The Sunshine Boys (I) (1975) User Reviews

One of Neil Simon's Best Screen Adaptations...

[ijonesiii · 8/10 · 28 December 2005]

THE SUNSHINE BOYS was the hilarious 1975 screen adaptation of Neil Simon's play about a retired vaudevillian team, played by Walter Matthau and George Burns, who had a very bitter breakup and have been asked to reunite one more time for a television special or something like that. The problem is that the two still hate each other and want nothing to do with each other. Richard Benjamin appears as Matthau's nephew, a theatrical agent who has been given the monumental responsibility of making this reunion a reality. This warm and winning comedy is a lovely valentine to a forgotten form of entertainment...vaudeville and it works mainly thanks to one of Neil Simon's better screenplays and outstanding work by Matthau, Burns, and Benjamin. Burns won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this, but I think Matthau walks away with this film with his flawlessly hilarious performance as Willy Clark. Matthau was nominated for Best Actor but didn't stand a chance against Nicholson for ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST; however, in another year, this was an Oscar-worthy performance. Matthau commands the screen and there is not a false note in this beautifully timed performance. The scene where he is auditioning for a potato chip commercial and can't get the name of the product right is a classic. THE SUNSHINE BOYS is a warm and winning Neil Simon comedy which shines thanks to unbeatable chemistry between Matthau and Burns.

Matthau-Burns-Simon--A Winning Troika

[dnroth · 8/10 · 13 July 2000]

Simon's carefully written dialogues are truly electrified by Matthau and Burns. You can literally hear the script crackle. There are few movies out there that can develop such a relationship between the actors and the script. For example, the famed reunion scene could have been a lot duller with less-quality actors involved. Matthau seems to had been born to play Willie Clark (of course, Oscar moreso in the Odd Couple), and with all of the little idiosyncracies and mannerisms that Matthau crams into the character (the line where he is arguing that he is with it since he lives in the city whereas Lewis lives in the country that Lewis is "out of touch" is the quintessential example of this) make this one of the best performances I've ever seen of any actor in any role, be it comedic or drama or whatever else. Period. Matthau and Burns work excellently together; the contrast they portray accentuates Simon's superb knack at creating comedic conflict. This movie is simply one of the ultimate "must-sees" and does demand a rightful prestigious place in the pages of film history.

My favorite of all Matthau's film performances

[lisalapp · 8/10 · 4 May 2005]

First, an explanation: Despite my headline, I'm giving this film only 8 stars because overall this is NOT one of the best films ever made. All the criticisms registered here have valid points. Also, be warned that to enjoy the script you really need to appreciate Neil Simon's brilliance with finding the wit within real human banter. He does have a distinctively New York ear for dialogue -- especially dry, Jewish, love-suffused sarcasm -- and if you have trouble accepting sarcasm as an expression of love, then you might have trouble accepting the optimism at the heart of this movie.

So much for warnings. Here's my main point: Walter Matthau is flat-out perfect, even beyond perfect, in this movie. I have never seen him funnier, or more touching for that matter -- because at the same time that he shows us the hilariousness of this character who refuses to give up his Big Star self-image or insufferable attitudes even as his coherence is in decline, he also shows us the more vulnerable, maybe even heartbreakingly scared person inside the grouch. And he only barely shows us that sad part -- it's just enough to really get to you if you happen to be coping with your own father's or husband's mental decline right now (I mention this as a warning), but artistically, it's just enough pathos to give this character the most authentically deep roots I'm seen in possibly any film performance. This is beyond Method acting -- Matthau's performance is exquisite as character work and a pure delight as comic delivery. This is a masterpiece of comic acting.

About Richard Benjamin: I personally find his acting annoying in general, and his work in this movie is no exception -- although he has some fine moments here. ("Chicken is funny...." is one of them.) So if you like him, you should like him here, and if you don't this movie won't change your mind.

