THE FORTUNE COOKIE (Billy Wilder, UA, 1966)

Every time I watch a Billy Wilder film that I haven't seen before I am reminded of the mans sheer genius. Strangely, I forget what an amazing writer, producer and director he was and it's like I am learning all over again. It's a great feeling but unfortunately I am running out of hidden Wilder gems. The latest gem I watched was THE FORTUNE COOKIE (Billy Wilder, United Artists, 1966). This is a fantastic film with superb writing, the first pairing of one of the funniest duos in screen history and a fascinating look at the infancy of what was to become a media behemoth, the marriage of football and television. The film follows the attempt of a crooked ambulance chaser as he convinces his brother in law to sue the NFL and CBS over a supposed injury sustained working a football game. Good performances by the cast, great access to the stadium and games of the Cleveland Browns and the Wilder touch made this a great film. Everything Billy Wilder does well is on display in this film. The writing is superb. He catches the rhythm of the language of the period, doesn't load the film down with unnecessary dialogue and captures the essence of what is needed for his characters. The writing for Willie Gingrich (Walter Matthau) is particularly good, full of sarcasm and generally poking fun at the established order of things. Wilder also has an inimitable style to his directing and I feel it is very influenced by the horror genre and German Expressionism of the 1920's. Minimal lighting and shadows are used to great effect, like as Gingrich exits his car only to recede back into the comforting shadows as he spies Purkey (Cliff Osmond) spying on his client. This not only adds to the comedy of the film but it plays on the shyster lawyer stereotype lingering in the darkness. Wilder also has great camera placement, often using a set-up from the ground up at his characters. He does this often in Harry Hinkle's (Jack Lemmon) apartment, foreshadowing that Hinkle will eventually do the right thing. The tilted angle facing up elevates Hinkle, rising him above the depths, above evil. This is really masterful work done by Wilder here, throwing these different elements together yet not bludgeoning his audience into knowing what he is doing. I also really liked the numbering and naming of chapters and it made me wonder if this was the first film to do so. I certainly can't re-collect immediately one previously released that had. A great technique still popular in today's filmmaking. If both Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau were alive today I think they would still be making films and they would still be entertaining audiences endlessly. What an amazing pair. This was their first film together and the chemistry between the two worked right away. The pairing worked on many levels but I feel it is the dichotomy that the two men represent which works best. As audiences we relate to both in many ways but then there is that part of us which relates individually. And these qualities are on full display here in the film. Lemmon, helpless and romantic, a good guy trying to do the right thing. He just wants his love Sandy (Judi West) back and for things to be okay with Boom-Boom (Ron Rich). And Matthau. Conniving, manipulative and looking for that easy pay day. One of the funniest bits to me was immediately following the reveal that Hinkle was faking injury. Gingrich doesn't miss a beat immediately informing Purkey he will be suing the rival law firm for invasion of privacy. Classic stuff. Two last notes. I really liked West and Rich in their roles. West played her role deftly though we knew right away she was up to no good. And Rich gave us just the right amount of athlete and just the right amount of actor. Kudos to Wilder for getting good performances from all. Finally the ending. What a touching way to end the film, with Hinkle and Boom-Boom playing catch on the Browns turf. And this is where I think the film gives a glimpse into the future (remember it was released in 1966). The film had great access to the game at the start of the film showing game footage and the sidelines as the camera crews worked. But I think Wilder sees that football and television are meant for each other, that a relationship is brewing. And as we have seen, how right he was. Throughout the film he also uses TV as a narrative device. I often tell the story I learned of Wilder coming to America and learning English. The story goes that Wilder came to America and didn't know any English. So he just hung out on the streets and learned by osmosis. This is what makes his writing so true. To me it would also explain his ability to capture Americana so perfectly and for him to be thoughtful enough to see the marriage of football and television coming. I loved this film, pretty much like I love all Wilder films. Please watch it if you get the chance.