Jack-Lemmon Movie Reviews

This movie has a slow start (understandably being made in 1962) but then before you know it, it transforms in to a sweet faerie tale for the grown ups. From this aspect, it was indeed a very creative idea even though the movie has its own slow moments and not so knitly tied up sequences.
Shirley MacLaine's performance is certainly memorable!

...i didn't watch it until the thursday before last which was a mistake.the afi rated some like it hot as the funniest movie of all time but i thought this movie was a damn sight funnier then that.Lemmon gives the performance of his career and lord x is funnier then tom or jerry.Thin cigarettes usually freak me out but Shirley maclaine was curiously sexy in this movie and their has never been tougher screen pimp then Jack Lemmon not the Mack not Doctor Detroit not Anybody!

Shirley MacLaine is great as Irma La Douce (Irma The Sweet) and this is a fantastic film! Irma is the most popular prostitute in Paris' red light district,and she is 'managed' by Hippolyte the Ox,in rather a horrible manner. She and her adorable dog,Coquette,live a hectic life,and then Nestor (Jack Lemmon) enters their lives.He is kindly and sweet,and offers to help manage Irma,and get her on the straight and narrow.How he does it will have you in stiches! The show,which is essentially the Broadway musical with all the songs cut out,works brilliantly as a comedy,and MacLaine and Lemmon,as in THE APARTMENT,work great together.

This movie has a slow start (understandably being made in 1962) but then before you know it, it transforms in to a sweet faerie tale for the grown ups. From this aspect, it was indeed a very creative idea even though the movie has its own slow moments and not so knitly tied up sequences.
Shirley MacLaine's performance is certainly memorable!

...i didn't watch it until the thursday before last which was a mistake.the afi rated some like it hot as the funniest movie of all time but i thought this movie was a damn sight funnier then that.Lemmon gives the performance of his career and lord x is funnier then tom or jerry.Thin cigarettes usually freak me out but Shirley maclaine was curiously sexy in this movie and their has never been tougher screen pimp then Jack Lemmon not the Mack not Doctor Detroit not Anybody!

Shirley MacLaine is great as Irma La Douce (Irma The Sweet) and this is a fantastic film! Irma is the most popular prostitute in Paris' red light district,and she is 'managed' by Hippolyte the Ox,in rather a horrible manner. She and her adorable dog,Coquette,live a hectic life,and then Nestor (Jack Lemmon) enters their lives.He is kindly and sweet,and offers to help manage Irma,and get her on the straight and narrow.How he does it will have you in stiches! The show,which is essentially the Broadway musical with all the songs cut out,works brilliantly as a comedy,and MacLaine and Lemmon,as in THE APARTMENT,work great together.

Few people remember that this was the movie that Jack Lemmon won his Oscar in but it was well deserved. Dated in that obviously reeks of the late 60's and early 70's but a story line that would hold up today. Any business owner with a high rent, high life style and lots of people depending on you to produce understand the pressure that Harry Stoner was going through.

Great Actor in an interesting part. Movie gets low ratings by some critics as they think it is impossible for a business owner to be a sympatethic figure. Lemmon makes the part work and is an incredibly performance in a movie that is a true insight into how the world can get ugly at times.

Don McNay...

Watching "Save the tiger" is an immensely rewarding experience for intelligent people. Simple minds won't even understand it.

The first scene is apt to shock the MTV-generation. For 15 minutes the camera follows Harry Stoner(Jack Lemmon) during his morning ritual. He awakes screaming from a nightmare, hears the latest news about Vietnam on tv, takes a shower, breakfasts, dresses.
He, a war-veteran of Anzio (1944; The scars on his back are not skin-cancer as one might suspect, but a souvenir from WWII), is obsessed by the years of his young manhood where America was a shining example for the world.
But Roosevelt's America is gone, and so is Glenn Miller and base-ball without trickery.
His wife thinks he's insane.
He spends $200 a day (Today's viewers: double the sum): Beverly Hills home, his daughter's swiss school, hispanic maid, swimming-pool-service, tree-surgeon.