About the 1976 Oscars...I agree that Matthau was unfortunate to be up against Nicholson in "Cuckoo's Nest" that year. It was a killer year for leading-actor competition; if only there were separate Oscars for comedy and drama, then I think the Best Actor Oscars would have gone to Al Pacino for "Dog Day Afternoon" and to Walter Matthau for "The Sunshine Boys" -- not to dis Jack's fine work as McMurphy, but I think that Pacino and Matthau were each CLEARLY more masterful and astoundingly effective and downright legendary in their performances than Nicholson was that year. Also, I believe that Burns got the Supporting Actor Oscar more for sentimental reasons than for the quality of his performance -- I mean, he was good in this movie, but not THAT good. (Burns's fine-as-ever but unexceptional-in-itself return to show biz beat Brad Dourif's truly brilliant debut in "Cuckoo's Nest," not to mention Chris Sarandon's stunning debut in "Dog Day Afternoon" -- which I think proves my theory.)

Oscar theories aside, here's my bottom line review: If you like Matthau's comic acting, then see this movie and savor his powerhouse tirades and wonderful grandmother-inspired gestures, fleeting facial expressions and seemingly unscripted asides. (But if you're currently dealing with the pain of watching an old person lose his grip, then be warned that this movie might either be the comic relief you need or a dose of reality too painful to watch right now.)

Vintage Simon; Burns & Matthau make an indelible comic duo

[george.schmidt · 22 April 2003]

THE SUNSHINE BOYS (1975) ***1/2 Walter Matthau, George Burns, Richard Benjamin. (Cameos: Steve Allen and Phyllis Diller). Extremely funny and warm-hearted adaptation of Neil Simon's play about two stubborn vaudevillians teaming up one last time for a tv special despite the fact they haven't spoken to one another in years. Matthau is a riot ("Ehnntaaaahhh!") but Burns, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, resurrected his career and became an icon in entertainment. Incidentally, Burns took this role when his best friend, Jack Benny (who was initially cast), died. Look for small roles by Howard Hesseman and F.

Murray Abraham.

Al Lewis's glass has always remained being half full while Willy Clark's glass is stubbornly half empty

[Ed-Shullivan · 7/10 · 26 April 2022]

This is a ying versus yang personality clash that worked for many years on the big stage as a successful vaudeville comedy duo who were at the top of their respective games for decades but as with any good wine it will eventually go bad if left in the proverbial sun too long. Willy Clark (Walter Matthau) and Al Lewis (George Burns) begrudgingly agree at the bequest of Willy's stage manager nephew Ben Clark (Richard Benjamin) to get together for a reunion performance of their greatest comedy skits. Both aging comedians blame the other one for their eventual falling out so the feat of getting them back on the same stage is left to Willy's nephew Ben.

Willy is a crusty old "glass half empty" entertainer who likes to feel like he is the main attraction while his old comedy partner Al is a more confident and healthier "glass half full" entertainer.

The film was originally a stage production of Neil Simon and brought back to the big screen and directed with some down to earth pizazz by director Herbert Ross. It's alight hearted message that still resonates almost fifty (50) years later with the message for all old friends which is "let bygones be bygones". Most film goers were rooting for these two old octogenarian vaudeville performers to reconcile and make one big splash on the live stage.

No spoilers here. It's a warm hearted with good intentions film well worth watching at least twice. I give it a 7 out of 10 IMDB rating.

One of my favorite Stage to film transfers.

[allenblank · 10/10 · 30 March 2004]

The Sunshine Boys is one of my favorite feel good movies. I first saw it when it as the Christmas attraction at Radio City Music Hall when it first came out and loved it ever since. I ended up seeing it 6 times in the theaters, and if it was playing today I'd go out to see it again.

Now a lot of the reviews here mentioned the wonderful performances of the leads. Matthau was brilliant, but had the misfortune of being nominated against Jack Nicholson's Oscar winning performance of Randall P. MacMurphy in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest. Burns did win, though Richard Benjiman deserved at least to be nominated as well. Even the smallest roles were played to perfection, like Fritz Feld auditioning for the potato chips commercial.

Which brings me to my reason for reviewing this film, the direction of the greatly underrated Herbert Ross. Ross who previously brought a two person play, "The Owl And The Pussycat" to the screen and made a full movie out of it, does it again. He opens the plays out without making them look like a photographic stage play. He fleashens out the story and the characters.

