed by [[Diane Keaton]], was Matthau's final appearance onscreen.


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
===Marriages===
Matthau was married twice; first to Grace Geraldine Johnson from 1948 to 1958, and then from 1959 until his death in 2000 to [[Carol Grace|Carol Marcus]]. He had two children, Jenny and David, by his first wife, and a second son, [[Charles "Charlie" Matthau|Charlie Matthau]], with his second wife. David is a radio news reporter, currently at WKXW "[[WKXW|New Jersey 101.5]]" in [[Trenton, New Jersey]]. Jenny is president of the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City. Matthau also helped raise his stepchildren, [[Aram Saroyan]] and [[Lucy Saroyan]]. His grandchildren include William Matthau, an engineer, and Emily Rose Roman, a student at SUNY Binghamton. Charlie Matthau directed his father in ''[[The Grass Harp (film)|The Grass Harp]]'' (1995).


===Death===
=== Marriage and children ===
Matthau married [[Carol Grace|Carol Marcus]] in 1959. She died in 2003. Their son [[Charles Matthau|Charles (Charlie) Matthau]] was born in 1962. Charlie is a director and directed his father in several movies.
[[File:Walter Matthau grave at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Brentwood, California.JPG|thumb|Walter Matthau's grave]]
Matthau died of a heart attack in [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]] on July 1, 2000. He was 79 years old. His remains are interred in the [[Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]] in Los Angeles.


=== Health problems ===
Less than a year later, remains of [[Jack Lemmon]] (who died of colon and bladder cancer) were buried at the same cemetery. After Matthau's death, Lemmon as well as other friends and relatives had appeared on ''[[Larry King]] Live'' in an hour of tribute and remembrance; many of those same people appeared on the show one year later, reminiscing about Lemmon.
A heavy smoker, Matthau had a heart attack in 1966 while filming ''[[The Fortune Cookie]]'', the first of at least three in his lifetime.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Walter Matthau|url=https://biography.yourdictionary.com/walter-matthau|access-date=October 13, 2021|website=biography.yourdictionary.com|language=en}}</ref>


In 1976, ten years after his first heart attack, he underwent heart-bypass surgery. After working in Minnesota for ''[[Grumpy Old Men (film)|Grumpy Old Men]]'' (1993), he was hospitalized for double pneumonia. In December 1995, he had a colon tumor removed, apparently successfully, as there was no mention of cancer in his death certificate. He was hospitalized in May 1999 for more than two months, again owing to pneumonia.<ref name="theguardian.com"/>
[[Carol Grace|Carol Marcus]], also a native of New York, died of a [[brain aneurysm]] in 2003. Her remains are buried next to Matthau's.


His death certificate lists the causes of death as "cardiac arrest" and "atherosclerotic heart disease", with "end stage renal disease" and "atrial fibrillation" as significant contributing factors. There is no mention of cancer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCd_YpT3P50 | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/UCd_YpT3P50| archive-date=October 30, 2021|title=Walter Matthau Death Certificate | date=July 28, 2015|publisher=YouTube |access-date=April 20, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
The remains of actor [[George C. Scott]] are also buried next to those of Walter Matthau, in an unmarked grave.


===Jokey pseudonyms===
===Death===
[[File:Walter Matthau grave at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Brentwood, California.JPG|thumb|Matthau's gravesite]]
There have been persistent but erroneous beliefs about Matthau's [[birth name]]. Among the names that have been incorrectly asserted as having been the name he was born under are Matuschanskayasky, Matashansky and Matansky. As reported by the authors of ''Matthau: A Life'' by Rob Edelman and Audrey Kupferberg (along with Charlie Matthau), Walter Matthau often told 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, reportedly, the [[Social Security Administration]]. 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 rumor that his birth name was "Matuschanskayasky" was given additional credence by the release of the [[1974 in film|1974]] film ''[[Earthquake (film)|Earthquake]]'' in which Matthau had agreed to provide a cameo performance without compensation on the condition that he not be credited under his real name. His character was credited to Walter Matuschanskayasky. Though this was a jokey pseudonym, its appearance in the film's end credits contributed to the [[urban legend]] that this was his real name. As recently as 2009, this erroneous information appeared in the ''[[World Almanac|World Almanac and Book of Facts]]'' section on "Original Names of Selected Entertainers" on Page 278. (The most recent edition of the World Almanac does not contain this reference in its Original Names section).
On the late evening of June 30, 2000, Matthau had a heart attack at his home and was taken by ambulance to the [[Saint John's Health Center|St. John's Health Center]] in [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]], where he died a few hours later at 1:42&nbsp;a.m. on July 1, 2000, at age 79.<ref name=bbc>{{cite news|title=Actor Walter Matthau dies|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/814676.stm| work=[[BBC News]]|publisher=BBC|access-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref> He is buried at [[Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary|Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]] in Los Angeles. Matthau's wife [[Carol Grace|Carol Marcus]] died in 2003, and her body is interred in the same plot as her husband.{{Citation needed |date=October 2022}}