As he drives along Sunset-Strip in his shiny Lincoln Continental he stops for Myra,20, a young hitch-hiker. He is surprised how quickly she offers him sex, but declines nonetheless.

In his garment-factory his cutter, Meyer, an old holocaust-survivor and Rico, his ambitious,young, gay protege are on each other's throats. There's an upcomíng fashion-show this evening and Harry has to talk business with his associate, Phil (Jack Gilford).

His firm is on the brink of collapse. He cannot risk bankruptcy (including balance-review), and won't give himself in the hands of the maffia. Arson in one of his factories in order to get the insurance seems the lesser evil.

A client, Fred Mirrell, is calling. He buys for $80.000 a year, but wants a call-girl as extra bonus. The following scene is brilliant in its insidiousness: Harry knows what Freddie wants, but politeness (and calculation) require him to play ignorant. He forces himself to listen to Freddie's lamentation: Sick wife, good wife, but after 15 years...

Finally, Margo, the lady in question arrives. In her handbag: baby-oil, camphor, lolly-pops...
Soon, bad news reach Harry: Freddie has suffered a coronary. Harry is outraged: Why hasn't he closed the deal first?!

This evening, while he presents his collection at the fashion-show, he sees the faces of his dead wartime-comrades. He realizes that he and Margo sell the same product: Imagination.

First meeting with the arsonist. While a commentator in a porn-cinema describes the events on screen in the tone of a newscaster, Harry and Charlie fix the details. Charlie is a real pro. 15 industrial plants set on fire . Just two fire-fighters in hospital.

Harry decides to give life a chance. He suggests telephone-sex to his wife; She is ice-cold in her rejection.

This night he spends with Myra, the hippie-girl. Ecstatic from dope he plays a name-a-famous-person-game with her. She doesn't know Glenn Miller or that there ever was a war with Italy. Their play reveals two worlds apart, that only a brief moment of tenderness can reunite.

Next morning, Harry signs a petition to "save the siberian tiger from extinction". He, himself will return to the zoo...

It won't be love at first sight between you and this film. It was a low-budget production. Yet- this is a stylish film if you take a closer look.

This film is not outdated the least. It's the story of an honest man whose America has changed beyond his wildest dreams. Think of what the Kennedy generation must have felt when the yuppies took over. Or, if you're 20, look at the 10-year olds. Ten years from now, THEY're going to be the new opinion-leaders and dictate their values on you.

"Save the tiger" is also the best film about the generation-gap that I have ever seen. Play the name-a-famous-person-game with your parents/children. See?

Lemmon played for scale, totally convinced by his role. He is of such a human truth in this difficult role, that he transcends his filmic character.

"Save the tiger" ís a masterpiece. To be seen again and again.

Businessman Harry Stoner seems to have it all, or does he. A wife, who wishes he would turn down the Jazz music. A daughter, but she is away at a Swiss school. A home in the hills, that requires everything from a housekeeper to a tree surgeon. A successful business, that he now is forced to decide to burn down for the insurance money or go to the mob for a loan. Jack Lemmon portrays someone we do not see too often - a shell shocked World WarII veteran, post-traumatic stress disorder being more associated in the movies with Vietnam. Harry's youth as a nightclub Jazz drummer and sandlot baseball player is long gone, and so it seems is his America. Jack and Bobby, Martin and Medgar are all in their grave. Will our hero be next or will he go on living because its a habit he finds hard to break. Lemmon in the film tries to get through a day and half in Los Angeles while unwittingly doing battle with car parking attendents, out of town buyers, cab drivers, and dress cutters. A real American gem of a movie with a memorable performance by the late Thayer David in a small role as an industrial arsonist.

I haven't yet seen the first movie Grumpy Old Men but I saw Grumpier Old Men which is the sequel and I thought it was a delight! It was funny and had a great cast of actors, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Burgess Meredith, Ann-Margret, Sophia Loren, Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollak, etc. I thought everyone was great but one of my favorites is Burgess Meredith who played Jack Lemmon's father, he was hilarious! I love this movie but I'm disappointed that the DVD has been edited from it's original theatrical widescreen format into the the pan and scan format which is no better than a pan and scan video. Hopefully someday soon a special edition widescreen DVD will be considered for people who don't like their movies on DVD to be edited in the chopped at the sides pan and scan format!

