Walter Matthau

Walter Matthau

1920-10-01 New York City, New York, USA 99 Credits

Biography

Walter Matthau (born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, comedian and film director. He is best known for his film roles in A Face in the Crowd (1957), King Creole (1958) and as a coach of a hapless little league team in the baseball comedy The Bad News Bears (1976). He also starred in 10 films alongside Jack Lemmon, including The Odd Couple (1968), The Front Page (1974) and Grumpy Old Men (1993). Matthau won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor fo...

Known For

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Complete Filmography

'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War

'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War

2020

as Self (archive footage)

Acting

Film critic J. Hoberman discusses the best-selling 1962 novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler on which "Fail-Safe" is based, along with the perva...

Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick'

Last of the Independents: Don Siegel and the Making of 'Charley Varrick'

2015

as Self (archive footage)

5.0
Acting

Don Siegel’s classic crime thriller "Charley Varrick," made in 1972 in the wake of the immensely successful "Dirty Harry," stars Walter Matthau in wh...

And the Oscar Goes To...

And the Oscar Goes To...

2014

as Self (archive footage)

7.0
Acting

The story of the gold-plated statuette that became the film industry's most coveted prize, AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... traces the history of the Academy ...

The Kid Stays in the Picture

The Kid Stays in the Picture

2002

as Self (archive footage)

6.7
Acting

Documentary about legendary Paramount producer Robert Evans, based on his famous 1994 autobiography.

Revisiting 'Fail-Safe'

Revisiting 'Fail-Safe'

2000

as Self (archive footage)

Acting

Documentary featuring interviews with director Sidney Lumet, "Fail-Safe" (2000) producer George Clooney, star Dan O’Herlihy and screenwriter Walter Be...

Hanging Up

Hanging Up

2000

as Lou Mozell

5.2
Acting

Three sisters - Georgia, Eve, and Maddy - do what they do best with life, love, and lunacy on the telephone lines that bind - when their curmudgeonly ...

The Marriage Fool

The Marriage Fool

1998

as Frank Walsh

7.2
Acting

Recently widowed after 41 years of marriage, Frank Walsh meets the outgoing Florence, sparking joy back into his life again. However, there is clear d...

Private Screenings: Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau

1998

as Self

Acting

Robert Osborne hosts this TCM original featuring an exclusive interview with the original Odd Couple.

The Odd Couple II

The Odd Couple II

1998

as Oscar Madison

6.3
Acting

Brucey, the son of Oscar, calls his father to invite him to his wedding to Felix's daughter next Sunday in California. Oscar and Felix meet again at L...

Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy

Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy

1998

as Self

6.0
Acting

A profile of writer-director Billy Wilder

Out to Sea

Out to Sea

1997

as Charlie Gordon

5.7
Acting

Care-free Charlie cons his widower brother-in-law Herb into an expenses-paid luxury cruise in search of rich, lonely ladies. The catch is that they ar...

Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough

Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough

1997

as Self

6.5
Acting

A profile of the life of actor Walter Matthau.

I'm Not Rappaport

I'm Not Rappaport

1996

as Nat Moyer

5.6
Acting

Old Nat Moyer is a talker, a philosopher, and a troublemaker with a fanciful imagination. His companion is Midge Carter, who is half-blind, but still ...

Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman

Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman

1996

as Self

7.5
Acting

Jack Lemmon made over 60 films and received numerous awards, including eight Academy Award Nominations and two Oscars. Later in life, his achievement ...

The Grass Harp

The Grass Harp

1996

as Judge Charlie Cool

5.8
Acting

Based on the novel by Truman Capote, this often-witty coming-of-age drama looks at a young man growing up with an unusual family in the Deep South in ...

Grumpier Old Men

Grumpier Old Men

1995

as Max Goldman

6.5
Acting

A family wedding reignites the ancient feud between next-door neighbors and fishing buddies John and Max. Meanwhile, a sultry Italian divorcée opens a...

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

1995

as Self

8.1
Acting

Based on the first centenary of the largest exporter of films in the world, that is Hollywood, is the story told by its protagonists, actors and write...