==Work==
== Filmography ==
{{main|List of Walter Matthau performances}}
=== Filmography ===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
==Awards and nominations==
|- style="text-align:center;"
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Film
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|-
!Year
|1955
!Award
|''[[The Kentuckian]]''
!Category
|Stan Bodine
!Project
|
!Result
!Ref.
|-
|-
|[[39th Academy Awards|1966]]
|1955
| rowspan=3|[[Academy Awards]]
|''[[The Indian Fighter]]''
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
|Wes Todd
| ''[[The Fortune Cookie]]''
|{{won}}
|
|
|-
|-
|[[44th Academy Awards|1971]]
|1956
|rowspan="2"| [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
|''[[Bigger Than Life]]''
| ''[[Kotch]]''
|Wally Gibbs
|{{nom}}
|
|
|-
|-
|[[48th Academy Awards|1975]]
|1957
|''[[A Face in the Crowd (film)|A Face in the Crowd]]''
| ''[[The Sunshine Boys (1975 film)|The Sunshine Boys]]''
|{{nom}}
|Mel Miller
|
|
|-
|-
|[[13th Tony Awards|1959]]
|1957
| rowspan=3|[[Tony Awards]]
|''[[Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (film)|Slaughter on Tenth Avenue]]''
|rowspan="2"| [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play|Best Featured Actor in a Play]]
|Al Dahlke
| ''[[Once More, with Feeling!]]''
|{{nom}}
|
|
|-
|-
|[[16th Tony Awards|1962]]
|1958
|''[[King Creole]]''
| ''[[L'Idiote|A Shot in the Dark]]''
|{{won}}
|Maxie Fields
|
|
|-
|-
|[[19th Tony Awards|1965]]
|1958
| [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play|Best Actor in a Play]]
|''Voice in the Mirror''
| ''[[The Odd Couple (play)|The Odd Couple]]''
|
|{{won}}
|
|
|-
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[23rd British Academy Film Awards|1969]]
|1958
| rowspan=6|[[British Academy Film Award]]
|''[[Ride a Crooked Trail]]''
|rowspan="6"| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Best Film Actor in a Leading Role]]
|Judge Kyle
| ''[[The Secret Life of an American Wife]]''
|
|{{nom}}
|rowspan=6|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1970/film/actor|title=BAFTA Film Actor in 1970|publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts|accessdate=August 9, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1974/film/actor|title=BAFTA Film Actor in 1974|publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts|accessdate=August 9, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1977/film/actor|title=BAFTA Film Actor in 1977|publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts|accessdate=August 9, 2022}}</ref>
|-
|-
| ''[[Hello, Dolly! (film)|Hello, Dolly!]]''
|1958
|{{nom}}
|''[[Onionhead]]''
|Red Wildoe
|
|-
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[27th British Academy Film Awards|1973]]
|1960
|''[[Gangster Story]]''
| ''[[Pete 'n' Tillie]]''
|rowspan=2 {{won}}
|Jack Martin
|Also director
|-
|-
| ''[[Charley Varrick]]''
|1960
|''[[Strangers When We Meet (film)|Strangers When We Meet]]''
|Felix Anders
|
|-
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[30th British Academy Film Awards|1976]]
|1962
|''[[Lonely Are the Brave]]''
| ''[[The Sunshine Boys (1975 film)|The Sunshine Boys]]''
|{{nom}}
|Sheriff Morey Johnson
|
|-
|-
| ''[[The Bad News Bears]]''
|1962
|{{nom}}
|''[[Who's Got the Action?]]''
|Tony Gagouts
|
|-
|-
|[[24th Golden Globe Awards|1966]]
|1963
| rowspan=8|[[Golden Globe Awards]]
|''Island of Love''
|rowspan="8"| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]]
|
| ''[[The Fortune Cookie]]''
|
|{{nom}}
|rowspan=8|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/walter-matthau|title= Walter Matthau|website= goldenglobes.com|accessdate= March 8, 2021}}</ref>
|-
|-
|[[26th Golden Globe Awards|1968]]
|1963
|''[[Charade (1963 film)|Charade]]''
| ''[[The Odd Couple (film)|The Odd Couple]]''
|{{nom}}
|Carson Dyle aka Hamilton Bartholomew
|
|-
|-
|[[29th Golden Globe Awards|1971]]
|1964
|''[[Ensign Pulver]]''
| ''[[Kotch]]''
|{{nom}}
|Doc
|
|-
|-
|[[30th Golden Globe Awards|1972]]
|1964
|''[[Fail-Safe (1964 film)|Fail-Safe]]''
| ''[[Pete 'n' Tillie]]''
|{{nom}}
|Professor Groeteschele
|
|-
|-
|[[32nd Golden Globe Awards|1974]]
|1964
| ''[[The Front Page (1974 film)|The Front Page]]''
|''[[Goodbye Charlie]]''
|{{nom}}
|Sir Leopold Sartori
|
|-
|-
|[[33rd Golden Globe Awards|1975]]
|1965
|''[[Mirage (1965 film)|Mirage]]''
| ''[[The Sunshine Boys (1975 film)|The Sunshine Boys]]''
|{{won}}
|Caselle
|
|-
|-
|[[38th Golden Globe Awards|1980]]
|1966
|''[[The Fortune Cookie]]''
| ''[[Hopscotch (film)|Hopscotch]]''
|{{nom}}
|William H. "Whiplash Willie" Gingrich
|[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]<br /> Nominated - [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]]
|-
|-
|[[39th Golden Globe Awards|1981]]
|1967
|''[[A Guide for the Married Man]]''
| ''[[First Monday in October (film)|First Monday in October]]''
|{{nom}}
|Paul Manning
|
|-
|-
|1966
|1968
| rowspan=2|Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award
|''[[The Odd Couple (film)|The Odd Couple]]''
| Best Supporting Actor
|Oscar Madison
| ''[[The Fortune Cookie]]''
|Nominated – [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]]
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan=5|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kcfcc.org/?s=Walter+Matthau&submit=Search|title=KCFCC Award Winners|publisher=KC Film Critics Circle|accessdate=August 9, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/award-edition.php?edition-id=donatello_1975|title=David di Donatello Awards 1975|publisher=Filmaffinity|accessdate=August 9, 2022}}</ref>
|1968
|''[[The Secret Life of an American Wife]]''
|The Movie Star
|Nominated – [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]]
|-
|1968
|''[[Candy (1968 film)|Candy]]''
|General
|
|-
|1969
|''[[Hello, Dolly! (film)|Hello, Dolly!]]''
|Horace Vandergelder
|Nominated – [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]]
|-
|1969
|''[[Cactus Flower (film)|Cactus Flower]]''
|Dr. Julian Winston
|
|-
|-
|1971
|1971
| Best Actor
|''[[A New Leaf]]''
| ''[[Kotch]]''
|Henry Graham
|{{won}}
|
|-
|-
|1966
|1971
| [[Laurel Awards]]
|''[[Plaza Suite (film)|Plaza Suite]]''
| Top Male Supporting Performance
|Sam Nash/Jesse Kiplinger/Roy Hubley
| ''[[The Fortune Cookie]]''
|
|{{won}}
|-
|1971
|''[[Kotch]]''
|Joseph P. Kotcher
|Nominated – [[Academy Award for Best Actor]]
|-
|1972
|''[[Pete 'n' Tillie]]''
|Pete Seltzer
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]]
|-
|1973
|''[[The Laughing Policeman (film)|The Laughing Policeman]]''
|Detective Sergeant Jake Martin
|
|-
|1973
|''[[Charley Varrick]]''
|Charley Varrick
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]]
|-
|-
|1974
|1974
| [[David di Donatello Awards]]
|''[[The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974 film)|The Taking of Pelham One Two Three]]''
| [[David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actor|Best Foreign Actor]]
|Lieutenant Zachary "Z" Garber
| ''[[The Front Page (1974 film)|The Front Page]]''
|
|{{won}}
|-
|1974
|''[[Earthquake (film)|Earthquake]]''
|Drunk
|Credited as Walter Matuschanskayasky
|-
|1974
|''[[The Front Page (1974 film)|The Front Page]]''
|Walter Burns
|[[David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actor]]<br />Nominated – [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]]
|-
|1975
|''[[The Lion Roars Again]]''
|Himself
|Short subject
|-
|1975
|''The Gentleman Tramp''
|
|Documentary
|-
|1975
|''[[The Sunshine Boys (film)|The Sunshine Boys]]''
|Willy Clark
|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy]]<br />Nominated – [[Academy Award for Best Actor]]<br />Nominated – [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]]
|-
|1976
|''[[The Bad News Bears]]''
|Morris Buttermaker
|
|-
|1978
|''[[Casey's Shadow]]''
|Lloyd Bourdelle
|
|-
|1978
|''[[House Calls (1978 film)|House Calls]]''
|Dr. Charles "Charley" Nichols
|
|-
|1978
|''[[California Suite (film)|California Suite]]''
|Marvin Michaels
|
|-
|1980
|''[[La polizia ha le mani legate]]''
|
|Documentary
|-
|1980
|''[[Little Miss Marker (1980 film)|Little Miss Marker]]''
|Sorrowful Jones
|
|-
|1980
|''[[Hopscotch (film)|Hopscotch]]''
|Miles Kendig
|
|-
|1981
|''[[First Monday in October (film)|First Monday in October]]''
|Associate Justice Daniel Snow
|
|-
|1981
|''[[Buddy Buddy]]''
|Trabucco
|
|-
|1982
|''[[Neil Simon's I Ought to Be in Pictures (film)|Neil Simon's I Ought to Be in Pictures]]''
|Herbert Tucker
|
|-
|1983
|''[[The Survivors (1983 film)|The Survivors]]''
|Sonny Paluso
|
|-
|1985
|''[[Movers & Shakers]]''
|Joe Mulholland
|
|-
|1986
|''[[Pirates (1986 film)|Pirates]]''
|Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red
|
|-
|1988
|''[[The Little Devil]]''
|Father Maurice
|
|-
|1988
|''[[The Couch Trip]]''
|Donald Becker
|
|-
|1991
|''[[JFK (film)|JFK]]''
|Senator [[Russell B. Long]]
|
|-
|1992
|''Beyond 'JFK': The Question of Conspiracy''
|
|Documentary
|-
|1992
|''[[How the Grinch Stole Christmas!]]''
|Narrator
|
|-
|1993
|''[[Dennis the Menace (film)|Dennis the Menace]]''
|George Wilson
|
|-
|1993
|''[[Grumpy Old Men (film)|Grumpy Old Men]]''
|Max Goldman
|
|-
|1994
|''[[I.Q. (film)|I.Q.]]''
|[[Albert Einstein]]
|
|-
|1995
|''[[The Grass Harp (film)|The Grass Harp]]''
|Judge Charlie Cool
|
|-
|1995
|''[[Grumpier Old Men]]''
|Max Goldman
|
|-
|1996
|''[[I'm Not Rappaport (film)|I'm Not Rappaport]]''
|Nat Moyer
|
|-
|1997
|''[[Out to Sea]]''
|Charlie Gordon
|
|-
|1998
|''[[The Odd Couple II]]''
|Oscar Madison
|
|-
|1998
|''Love After Death''
|
|
|-
|1998
|''[[The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg]]''
|Himself
|Documentary
|-
|2000
|''[[Hanging Up]]''
|Lou Mozell
|
|}
|}