"Grumpy Old Men" has been one of my favorite comedy movies since I first saw it when it came out. Therefore, I couldn't wait to see "Grumpier Old Men," the sequel. It's pretty much just like the first one except with more laughs and some new faces. In this one, Max (Walter Matthau) has a son (Kevin Pollak) and John (Jack Lemmon) has a daughter (Daryl Hannah). Max's son and John's daughter are supposed to be getting married soon. Ann Margaret returns in this one and another new person is Sophia Loren along with her Italian mom. Best of all, Grandpa Gustafson returns with his hilarious one-liners in this sequel.

"Grumpier Old Men" is even funnier than the first movie was, and the new people fit in with the original cast perfectly. Everybody does a great job of acting. There's a lot of parts in the movie that are unforgettable once you see them such as when Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon temporarily turn their backs on one another and start playing hilarious pranks on each other, and the fight with the huge catfish. To top it all off, after the movie is over, it shows a lot of outtakes from the film, mainly with Grandpa Gustafson and they're just as hilarious as the movie itself was.

If you liked the first movie or if you like comedy movies where the laughs never stop, I recommend getting "Grumpier Old Men."

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau are the best comedy team ever--in my opinion. They are absolutely hilarious as Max and John, two fishing pals in Minnesota. I was so saddened to hear about Mr. Matthau's death. "The Odd Couple" and it's sequel, as well as "Out To Sea" and the original "Grumpy" are must-sees! In "Grumpy," the two old love-hate fishermen fished in the winter in Minnesota and in part 2, they are on motorboats looking for the big one in the summer heat. Sophia Loren steams it up as a beautiful Italian import to compliment Ann Margret. Burgess Meridith ("Mickey" from the Rocky flicks) is hilarious as Lemmon's pop. Light-hearted and funny, a can't-miss flick, watch it anytime for some laughs and smiles. You'll crave some vino after this flick from Loren's restaurant in the movie.

Unfortunately too many Catholic dioceses took the advice of this movie. Now they're being sued by the victims of homosexual priests,who seduced them when they were teenagers.

What better movie for a priest to review than 'Mass Appeal'? Directed by Glenn Jackson, and co-starring veteran actors Jack Lemmon and Charles Durning with relative newcomer Zeljko Ivanek, this story has influenced me in interesting ways.

Lemmon plays Father Farley, a jaded, settled Roman Catholic rector of a prominent parish, ultimately dis-satisfied with his lot in life but terrified nonetheless of losing it. Into this comfortable world steps an upstart seminarian Dolson (played by Ivanek), who has more principle than tact, and more passion than people skills.

The rector and the seminarian end up being placed together in a mentoring situation by the seminary dean, Mons. Burke (Durning), an autocratic moralist with strict rules on priestly formation. Various issues resound in the relationships of each of these characters with each other, the seminary, the congregation, and ultimately with their own destinies. Farley's issues with past abuse, Dolson's life on the wild side prior to seminary, and Burke's paranoia all enter the interplay of church politics and the discernment of a spiritual calling.

Farley is both irritated by and inspired by the seminarian. The seminarian takes a stand for honesty which costs him his appointment. The dean refuses to listen to anyone, including his friend Farley, and begins to question Farley's integrity as a priest as well.

Farley learns that it is never to late to hear a call, and that what he thought was his call in fact was a facade. Dolson finally realises that the in-your-face approach to public relations is not very pastoral, but his listening skills far exceed those around him, and he becomes trusted by Farley. Alas, the dean--what becomes of him? We never know.

Where God leads is a difficult question, with no easy answers, and we can spend much of our time following our version of that vocation without really ever touching the substance of it (as did Father Farley). We can be so overzealous for it that we might burn it out before it comes into being, rather like a forced hot-house flower that blooms prematurely and then dies too soon (similar to Dolson's experience).

