Kotch (1971)

Wanting to avoid settling in a nursing home, Joseph Kotcher, a retired salesman, is obliged to leave his son's family. He embarks on a road trip during which he strikes up a friendship with... See full summary »

Director:

Jack Lemmon

Writers:

John Paxton (screenplay), Katharine Topkins (novel)

Stars:

Walter Matthau, Deborah Winters, Felicia Farr

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Walter Matthau	...	Joseph P. Kotcher
Deborah Winters	...	Erica Herzenstiel
Felicia Farr	...	Wilma Kotcher
Charles Aidman	...	Gerald Kotcher
Ellen Geer	...	Vera Kotcher
Donald Kowalski	...	Duncan Kotcher
Dean Kowalski	...	Duncan Kotcher
Arlen Stuart	...	Mrs. Fisher
Jane Connell	...	Miss Roberts
James Brodhead	...	Mr. Weaver (as James E. Brodhead)
Jessica Rains	...	Dr. McKernan
Darrell Larson	...	Vincent Perrin
Biff Elliot	...	Motel Manager
Paul Picerni	...	Dr. Caudillo
Lucy Saroyan	...	Sissy

Storyline

Wanting to avoid settling in a nursing home, Joseph Kotcher, a retired salesman, is obliged to leave his son's family. He embarks on a road trip during which he strikes up a friendship with a pregnant teenager and begins to understand the true meaning of life as he helps the girl give birth to her child.

---

Plot Keywords:

old age | senility | based on novel | character name as title | nickname as title | 

---

Taglines:

Walter Matthau in the role only he could make so excitingly different...you'll start talking about it from the opening scene. Jack Lemmon directs. He takes his talent 'behind' the camera for the first time to add a new, fresh dimension to his brilliant career.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Certificate:

GP

Did You Know?

Trivia

Walter Matthau was only 50 at the time of filming. The actor playing his son (Charles Aidman) was 45.

---

Goofs

Kotch collects old bowling pins to throw into his fireplace to keep warm. In reality, the thick plastic coatings would create smoke and noxious fumes.

---

Quotes

[During the psychological exam, Kotch is shown a Rorschark ink drawing and asked to describe what he sees in it]
Joseph P. Kotcher: An inexperienced spermatozoon, about fifteen years old, asking directions to the nearest fallopian tube.

---

Connections

Referenced in The 44th Annual Academy Awards (1972)

---

Soundtracks

Life Is What You Make It
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Music by Marvin Hamlisch

User Reviews

Lemmon and Matthau: always a reliable team

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau were one of cinema's most notable teams. They co-starred in a number of comedies over the years, always entertaining audiences. But there was also a time that Lemmon stepped behind the camera. The result was "Kotch", based on a book by Katharine Topkins. Matthau plays an elderly man in the LA area who feels useless in the changing world. His son and daughter-in-law consider him a nuisance, but he would rather not spend the rest of his life in a retirement home. But his life takes a new turn when he hooks up with a young pregnant woman.

We're used to seeing Matthau play curmudgeons, but here his character gets a new outlook on life. There's a scene towards the end that's a shocker (let's just say that Walter Matthau is the last person whom you'd picture doing that). All in all, a good movie. Not a masterpiece, but I still recommend it.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 September 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kotch

Filming Locations:

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Palm Springs, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,334,165

Company Credits

Production Co:

ABC Pictures Corporation, Kotch Company Productions, American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1