=== Stage ===
== Citations ==
{{Reflist}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Year
! Stage
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1948
|''Anne of the Thousand Days''
|
|
|-
|1950
|''The Liar''
|
|
|-
|1951
|''Twilight Walk''
|Sam Dundee
|
|-
|1952
|''Fancy Meeting You Again''
|Sinclair Heybore
|
|-
|1952
|''One Bright Day''
|George Lawrence
|
|-
|1952
|''In Any Language''
|Charlie Hill
|
|-
|1952
|''The Grey-Eyed People''
|John Hart
|
|-
|1953
|''The Ladies of the Corridor''
|Paul Osgood
|
|-
|1953
|''The Burning Glass''
|Tony Lack
|
|-
|1955
|''[[Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter (play)|Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?]]''
|Michael Freeman
|
|-
|1955
|''[[Guys and Dolls]]''
|Nathan Detroit
|
|-
|1958
|''Once More, with Feeling!''
|Maxwell Archer
|Nominated – [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play]]
|-
|1961
|''Once There Was a Russian''
|Potemkin
|
|-
|1961
|''[[L'Idiote|A Shot in the Dark]]''
|Benjamin Beaurevers
|
|-
|1963
|''My Mother, My Father and Me''
|Herman Halpern
|
|-
|1965
|''[[The Odd Couple]]''
|Oscar Madison
|[[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play]]
|}


