Jack Lemmon Movies
A private school-educated everyman who could play outrageous comedy and wrenching tragedy, Jack Lemmon burst onto the movie scene as a 1950s Columbia contract player and remained a beloved star until his death in 2001. Whether through humor or pathos, he excelled at illuminating the struggles of average men against a callous world; as director Billy Wilder once noted, "There was a little bit of genius in everything he did." Born in 1925, the son of a Boston doughnut company executive, Lemmon was educated at Phillips Andover Academy and taught himself to play piano as a teen. A budding thespian by the time he entered Harvard, he was elected president of the famed Hasty Pudding Club. After his college career was briefly interrupted by a stint in the Navy at the end of World War II, Lemmon graduated from Harvard and headed to New York to pursue acting. By the early '50s, Lemmon had appeared in hundreds of live TV roles, including in the dramatic series Kraft Television Theater and Robert Montgomery Presents, as well as co-starring with first wife, Cynthia Stone, in two short-lived sitcoms. After Lemmon landed a major role in the 1953 Broadway revival of Room Service, a talent scout for Columbia Pictures convinced the actor to try Hollywood instead.Defying Columbia chief Harry Cohn's demand that he change his last name lest the critics take advantage of it in negative reviews, Lemmon quickly made a positive impression in his first film, the Judy Holliday comic hit It Should Happen to You (1954) and quickly became a reliably nimble comic presence at Columbia. A loan out to Warner Bros. for the smash Mister Roberts (1955), however, truly began to reveal his ability. Drawing on his Navy memories to play the wily Ensign Pulver, Lemmon held his own opposite heavyweights Henry Fonda and James Cagney and won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his fourth film. A free-agent star by the end of the 1950s, he began one of his two most auspicious creative collaborations when writer/director Billy Wilder tapped him to play one of the cross-dressing musicians in the gender-tweaking comic classic Some Like It Hot (1959). As enthusiastically female bull fiddler Daphne to Tony Curtis' preening Lothario sax player Josephine, Lemmon danced a sidesplitting tango with millionaire suitor Joe E. Brown and delivered a sublime speechless reaction to Brown's nonchalant acceptance of his manhood. Fresh off a Best Actor nomination for Hot, he then gave an image-defining performance in Wilder's multiple-Oscar winner The Apartment (1960). As ambitious New York office drone C.C. Baxter, who climbs the corporate ladder by loaning his small one-bedroom to his philandering bosses, Lemmon was both the likeable cynic and beleaguered romantic, perfectly embodying Wilder's sardonic view of a venal world. Lemmon's turn as the put-upon quotidian schnook pervaded the rest of his career.
Determined to prove that he could play serious roles as well as comic, Lemmon campaigned to play Lee Remick's alcoholic husband in Blake Edwards' film adaptation of the teleplay Days of Wine and Roses (1962). Revealing the darker side of middle-class desperation, Lemmon earned still more critical kudos and another Oscar nomination. Despite this triumph, he returned to comedy, re-teaming with Wilder and The Apartment co-star Shirley MacLaine in Irma la Douce (1963). Though the love story between a Parisian prostitute and a cop-turned-lover in disguise was a lesser effort, Irma la Douce became a major hit for the trio. Continuing to display his skill at offsetting his characters' unseemly behavior with his innate, ordinary-guy affability, Lemmon's mid-'60s comic roles included a lascivious landlord in Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963) and a homicidal husband in How to Murder Your Wife (1965). Lemmon began his second legendary creative partnership when Wilder cast Walter Matthau opposite him in The Fortune Cookie (1966). The duo's popularity was cemented when they re-teamed for the hit film version of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple (1968). Despite his genuine pathos as suicidal, anal-retentive divorcé Felix Unger, Lemmon still managed to evoke great hilarity with Felix's technique for clearing his sinuses, becoming a superbly neurotic foil to Matthau's very casual Oscar Madison. Matthau subsequently starred in Kotch (1971), Lemmon's sole directorial effort, and Lemmon appeared in scion Charles Matthau's The Grass Harp (1995). Lemmon and Matthau also fittingly co-starred in Wilder's final film, Buddy Buddy (1981). After starring in The Out-of-Towners (1970) and Avanti! (1972), Lemmon took minimal salary in order to play a disillusioned middle-aged businessman in the drama Save the Tiger (1973). Though the film did little business, Lemmon finally won the Best Actor Oscar that had eluded him for over a decade and moved easily between comedy and drama from then on. As in The Odd Couple, he marshaled both humor and gloom for his portrayal of an unemployed, despondent gray flannel suit executive in Neil Simon's The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1972). His reunion with Wilder and Matthau for another screen version of the fast-talking newspaperman comedy The Front Page (1974), however, was strictly for laughs.