Here we're 20 minutes into the film before we get to the scene that opens the play, where Ben Clark comes to see his uncle and tell him about the comedy special. Though there are dialogue from the play during the first twenty minutes, the sequence itself is totally new. A few years ago I did see at the broadway revival of the play with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall, which was wonderful. But I think that Ross and screenwriter, playwright Simon improved on it. It's just a wonderful film.

Enn-TERR!

[qrt7 · 6/10 · 18 June 2001]

A fairly good film, but slack editing a and a rambling script stops this from achieving greater things.

A good performance (as usual) by Matthau as a grump, but especially good was that of George Burns, with some fantastic one-liners and acidic put downs - his timing and deadpan delivery was excellent. Although maybe the physical side was a bit miscast (Matthau towers over Burns), the verbal performances were great and made up for it.

After all the huffing and puffing the actual 'Doctor' sketch was not all that good, a shame that when compared to the rest of the dialogue, the wit was missing from it.

Enjoyable for a one-off viewing, be prepared to fidget at times but perseverence is rewarded.

6/10.

Matthau is hilarious

[ntvnyr30 · 9/10 · 22 July 2003]

I remember originally seeing this film at Radio City Music Hall when it came out. I didn't really understand the humor back then, but this movie can make me laugh out loud.

With all due respect to George Burns (RIP), Walter Matthau really deserved the Oscar for this film. His performance is amazing--given the fact that he was 20 years younger than his character, Willie Clark. His mannerisms are first-rate. ("You know what kind of songs he wrote? Sh*t!" and when speaking to the Spanish-speaking guy at the front desk: "No! No! No enchilada!!") Absolutely hilarious!

Kudos to Richard Benjamin, who played straight man to Matthau.

I just wish this was on DVD, because my VHS recording is getting a bit old.

I had no interest in seeing the remake with Woody Allen, because in no way can it match the original.

Enter!!!!

[Sonatine97 · 7/10 · 26 August 2000]

One of Neil Simon's more accessible & enjoyable screen adaptions. Two old style vaudeville stars agree to reform for a TV special, even though off-screen they hate each other's guts. And it's up to Richard Benjamin, (Matthau's nephew & hard working TV agent), to somehow get them to bury their differences just for this one shot.

A lovely story made perfect for both Matthau & Burns. To my shame I haven't seen many of Burns' old movies and after seeing him shine so brightly here makes me feel I've missed out on a wonderfully talented gentleman.

Matthau is always in top form in these kind of Simon comedies: notably Plaza Suite & The Odd Couple. Matthau works best with Jack Lemmon but the exception is made big style in this movie with Burns sweeping the floor (and the honours) with all before him.

The comedy is gentle rather than slapstick or too kinetic, which really matches the acting qualities of the two ageing stars. The script in general moves at a steady pace in spite of the fact the backdrop involves the fast moving, cut-throat world of TV programming.

The last 30 minutes becomes slightly more dramatic and the satire is more biting than earlier. But the film never runs out of steam or moves out of focus. Neither stars dominate the screen although it's fair to say that Matthau's physical presence sometimes over powers the frail old man of Burns, and yet the elder statesman returns the favour with a much more intelligent & humourous choice of lines.

A great film which I heartily recommend to anyone who likes gentle comedies, great script and wonderful acting

****/*****

The Final "Voyage of Discovery" of Lewis and Clark

[theowinthrop · 10/10 · 12 February 2006]

Neil Simon's THE ODD COUPLE set up a model for many of his later plays. Felix Unger and Oscar Madison were the unsuitably paired roommates in the original, the former being picky and neat, the latter being slovenly and loose. Simon would rewrite (less successfully) the play in the 1990s as THE NEW ODD COUPLE, with female roommates. He made it a mixed couple (a woman with her daughter, and a man) in THE GOODBYE GIRLS. He also gave it an additional twist in 1973 with THE SUNSHINE BOYS, a Broadway hit starring Jack Alberson and Sam Levine as Al Lewis and Willie Clark, the aged, semi-retired Vaudevillians. Here the "apartment" problem is reduced to a teaming of two men who can't stand each other. The 1976 film starred Walter Matthau as Willie, and George Burns as Al.