=== Television ===
== References ==
* [http://www.hollywoodmemoir.com/walter-matthau-academy-award-winning-actor-the-odd-couple/ Profile] at ''Hollywood Memoir'', accessed April 8, 2015.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1954
|''[[The Motorola Television Hour]]''
|
| Episode: "[[Atomic Attack]]"
|-
|1954
|''[[Justice (1954 TV series)|Justice]]''
|
|
|-
|1958
|''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]''
|
|Episode: "The Crooked Road"
|-
|1959
|''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]''
|
|Episode: "Dry Run"
|-
|1960
|''Juno and the Paycock''
|
|
|-
|1961
|''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]''
|
|Episode: "Cop for a Day"
|-
|1961
|''[[Route 66 (TV series)|Route 66]]''
|
|Episode: "Eleven, the Hard Way"
|-
|1961
|''Tallahassee 7000''
|
|Cast member
|-
|1961-1962
|''[[Target: The Corruptors!]]''
|
|Two episodes
|-
|1972
|''Awake and Sing!''
|Moe Axelrod
|
|-
|1978
|''Actor''
|
|
|-
|1978
|''[[Saturday Night Live]]''
|Host
|Season 4, Episode 7 (2 December 1978)
|-
|1978
|''[[The Stingiest Man in Town]]''
|[[Ebenezer Scrooge]]
|Voice role
|-
|1990
|''[[The Incident (1990 film)|The Incident]]''
|Harmon J. Cobb
|
|-
|1991
|''Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love''
|
|
|-
|1992
|''[[Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore]]''
|Harmon J. Cobb
|
|-
|1994
|''[[Incident in a Small Town]]''
|Harmon J. Cobb
|
|-
|1998
|''The Marriage Fool''
|
|
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
Also starred in Alfred Hitchcock a very moral theft ep03 1960


