List of the best Walter Matthau movies: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three(1974), Charley Varrick(1973), A New Leaf(1971), The Bad News Bears(1976), Hopscotch(1980), Cactus Flower(1969), House Calls(1978), A Guide for the Married Man(1967), Plaza Suite(1971), Kotch(1971), I'm Not Rappaport(1996), The Laughing Policeman(1973) ... ...
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama, Action
USA
1974
104 Minutes
Walter Matthau Robert Shaw Martin Balsam Héctor Elizondo Earl Hindman James Broderick Dick O'Neill Lee Wallace Tom Pedi Beatrice Winde Jerry Stiller
criminal police officer negotiator hostage mayor cheeky chilling gritty suspenseful brash new york city subway hijacking crime city life pursuit rescue 1970s
In New York, armed men hijack a subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. Even if it's paid, how could they get away?
Crime, Drama
USA
1973
111 Minutes
Charley Varrick
Walter Matthau Joe Don Baker Felicia Farr Andrew Robinson John Vernon Sheree North Norman Fell Benson Fong Woodrow Parfrey William Schallert Jacqueline Scott
bank robber criminal police officer killer tense gritty new mexico bank robbery survival showdown mob retribution escape pursuit revenge 1970s
A man, his wife and their friend stage a bloody bank robbery without realizing they are stealing from the Mob.
Comedy
USA
1971
102 Minutes
Henry Graham
Walter Matthau Elaine May Jack Weston George Rose William Redfield James Coco Graham Jarvis Doris Roberts Rose Arrick Renee Taylor Mildred Clinton
heir heiress uncle butler amusing quirky dark new york city apartment wilderness wealth marrying for money murder plot romance bad behavior deception love transformation wretched excess 1970s
Henry Graham lives the life of a playboy. When his lawyer tells him one day that his lifestyle has consumed all his funds, he needs an idea to avoid climbing down the social ladder. So he intends to marry a rich woman and - murder her.
Comedy, Kids & Family
USA
1976
102 Minutes
Coach Morris Buttermaker
Walter Matthau Tatum O'Neal Vic Morrow Joyce Van Patten Ben Piazza Jackie Earle Haley Alfred W. Lutter Brandon Cruz Shari Summers Joe Brooks Maurice Marks
coach baseball player son father adversary manager cheeky outlandish heartwarming san fernando valley baseball field california baseball alcoholism father/son relationship children vs. adults troubled youth sportsmanship underdog rivalry
An aging, down-on-his-luck ex-minor leaguer coaches a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive California little league.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1980
104 Minutes
Miles Kendig, James Butler, Mr. Hannaway, Leonard Ross
Walter Matthau Glenda Jackson Sam Waterston Ned Beatty Herbert Lom David Matthau George Baker Ivor Roberts Lucy Saroyan Severn Darden George Pravda
cia agent kgb agent rescue worker mentee publisher playful amusing munich georgia bermuda london airport vacation home espionage cold war government secrets retirement manhunt memoir revenge
Grounded with a desk job by incompetent superiors, a clever CIA agent retires and writes a tell all memoir that will embarrass his bosses, prompting him to go on the run and elude them.
Comedy
USA
1969
103 Minutes
Dr. Julian Winston
Walter Matthau Ingrid Bergman Goldie Hawn Jack Weston Rick Lenz Vito Scotti Irene Hervey Eve Bruce Irwin Charone Matthew Saks
dentist mistress nurse author charming hilarious cheeky new york city dentist's office deception romance devotion love attempted suicide love pursuit transformation 1960s
A dentist pretends to be married to avoid commitment, but when he falls for his girlfriend and proposes, he must recruit his lovelorn nurse to pose as his wife.