In actuality, Al probably does not think totally badly of Willie - Willie is pathological on the subject of Al. First Al had little habits, such as accidentally spitting slightly when pronouncing words beginning with the letter "t", and slightly jabbing Willie with his index finger, on stage. Secondly, Al retired when his wife died. Willie was not ready to retire (and has been forcing his nephew and agent, Ben (Richard Benjamin) to try to get him jobs in commercials. But Willie can't remember lines unless they are funny, and keeps flubbing them. So he rarely is able to stay to the end of a rehearsal for a commercial.

Ben is asked to get the two back together for a live scene of their most famous sketch on a television show about American Comedy. He does bring Al to see Willie, and the sparks begin flying, as neither can figure out what the other is doing (and this is just in rehearsal. On top of that, Willie is insisting on changes (minor ones, but they throw off Al) such as saying "ENTER!!!" when Al knocks on the door. The initial rehearsal is a failure, but Ben manages to get them to the taping of the show. The question is if they will complete the scene in the finished program or will Willie wring Al's neck?

The three leads, Matthau, Burns, and Benjamin, do very well with the one-liners, frequently reminiscent of vaudeville patter (example: "Chest pains...I'm getting chest pains Uncle Willie. Every Thursday I come here and get chest pains!" "So, come on Fridays!"). Benjamin strives to prove his deep affection for his uncle, although Matthau's rough outer shell makes it difficult (he only smooths down when he discusses the glory days of vaudeville). Matthau has a little better grasp on reality (at first) than Burns, who seems senile by his repeating himself - but in actuality Matthau's sense of rejection by the world that once applauded him make him less willing to behave properly. Burns is not senile - he takes things slowly. But he seems far happier in accepting his retirement.

I call this a final "Voyage of Discovery" for our modern Lewis and Clark. Al and Willie transcend their old skits, as they gradually end up realizing that they have more in common in their old age than they thought. Even the irascible Willie admits that Al may be (to him) a pain in the ass, but he was a funny man.

Burns was not the original choice for the part of "Al Lewis" (supposedly Dale of the team Smith and Dale). Jack Benny was. Benny probably would have done a good job, but ill-health forced him out (he died in 1975). Burns (whose last involvement in any film was in THE SOLID GOLD CADILLAC in 1956 as the narrator) turned in such a fine performance that he got the "Oscar" for best supporting actor, and was to have a career in movies in the next decade in such films as OH GOD!; OH GOD, YOU DEVIL; and GOING IN STYLE. He died in 1996 age 100, having proved that he was more than just a brilliant straight man for his wife Gracie Allan.

Old and Grumpy.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 16 February 2010]

There are three themes running through this Neil Simon comedy: (1) Jokes about the forgetful condition and other deficits of old people, (2) Resentment between two Jewish ex-vaudevillians (Matthau and Burns), and (3) The problems inherent in organizing a presentation of their famous medical sketch for a reunion on a television special on the history of comedy.

They're all reasonably well handled. It's like "The Odd Couple" forty years on, only this time with a mediator, Richard Benjamin as Matthau's agent/nephew, the harried young man with the chest pains.

Both men may be frail and scatterbrained but Burns is at least sane, while Matthau's character is a bitter curmudgeon filled with dislike and sometimes outright contempt for everyone, even those who try to help him. He can be dangerously out of control too, hobbling around after Burns with a kitchen knife, crashing into the furniture.

It's not as funny as "The Odd Couple" though, not in the same way at any rate. Some of the gags seem a little forced and others, not forced, aren't especially amusing. Example: Benjamin opens the door when Burns knocks and says, "Oh, how are you, Mr. Lewis? Come in." And Burns replies, "How are you, I'm Al Lewis." That's funny? The same kind of ritualistic exchange is derailed over and over.

The vaudeville sketch we see has gags that are so crusty with age that it's difficult to imagine that people once paid to see them. And it ends with a deus ex heart attack, which signals not only a collapse of the body but of the writer's imagination.

