Walter Matthau's Top Movies Ranked
The Grumpy King of Deadpan Comedy
Discover the finest cinematic performances from the legendary Walter Matthau, from iconic comedies to intense dramatic thrillers.
About Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau looked like a rumpled bed that had somehow learned how to walk and trade barbs. With a face carved from a block of granite that had been left out in the rain and a slouch that suggested he was constantly looking for a lost five dollar bill, he became the unlikely definitive leading man of middle age. He didn't possess the polished glow of his contemporaries, yet he commanded the screen through a mixture of sardonic wit and a weary, bass-register gravel that turned every line of dialogue into a small masterpiece of timing. He was the king of the grumblers, an actor who understood that the funniest thing in the world is a man completely fed up with his surroundings.
His legendary partnership with Jack Lemmon remains the gold standard for screen chemistry, cemented forever when he stepped into the shoes of Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple. As the definitive slob to Lemmon's neurotic clean freak, Matthau tapped into a universal archetype of the bachelor who has completely given up on appearances. This persona evolved gracefully over the decades, eventually culminating in the box office magic of Grumpy Old Men, where his trademark scowl and sharp tongue found a new generation of fans. But to label him strictly a comedian ignores the darker, more cynical edge he brought to the screen during the gritty heights of seventies cinema.
In The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, he played a transit detective with a mustard-yellow tie and a look of existential exhaustion that perfectly captured the mood of New York City in decline. He possessed a rare versatility that allowed him to pivot from the heist brilliance of Charley Varrick to the cold, calculating intelligence of a Pentagon advisor in Fail Safe. Even when surrounded by the glamorous sheen of Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant in Charade, he held his own by leaning into a shifty, bureaucratic ambiguity. He was just as comfortable leading a pack of foul-mouthed misfits in The Bad News Bears as he was playing a high-stakes con artist in The Fortune Cookie, the film that earned him an Oscar and introduced the world to his cynical, fast-talking brilliance.
Audiences connected with him because he felt like an uncle who had seen it all and wasn't particularly impressed. Whether he was playing a reluctant father figure in Kotch or a bickering vaudevillian in The Sunshine Boys, there was a lived-in authenticity to his movements. He represented the average man pushed to his limit, navigating the absurdities of life with a shrug and a dry quip. From the rugged western vibes of Lonely are the Brave to the playful espionage of Hopscotch, he remained a singular presence. He proved that you didn't need a symmetrical face to be a star; you just needed a world-class sense of irony and the ability to look perfectly at home in a wrinkled suit.
House Calls
1978Charley 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, who immediately and unexpectedly captures his heart.
Pirates
1986The adventures of pirate Captain Red and his first mate Frog.
Grumpier Old Men
1995A family wedding reignites the ancient feud between next-door neighbors and fishing buddies John and Max. Meanwhile, a sultry Italian divorcée opens a restaurant at the local bait shop, alarming the locals who worry she'll scare the fish away. But she's less interested in seafood than she is in cooking up a hot time with Max.
Dennis the Menace
1993Mr. Wilson's ever-present annoyance comes in the form of one mischievous kid named Dennis. But he'll need Dennis's tricks to uncover a collection of gold coins that go missing when a shady drifter named Switchblade Sam comes to town.
Kotch
1971When retired salesman Joseph Kotcher begins to feel pressure to move out of the house he shares with the family of his son, he opts to embark on a road trip instead of settling in a retirement home. Befriending Erica, a young pregnant woman and his grandson's former nanny, Kotch begins to finds new meaning in life as he helps her prepare to welcome her baby into the world.
Hopscotch
1980When CIA operative Miles Kendig deliberately lets KGB agent Yaskov get away, his boss threatens to retire him. Kendig beats him to it, however, destroying his own records and traveling to Austria where he begins work on a memoir that will expose all his former agency's covert practices. The CIA catches wind of the book and sends other agents after him, initiating a frenetic game of cat and mouse that spans the globe.
The Sunshine Boys
1975Lewis and Clark, aka The Sunshine Boys, were famous comedians during the vaudeville era, but off-stage they couldn't stand each other and haven't spoken in over 20 years of retirement. Willy Clark's nephew is the producer of a TV variety show that wants to feature a reunion of this classic duo. It is up to him to try to get the Sunshine Boys back together again.
Bigger Than Life
1956A friendly, successful suburban teacher and father grows dangerously addicted to cortisone, resulting in his transformation into a household despot.
Grumpy Old Men
1993For decades, next-door neighbors and former friends John and Max have feuded, trading insults and wicked pranks. When an attractive widow moves in nearby, their bad blood erupts into a high-stakes rivalry full of naughty jokes and adolescent hijinks.
Lonely are the Brave
1962A fiercely independent cowboy arranges to have himself locked up in jail in order to then escape with an old friend who has been sentenced to the penitentiary.
Early in his career, Matthau brought a fascinating nuance to the role of a sympathetic sheriff caught between the law and his conscience. This performance hints at the soulful depth and versatility that would later make him one of the most reliable character actors in American cinema.
The Front Page
1974Ruthless Chicago newspaper editor Walter Burns resorts to dubious motives in order to get top reporter Hildy Johnson to cover one more big crime story before retirement.
Operating at a breakneck pace, Matthau’s portrayal of the ruthless editor Walter Burns captures the frantic, mercenary spirit of 1920s journalism. He weaponizes his voice as a rhythmic instrument here, barking commands with a delightful, machine-gun delivery.