I.Q.

I.Q.

1994

as Albert Einstein

6.0
Acting

Albert Einstein helps a young man who's in love with Einstein's niece to catch her attention by pretending temporarily to be a great physicist.

Incident in a Small Town

Incident in a Small Town

1994

as Harmon Cobb

6.6
Acting

Lily and her son John live alone in a small town as her husband has been killed fighting the war in France. Or at least that is what she told John, bu...

Grumpy Old Men

Grumpy Old Men

1993

as Max Goldman

6.6
Acting

For decades, next-door neighbors and former friends John and Max have feuded, trading insults and wicked pranks. When an attractive widow moves in nea...

Dennis the Menace

Dennis the Menace

1993

as George Wilson

5.9
Acting

Mr. Wilson's ever-present annoyance comes in the form of one mischievous kid named Dennis. But he'll need Dennis's tricks to uncover a collection of g...

Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy

Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy

1993

as Self

5.6
Acting

This spellbinding documentary re-examines the issues raised by Oliver Stone's JFK, and explores the late Jim Garrison's contention that there was a "s...

How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

1992

as Narrator (voice)

7.3
Acting

This short video features illustrations from the Dr Seuss story book with narration by Walter Matthau. A hermit known as the Grinch hates Christmas an...

Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys

Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys

1992

as Self

6.7
Acting

Modern comedians share their thoughts about Laurel and Hardy. Also includes archival footage of contemporary comedians. Hosted by Dom DeLuise.

Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore

Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore

1992

as Harmon Cobb

5.8
Acting

In the second dramatic case for lawyer Harmon Cobb, he defends an incarcerated woman who is wrongly imprisoned and refused release from a mental insti...

JFK

JFK

1991

as Senator Long

7.6
Acting

Follows the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison.

Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love

Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love

1991

as Clifford Pepperman

4.5
Acting

Longtime singles Lillian Lambert and Clifford Pepperman enjoy a romance late in their lives.

The Incident

The Incident

1990

as Harmon Cobb

6.1
Acting

Small town lawyer, Harmon Cobb, defends a Nazi prisoner of war against murder charges. Set during World War II, Cobb has to contend with the difficult...

Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre

1989

as Himself

Acting

A study of the Group Theatre, a company that changed the face of American drama. The Group was founded in 1931 by Cheryl Crawford, Harold Clurman and ...

The Little Devil

The Little Devil

1988

as Padre Maurizio

6.7
Acting

Father Maurice, a priest living in a residential college for priests in Rome, is called out one day to "exorcise" the devil from someone. The devil tu...

The Couch Trip

The Couch Trip

1988

as Donald Becker

5.5
Acting

The escaped mental patient and delinquent John W. Burns Jr. replaces Dr. Maitlin on a radio show, saying he's the psychiatrist Lawrence Baird.

A Beverly Hills Christmas

A Beverly Hills Christmas

1987

as Self

3.5
Acting

An evening of Christmas music from stars living in Beverly Hills, California.

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

1987

as Self

6.0
Acting

Documentary about James Stewart's long career as an actor and positive personal life.

Pirates

Pirates

1986

as Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red

6.3
Acting

The adventures of pirate Captain Red and his first mate Frog.

Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special

Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special

1986

as Self

9.0
Acting

An all-star cast celebrates George Burn's 90th birthday and showcases highlights in Burns' career.

Movers & Shakers

Movers & Shakers

1985

as Joe Mulholland

3.7
Acting

Studio head Joe Mulholland promises his dying producer and mentor, Saul Gritz, to adapt a popular sex manual into a film, despite his better judgment....

The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team

The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team

1984

Acting

Star studded show

The Survivors

The Survivors

1983

as Sonny Paluso

5.7
Acting

Having both lost their jobs, two strangers become unlikely friends after a run in with a would be robber, who is actually a hitman with a grudge again...

Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder

Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder

1982

as Self

6.7
Acting

French film critic Michel Ciment interviews Billy Wilder about his life and filmmaking.

Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter

Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter

1982

as Self

Acting

A retrospective look at 60 years of great moments in film comedy, from the 1920s to 1982.

I Ought to Be in Pictures

I Ought to Be in Pictures

1982

as Herbert Tucker

6.5
Acting

Grandmother has nothing to say when Libby tells her that she is off to LA to look up Dad, a Hollywood screenwriter. Grandmother has been in a New York...

I Love Liberty

I Love Liberty

1982

as Self

Acting

An all-star variety special saluting America.

First Monday in October

First Monday in October

1981

as Dan Snow

6.3
Acting

For the first time in history a woman is appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where she becomes a friendly rival to a liberal associate.

Buddy Buddy

Buddy Buddy

1981

as Trabucco

6.2
Acting

During a high profile Mafia testimony case, a contract killer checks-in a hotel room near the courthouse while his next door depressed neighbor wants ...

Hopscotch

Hopscotch

1980

as Miles Kendig

7.0
Acting

When CIA operative Miles Kendig deliberately lets KGB agent Yaskov get away, his boss threatens to retire him. Kendig beats him to it, however, destro...

Little Miss Marker

Little Miss Marker

1980

as Sorrowful Jones

6.5
Acting

Sorrowful Jones is a cheap bookie in the 1930s. When a gambler leaves his daughter as a marker for a bet, he gets stuck with her. His life will change...

Little Miss Marker

Little Miss Marker

1980

Executive Producer

6.5
Producing

Sorrowful Jones is a cheap bookie in the 1930s. When a gambler leaves his daughter as a marker for a bet, he gets stuck with her. His life will change...

The Stingiest Man in Town

The Stingiest Man in Town

1978

as Ebenezer Scrooge (voice)

5.1
Acting

This cartoon version of A Christmas Carol hails from the production house of Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass--the team that brought you just about ev...

California Suite

California Suite

1978

as Marvin Michaels

5.8
Acting

The misadventures of four groups of guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Funny Business

1978

as Self - Host

Acting

A documentary hosted by Walter Matthau, which discussed and showed examples from cinematic comedy classics. Long portions of the documentary were devo...

House Calls

House Calls

1978

as Dr. Charley Nichols

6.6
Acting

Charley is a surgeon who's recently lost his wife; he embarks on a tragicomic romantic quest with one woman after another until he meets up with Ann, ...

Actor

Actor

1978

as Boris Thomashevsky

Acting

A musical play based on the early years of actor Paul Muni.

Casey's Shadow

Casey's Shadow

1978

as Lloyd Bourdelle

6.4
Acting

Young Casey comes from a family of racehorse trainers, and his best friend, a foal called Casey's Shadow, may just be a champion.

The Gentleman Tramp

The Gentleman Tramp

1976

as Self / Narrator

6.6
Acting

A film about the life and work of the master comedy filmmaker, Charles Chaplin.

The Bad News Bears

The Bad News Bears

1976

as Coach Morris Buttermaker

6.9
Acting

An aging, down-on-his-luck ex-minor leaguer coaches a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive California little league.

The Sunshine Boys

The Sunshine Boys

1975

as Willy Clark

6.8
Acting

Lewis and Clark, aka The Sunshine Boys, were famous comedians during the vaudeville era, but off-stage they couldn't stand each other and haven't spok...

The Lion Roars Again

1975

as Self

Acting

A chronicle of the 1975 International Press Conclave hosted by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer over two days in May 1975.

Earthquake

Earthquake

1974

as Drunk

6.1
Acting

Various interconnected people struggle to survive when an earthquake of unimaginable magnitude hits Los Angeles, California.

The Front Page

The Front Page

1974

as Walter Burns

7.3
Acting

A journalist suffering from burn-out wants to finally say goodbye to his office – but his boss doesn’t like the idea one bit.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

1974

as Lt. Garber

7.5
Acting

In New York, armed men hijack a subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. Even if it's paid, how could they get away?

The Laughing Policeman

The Laughing Policeman

1973

as Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD

6.2
Acting

When a gunman opens fire on a crowded city bus in San Francisco, Detective Dave Evans is killed, along with the man he'd been following in relation to...