Still, Simon hasn't lost his touch with verbal gags. "I'm okay," Burns tells Matthau at their first meeting in years. "The blood still circulates. It doesn't circulate EVERYWHERE but it circulates." Matthau gets off this impossible tirade when Burns visits him in New York and demands that, in the sketch, Matthau use the phrase "Come in," instead of "Enter." "You know the trouble with you? You're out of touch. I look out this window and I see everything. I see people scrounging, running. I see traffic. I see car crashes. I see murders. I see fighting. I see jumpers off roofs! You sit on your porch and you see a lawnmower. You see the milkman!" Burns: "And that's why you won't say 'Come in'?"

Matthau's minor cardiac spasm leads to a warmer, though ironic, conclusion. Matthau is finally convinced that he should set up his life in a new setting, a home for retired actors in New Jersey. He's convalescing at home and is visited by Burns, who informs him that, now that his (Burns') daughter is going to have a baby, he's going to leave her house and live in a home for retired actors in New Brunswick, New Jersey. "I hope you'll come visit me," he says. "You can count on it," Matthau replies, burying his head under the covers.

It has more sentiment than "The Odd Couple" and its comedy, except for Matthau's outright lunacy, is less barbed. Matthau is great as he slouches around his cluttered New York apartment in a bathrobe, mumbling to himself.

You'll probably enjoy it, and thank God Matthau's character doesn't die.

With All the Sunshine Willie and Al Spread..................................

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 28 August 2006]

Taking over roles that Jack Albertson and Sam Levene played on Broadway, Walter Matthau and George Burns play a couple of old time vaudeville comics, a team in the tradition of Joe Smith and Charles Dale who seem to have a differing outlook on life.

Walter Matthau can't stop working, the man has never learned to relax, take some time and smell the roses. He's a crotchety old cuss whose best days are behind him and his nephew and agent Richard Benjamin is finding less and less work for him.

What hurt him badly was that some 15 years earlier his partner George Burns decided to retire and spend some time with his family. A workaholic like Matthau can't comprehend it and take Burns's decision personally.

Benjamin hits on a brain storm, reunite the guys and do it on a national television special. What happens here is pretty hilarious.

The Sunshine Boys is also a sad, bittersweet story as well about old age. Matthau is on screen for most of the film, but it's Burns who got the kudos in the form of an Oscar at the ripe old age of 79.

Burns brought a bit of the personal into this film as well. As we all know he was the straight man of the wonderful comedy team of Burns&Allen who the Monty Python troop borrowed a lot from. In 1958 due to health reasons, Gracie Allen retired and George kept going right up to the age of 100. Or at least pretty close to as an active performer.

The Sunshine Boys is based on the team of Smith&Dale however and if you like The Sunshine Boys I strongly recommend you see Two Tickets to Broadway for a look at a pair of guys who were entertaining the American public at the turn of the last century. The doctor sketch that Matthau and Burns do is directly from their material.

And I do think you will like The Sunshine Boys.

"I can't tell the difference between our act and us anymore."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 25 February 2016]

Modern day viewers probably won't catch much of a buzz watching this film today. I was a fan of the principals during their heyday and George Burns is one of my all time favorites for his understated style and whimsical humor. He was the perfect foil for Gracie Allen's zany temperament.

However I had a bit of a problem with this picture because of Walter Matthau's characterization of Willy Clark. It just seemed too heavy handed for me since Willy and Al Lewis (George Burns) worked together for forty three years, and you'd expect that they would have developed a more amiable rivalry in their relationship. Say along the lines of Matthau and Jack Lemmon in "The Odd Couple". I was expecting at some point a genuine show of affection between Willy and Al but it just didn't materialize until the heart attack, and even then it seemed pretty one sided with Burns' character.

Through it all, there was some good material buried under the dialog that would have seemed more clever with an upbeat delivery. I never thought about individual letters of the alphabet being funny or not. In it's way, the business about the letter 'K' was rather inspired, and the apparent random shuffling of the chairs in Willy's apartment looked like the ex-vaudevillians were improvising; I wouldn't be surprised if they were. If only the film makers had lightened things up a bit, I'd offer an extra dollar on the toll bridge to watch it again.

