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The Fortune Cookie (1966)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 7.4/10
Reviews Counted: 21
Fresh: 20 | Rotten: 1

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 3
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 0

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Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 4,320

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Movie Info

The British title of Billy Wilder's classic comedy was Meet Whiplash Willie -- for, despite Jack Lemmon's star billing, the movie's driving force is Oscar-winning Walter Matthau as gloriously underhanded lawyer "Whiplash" Willie Gingrich. CBS cameraman Harry Hinkle (Lemmon) is injured when he is accidentally bulldozed by football player Luther "Boom Boom" Jackson (Ron Rich) during a Cleveland Browns game. Willie, Harry's brother-in-law, foresees an insurance-settlement bonanza, and he convinces

Unrated, 2 hr. 5 min.

Drama, Classics, Comedy

Directed By: Billy Wilder

Written By: Billy Wilder, I. A. L. Diamond

In Theaters: Oct 19, 1966 Wide

On DVD: Mar 6, 2001

Cast

Jack Lemmon
Harry Hinkle
Walter Matthau
Willie Gingrich
Ron Rich
Luther "Boom-Boom" Jack...
Cliff Osmond
Mr. Purkey
Judi West
Sandy Hinkle
Harry Holcombe
O'Brien
Lurene Tuttle
Mother Hinkle
Les Tremayne
Thompson
Marge Redmond
Charlotte Gingrich
Noam Pitlik
Max
Harry Davis
Dr. Krugman
Ann Shoemaker
Sister Veronica
Maryesther Denver
Nurse
Lauren Gilbert
Kincaid
Ned Glass
Doc Schindler
Sig Rumann
Prof. Winterhalter
Archie Moore
Mr. Jackson
Howard McNear
Mr. Cimoli
Bartlett Robinson
One of The Four
Robert P. Lieb
One of The Four Special...
Martin Blaine
One of The Four Special...
Dody Heath
Nun
Herbie Faye
Maury
Billy Beck
Maury's Assistant
Judy Pace
Elvira
Helen Kleeb
Receptionist
John Todd Roberts
Jeffrey Gingrich
Herb Ellis
TV Director
Don Reed
Newscaster
Robert DoQui
Man in Bar
Ben Wright
Specialist
Jon Silo
Tailor
Keith Jackson
Football Announcer

Critic Reviews for The Fortune Cookie

All Critics (22) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (20) | Rotten (1) | DVD (4)

...another bittersweet comedy commentary on contemporary US mores.

August 15, 2007 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Variety Staff

Variety

Top Critic

Wildly funny in spots...

August 15, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

Don Druker

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

Mr. Wilder's last film and a comedy of unrelieved vulgarity, but it has style and taste.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Vincent Canby

New York Times

Top Critic

A very funny film, this morality tale is a deft mixture of cynicism, wit and idealism as only writer-director Wilder could do it.

August 15, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

| Comment

TV Guide's Movie Guide

Saddled with a thin story.

March 17, 2007 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews

| Comment

Dennis Schwartz

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

The friction between the laughs and the cynicism generates more heat than most Hollywood comedies even aim at...

January 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Time Out

Though not top-notch Billy Wilder, this cynical satire about an unscrupulous lawyer and a TV cameraman benefits from good acting by Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in their first screen teaming.

July 3, 2005 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

| Comment

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

Good, but probably Wilder's most overrated film.

July 19, 2004 Comment

Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

The trio would move on to better things, but the comic chemistry was tangible from the start.

May 24, 2003 Full Review Source: Film4

| Comment

Film4

It's [the] performances that make The Fortune Cookie worth checking out, because the story itself isn't terribly interesting.

September 25, 2002 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews

| Comment

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

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Audience Reviews for The Fortune Cookie

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A comical caper from Jack Lemon and Walter Matthau, some great lines throughout, easy watching, a good oldie.

August 5, 2007

Lady D'arbanville

Super Reviewer

Another great comedy from Wilder, this movie is hilarious, fun, and has a great cast. I highly recommend it.

September 5, 2010

AJ Verser

Super Reviewer

The Fortune Cookie Quotes

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