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
*{{Cite news|author=Mel Gussow|title=Walter Matthau, 79, Rumpled Star and Comic Icon, Dies|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9800E4D81539F931A35754C0A9669C8B63|work=The New York Times|date=July 2, 2000|accessdate=May 11, 2008}}
*{{Cite news|author=Mel Gussow|title=Walter Matthau, 79, Rumpled Star and Comic Icon, Dies|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/02/nyregion/walter-matthau-79-rumpled-star-and-comic-icon-dies.html|work=The New York Times|date=July 2, 2000|access-date=February 4, 2021}}


==External links==
==External links==
*{{IBDB name|68261}}
*{{IBDB name}}
*{{IMDb name|527}}
*{{IMDb name|0000527}}
*{{tcmdb name|124923}}
*{{Tcmdb name}}


{{Navboxes
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Walter Matthau
|title = Awards for Walter Matthau
|list =
|list =
{{Academy Award Best Supporting Actor}}
{{AcademyAwardBestSupportingActor 1961-1980}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Actor 1960-1979}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role}}
{{David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actor}}
{{GoldenGlobeAwardBestActorMotionPictureMusicalComedy 1961-1980}}
{{Golden Globe Award Best Actor Motion Picture Musical or Comedy}}
{{TonyAward PlayFeaturedActor 1947-1975}}
{{TonyAward PlayLeadActor 1947-1975}}
{{TonyAward PlayLeadActor}}
{{TonyAward PlayFeaturedActor}}
}}
}}
{{Oscars hosts 1961-1980}}
{{Oscars hosts 1981-2000}}


{{Authority control|VIAF=100234841}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Persondata
|NAME= Matthau, Walter
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Matthau, Walter John
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=actor
|DATE OF BIRTH=October 1, 1920
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[New York City, New York]], U.S.
|DATE OF DEATH=July 1, 2000
|PLACE OF DEATH=[[Santa Monica, California]], U.S.}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthau, Walter}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthau, Walter}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2000 deaths]]
[[Category:2000 deaths]]
[[Category:Actors from New York City]]
[[Category:Male actors from Manhattan]]
[[Category:American film actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American military personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:American stage actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American television actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners]]
[[Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners]]
[[Category:Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Actor BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Actor BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]]
[[Category:Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]]
[[Category:Deaths from colorectal cancer]]
[[Category:Jewish American male actors]]
[[Category:Jewish American actors]]
[[Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces soldiers]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces soldiers]]
[[Category:David di Donatello winners]]
[[Category:David di Donatello winners]]
[[Category:20th-century American actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:American people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Jewish American military personnel]]
[[Category:The New School alumni]]
[[Category:Military personnel from New York City]]
[[Category:20th-century American comedians]]
[[Category:Seward Park High School alumni]]
[[Category:People from the Lower East Side]]
[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]

Latest revision as of 18:44, 23 December 2024

Walter Matthau
Matthau in 1952
Born
Walter John Matthow

(1920-10-01)October 1, 1920
New York City, U.S.
DiedJuly 1, 2000(2000-07-01) (aged 79)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Resting placeWestwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Other namesWalter Matuschanskayasky
EducationSeward Park High School
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • director
Years active1948–2000
Notable workFull list
Spouses
Grace Geraldine Johnson
​
​
(m. 1948; div. 1958)​
​
(m. 1959)​
Children3, including Charles
RelativesAram Saroyan (step-son)
Lucy Saroyan (step-daughter)
Awards(see § Awards and nominations)
Military career
Service / branchUnited States Army Air Forces
Years of service1942–1945
RankStaff sergeant
Unit
Battles / wars
Awards

Walter John Matthau (né Matthow; /ˈmæθaʊ/ MATH-ow;[1] October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American screen and stage actor, known for his "hangdog face" and for playing world-weary characters.[2] He starred in 10 films alongside his real-life friend Jack Lemmon, including The Odd Couple (1968) and Grumpy Old Men (1993). The New York Times called this "one of Hollywood's most successful pairings".[3] Among other accolades, he was an Academy Award, a two-time BAFTA Award, and two-time Tony Award winner.

On Broadway, Matthau originated the role of Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple by playwright Neil Simon, for which he received a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1965, his second after A Shot in the Dark in 1962. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the Billy Wilder film The Fortune Cookie (1966), with further Best Actor nominations for Kotch (1971) and The Sunshine Boys (1975). He gained further recognition for his portrayal of the coach of a hapless little league team in the baseball comedy The Bad News Bears (1976).

Matthau is also known for his performances in Elia Kazan's A Face in the Crowd (1957), the Elvis Presley vehicle King Creole (1958), Stanley Donen's romance Charade (1963), Fail Safe (1964), Gene Kelly's musical Hello, Dolly! (1969), Elaine May's screwball comedy A New Leaf (1971) and Herbert Ross's ensemble comedy California Suite (1978). He also starred in Plaza Suite (1971), Charley Varrick (1973), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), The Sunshine Boys (1975), House Calls (1978), Hopscotch (1980) and Dennis the Menace (1993).

