After watching Charley Varrick (1973), I'm more confused than ever that Matthau is not regularly discussed among all-time great actors.
He has one of the broadest ranges I have ever seen, excelling in roles in every genre of film. While primarily known as a comic actor, he has been absolutely brilliant in every drama or serious picture I have seen him in. Maybe it's because of his face, which looks like that of a born comedian.
Still, this confuses me.
Walter Matthau
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MmzHrrdb
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Re: Walter Matthau
For a guy who won an Oscar he's definitely unheralded as a great, especially when you compare him to people like Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant who have much greater fanbases but less range that Matthau. So far I've seen nine films of his and he was excellent in all of them, even a dog like Hanging Up -- his last film. Definitely one of my favorite actors who deserves to be discussed, like you say, as an all-time great American actor.
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hellboy76
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Re: Walter Matthau
I still have a sentimental attachment to his performance in Bad News Bears, but he is excellent in everything I have seen him in.
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Bojangles
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Re: Walter Matthau
What are the must see Matthau performances? I've mostly admired him for his comedic work. I still quote Grumpier Old Men to this day.
I saw him playing a sheriff in a western recently (Lonely Are the Brave), and he pulled out a pretty convincing, Tommy Lee Jones-esque performance.
I saw him playing a sheriff in a western recently (Lonely Are the Brave), and he pulled out a pretty convincing, Tommy Lee Jones-esque performance.
Re: Walter Matthau
Bojangles wrote:What are the must see Matthau performances? I've mostly admired him for his comedic work. I still quote Grumpier Old Men to this day.
I saw him playing a sheriff in a western recently (Lonely Are the Brave), and he pulled out a pretty convincing, Tommy Lee Jones-esque performance.
Well, there is the aforementioned Charley Varrick (1973), and while it's comedic, The Odd Couple (1968) is fantastic. He won an Academy Award for The Fortune Cookie (1966) and starred in another crime classic, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974).
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Ocelot
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Re: Walter Matthau
The Bad News Bears is a massively underrated movie, and Walter Matthau is no small reason why it's so great.
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Dorkovsky
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Re: Walter Matthau
A New Leaf.
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Jazzaloha
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Re: Walter Matthau
ShogunRua wrote:After watching Charley Varrick (1973), I'm more confused than ever that Matthau is not regularly discussed among all-time great actors.
He has one of the broadest ranges I have ever seen, excelling in roles in every genre of film. While primarily known as a comic actor, he has been absolutely brilliant in every drama or serious picture I have seen him in. Maybe it's because of his face, which looks like that of a born comedian.
Still, this confuses me.
Not to be unkind, but I think his face might be the reason he's not taken more seriously. In a way, you could say that he's a less attractive version of Tom Hanks; had Matthau looked more like Hanks, maybe he would have gotten more serious acclaim. Plus, I feel like his comedic work far outnumbers his dramatic work. And, really, when I think of his dramatic work, it's mostly more action/crime type of films. (I haven't seen all of his films, though.)
Anyway, I love Matthau--and his looks are one of the reasons I like him. It's just nice to have effective leading men that aren't Hollywood handsome.