Charley Varrick

Charley Varrick

1973

as Charley Varrick

7.4
Acting

Charley Varrick robs a bank in a small town with his friends, but instead of obtaining a small amount of money, they discover they stole a very large ...

Pete 'n' Tillie

Pete 'n' Tillie

1972

as Pete Seltzer

5.6
Acting

A fun-loving bachelor woos and weds a secretary, but the bonds of this marriage aren't strong enough to stop his philandering from continuing.

Awake and Sing!

Awake and Sing!

1972

as Moe Axelrod

Acting

The Bergers, a blue-collar Jewish family living in an overstuffed tenement and undone by the Depression, struggle through hard times and dream of a be...

Kotch

Kotch

1971

as Joseph P. Kotcher

6.5
Acting

When retired salesman Joseph Kotcher begins to feel pressure to move out of the house he shares with the family of his son, he opts to embark on a roa...

Plaza Suite

Plaza Suite

1971

as Roy Hubley / Jesse Kiplinger / Sam Nash

6.1
Acting

Film version of the Neil Simon play has three separate acts set in the same hotel suite in New York's Plaza Hotel with Walter Matthau in a triple role...

A New Leaf

A New Leaf

1971

as Henry Graham

7.3
Acting

After running out of funds, Henry Graham, a carefree playboy, plots to marry and murder wealthy botanist Henrietta Lowell.

Cactus Flower

Cactus Flower

1969

as Dr. Julian Winston

7.1
Acting

Distraught when her middle-aged lover breaks a date with her, 21-year-old Toni Simmons attempts suicide. Impressed by her action, her lover, dentist J...

Hello, Dolly!

Hello, Dolly!

1969

as Horace Vandergelder

7.0
Acting

Dolly Levi is a strong-willed matchmaker who travels to Yonkers, New York in order to see the miserly "well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire" Horace...

Candy

Candy

1968

as Gen. R.A. Smight

5.2
Acting

A high school girl encounters a variety of kookie characters and humorous sexual situations while searching for the meaning of life.

Jack Benny's Bag

1968

as Self

Acting

Jack Benny's 1968 TV specials features topical references including a parody of The Graduate.

The Secret Life of an American Wife

The Secret Life of an American Wife

1968

as The Movie Star

3.0
Acting

A bored housewife poses as a call girl for a movie star sex-symbol, hoping she can prove to her husband, the star's agent, that she is still desirable...

The Odd Couple

The Odd Couple

1968

as Oscar Madison

7.5
Acting

In New York, Felix, a neurotic news writer who just broke up with his wife, is urged by his chaotic friend Oscar, a sports journalist, to move in with...

Carol Channing and 101 Men

Carol Channing and 101 Men

1968

as Self

Acting

Carol Channing hosts musical variety special with guests Walter Matthau, George Burns, U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chorale, The Association, Eddy Arn...

A Guide for the Married Man

A Guide for the Married Man

1967

as Paul Manning

5.9
Acting

A man gives his friend a series of lessons on how to cheat on one's wife without being caught.

The Fortune Cookie

The Fortune Cookie

1966

as Willie Gingrich

7.2
Acting

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 k...

Mirage

Mirage

1965

as Ted Caselle

7.0
Acting

In New York City, David Stillwell struggles to recover his memory before the people who are trying to kill him succeed. Who is he, who are they, and w...

Goodbye Charlie

Goodbye Charlie

1964

as Leo Sartori

5.6
Acting

When a cavorting Hollywood writer is killed by the angry husband of a woman he was having an affair with, he comes back as a spirit in the form of a b...

Fail Safe

Fail Safe

1964

as Prof. Groeteschele

7.8
Acting

Because of a technical defect an American bomber team mistakenly orders the destruction of Moscow. The President of the United States has but little t...

Ensign Pulver

Ensign Pulver

1964

as Doc

6.6
Acting

1945, on an old cargo ship somewhere deep in the Pacific ocean: Captain Morton strives to become commander, so he demands the maximum quality of work ...