This is an interesting film which brings up issues of polity, morality, reconciliation and redemption, themes that are far more prevalent in life than we would ordinarily think. This movie may not have mass appeal but can be enjoyed and, perhaps, give insight to all viewers, be they Roman Catholic, other denominations of Christian, of other religions, or even no religion at all.

This is one of the finest films I've ever seen. As a seminarian myself, I am convinced this film should be required viewing for all seminarians, priests, and all formators in the pre-seminary and seminary systems. Jack Lemmon and Zeljko Ivanek give poweful performances as Father Tim Farley and Deacon Mark Dolson; Lemmon's character is a wildly popular but complacent parish priest. Ivanek, in the role of a newly ordained transitional deacon, plays the idealistic and brash seminarian who conflicts with Fr. Farley's "song and dance" theology. As the two interact, a friendship is forged and the aging priest rediscovers his priestly vocation from the prodding of the young deacon. Ultimately, Fr. Farley finds himself in the position of defending young Dolson against the homophobic attack of the seminary rector.
While the theology of this film is not 100% sound, the overall theme is absolutely solid and gives you a lot of truth to think about. Whether it be Deacon Dolson's sordid past or the laziness of Father Farley's priestly ministry, the issues addressed are poignant and powerful. You simply must see this film!

I'd give this movie 1,000 stars if I could. Judy Holliday is a beautiful, comedic treasure and Jack Lemmon's debut is mint. I cannot believe this movie is no longer in print! What, did the company need to nudge it out to make room for one more cheap, silicone-bimbo flick or endless, blow-em-up nonsense we keep getting shoved at us? This movie may not be a million dollar blockbuster, but it deserves to be seen (and not at an exhorbitant [price] for a "collector's copy"). Please bring it back - It deserves DVD status!!!

Would that I could give this enticing and sadly neglected film a "6" just to encourage people to experience it. "It Should Happen to You" has it all: wit, a sizzling star (Judy Holliday), a fast-paced, slightly dizzy plot, a great director...and a chance to see Jack Lemmon very early in his screen career.

It's Manhattan in 1954 and Judy Holliday plays Gladys Glover, a lower-middle-class career girl who's been hunting a decent job for ever so long until she decides she might as well blow her emergency budget and take a chance on a one-shot approach. Soon a gigantic billboard appears above Manhattan's Columbus Circle: "Gladys Glover" is all it says. In a typical Holliday movie role, much like "Born Yesterday," Our Gal Gladys has street smarts and common sense, plus great intuition and a refusal to be cowed by the conventional "We've never done it that way before" approach. Early on she's established as a handsome heroine if not the most erudite thing in the world.

So after the first billboard causes a stir, our Gladys negotiates cut rates for more gigantic attention-grabbing placards strategically placed in the busiest parts of Manhattan. Clever as a fox, that one, and as in most of her movie parts, Holliday plays this one full-out; it's impossible to take one's eyes off her when she's on-screen. And like her namesake, that saturation advertising makes Gladys' name impossible for any New Yorker to ignore.

Complications ensue when the ads don't generate employment -- but they do generate romantic attention in the form of bumbling-but-lovable co-star Jack Lemmon -- and media attention just at the point when "celebrity" had come to mean "the art of being famous by being famous." Gladys inaugurates events, waves to crowds, and just generally does a good job of staying well known for being so well known. In fact, she's in fatal peril of falling in love with the media-generated image of herself.

And then that one-step-too-many: Gladys joins the panel of a serious TV discussion show for the topic of child-raising, of which she knows nothing. Her blurted response to a question about the facts of life (which I won't reaveal here) is a classic one-liner, a true early sound-bite: ad-lib, concise, funny, and extremely ignorant. One tavern TV regular moans, "I guess today that's all you need."

Leave it to Lemmon (Lord help him!) to explain to disillusioned Gladys the difference between brazenness and bravura, betweeen ignorance and common sense. It's not unlike the "Born Yesterday" situation where the mentor-and-boyfriend-to-be has to smarten up the dumb fox, but in this case we can see the well-meaning/insecure/ slightly neurotic Lemmon persona in the making; he certainly has his work cut out for him. Despite Gladys' stellar human qualities, Lemmon's character has to deal not only with Gladys' strong and somewhat star-struck personality but also with a non-human antagonist: the growing power of modern media to bewitch, distract, and -- or so Cukor hints -- steal Gladys' personality.