Comedy
USA
1978
98 Minutes
Dr. Charley Nichols
Walter Matthau Glenda Jackson Art Carney Richard Benjamin Candy Azzara Dick O'Neill Thayer David
doctor nurse heartwarming touching amusing charming hospital city dating romance medicine lawsuit love rivalry 1970s
Charley is a surgeon who's recently lost his wife. He embarks on a tragicomic romantic quest with one woman after another until he meets up with Ann, a singular woman, closer to his own age... See full summary »
Comedy
USA
1967
89 Minutes
Walter Matthau Robert Morse Inger Stevens Sue Ane Langdon Jackie Russell Claire Kelly Linda Harrison Elaine Devry Jason Wingreen Heather Carroll Robert Patten
husband wife pretty woman adulterer amusing cheeky lighthearted playful los angeles household motel adultery infidelity marriage sex love forbidden love discovery 1960s
A man gives his friend a series of lessons on how to cheat on his wife without being caught.
Comedy
USA
1971
115 Minutes
Roy Hubley, Jesse Kiplinger, Sam Nash
Walter Matthau Maureen Stapleton Barbara Harris Jose Ocasio Dan Ferrone Louise Sorel Lee Grant Jenny Sullivan Tom Carey
husband wife producer girlfriend parent daughter witty cheeky lighthearted new york city plaza hotel relationships marriage seduction romance ambition family pursuit love temptation
Three vignettes, each set in room 719 of New York's Plaza Hotel, make up this comedy.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1971
118 Minutes
Walter Matthau Deborah Winters Felicia Farr Charles Aidman Ellen Geer Darrell Larson Paul Picerni Lucy Saroyan Jane Connell Jessica Rains Larry Linville
elderly person grandfather daughter-in-law son pregnant woman lighthearted positive united states household bus aging retirement friendship family family dysfunction road trip discovery 1970s
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 »
Drama
USA
1996
135 Minutes
Nat Moyer
Walter Matthau Ossie Davis Amy Irving Martha Plimpton Craig T. Nelson Boyd Gaines Guillermo Díaz Elina Lowensohn Ron Rifkin Marin Hinkle
old man best friend daughter yuppie drug dealer artist charming emotional new york city central park apartment building supermarket aging friendship social activism disguise drug addiction father/daughter relationship quest love
Two old men - a white former radical, and a black retired janitor - strike up an unusual and funny friendship on a park bench in New York, where they deal with family, drug dealers, and the pitfalls of age.
Crime, Drama
USA
1973
111 Minutes
Sgt. Jake Martin SFPD
Walter Matthau Bruce Dern Louis Gossett Jr. Albert Paulsen Anthony Zerbe Anthony Costello Cathy Lee Crosby Shirley Ballard David Belrose Dawn Frame Louis Guss
detective police officer partner suspect murderer businessman dark tense san francisco bus police station street massacre investigation police work murder homosexuality violence mystery pursuit
In San Francisco, California, one victim in a mass murder is a police detective. His partner and a new partner investigate in the city's seamy side.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1981
100 Minutes
Dan Snow
Walter Matthau Jill Clayburgh Barnard Hughes Jan Sterling James Stephens Joshua Bryant Wiley Harker F.J. O'Neil Charles Lampkin Lew Palter Richard McMurray
supreme court justice conservative liberal amusing brash fiery courtroom united states washington, d.c. lawsuit political debate quest rivalry transformation 20th century
For the first time in history a woman is appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where she becomes a friendly rival to a liberal associate.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1982
107 Minutes
Herbert Tucker
Walter Matthau Ann-Margret Dinah Manoff Lance Guest Lewis Smith Martin Ferrero Eugene Butler Samantha Harper Santos Morales David Faustino Shelby Balik
actress screenwriter hairdresser father daughter girlfriend witty fiery touching brooklyn, n.y. hollywood, calif. family home movie studio father/daughter relationship family dysfunction estrangement show business ambition new town transformation
Grandmother has nothing to say when Libby tells her that she is off to LA to look up Dad, a Hollywood screenwriter. Grandmother has been in a New York cemetery for six years and Dad has ... See full summary »
Adventure
France|Tunisia
1986
117 Minutes
Captain Thomas Bartholomew Red
Walter Matthau Cris Campion Charlotte Lewis Damien Thomas Richard Pearson Olu Jacobs David Kelly Roy Kinnear Bill Fraser José Santamaría Ferdinand Mayne
The adventures of pirate Captain Red and his first mate Frog.