I expected more from a Neil Simon script

[smatysia · 4/10 · 25 July 2015]

I have always liked Walter Matthau, so it was very disappointing to see him in this film, made up to look much older and overacting tremendously. George Burns was much better, with his usual deadpan delivery. I suppose that this was kind of a preview of Matthau in "Grumpy Old Men". Dealing with those in their dotage, with the hearing loss, and memory loss, etc. is quite tiresome, and watching it in this movie was also quite tiresome. It is too bad, but the funny lines were not all that funny. I expected more from a Neil Simon script. Richard Benjamin was okay as the nephew/agent, and the direction was done nicely. But I was impatient for the film to end, and that pretty much says it all.

Super Works from Matthau and Burns...

[drednm · 3 January 2005]

in one of Neil Simon's best plays. Creaky, cranky ex-Vaudeville stars played by Walter Matthau and George Burns are teaming up for a TV comedy special. The problem is they haven't even SEEN each other in over a decade. Full of zippy one liners and inside showbiz jokes, this story flies along with a steady stream of humor. Good work also by Richard Benjamin as the harried nephew, Rosetta LeNoire as the nurse, and Howard Hesseman as the TV commercial director. Steve Allen and Phyllis Diller appear as themselves. Trivia note: The opening montage contains footage from Hollywood Revue of 1929 and shows Marie Dressler, Bessie Love, Polly Moran, Cliff Edwards, Charles King, Gus Edwards, and the singing Brox Sisters.

Worth seeing just for George Burns

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 24 February 2010]

An old vaudeville team of Willy Clark (Walter Matthau) and Al Lewis (George Burns) were one of the best known but they broke up hating each other. Over 20 years later they agree to get together for a TV special...but find out they STILL hate each other. Willy's nephew/agent (Richard Benjamin) tries to get them to work together.

A big hit in its day and it won George Burns an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. I (somewhat) liked it. It was written by Neil Simon so its non-stop one-liners. Some of it was funny but making jokes of Willy and Al's senility was NOT. Also I never liked Matthau. I never thought he was a good actor and something about him just rubbed me the wrong way. Also his character here is so caustic you get sick of him quickly. All that aside this was fun. Burns is just great tossing off one-liners with ease and even Matthau was good matching him. Their verbal battles are the best sequences in the movie. Also Benjamin is very good as Willy's nephew trying to get the two of them to work with each other. For me it's worth seeing for Burns alone. This jump started his career in a big way and two years later he had ANOTHER hit with "Oh God". So, this is good. Just good--not great. Matthau's character really makes this hard to love. I give it a 7.

Exceedingly hilarious, very warm, and one of my favorite comedies...

[MovieAddict2016 · 10/10 · 25 February 2004]

A hilarious Neil Simon comedy that evokes laughs from beginning to end. The late Walter Matthau is the grouchy ex-comedian who is persuaded to join together with his ex-partner (the late Oscar-winner George Burns) for a final reunion show on stage.

Benjamin Martin is Matthau's agent and nephew, and the two have just as much chemistry as Matthau and Burns. I love Matthau's grumpy character--he's just the same as he always is, and yet also very different.

Burns, as the absent-minded old man, is just as funny as Matthau.

Matthau: Want some crackers? I've got coconut, pineapple and graham.

Burns: How about a plain cracker?

Matthau: I don't got plain. I got coconut, pineapple and graham.

Burns: Okay

Matthau: They're in the cupboard in the kitchen.

Burns: Maybe later.

Or how about this:

Matthau: When I did black, the whites knew what I was saying!

You've got to see it in the movie to understand it!

All in all, a refreshingly hilarious, sweet, heartfelt, warm, believable character comedy with a heart and some of the most memorable quotes of all time.

They just don't make them like this anymore! In a time when all the newest comedies are crude, juvenile and stupid, this leans back towards the tender core of what comedy really is--funny characters, smart and funny dialogue, and grand entertainment.

One of the best buddy comedies of all time, right up there with "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," "Lethal Weapon," and "The Hard Way."

You may have a hard time finding this for rent or on TV, but trust me, it will be worth your time!