"It Should Happen to You" has something for everyone. I wish it were a little cheaper, to encourage people to take a chance on it, but I think the vast majority of those who do will love it. You can count on the indelible Judy Holliday, just as brilliant as in her other 40s-50s screen roles ...

I recently saw this movie again, shortly before Lemmon's death a few weeks ago. It was his first film and he displayed in it a budding talent that would only grow by leaps and bounds in the decades ahead. Lemmon plays the earnest, documentary film maker suitor for Gladys Glover (Judy Holliday). He meets her in Central Park one day while shooting footage for his next film. He is instantly taken with her but she is oblivious to him because she is so taken with making a name for herself, even if there is no accomplishment beyond the fame of her name. Hence, she rents a billboard in 1950s Columbus Circle New York that advertises solely her name. Shortly, wolfish Peter Lawford is after her, trying to get both her billboard and her virtue. Her head gets radically swelled by all these new developments and she neglects Lemmon. Lemmon and she have several wonderful romantic scenes together. One is where he plays the piano in a bar while they sing together "Let's Fall In Love." (Playing the piano like this was actually Lemmon's favorite pasttime in his private life.) Another scene is when he films a documentary for her that tells her what is wrong with their relationship. It is both funny and sad at the same time. Then there is the scene at the zoo where Lemmon very ably apes a monkey, while shooting another documentary, while a plane from Gladys buzzes overhead. Lemmon was very lucky in one respect. For his very first outing in film, he was in a movie directed by the fabulous George Cukor and written by the famous romantic comedy team of Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon. Not every beginner is given such a lofty start but he certainly proved worthy of it. I've read that Lemmon came from an investment banking family in the East and, although that fits his easy grace and manner, one also wonders how he ever fit in as a person with any of them! I've seen this movie several times and loved it each and every time. Truly, this was when they knew how to make romantic comedies and I'd like to see its like being made more frequently nowadays.

I'd give this movie 1,000 stars if I could. Judy Holliday is a beautiful, comedic treasure and Jack Lemmon's debut is mint. I cannot believe this movie is no longer in print! What, did the company need to nudge it out to make room for one more cheap, silicone-bimbo flick or endless, blow-em-up nonsense we keep getting shoved at us? This movie may not be a million dollar blockbuster, but it deserves to be seen (and not at an exhorbitant [price] for a "collector's copy"). Please bring it back - It deserves DVD status!!!

Would that I could give this enticing and sadly neglected film a "6" just to encourage people to experience it. "It Should Happen to You" has it all: wit, a sizzling star (Judy Holliday), a fast-paced, slightly dizzy plot, a great director...and a chance to see Jack Lemmon very early in his screen career.

It's Manhattan in 1954 and Judy Holliday plays Gladys Glover, a lower-middle-class career girl who's been hunting a decent job for ever so long until she decides she might as well blow her emergency budget and take a chance on a one-shot approach. Soon a gigantic billboard appears above Manhattan's Columbus Circle: "Gladys Glover" is all it says. In a typical Holliday movie role, much like "Born Yesterday," Our Gal Gladys has street smarts and common sense, plus great intuition and a refusal to be cowed by the conventional "We've never done it that way before" approach. Early on she's established as a handsome heroine if not the most erudite thing in the world.

So after the first billboard causes a stir, our Gladys negotiates cut rates for more gigantic attention-grabbing placards strategically placed in the busiest parts of Manhattan. Clever as a fox, that one, and as in most of her movie parts, Holliday plays this one full-out; it's impossible to take one's eyes off her when she's on-screen. And like her namesake, that saturation advertising makes Gladys' name impossible for any New Yorker to ignore.

Complications ensue when the ads don't generate employment -- but they do generate romantic attention in the form of bumbling-but-lovable co-star Jack Lemmon -- and media attention just at the point when "celebrity" had come to mean "the art of being famous by being famous." Gladys inaugurates events, waves to crowds, and just generally does a good job of staying well known for being so well known. In fact, she's in fatal peril of falling in love with the media-generated image of herself.