Comedy
USA
1968
92 Minutes
The Movie Star
Walter Matthau Anne Jackson Patrick O'Neal Edy Williams Richard Bull Paul Napier Christian Brando Albert Carrier
wife husband movie star agent call girl amusing lighthearted new york city hotel household infidelity marriage celebrity self-esteem sex deception forbidden love discovery 1960s
A bored housewife poses as a call girl for a movie star sex-symbol, hoping she can prove to her husband, the star's agent, that she is still desirable to other men and thereby, rekindle the spark in their marriage.
Comedy
USA
1983
104 Minutes
Sonny Paluso
Walter Matthau Robin Williams Jerry Reed James Wainwright Kristen Vigard Annie McEnroe Anne Pitoniak Bernard Barrow Marian Hailey Joseph Carberry
executive gas station owner hit man veteran fiancée survivalist offbeat hilarious suspenseful diner wall street unemployment office vermont camp gas station unemployment unlikely allies nervous breakdown witnessing murder survival
Having both lost their jobs, two strangers become unlikely friends after a run in with a would be robber, who is actually a hitman with a grudge against the two.
Comedy, Kids & Family
USA
1993
96 Minutes
Walter Matthau Mason Gamble Joan Plowright Christopher Lloyd Lea Thompson Robert Stanton Paul Winfield Amy Sakasitz Kellen Hathaway Billie Bird Arnold Stang
young boy neighbor wife burglar mother father amusing madcap river suburbia party garage backyard suburban life kidnapping practical jokes summer vacation robbery transformation adventure
When his parents have to go out of town, Dennis stays with Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. The little menace is driving Mr. Wilson crazy, but Dennis is just trying to be helpful. Even to the thief who's arrived in town.
Comedy
1975
111 Minutes
Willy Clark
Walter Matthau George Burns Richard Benjamin Lee Meredith Carol Arthur Howard Hesseman Ron Rifkin Fritz Feld Jack Bernardi F. Murray Abraham
comedian performers nephew television producer amusing hilarious witty cheeky television studio new york city new jersey stage comedy show business aging collaboration reunion friendship rivalry 1970s
After a long separation, two former vaudeville partners reunite to renew their friendship and their feud.
Drama
1991
97 Minutes
Clifford Pepperman
Walter Matthau Ellen Burstyn Ryan Todd William Schallert Kathleen Garrett Sherry Hursey Richard Zobel Jeanne Reynolds Tom McGraw
grandmother widow grandson friend social worker moving somber touching united states car house custody battle alzheimer's disease aging grandparent/child relationship loss foster care escape pursuit adventure
An orphan (Ryan Todd) and his grandmother (Ellen Burstyn) must flee to stay together, with help from a fatherly friend (Walter Matthau).
Kids & Family, Comedy, Drama
1978
117 Minutes
Lloyd Bourdelle
Walter Matthau Alexis Smith Robert Webber Murray Hamilton Andrew A. Rubin Stephan Burns Susan Myers Michael Hershewe Harry Caesar Joel Fluellen Whit Bissell
A Cajun trainer (Walter Matthau) and his three sons enter the annual quarter-horse race in Ruidoso, N.M.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1964
111 Minutes
Prof. Groeteschele
Henry Fonda Walter Matthau Dan O'Herlihy Sorrell Booke Larry Hagman Frank Overton Dom DeLuise
president pilot soldier soviet soldier chairman suspenseful bleak dark gripping moscow new york city washington, d.c. airplane cold war destruction technology military nuclear attack pursuit sacrifice
A technical malfunction sends American planes to Moscow to deliver a nuclear attack. Can all-out war be averted?
Comedy
USA
1968
105 Minutes
Jack Lemmon Walter Matthau John Fiedler Herbert Edelman Monica Evans Carole Shelley David Sheiner Larry Haines
cop writer roommate divorcée hilarious witty touching new york city apartment gambling divorce roommates dating friendship suicide rivalry transformation 1960s
Two friends try sharing an apartment, but their ideas of housekeeping and lifestyles are as different as night and day.