A New Leaf
1971After running out of funds, Henry Graham, a carefree playboy, plots to marry and murder wealthy botanist Henrietta Lowell.
As a bankrupt playboy seeking a wealthy victim, Matthau finds a pathetic, desperate comedy in his character's aristocratic pretensions. His performance is a masterclass in reactionary humor, often using his expressive, drooping features to convey more than the dialogue ever could.
Charade
1963After Regina Lampert falls for the dashing Peter Joshua on a skiing holiday in the French Alps, she discovers upon her return to Paris that her husband has been murdered. Soon, she and Peter are giving chase to three of her late husband's World War II cronies, Tex, Scobie and Gideon, who are after a quarter of a million dollars the quartet stole while behind enemy lines.
Working within a sophisticated Hitchcockian framework, Matthau navigates a complex web of deception with a shifty, bureaucratic menace. His presence adds a layer of necessary grit to the film's technicolor elegance, proving he could hold his own against Hollywood's most polished icons.
Charley Varrick
1973Charley Varrick robs a bank in a small town with his friends, but instead of obtaining a small amount of money, they discover they stole a very large amount of money belonging to the mob. Charley must now come up with a plan to not only evade the police but the mob as well.
Matthau pivots into the role of a 'last of the independent truckers' with a quiet, lethal pragmatism that is entirely devoid of his usual theatricality. This neo-noir gem highlights his capacity for stillness and calculated precision in a high-octane crime setting.
The Bad News Bears
1976An aging, down-on-his-luck ex-minor leaguer coaches a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive California little league.
As the beer-swilling Morris Buttermaker, Matthau leans into a glorious dishevelment that strips away the saccharine polish of the typical sports mentor. He anchors the film with a gruff, unsentimental humanity that allowed the subgenre to find its edge.
Fail Safe
1964Because of a technical defect an American bomber team mistakenly orders the destruction of Moscow. The President of the United States has but little time to prevent an atomic catastrophe from occurring.
In a chilling departure from his later warmth, Matthau portrays a cold-blooded political theorist whose detached intellectualism provides the film's most terrifying moments. This role showcases a sharp, predatory dramatic range that is often overshadowed by his more famous comedic persona.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
1974In 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?
Trading his usual comedic franticness for a droll, world-weary authority, Matthau’s Zachary Garber serves as the perfect low-key foil to a high-stakes hijacking. His rumpled, understated gravitas proves he could anchor a gritty urban thriller without losing his signature dry wit.
The Fortune Cookie
1966TV cameraman Harry Hinkle is injured while filming a football game. Seeing big dollar signs, his unscrupulous ambulance-chasing lawyer brother-in-law Willie Gingrich enters the picture, and convinces Harry to overstate his injuries and claim $1 million in pain and suffering. Harry's similarly-minded ex-wife suddenly reappears in an attempt to rekindle their relationship.
Winning an Oscar for his portrayal of the ethically flexible 'Whiplash Willie' Gingrich, Matthau mastered the art of the silver-tongued huckster. This performance established his unique ability to make moral bankruptcy feel both hilarious and strangely human under Billy Wilder’s cynical gaze.
The Odd Couple
1968In New York, Felix, a neurotic news writer who just broke up with his wife, is urged by his chaotic friend Oscar, a sports journalist, to move in with him, but their lifestyles are as different as night and day are, so Felix's ideas about housekeeping soon begin to irritate Oscar.
Matthau embodies the quintessential slob Oscar Madison with such lived-in authenticity that he redefined the comedic archetype of the lovable curmudgeon. This career-defining turn solidified his legendary chemistry with Jack Lemmon and proved that his abrasive charm could carry a high-concept studio comedy to timeless heights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about this list and SnakeDrafts
- Walter Matthau was most famous for his roles in comedies where his sardonic wit and weary charm shined, such as in "The Odd Couple" and "The Fortune Cookie". However, he also showcased his versatility by performing in intense thrillers and dramas like "Fail Safe" and "Charley Varrick."
- "The Odd Couple" is a standout film that highlights the iconic comedic partnership between Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. Their chemistry as mismatched roommates remains one of the most beloved aspects of Matthau's career.
- Yes, Walter Matthau starred in family-oriented films such as "The Bad News Bears," a comedy that blends humor with heartfelt moments, showing his ability to appeal to audiences of all ages.
- Matthau took on serious roles in crime and thriller movies like "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" and "Charley Varrick," where his gritty yet charismatic presence added depth to complex narratives.
- Walter Matthau's distinctive look, described as a rumpled yet compelling presence, along with his gravelly voice, made him an unforgettable figure on screen. It helped him embody the archetype of the world-weary but sharp-witted man, attracting audiences looking for authentic characters.
- Matthau combined comedy with romance in films like "Charade" and "A New Leaf," blending humor with clever romantic plots to showcase his charm beyond straightforward comedy roles.
- In "Fail Safe," Matthau steps away from his typical comedic style to deliver a serious, intense performance in a Cold War thriller. This role demonstrates his range and ability to portray high-stakes drama convincingly.
- Walter Matthau worked multiple times with notable directors such as Billy Wilder, who directed him in "The Fortune Cookie" and "The Front Page," and Gene Saks, director of "The Odd Couple," helping to define some of his most memorable screen roles.