And then that one-step-too-many: Gladys joins the panel of a serious TV discussion show for the topic of child-raising, of which she knows nothing. Her blurted response to a question about the facts of life (which I won't reaveal here) is a classic one-liner, a true early sound-bite: ad-lib, concise, funny, and extremely ignorant. One tavern TV regular moans, "I guess today that's all you need."

Leave it to Lemmon (Lord help him!) to explain to disillusioned Gladys the difference between brazenness and bravura, betweeen ignorance and common sense. It's not unlike the "Born Yesterday" situation where the mentor-and-boyfriend-to-be has to smarten up the dumb fox, but in this case we can see the well-meaning/insecure/ slightly neurotic Lemmon persona in the making; he certainly has his work cut out for him. Despite Gladys' stellar human qualities, Lemmon's character has to deal not only with Gladys' strong and somewhat star-struck personality but also with a non-human antagonist: the growing power of modern media to bewitch, distract, and -- or so Cukor hints -- steal Gladys' personality.

"It Should Happen to You" has something for everyone. I wish it were a little cheaper, to encourage people to take a chance on it, but I think the vast majority of those who do will love it. You can count on the indelible Judy Holliday, just as brilliant as in her other 40s-50s screen roles ...

I recently saw this movie again, shortly before Lemmon's death a few weeks ago. It was his first film and he displayed in it a budding talent that would only grow by leaps and bounds in the decades ahead. Lemmon plays the earnest, documentary film maker suitor for Gladys Glover (Judy Holliday). He meets her in Central Park one day while shooting footage for his next film. He is instantly taken with her but she is oblivious to him because she is so taken with making a name for herself, even if there is no accomplishment beyond the fame of her name. Hence, she rents a billboard in 1950s Columbus Circle New York that advertises solely her name. Shortly, wolfish Peter Lawford is after her, trying to get both her billboard and her virtue. Her head gets radically swelled by all these new developments and she neglects Lemmon. Lemmon and she have several wonderful romantic scenes together. One is where he plays the piano in a bar while they sing together "Let's Fall In Love." (Playing the piano like this was actually Lemmon's favorite pasttime in his private life.) Another scene is when he films a documentary for her that tells her what is wrong with their relationship. It is both funny and sad at the same time. Then there is the scene at the zoo where Lemmon very ably apes a monkey, while shooting another documentary, while a plane from Gladys buzzes overhead. Lemmon was very lucky in one respect. For his very first outing in film, he was in a movie directed by the fabulous George Cukor and written by the famous romantic comedy team of Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon. Not every beginner is given such a lofty start but he certainly proved worthy of it. I've read that Lemmon came from an investment banking family in the East and, although that fits his easy grace and manner, one also wonders how he ever fit in as a person with any of them! I've seen this movie several times and loved it each and every time. Truly, this was when they knew how to make romantic comedies and I'd like to see its like being made more frequently nowadays.

The movie title is really misleading for this mildly satiric comedy that often time may felt overboard at present yet entertaining most of the time, thanks to Terry-Thomas, Jack Lemmon and Virna Lisi.
Its a pleasure to watch Virna Lisi, a classic beauty! Watch out for the great classic english comedy actor Terry-Thomas. He manages to deliver any piece of conversation with such a unique style of his own it is simply hilarious to watch.

This film will keep you laughing until it hurts. Jack Lemmon at his best with an outstanding supporting cast like they can't find any more. Accused of the murder of his wife, Lemmon fires his lawyer to defend himself - his star witness: the fired lawyer (Eddie Meierhoff). Witness a cross examination to end all cross examinations. The jury had no choice but to acquit! This is the movie that gave us the "gloppita gloppita" machine. Don't miss it - see it as a couple.

I believe that this is my favorite Jack Lemmon movie. Jack plays a confirmed bachelor who has a very ordered life until he meets Verna Lisi who turns his whole world upside down. He tries to change things but in the end is very happy. It really has nothing to do with the murder of his own wife.