Comedy, Drama
USA
1974
105 Minutes
Jack Lemmon Walter Matthau Carol Burnett Susan Sarandon Vincent Gardenia David Wayne Allen Goorwitz Austin Pendleton Charles Durning Harold Gould Herbert Edelman
editor journalist fugitive girlfriend prostitute bumbler amusing cheeky madcap offbeat witty intense chicago newsroom prison train station newspapers journalism deception set-up
A ruthless editor tries to get his top reporter to cover one more crime story before retirement.
Romance, Comedy, Drama
USA
1966
125 Minutes
Jack Lemmon Walter Matthau Ron Rich Cliff Osmond Judi West Lurene Tuttle Harry Holcombe Les Tremayne Marge Redmond Noam Pitlik Harry Davis
lawyer cameraman doctor athlete ex-wife investigator witty suspenseful cleveland stadium hospital household bar insurance friendly fire parallel universe food industry inventions great depression quest
A crooked lawyer persuades his brother-in-law to feign a serious injury.
Musical, Comedy
USA
1969
146 Minutes
Barbra Streisand Walter Matthau Michael Crawford Marianne McAndrew E.J. Peaker Danny Lockin Louis Armstrong Joyce Ames Tommy Tune Judy Knaiz David Hurst
matchmaker wealthy man employee niece artist cheery charming cheeky madcap playful new york city yonkers, n.y. matchmaking aspirations love love pursuit transformation 1890s
Matchmaker Dolly Levi travels to Yonkers to find a partner for "half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder, convincing his niece, his niece's intended, and his two clerks to travel to New York City along the way.
Fantasy, Comedy
Italy
1988
110 Minutes
Maurice
Roberto Benigni Walter Matthau Nicoletta Braschi John Lurie Stefania Sandrelli Paolo Baroni Franco Fabrizi Giacomo Piperno Flavio Bonacci Annabella Schiavone John Karlsen
demon priest beautiful woman possessed woman woman outlandish quirky hysterical rome house church possession unlikely romance unlikely friendship religion exorcism escape discovery love 1980s
During an exorcism, father Maurice meets a little devil named Giuditta, who refuses to return to hell and decides to discover the world.
Comedy
USA
1995
100 Minutes
Jack Lemmon Walter Matthau Ann-Margret Sophia Loren Burgess Meredith Kevin Pollak Daryl Hannah Ann Morgan Guilbert Katie Sagona Wayne A. Evenson
father fisherman grandfather restaurant owner son daughter hilarious madcap heartwarming amusing minnesota lake fishing boat restaurant home boat courtship friendship fishing funeral
John and Max resolve to save their beloved bait shop from turning into an Italian restaurant, just as its new female owner catches Max's attention.
Comedy
USA
1981
96 Minutes
Jack Lemmon Walter Matthau Paula Prentiss Klaus Kinski Dana Elcar Miles Chapin Michael Ensign Joan Shawlee Nino Formicola C.J. Hunt Bette Raya
During a high profile Mafia testimony case in California's Riverside County, a hired killer checks into a hotel room near the courthouse, while his depressed next-door neighbor wants to commit suicide due to marital problems.
Romance
USA
1997
109 Minutes
Jack Lemmon Walter Matthau Diane Cannon Gloria DeHaven Brent Spiner Elaine Stritch Hal Linden Donald O'Connor Edward Mulhare Rue McClanahan
con artist brother-in-law heiress widow friend retiree lighthearted hilarious heartwarming cruise ship sea schemes romance aging dance deception discovery love transformation 1990s
A failed gambler, intent on meeting a rich widow, tricks his widowed brother-in-law into boarding a cruise ship as dance hosts.
Comedy
1998
107 Minutes
Jack Lemmon Walter Matthau Christine Baranski Barnard Hughes Jonathan Silverman Jean Smart Lisa Waltz Mary Beth Peil Doris Belack Ellen Geer Jay O. Sanders
father friend son daughter ex-wife mother madcap hilarious playful florida new york city retirement home los angeles desert car reunion wedding road trip retirement unlikely friendship
A slob (Walter Matthau) and a neat freak (Jack Lemmon), former roommates, meet again years later for their children's wedding.