Half boring half funny

[dodjeebarry · 6/10 · 30 May 2019]

The Start is a bit dragged out but the comedy is very funny with perfect timing from the actors.

Vaudeville wasn't dead, just in need of a new medium to move onto.

[mark.waltz · 8/10 · 19 December 2018]

As the marquee near the Palace Theater in Times Square advertises both "Grease" and "Raisin" in the background, basically retired vaudeville star Walter Matthau saunters through midtown looking for the address where he is to audition for a potato chip commercial. he quickly finds, much to his grouchy chagrin, that he is on the wrong side of town, and must be on East 43rd rather than West 43rd. A squabble with mechanic F Murray Abraham sets him straight, and with nephew and agent Richard Benjamin stalling for him, Matthau finally makes it, hilariously screwing up the audition and probably losing the commercial role to mouth popping comedian Fritz Feld. It's up to Benjamin to find his uncle a gig, and fortunately with the nostalgic raise in place, is able to get Matthau a television gig doing his old routines, on the condition that he reconciles with his estranged partner, George Burns, who now lives in quiet retirement in the country. A reunion between the two funny men, long out of the limelight, creates more problems for television producers than it's worth, but as the two old friends spend time together, their reunion takes on some amusing twists that are both touching and funny, yet certainly risky of giving many people involved in this reunions show a great deal of stress, more than just Matthau who undergoes some health issues because of the strain he faces.

This film version of the hit Neil Simon play is one of those films that works in spite of not really having a concrete story, just two pros at their very best and a director, Herbert Ross, who knows how to make that sort of material work. Benjamin, reacting to every little bit of tension his uncle creates hysterically, may seem out of his element when compared to Matthau and Burns, but knows how to create a lot out of nearly nothing. However, it is the two stars who command the attention here, with Matthau aged greatly for his part and Burns stepping in for longtime Jack Benny who has passed away after being offered that role. it would have been a much different film if Benny had lived to play it, and certainly would have been equally as good, but Burns honors the memory of his friend by underplaying the role like Jack would have and came out of it winning an Oscar.

The nostalgia craze had taken over the entertainment industry in the early 70s, particularly Broadway, and that led to television jumping on the bandwagon, especially after the success of the Music Hall documentary "That's Entertainment!" Some great opening credits with fantastic early film clips had me noticing similarities between the songs "Be a Clown!" and "Make em' Laugh", not only in theme but in the music as well. This is a slice-of-life comedy of to aging has-been's where each line between the two is comic gold. Phyllis Diller has a hysterical cameo as herself, and in the Vaudeville sketch, Lee Meredith of Mel Brooks' "The Producers", shows off more of what she's got to flaunt. This is practically perfect in every way and truly stands the test of time as outstanding entertainment and a memory of a time in Show Business history that we will never ever see again.

Melancholy and twilight reflection on the shortness life

[[e-mail] · 7/10 · 6 April 2003]

The Neil Simon's Sunshine Boys starring Walter Matthau and George Burns is a funny comedy on the strange bond to the life and its shortness, but the laughter always bitter taste. Seeing Willy Clark(Matthau) and Al Lewis(Burns) two big theatrical comedy actors now reduced on the imbecility from the hard and unceasing old age you can feel only anger and blue. Willy not ever surrender and continue to look work, while Al is tired for players and he is retired to the country in the house to his daughter. The couple in his old time was truly funny and harmony, but out the scene was a continue squabble and to quarrel, and for eleven years after their broken they not talk between. Now if they would work, they must return together another time for do one of his best old sketch for a comedy story TV show. The meets is explosive and liberating for the old questions…. The Neil Simon's screenplay give a certain corrosive spirit to the story and the melancholy and blue overwhelming the many gags and laughter succeeded to generate a good mix also thanks to a great couple Walter Matthu(Nomination Academy Award as Best Actor) and George Burns(Won the Academy Award as Best Support Actor). The two actors are very believable and real and the their harmony seems almost as they real work together for all that time and that realty they not bear between them. The movie is very touching also for its all consuming reality as the story is narrate and how the report Love-Heat that bind the two actors is totally real part to the strange but at the same time ordinarily comprehensible things to the life. My rate is 7.

image is not reality

[lee_eisenberg · 8/10 · 1 December 2016]

"The Sunshine Boys" has a hint of "The Odd Couple", with a pair of men who get at each other's heels (and both written by Neil Simon). But this one goes beyond the former. The former is about a pair of unknown men forced to live together. This one focuses on a comedy team. Admired by millions, most people never knew that the two men hated each other. I guess that it just goes to show that roles that people play on screen have nothing to do with what they're like in real life. After all, it's called acting.