I thought Good Neighbor Sam was a very good movie and I thought it was hilarious. Jack Lemmon was very good and had a great supporting cast. I had this movie on video, taped it when it was on AMC but unfortunately the tape was messed up so I would love to see Good Neighbor Sam get to DVD! A Widescreen DVD would be very appreciated!

This movie has its funny moments here and there and a lot of it. Very well written good ole' style classic comedy with the touch of David Swift's nifty comedic sense of humour.
Romy Schneider is very charming in her role and it is always nice to see our nice man Jack Lemmon playing situation comedy.
Remake anyone? I dare you..

...

"He is known to be highly oversexed. Can you imagine what it must be like to be married to a man like that?" (Sam Bissell to his wife)

Sam Bissell (Jack Lemmon) is the heart and soul of suburbia. He has a nice home, a loving wife, Min (Dorothy Provine), two kids, a duck and a neighbor who can borrow his lawn-mower. He works in the city, is treated patronizingly by his boss, and hates it. Hidden, deep inside of him , an artist is lying in wait for his coming-out. He builds "mobiles", free-form sculptures a la Tinguely. His mother in law is sceptical ("Where the neighbors can see it?"), but his wife is supportive ("Sam is so clever with his hands").

His advertisement agency is about to land a contract with a very rich client, Simon Nurdlinger (Edward G. Robinson). Somehow, this old-fashioned gentleman disapproves of the agency's oversexed campaign to sell his dairy products:("unchastity, wenching, harlots - to sell eggs?"). Furthermore, his scrutiny of his potential business partners reveals - you guessed it -"libertinism, liquor and impurity". Only one man in this firm can pass moral muster - you guessed it again - and so, Sam, who wanted to quit is promoted instead and brought before Mr. Nurdlinger:"this is the genuine article!".

Sam, Min and her newly arrived girl-friend and next-door neighbor Janet Lagerlof (Romy Schneider) celebrate his advancement in half-a-dozen night clubs. And yes, there is this hilarious scene, where Sam, who's had some too many, decides to give the young generation a lecture on clean living ("Would anybody from Ohio please wave their hands?") before falling downstairs (How the back of his poor stuntman must have hurt!).

What would old movies be without codicils? Janets grandfather left her $15 million in his will - on condition that her marriage is sound and effective. The only good news is, that, under californian law, her divorce won't be definitive for 6 months.

Two of her cousins could contest the will and turn up promptly to have an eye on her "happy marriage". Her own husband absent, Mins husband present - you guessed it again. Sam is not too bad in his part ("I think we fooled them!"), even his wife joins in...Yet, those cousins stick to them like leeches and so, Janet has no choice but to drive her "husband" to work. After their goodbye-kiss is witnessed by Mr. Nurdlinger, both are forced to go along with their diversion: Janet for the sake of her inheritance, Sam for the sake of his job...

They start with a dinner at Nurdlinger's ("I would like to invite Mrs. Bissell for our weekly book-burning") and carry on with Sams over-night-stay in Janets house in order to deceive the private investigator who shadows them around the clock. Things get even more complicated as Janets ex, Howard (Mike Connors) joins Sams household...

Game pass between two neighboring houses, two husbands who hatch ingenious plots for amorous purposes - Roald Dahl must have seen this film before writing down "The Great Switcheroo" on which the Kevin Spacey turkey "Consenting Adults" was based. And if Spacey can st...I mean: get his inspiration from Lemmon, so can Crowe (ever compared "The China Syndrome" and "The Insider"?). But they were not alone. The shower scene from this film went directly into Billy Wilders "Kiss Me Stupid" and if sophisticated listening devices and infra-red night cameras are your thing, no need to see "The Fortune Cookie"(The film that anticipated Watergate), look no further than this one.

