Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Jack Lemmon | ... | Harry Hinkle | |
Walter Matthau | ... | Willie Gingrich | |
Ron Rich | ... | Luther 'Boom Boom' Jackson | |
Judi West | ... | Sandy Hinkle | |
Cliff Osmond | ... | Purkey | |
Lurene Tuttle | ... | Mother Hinkle | |
Harry Holcombe | ... | O'Brien | |
Les Tremayne | ... | Thompson | |
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Lauren Gilbert | ... | Kincaid |
Marge Redmond | ... | Charlotte Gingrich | |
Noam Pitlik | ... | Max | |
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Harry Davis | ... | Dr. Krugman |
Ann Shoemaker | ... | Sister Veronica | |
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Maryesther Denver | ... | Nurse |
Ned Glass | ... | Doc Schindler |
A CBS cameraman is accidentally knocked out during a football game in Cleveland. His brother-in-law, William "Whiplash Willie" Gingrich, is the king of the ambulance chasing lawyers and starts a suit while he's still unconscious. The cameraman is against it until he hears that his ex-wife will be coming to see him. He pretends to be injured to get her back, but also sees what the strain is doing to the Cleveland Browns player who injured him. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>
In the course of Hollywood legends, there emerges a great chemistry when certain scripts, actors, and directors are combined to make a movie. In this immortal Black and White film, we have such a combination. Herein we have, the late, great Jack Lemmon playing Harry Hinkle, a standard cameraman working with a TV crew covering a Cleveland Browns football game. As the game proceeds, a celebrity running-back Luther " Boom Boom " Jackson (Ron Rich) accidentally runs off the field and directly into the filming cameraman, knocking him out cold. Fortunately for Hinkle, his wily Brother-in-law, William Gingrich, attorney-at-law, (Walter Matthau) leaps into his life and proposes an insurance lawsuit which, if Hinkle goes along with, will net them $1.000.000. Hinkle explains to 'Whiplash Willy,' there is nothing wrong with him and will not participate in the scheme. The plan is doomed, until Gingrich uses a trump card, Hinkles' ex-wife Sandy, (Judi West) whom Harry believes still loves him. The plan is flawless despite the fact, the Insurance company hires the Purkey (Cliff Osmond) Dectective Agency to spy on him 24 hours a day. While Gingrich is busy with the Insurance lawyers and Hinkle is attempting to win his wife back, by pretending to be an invalid, no one notices Luthor Jackson is miserable, drinking and becoming despondent. The movie is wonderful as Lemmon and Matthau are a superb team under the direction of their favorite director Billy Wilder. This is a great movie and certain to become a Classic. ****