Working less frequently in films in the mid-'70s, Lemmon managed to retain his status as one of the best actors in the business with his passionate turn as a conscience-stricken nuclear power plant executive in the prescient drama The China Syndrome (1979). Along with the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Lemmon also earned an Oscar nomination for Syndrome. He received another Oscar nod when he reprised his 1978 Tony-nominated performance as a dying press agent in the film version of Tribute (1980). Lemmon continued to push himself as an actor throughout the 1980s and 1990s. As an anguished father who seeks the truth about his son's disappearance in Constantin Costa-Gavras' politically charged Missing (1982), he repeated his Cannes win and Oscar nomination diptych. In 1986, Lemmon returned to Broadway in the challenging role of wretched patriarch James Tyrone in Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night. Though critics began voicing their doubts after such films as Dad (1989), Lemmon offset his affection for sentiment in the early '90s with vivid performances as a slightly seedy character in JFK (1991), a fading, high-strung real estate agent in David Mamet's harsh Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), and a truant father in Robert Altman's Short Cuts (1993). Lemmon proved that older actors could still draw crowds when he co-starred with Matthau as warring neighbors in the hit comedy Grumpy Old Men (1993) and the imaginatively titled sequel Grumpier Old Men (1995). The two concluded their decades-long, perennially appealing odd couple act with Out to Sea (1997) and The Odd Couple II (1998).
Along with gathering such lifetime laurels as the Kennedy Center Honors and the Screen Actors' Guild trophy, Lemmon also continued to win nominations and awards for his work in such TV dramas as the 1997 version of 12 Angry Men (inspiring Golden Globe rival Ving Rhames to famously surrender his prize to Lemmon) and Inherit the Wind (1999). Lemmon's Emmy-worthy turn as a serenely wise dying professor in Tuesdays With Morrie proved to be his final major role and an appropriate end to his stellar career. One year after longtime friend Matthau passed away in July 2000, Lemmon succumbed to cancer on June 27, 2001. He was survived by his second wife, Felicia Farr (whom he married in 1962), and his two children. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi
Film director George Cukor (1899-1983) gets the American Masters treatment in this documentary from the acclaimed PBS series. Few directors from Hollywood's Golden Age can match the list of Cukor's achievements, which included What Price Hollywood, David Copperfield, Camille, Holiday, The Philadelphia Story, The Women, A Double Life, Adam's Rib, Born Yesterday, Pat and Mike, and the 1954 version of A Star Is Born, essentially the same story as What Price Hollywood. Even after the studio system broke up, Cukor continued making films right into the 1980s, though their quality began to vary widely. He did win his first and only Oscar in 1965 for My Fair Lady, though in retrospect, that film is not in the first rank of his filmography. Cukor's reputation in Hollywood was as a ladies' director, and few filmmakers can match his track record for drawing superb performances from actresses. The film does address the subtext of that reputation, Cukor's homosexuality, which was well-known in Hollywood during his lifetime, though not openly discussed in his public interviews. It allegedly led to his dismissal from directing Gone With the Wind after star Clark Gable insisted on having him replaced. Cukor was also one of the film community's most genial hosts, his dinner parties bringing together the most glamorous denizens of Hollywood. Both critics and historians, including Jeanine Basinger, David Denby, Richard Schickel, and Peter Bogdanovich, attest to Cukor's importance in motion pictures, and several of his collaborators and friends, including Angela Lansbury, Jack Lemmon, Mia Farrow, Fay Kanin, Shelley Winters, and Claire Bloom, offer insights into his working methods. Jean Simmons narrates. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi
One of America's most respected and acclaimed directors, Robert Altman has brought such cinematic masterpieces as Nashville, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, and The Player to the silver screen. This video profile charts Altman's long and prolific career, featuring interviews with Glenn Close, Shelley Duvall, and Jack Lemmon. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
Detroit Free Press sports columnist Mitch Albom (Hank Azaria) has found success and popularity in his occupation, but emotionally and spiritually he is bankrupt. While watching television one night, he comes across an episode of the news showNightline and learns that his former university professor Morrie Schwartz (Jack Lemmon) is battling A.L.S. -- better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. At first, Mitch is reluctant to pay his former mentor a visit, since, at his graduation ceremony, Mitch promised to remain in contact with Morrie but failed to make good on that promise. Mitch eventually overcomes his uneasiness and, to his surprise, finds a very warm welcome from Morrie. The two begin to discuss the issues of happiness, life, and death, and they soon begin to meet on a weekly basis as Mitch reassumes the role of Morrie's student. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Hank Azaria, (more)
