THE FORTUNE COOKIE
US, 1966, 124 minutes, Black and white.
Jack Lemon, Walter Matthau, Ron Rich, Cliff Osmond, Judi West.
Directed by Billy Wilder.
The Fortune Cookie is an especially American title and this is a particularly American film. The title was not understood in England and it was changed to meet Whiplash Willie. It is a Billy Wilder comedy. Wilder an expatriate German screenwriter in the 30s moved into direction and was very successful in the 40s with such films as The Major and The Minor, and Double Indemnity. He won an Oscar for his daring film about alcoholism with Ray Milland The Lost Weekend (1945).
During the 50s he had a string of successes and vehicles of a rather cynical attitude towards life and America, in particular The Big Carnival, Stalag 17. He also made such patriotic films as The Spirit of St. Louis about Charles Lindberg.
By 1960 he was making such satirical comedies as Some Like It Hot and The Apartment for which he won the Oscar in 1960. Jack Lemmon appeared in the latter of these two films and has appeared in a number of Wilder films as The Front Page, Avanti and this particular film. He is teamed with Walter Matthau who received an Oscar for his performance in this film. Both Lemmon and Matthau are excellent comedians. This story about sport and journalism and exploitation of illness is very much tongue-in-cheek and satirical look at the American fast buck way of life.
It is very funny in an acidic kind of way. It is certainly a Billy Wilder film.
1. The significance of the title and its tone? What was the main theme of this comedy? Greed and fraud? How good a comedy was it? How appropriate was the comedy about sickness and insurance fraud? How successful was it a comedy of swindle? What were the major conventions of comedy used: character, plot situations, dialogue?
2. How interesting a piece of Americana was this? The football and television background? The insurance background? The 'think big' American background? American sentiment, especially at the end? What was being satirized in this film? Who was the target of the comedy?
3. What view of human beings did the film take? How good are men? How bad? How much a mixture? How greedy? How sentimental?
4. Director, Billy Wilder, has a reputation for mordant humour, and rather biting wit. How was this evident in this particular film? What were the major moods? How did audiences respond to the mods and to the wit?
5. How enjoyable was Jack Lemmon's portrayal of Harry Hinkle? A typical U.S. male? His television and professional background? His family background, especially his mother? His relationship with his wife, divorce? As a typical naive and good American?
6. How did Willy contrast with him? How selfish was Willy? How much ingenuity? The elaborate nature of his plans? How was he able to prevail over Harry? The comedy of the intricacies of the plot and keeping the plot going? Avoiding detection? Willy and his inability to be put down, especially at the end? What comment on human beings was being made by the character of Willy?
7. Sandy as selfish? The reason for her walkout, the reason for her return? Her ambitions and pretence? How satirical a picture of grasping American women was this? which sequences best illustrated it?
8. How amusing was the fraud? How ingenious? The quality of its execution? The sequences with doctors, nurses, professors? The effect that it had on Harry and his conscience? The effect on Willy?
9. The character of Boom Boom? As an innocent injurer, the crises that the accident caused? His going down hill and taking to drink? His friendship with Harry? The final rehabilitation and the ending with Harry and Boom Boom? Too sentimental or satisfactory?
10. The satire on the insurance agency? The double dealings with insurance? The need for insurance agents to prosecute to the truth?
11. How sympathetic were the insurance spies? The humour in their trying to detect the fraud?
12. How interesting was the device of having chapters? For audience involvement and some audience detachment?
13. Was the resolution satisfactory for this film? Morally? Was it too sentimental or was it appropriate? Why do you think that his film was made? Just as a comedy?