Charade

Charade

1963

as Hamilton Bartholemew

7.7
Acting

After Regina Lampert falls for the dashing Peter Joshua on a skiing holiday in the French Alps, she discovers upon her return to Paris that her husban...

Island of Love

Island of Love

1963

as Tony Dallas

5.3
Acting

Con artist Steve Blair persuades Tony Dallas, a Manhattan gangster, to finance a movie about Adam and Eve by offering the female lead to Tony's stripp...

Who's Got the Action?

Who's Got the Action?

1962

as Tony Gagouts

5.2
Acting

A lawyer begins to win after his wife secretly becomes his bookie to save their money.

Big Deal in Laredo

1962

as Meredith

Acting

A timid man with money problems gets into a big card game with some high-rollers.

Lonely are the Brave

Lonely are the Brave

1962

as Sheriff Morey Johnson

7.4
Acting

A fiercely independent cowboy arranges to have himself locked up in jail in order to then escape with an old friend who has been sentenced to the peni...

Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands'

Two by Saroyan: 'Once Around the Block' and 'My Heart's in the Highlands'

1960

as Ben Alexander / Philip Judah

Acting

Two plays by William Saroyan portraying writers stymied, inspired, frustrated, excited, listful, wistful, slothful, awed, unnerved, perhaps corrupted ...

Strangers When We Meet

Strangers When We Meet

1960

as Felix Anders

6.3
Acting

A suburban architect loves his wife but is bored with his marriage and with his work, so he takes up with the neglected, married beauty who lives down...

Gangster Story

Gangster Story

1959

as Jack Martin

5.0
Acting

Gangster and cop killer Jack Martin is on the run from the law, and hides out in a small town. Low on funds, he engineers a clever bank robbery that y...

Gangster Story

Gangster Story

1959

Director

5.0
Directing

Gangster and cop killer Jack Martin is on the run from the law, and hides out in a small town. Low on funds, he engineers a clever bank robbery that y...

Ride a Crooked Trail

Ride a Crooked Trail

1958

as Judge Kyle

6.3
Acting

After robbing a bank Murphy assumes the identity of his pursuer, a famous US Marshal, when he stumbles into a town and is confronted by the local judg...

Onionhead

Onionhead

1958

as 'Red' Wildoe

5.5
Acting

An irresponsible student enlists in the Coast Guard expecting to sit out World War II.

Voice in the Mirror

Voice in the Mirror

1958

as Dr. Karnes

5.8
Acting

Jim Burton, chronic alcoholic, is cared for by Ellen, his incredibly patient, sexy, hard-working wife. A doctor's warning that Jim could become mental...

King Creole

King Creole

1958

as Maxie Fields

6.4
Acting

Danny Fisher, young delinquent, flunks out of high school. He quits his job as a busboy in a nightclub, and one night he gets the chance to perform. S...

Slaughter on 10th Avenue

Slaughter on 10th Avenue

1957

as Al Dahlke

5.4
Acting

A rookie assistant DA is assigned to investigate the murder of a longshoreman, killed for exposing gangster involvement on the piers, and meets up wit...

A Face in the Crowd

A Face in the Crowd

1957

as Mel Miller

7.6
Acting

The rise of a raucous hayseed named Lonesome Rhodes from itinerant Ozark guitar picker to local media rabble-rouser to TV superstar and political king...

Bigger Than Life

Bigger Than Life

1956

as Wally Gibbs

7.1
Acting

A friendly, successful suburban teacher and father grows dangerously addicted to cortisone, resulting in his transformation into a household despot.

The Indian Fighter

The Indian Fighter

1955

as Wes Todd

6.3
Acting

A scout leading a wagon train through hostile Indian country gets involved with a Sioux chief's daughter.

The Kentuckian

The Kentuckian

1955

as Stan Bodine

5.7
Acting

A frontiersman and his son fight to build a new home in Texas.

Atomic Attack

Atomic Attack

1954

as Dr. Spinelli

6.0
Acting

A family living 50 miles away try to flee from the fallout of an atomic bomb that fell on New York City.