Gags galore, one hilarious sequence chases another...I will never forget the moment when Lemmon is invited by his boss to put his feet on the desk - sadly he has forgotten his socks...Or, when he spends an evening dancing with Romy, and later has to eat his wife's burnt macaronis, because he cannot admit, he has feasted on Romys steaks...At least two scenes are classics: One is the "Kissing Battle" against Connors, where each husband nearly chokes his rival's wife, the other is Lemmons little Jekyll & Hyde number:
Lemmon nr.1 (half asleep at night in Romy's house after seeing her in her nighty):"I wonder why she left the door open?"
Lemmon nr.2: (rises)
Lemmon nr.1: "Where are you going?"
Lemmon nr.2 (sexy voice): "You wouldn't understand these things. Lie back and live clean "(enters Romy's bedroom).

The comedy becomes foolproof when Lemmon's wife dresses his rival in his shirt , shorts and socks (christmas gifts from Lemmons mom):"Don't stand here in my underwear and threaten me!", and I wonder what Freud would have done with the scene where Romy and Jack have to paint over their faces on gigantic billboards. He considers himself as sad clown. She sees him as Frankenstein...

The story has even something autobiographic in it: Sam is an advertising man who wants to be an artist. Lemmon was a Harvard graduate in war sciences. But somehow I can't envisage him in a lab, devising things like agent orange or submarines whose sound waves render whales deaf...

Well, Swift is not Wilder, the film could have been trimmed here and there, but we have Jack in top form, our very own Romy Schneider, funny Dorothy Provine and Edward G. Robinson as moralizer. What else could you want? Enjoy!

"My Sister Eileen" was Fosse's first official assignment as a film choreographer. He had already co-choreographed his dances for three musicals he made at MGM but didn't get any credit for it.
This film offers a rare chance to see him perform his own steps in front of the camera. He wasn't just a legendary Broadway director and choreographer, he was also a brilliant and nimble dancer with a sweet singing voice. His early stuff was influenced by Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Jack Cole, so don't expect the small intricate dancing with bowler hats that became his trademark.
Fosse is featured in three numbers: the quartet "Give Me A Band and My Baby", which is pure fun, the romantic ballroom routine "There's Nothing Like Love" where he partners "Psycho"'s Janet Leigh, and the explosive "Alley Dance" in which he competes with one of the best yet underrated dancers of Hollywood's Golden Age: the versatile Tommy Rall. The number shows a couple of early Fosse favorites such as the "Steam Heat" hat trick, cartwheel jumps and somersaults.
The rest of the cast is also quite remarkable: Betty Garrett is adorable with her dead-pan humour and Janet Leigh is simply sweet as Darlin' Eileen. And if you ever wanted to hear Jack Lemmon sing, here's your chance.
Director Richard Quine and young Blake Edwards wrote a rather unspectacular screenplay. Jule Styne and Leo Robin did a decent job with the songs but I definitely prefer Leonard Bernstein's "Wonderful Town".
"My Sister Eileen" is a nice little musical comedy. It's ideal to cheer yourself up on a dark and rainy evening.
By the way, this film isn't presented in its original Cinemascope format. The video version was slightly formatted. Well, let's hope for the DVD release.

What a great movie! It is refreshing to see so much energy brought to the silver screen. The casting makes this movie! It has something for everyone: dancing, singing, funny misunderstandings, apartment problems and much more. This movie provides the entire family with good clean entertainment which is almost extinct in today's Hollywood. Jack Lemmon is wonderful opposite Betty Garrett. Janet Leigh also does a superb job as the sister with everything!

Most folks will pay attention to this film becuase it's an early piece by choreographer Bob Fosse -- but it is a fun bit of froth that easily stands on its own. An absolutely delightful musical comedy, starring Betty Garrett as a smart smalltown girl determined to make it in New York City. She moves there with her with her glamourous, ditzy sister Eileen, whose good looks open more doors than do Garrett's brains and moxie. A nice film about struggling to get ahead in the Big Apple, with a script that takes its time and several exuberently goofy dance numbers, gleefully choreographed by a young Bob Fosse, who also plays one of the sister's avid suitors. The penultimate dance scene is side-splittingly hilarious, featuring a swarm of recently disembarked Cuban sailors on the prowl for American women, who form an inexhaustable conga line that snakes chaotically through the gal's tiny apartment. Thoroughly entertaining... a great, lighthearted film with some fabulous acting and bright, winning performances by all involved.