In 1982, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early life

[edit]
Staff Sergeant Walter John Matthau

Matthau was born Walter John Matthow[4][5] on October 1, 1920, in New York City's Lower East Side. He had two brothers, one older and one younger.[citation needed]

His parents were Jewish; his mother, Rose (née Berolsky or Beransky), was a Lithuanian immigrant who worked in a garment sweatshop, and his father, Milton Matuschansky, was a Ukrainian peddler and electrician from Kyiv. They married in New York in 1917.[6][7]

As part of a lifelong love of practical jokes, Matthau created the rumors that his middle name was Foghorn and his last name was originally Matuschanskayasky (under which he is credited for a cameo role in the film Earthquake).[8]

As a young boy, Matthau attended a Jewish non-profit sleepaway camp, Tranquillity Camp, where he began acting in the shows that the camp staged on Saturday nights. He also attended Surprise Lake Camp. His high school was Seward Park High School.[9] He worked for a short time as a concession stand cashier in the Yiddish Theatre District.[10]

World War II

[edit]

During World War II, Matthau saw active service as a radioman-gunner on a Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber in the U.S. Army Air Forces with the Eighth Air Force in England. He was with the same 453rd Bombardment Group as James Stewart. While based in England at RAF Old Buckenham, Norfolk, he flew missions to continental Europe during the Battle of the Bulge. He ended the war with the rank of Staff Sergeant and returned home to America for demobilization at the war's end, intent on pursuing a career as an actor.[11]

Acting career

[edit]

Early work

[edit]

Matthau was trained in acting at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School with German director Erwin Piscator. 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 row bum!" Matthau was a respected stage actor for years in such fare as Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? and A Shot in the Dark, for his performance in the latter winning the 1962 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.[12]

Matthau in Charade, 1963

Matthau appeared in the pilot of Mister Peepers (1952) with Wally Cox. For reasons unknown, he used the name Leonard Elliot. His role was of the gym teacher Mr. Wall. He made his motion picture debut as a whip-wielding bad guy in The Kentuckian (1955) opposite Burt Lancaster. He played a villain in King Creole (1958), in which he gets beaten up by Elvis Presley. Around the same time, he made Ride a Crooked Trail with Audie Murphy, and Onionhead (both 1958) starring Andy Griffith; the latter a box-office flop. Matthau and Griffith appeared previously the critical and box-office hit A Face in the Crowd (1957), directed by Elia Kazan. Matthau appeared with James Mason in Bigger Than Life (1956), directed by Nicholas Ray. Matthau directed a low-budget movie called The Gangster Story (1960) and played a sympathetic sheriff in Lonely Are the Brave (1962), which starred Kirk Douglas. He appeared in the Cary Grant-Audrey Hepburn crime thriller Charade (1963).

On television, he appeared twice on Naked City, as well as in four installments of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He appeared eight times between 1962 and 1964 on The DuPont Show of the Week and as Franklin Gaer in an episode of Dr. Kildare ("Man Is a Rock", 1964).

1960s

[edit]
Matthau and Art Carney in The Odd Couple, 1965

Comedies were rare in Matthau's work at that time. He was cast in a number of stark dramas, such as Fail Safe (1964), in which he portrayed Pentagon adviser Dr. Groeteschele, who urges an all-out nuclear attack on the Soviet Union in response to an accidental transmission of an attack signal to U.S. Air Force bombers. Neil Simon cast him in the play The Odd Couple in 1965, with Matthau playing slovenly sportswriter Oscar Madison, opposite Art Carney as Felix Ungar.[12] Matthau reprised the role in the film version, with Jack Lemmon as Felix Unger. He played detective Ted Casselle in the Hitchcockian thriller Mirage (1965), directed by Edward Dmytryk.

He achieved great success in the comedy film The Fortune Cookie (1966) as shyster lawyer William H. "Whiplash Willie" Gingrich, starring yet again opposite Lemmon; the first of 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 had a serious heart attack. He gave up his three-pack-a-day smoking habit as a result.[13] Matthau appeared during the Oscar telecast shortly after having been injured in a bicycle accident; nonetheless, he scolded actors who had not attended the ceremony, especially the other major award winners that night: Paul Scofield, Elizabeth Taylor and Sandy Dennis.[14] Broadway-hits-cum-films continued to cast Matthau in lead roles such as Hello, Dolly! and Cactus Flower (both 1969); for the latter, Goldie Hawn received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Matthau in Hello, Dolly!, 1969

1970s

[edit]

It was during this time that Matthau began to appear in more comedy films, including the black comedy A New Leaf (1971) and the comedy-drama Pete 'n' Tillie (1972). Oscar nominations would come his way again for Kotch (1971), directed by Lemmon, and The Sunshine Boys (1975). The latter was another adaptation of a Neil Simon stage play—this time about a pair of former vaudeville stars. For the latter, he won a Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, tying with his co-star George Burns. Meanwhile, their other co-star, Richard Benjamin, won a supporting award.[15]

Matthau played three roles in the film version of Simon's Plaza Suite (1971), and was in the cast of its followup California Suite (1978). He starred in House Calls (1978), sharing the screen with Glenda Jackson and his Odd Couple stage partner, Carney.