Comedy, Mystery & Thriller
USA
1963
114 Minutes
H. Bartholemew
Cary Grant Audrey Hepburn Walter Matthau James Coburn George Kennedy Ned Glass Jacques Marin Paul Bonifas Dominique Minot Thomas Chelimsky
widow boyfriend thief police officer cool suspenseful charming paris french alps ski resort office hideout street crime heist investigation money world war ii mystery pursuit
Romance and suspense ensue in Paris as a woman is pursued by several men who want a fortune her murdered husband had stolen. Whom can she trust?
Western
USA
1962
107 Minutes
Sheriff Morey Johnson
Kirk Douglas Gena Rowlands Walter Matthau Michael Kane Carroll O'Connor William Schallert George Kennedy Karl Swenson William Mims Martin Garralaga Lalo Rios
cowboy sheriff wife deputy friend disheartening somber prison new mexico border highway bar american west illegal immigration law and order prison break manhunt underdog escape 1950s
A fiercely independent cowboy gets himself locked up in prison to escape with an old friend.
Drama
USA
1956
95 Minutes
Wally Gibbs
James Mason Barbara Rush Walter Matthau Robert F. Simon Chris Olsen Roland Winters Rusty Lane Rachel Stephens Kipp Hamilton
schoolteacher wife friend son doctor dark gripping intense small town family home hospital school america drug addiction experiments small-town life unusual behavior american dream fall transformation
A seriously ill schoolteacher becomes dependent on a "miracle" drug that begins to affect his sanity.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1965
109 Minutes
Ted Caselle
Gregory Peck Diane Baker Walter Matthau Kevin McCarthy Jack Weston Leif Erickson Walter Abel George Kennedy Robert H. Harris Anne Seymour House B. Jameson
accountant philanthropist private investigator amnesiac hit man engaging gripping intense suspenseful thrilling new york city office building amnesia suicide murder mystery discovery pursuit 1960s
An accountant suddenly suffers from amnesia. This appears related to the suicide of his boss. Now some violent thugs are out to get him. They work for a shadowy figure known simply as The Major.
Western
USA
1958
87 Minutes
Judge Kyle
Audie Murphy Gia Scala Walter Matthau Henry Silva Joanna Moore Eddie Little Sky Mary Field Leo Gordon Mort Mills Frank Chase Bill Walker
fugitive bank robber marshal old flame husband wife judge boyfriend orphan couple emotional passionate tense united states wild west mistaken identity stolen identity impersonation romance western films
Fugitive bank robber Joe Maybe steals the identity of a marshal and rides into a town whose judge asks Joe to act as town marshal but an old flame almost betrays his real identity forcing Joe to claim she's his wife.
Comedy
USA
1964
104 Minutes
Doc
Robert Walker Burl Ives Walter Matthau Tommy Sands Millie Perkins Kay Medford Larry Hagman Gerald S. O'Loughlin Sal Papa Al Freeman Jr. James Farentino
Life becomes so harried after Ensign Pulver's prank, he and the Captain are swept off deck during a storm, ending up on a tropical island, a group of ship wrecked nurses, dancing natives, and one very big case of appendicitis.
Comedy
USA
1958
110 Minutes
"Red" Wildoe
In 1941, an Oklahoma college graduate joins the US Coast Guard and serves as a cook on a ship based in Boston.
Comedy
USA
1963
101 Minutes
Tony Dallas
Robert Preston Tony Randall Walter Matthau Giorgia Moll Betty Bruce Michael Constantine Vassili Lambrinos
con artist gangster writer girlfriend love interest tourist outlandish playful amusing new york city ship island athens, greece hoax on the run get rich quick romance filmmaking escape adventure
A con man named Steve Blair (Robert Preston), enlists an out-of-work, drunk writer Paul Ferris (Tony Randall) to write a fictitious screenplay he hopes will be funded by a rich, but ... See full summary »
Western
1955
88 Minutes
Wes Todd
Kirk Douglas Elsa Martinelli Walter Matthau Diana Douglas Walter Abel Eduard Franz Alan Hale Jr. Lon Chaney
fighter soldier trader native american warrior chief native american woman brash thrilling emotional american west fort camp river tent woods manifest destiny war culture clash gold travel
A frontier scout (Kirk Douglas) leads a wagon train to Oregon, woos a Dakota woman (Elsa Martinelli) and exposes a troublemaker (Walter Matthau).