Walter Matthau and George Burns (who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor) play the roles to a tee. Matthau is the irascible, forgetful one, and Burns is the kind, affable one. The climax comes when they appear in a TV special. What I noticed about that scene in particular was Lee Meredith's role as the cleavage-flaunting nurse. You may remember her as the busty secretary in "The Producers". She plays pretty much the same role here. What a babe!

I wouldn't call the movie a masterpiece, but I recommend it as a look at what goes on behind the scenes of entertainment. The rest of the cast includes Richard Benjamin (known for playing pseudo-intellectual types in the '70s), Carol Arthur (Dom DeLuise's wife) and an early appearance of F. Murray Abraham. Director Herbert Ross also did "Play It Again, Sam", "California Suite", "Pennies from Heaven", "Footloose", "The Secret of My Success" and "My Blue Heaven".

My brief review of the film

[sol- · 6/10 · 20 July 2005]

The lead characters in this film are rather annoying bickering old men and therefore they are hard to like, however Walter Matthau and George Burns do a good job playing them. It is rather predictable stuff, and lacking in witty and funny moments, especially for the par of a Neil Simon script. Yet, the quality of the acting makes the film watchable, and there are some quite good humorous bits - just not quite enough, especially considering how slow the film is to build up. Burns won an Academy Award for his performance, and even if he perhaps did not deserve to win it, he certainly deserved the nomination. This is a film to watch because of the acting, rather than the plot or the abilities of the director.

George Burns in a role he was meant for.

[ajlposh · 10/10 · 8 February 2006]

I'm 14, so you probably would think I have never heard of George Burns or Walter Matthau or anyone like that. Boy are you wrong. I had heard that George Burns was in this movie and that he won an Academy Award for it. I have been a fan of George Burns since I was ten. I saw the movie Oh, God recently and loved it. This one was also very awesome. George Burns did a great job. So did Walter Matthau(this is the first time I've ever seen him perform). And even though they had really small roles, Phyllis Diller and Steve Allen did a good job. That special they were filming would have been awesome if it was really done. Let me say this, if you are a fan of George Burns or Walter Matthau, you should see this movie right away!

Walter Matthau...genius

[JasparLamarCrabb · 6/10 · 20 June 2007]

It's stagy, but good...THE SUNSHINE BOYS is vintage Neil Simon. George Burns may have won a (very nostalgic) Oscar for his performance, but Walter Matthau is the reason to see the film. He's hysterical. And unlike Burns, he's actually acting, giving a stellar performance as a man many years his senior and he dominates the movie. The director, Herbert Ross, keeps the movie moving at a brisk pace while allowing Matthau scene after priceless scene. Whether sparring with his no-nonsense nurse or with his infinitely patient nephew/agent (a very restrained Richard Benjamin) or, as the topper, dueling with former show-biz partner Burns, it's his show all the way.

No Wonder They Hated Each Other

[bigverybadtom · 2/10 · 13 January 2013]

The premise is simple: two old men were members of a vaudeville duo decades ago and broke up acrimoniously, but now the nephew of one wants them to reunite for a television special to showcase one of their acts. Reluctantly, they agree, though they had not met or spoken in twenty years. Once together, however, they find they still dislike one another.

The big problem with the story is that it was written in the 1970's and takes place contemporaneously, while vaudeville effectively died out many years before the storyline's breakup would have taken place. Also, Matthau's character is a nasty man-nasty to everyone, even the nurse who takes care of him when he becomes ill. He's supposed to be the protagonist of the story, but I found no reason whatever to like him, or for anyone to want to have anything to do with him. The story would have been more credible if the televised reunion had fallen through.