Matthau starred in three crime dramas in the mid-1970s: as a detective investigating a mass murder on a bus in The Laughing Policeman (1973), as a bank robber on the run from the Mafia and the law in Charley Varrick (also 1973) and as a New York transit official in the action-thriller The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974). He also reunited with Lemmon in the black comedy-drama The Front Page (1974). A change of pace about misfits and delinquents on a Little League baseball team turned out to be a solid hit when Matthau starred as coach Morris Buttermaker in the comedy The Bad News Bears (1976).

1980s

[edit]

Matthau produced some films with Universal Pictures, with his son Charlie also becoming involved in his production company, Walcar Productions, but the only film that he produced was the third remake of Little Miss Marker (1980).[16]

He was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor—Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his portrayal of former CIA field operative Miles Kendig in the elaborate spy comedy Hopscotch (1980), reuniting with Jackson. The original script, a dark work based on the novel of the same name, was rewritten and transformed into a comedy in order to play to Matthau's specific talents. The rewrite was a condition of his participation.[17] Matthau participated in the script revisions, and the film's director Ronald Neame observed that Matthau's contributions entitled him to screen credit, but that was never pursued.[18] Matthau wrote the scene in which Kendig and Isobel—apparently strangers—meet in a Salzburg restaurant and strike up a conversation about wine that ends in a passionate kiss. He also wrote the last scene of the film, where Kendig, presumed to be dead, disguises himself as a Sikh to enter a bookshop. He also helped to choose appropriate compositions by Mozart that made up much of the score.[19][18] TCM's Susan Doll observes that "Hopscotch could be considered the end of a long career peak or the beginning of (Matthau's) slide downhill, depending on the viewpoint", as character parts and supporting parts became the only thing available to an actor his age.[17]

The next year, he was nominated again for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor—Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his portrayal of the fictional Associate Justice Daniel Snow in First Monday in October (1981). The film was about the (then-fictional) first appointment of a woman (played by Jill Clayburgh) to the Supreme Court of the United States. It was scheduled for release in 1982, but when President Ronald Reagan named Sandra Day O'Connor in July 1981, the release date was moved up to August 1981.[citation needed] The New York Times critic Janet Maslin disliked the film but praised Matthau's performance.[20]

Matthau reunited with Lemmon in the comedy Buddy Buddy (1981). He also portrayed Herbert Tucker in I Ought to Be in Pictures (1982) with Ann-Margret and Dinah Manoff. He co-starred with Robin Williams in the 1983 dark comedy film The Survivors. Although a box-office dud that barely grossed its budget, the film found a new audience via repeated broadcasts on cable TV in the following years.[citation needed] He took the leading role of Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red in Roman Polanski's swashbuckler Pirates (1986).

During the 1980s and 1990s, Matthau served on the advisory board of the National Student Film Institute.[21][22]

1990s

[edit]

Matthau narrated the Doctor Seuss Video Classics: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1992), and played the role of George Wilson in the film Dennis the Menace (1993). In a change of pace, Matthau played Albert Einstein in the film I.Q. (1994) starring Tim Robbins and Meg Ryan.

His partnership with Jack Lemmon became one of the most enduring collaborations in Hollywood. They became lifelong friends after making The Fortune Cookie and would make a total of 10 movies together—11 counting Kotch, in which Lemmon has a cameo as a sleeping bus passenger. Apart from their many comedies, the two appeared (although they did not share any scenes) in the Oliver Stone drama JFK (1991). Matthau and Lemmon reunited for the comedy Grumpy Old Men (1993), co-starring Ann-Margret, and its sequel Grumpier Old Men (1995), co-starring Sophia Loren. This led to further pairings late in their careers, including appearances in The Grass Harp (1995), Out to Sea (1997) and a Simon-scripted sequel to their much earlier success, The Odd Couple II (1998).

Hanging Up (2000), directed by Diane Keaton, was Matthau's final appearance onscreen.

Personal life

[edit]

Marriage and children

[edit]

Matthau married Carol Marcus in 1959. She died in 2003. Their son Charles (Charlie) Matthau was born in 1962. Charlie is a director and directed his father in several movies.