Drama
USA
1960
117 Minutes
Felix Anders
Kirk Douglas Kim Novak Ernie Kovacs Barbara Rush Walter Matthau Virginia Bruce Kent Smith
architect wife lover neighbor author melodramatic brooding los angeles suburbia family home unhappy marriage suburban life affair family dysfunction alcohol rape forbidden love discovery 1960s
A suburban architect loves his wife but is bored with his marriage and with his work, so he takes up with the neglected, married beauty who lives down the street.
Crime, Drama
USA
1957
103 Minutes
Al Dahlke
Richard Egan Jan Sterling Dan Duryea Julie Adams Walter Matthau Sam Levene Charles McGraw Mickey Shaughnessy
A brave longshoreman lingers on after being gunned down by 3 racketeers, as a determined assistant D.A. searches hard for fearful witnesses against the men.
Comedy
1962
93 Minutes
Tony Gagouts
Dean Martin Lana Turner Eddie Albert Nita Talbot Walter Matthau Paul Ford Margo John McGiver Jack Albertson
novelist husband lawyer mobster neighbor housekeeper lighthearted madcap apartment office los angeles gambling horse racing debt schemes misunderstanding mafia discovery revenge 1960s
A lawyer (Dean Martin) begins to win after his wife (Lana Turner) secretly becomes his bookie to save their money.
Musical
USA
1958
116 Minutes
Maxie Fields
Elvis Presley Carolyn Jones Dolores Hart Dean Jagger Liliane Montevecchi Walter Matthau Paul Stewart Vic Morrow
singer juvenile delinquent pharmacist club owner kept woman dark tense new orleans club school apartment unemployment troubled youth graduation jazz singing father/son relationship underdog temptation love
A troubled youth's singing sets New Orleans rockin'. With a sweet girl to love him and nightclubbers cheering, it seems he will shake off his past and head for the top. But will a mobster and his man-trap moll snare him in a life of crime?
Gay & Lesbian, Comedy, Drama
USA
1978
103 Minutes
Marvin Michaels
Alan Alda Jane Fonda Maggie Smith Michael Caine Bill Cosby Walter Matthau Elaine May Richard Pryor Gloria Gifford Sheila Frazier Herbert Edelman
mother father businessperson actress gay/lesbian doctor airy amusing lighthearted los angeles beverly hills hotel divorce infidelity homosexuality show business competition prostitution transformation quest 1970s
Misadventures of four groups of guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Comedy
Italy|France|USA
1968
123 Minutes
Gen. R.A. Smight
Ewa Aulin Marlon Brando Richard Burton Charles Aznavour James Coburn John Huston Walter Matthau Ringo Starr John Astin Elsa Martinelli Sugar Ray Robinson
Candy Christian, an innocent high-schooler, encounters numerous colorful characters and humorous sexual situations while attempting to find meaning in life.
Western
USA
1955
104 Minutes
Stan Bodine
Burt Lancaster Dianne Foster Diana Lynn John McIntire Una Merkel John Carradine John Litel Rhys Williams Walter Matthau Donald MacDonald Edward Norris
frontiersman frontier woman schoolteacher indentured servant son father emotional tender spirited kentucky frontier texas journey family father/son relationship frontier life friendship adventure discovery love
A Kentucky widower bound for 1820's Texas with his young son is thwarted in his efforts by a corrupt constable, a long-standing family feud, and a beautiful indentured servant.
Drama, History
USA|France
1991
189 Minutes
Kevin Costner Sissy Spacek Joe Pesci Tommy Lee Jones Gary Oldman Jay O. Sanders Michael Rooker Laurie Metcalf Gary Grubbs John Candy Jack Lemmon
district attorney assassin businessman informant wife passionate spirited new orleans washington, d.c. dallas courtroom conspiracy assassination deception political intrigue historical events trial mystery discovery 1960s
New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison discovers there's more to the Kennedy assassination than the official story.