Health problems

[edit]

A heavy smoker, Matthau had a heart attack in 1966 while filming The Fortune Cookie, the first of at least three in his lifetime.[23]

In 1976, ten years after his first heart attack, he underwent heart-bypass surgery. After working in Minnesota for Grumpy Old Men (1993), he was hospitalized for double pneumonia. In December 1995, he had a colon tumor removed, apparently successfully, as there was no mention of cancer in his death certificate. He was hospitalized in May 1999 for more than two months, again owing to pneumonia.[13]

His death certificate lists the causes of death as "cardiac arrest" and "atherosclerotic heart disease", with "end stage renal disease" and "atrial fibrillation" as significant contributing factors. There is no mention of cancer.[24]

Death

[edit]
Matthau's gravesite

On the late evening of June 30, 2000, Matthau had a heart attack at his home and was taken by ambulance to the St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, where he died a few hours later at 1:42 a.m. on July 1, 2000, at age 79.[25] He is buried at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. Matthau's wife Carol Marcus died in 2003, and her body is interred in the same plot as her husband.[citation needed]

Filmography

[edit]
Main article: List of Walter Matthau performances

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Award Category Project Result Ref.
1966 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor The Fortune Cookie Won
1971 Best Actor Kotch Nominated
1975 The Sunshine Boys Nominated
1959 Tony Awards Best Featured Actor in a Play Once More, with Feeling! Nominated
1962 A Shot in the Dark Won
1965 Best Actor in a Play The Odd Couple Won
1969 British Academy Film Award Best Film Actor in a Leading Role The Secret Life of an American Wife Nominated [26][27][28]
Hello, Dolly! Nominated
1973 Pete 'n' Tillie Won
Charley Varrick
1976 The Sunshine Boys Nominated
The Bad News Bears Nominated
1966 Golden Globe Awards Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy The Fortune Cookie Nominated [29]
1968 The Odd Couple Nominated
1971 Kotch Nominated
1972 Pete 'n' Tillie Nominated
1974 The Front Page Nominated
1975 The Sunshine Boys Won
1980 Hopscotch Nominated
1981 First Monday in October Nominated
1966 Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award Best Supporting Actor The Fortune Cookie Won [30][31]
1971 Best Actor Kotch Won
1966 Laurel Awards Top Male Supporting Performance The Fortune Cookie Won
1974 David di Donatello Awards Best Foreign Actor The Front Page Won

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ Matthau, Walter - Oxford Dictionaries
  2. ^ "Walter Matthau: 10 essential films". BFI. October 1, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  3. ^ "Lemmon and Matthau: One of Hollywood's Most Successful Pairings". The New York Times. Associated Press. June 28, 2001. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  4. ^ Edelman, Rob; Audrey E. Kupferberg (2002). Matthau: a life. Lanham, Maryland: Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 4. ISBN 0-87833-274-X.
  5. ^ Wright, Stuart J. (2004). An emotional gauntlet: from life in peacetime America to the war in European skies. Terrace Books. p. 179. ISBN 0-299-20520-7.
  6. ^ Stone, Judy (September 8, 1968). "Matthau – A Sex Symbol Or a Jewish Mother?". The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2014.subscription required
  7. ^ Gussow, Mel (July 2, 2000). "Walter Matthau, 79, Rumpled Star and Comic Icon, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  8. ^ "Walter Matthau". Snopes.com. October 19, 2005. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  9. ^ "Famous Alumni". Seward Park High School Alumni Association. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  10. ^ Cofone, Annie (June 8, 2012). "Strolling Back Into the Golden Age of Yiddish Theater". The Local – East Village. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  11. ^ "Walter Matthau". The Telegraph. July 3, 2000. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  12. ^ a b Walter Matthau at the Internet Broadway Database
  13. ^ a b Obituary, guardian.com; accessed August 20, 2015.
  14. ^ The Fortune Cookie Lemmon & Matthau Behind-the-Scenes Archived November 21, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Hollywood Legacy. Accessed November 3, 2022.
  15. ^ "Walter Matthau". www.goldenglobes.com. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  16. ^ "Matthau & Son Tied To Universal". Variety. April 12, 1978. p. 4.
  17. ^ a b "Hopscotch (1980) - Articles - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  18. ^ a b "Hopscotch". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  19. ^ "Hopscotch (1980) - Articles - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  20. ^ Maslin, Janet (August 21, 1981). "First Monday in October". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  21. ^ National Student Film Institute/L.A: The Sixteenth Annual Los Angeles Student Film Festival. The Directors Guild Theatre. June 10, 1994. pp. 10–11.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  22. ^ Los Angeles Student Film Institute: 13th Annual Student Film Festival. The Directors Guild Theatre. June 7, 1991. p. 3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  23. ^ "Walter Matthau". biography.yourdictionary.com. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  24. ^ "Walter Matthau Death Certificate". YouTube. July 28, 2015. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  25. ^ "Actor Walter Matthau dies". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  26. ^ "BAFTA Film Actor in 1970". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  27. ^ "BAFTA Film Actor in 1974". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  28. ^ "BAFTA Film Actor in 1977". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  29. ^ "Walter Matthau". goldenglobes.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  30. ^ "KCFCC Award Winners". KC Film Critics Circle. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  31. ^ "David di Donatello Awards 1975". Filmaffinity. Retrieved August 9, 2022.

References

[edit]
  • Profile at Hollywood Memoir, accessed April 8, 2015.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
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