Family, friends, and associates recall "The Chairman of the Board" in this compilation video that salutes the world renowned, sometimes controversial singer and celebrity Francis Albert Sinatra (1915-1998). Born in Hoboken, NJ, Sinatra became one of the world's most admired all-around entertainers. Besides making and breaking records (literally and figuratively), "Old Blue Eyes" made his mark as a radio star, an Academy Award-winning actor, and a quintessential Las Vegas act. His work in television was less celebrated, but he put in his time there as well, starring in musical variety shows for CBS and ABC, as well as numerous TV specials. Highlights of this video include archival performance footage and a clip of Sinatra being interviewed by the influential Edward R. Murrow. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi
- Starring:
- Frank Sinatra
- 1997
A jury argues a case in a stuffy room on a hot summer's day. Eleven say "guilty!" But one holdout (Jack Lemmon) is convinced of the defendant's innocence and stubbornly argues "reasonable doubt." This tense courtroom drama is a remake of Sidney Lumet's 1957 favorite and was produced for the Showtime cable network. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Courtney B. Vance, (more)
- 1996
Jack Lemmon has mastered both stage and screen in his career with such hits as "The Odd Couple," "The Days of Wine and Roses," "The China Syndrome," "Save the Tiger" (for which he received an Oscar) and "Grumpy Old Men." He and Walter Matthau starred in numerous films together that were nearly always a hit. Lemmon has displayed a wide range of acting talents. He knows just how to make a character appear funny, sympathetic or absolutely driven. His ability to act in both solid dramas and lighthearted comedies has always served him well. Few can watch "The Days of Wine and Roses" without shedding a tear or laughing almost uncontrollably at his performances in both "The Odd Couple" or the original "The Out of Towners." Lemmon himself hosts this biography that includes interviews with many of his costars and colleagues such as playwright Neil Simon. ~ Elizabeth Smith, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Chris Lemmon, (more)
- 1996
Rita Rudner was both co-writer and co-star of this multi-plotted romantic comedy, set in a bed and breakfast in the middle of Southern California's wine country. In the course of the film's 90 minutes, a number of curiously matched couples will find true romance -- and sometimes even true happiness. Standout performances amongst the star-studded cast include Rita Rudner's turn as a pregnant food critic, Jack Lemmon as a desperate concert promoter, and Dudley Moore as a lonely vintner. Made for cable television, A Weekend in the Country debuted June 12, 1996, on the USA network; a mildly R-rated version was later prepared for home video release. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Faith Ford, Christine Lahti, (more)
- 1995
Come meet some of Jane Goodall's favorites: David Graybeard, who has a fondness for bananas, Grandma Flo, who in caring for her baby chimps teaches Jane a trick or two, and a clever baby chimp who scoops up termites with grass blades. Features Goodall's conversations with her chimps, who taught her their language during the thirty years she lived with them in Tanzania. The middle of the Goodall trilogy includes footage of Goodall's life, from childhood to her growing love affair with chimpanzees. It follows her current efforts to protect chimps around the world, including those in U.S. labs and zoos and those kept as pets in Africa. Though the film touches on some of the serious threats to chimpanzees, it also captures the playful nature of these intelligent and fascinating primates. ~ Gayla Mills, Rovi
- 1993
Everything anyone wanted to know about the West is exposed in the ten-hour documentary Wild West. From outlaws to heroes, the story is composed of many small tales. Volume one is entitled Wild West: Settlers and disassembles the archetypes that construct the image of the West. Jack Lemmon narrates the poignant script that accompanies the archival photography that follows wagon trains across the Great Plains. True survivors describe both the pioneers and wranglers that first tamed the Wild West. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi
- 1993
Everything you always wanted to know about the West is exposed in the ten-hour documentary Wild West. From outlaws to heroes, the story is composed of many small tales. Volume one is entitled Wild West: Cowboys and disassembles the archetypes that construct the image of the West. Part one focuses on the cowboys who inhabited the great outdoors. Jack Lemmon narrates the poignant script that accompanies the archival photography. The second part, "Settlers," follows wagon trains across the Great Plains. True survivors describe both the pioneers and wranglers that first tamed the Wild West. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi
- 1993
Anti-Semitism has been present in Russia for many years, and with the nationalist movement known as Pamyat, this disturbing trend has seen a resurgence. Using a "patriotic" platform, its proponents have been fanning the fires of hatred at every opportunity. Observers call Pamyat a neo-fascist policy, which sanctions groups that are sympathetic to the persecution of the Jewish communities in Russia. Freedom to Hate: Anti-Semitism in Russia is the work of Ray Errol Fox, and includes secretly produced footage of meetings and interviews. ~ Alice Day, Rovi
- 1993
The Wild West is a comprehensive ten-hour documentary detailing the faces that populated the vast territory. From cowboys to townspeople, many folk seized the opportunity to start a new life west of the Mississippi. Volume four, The Wild West: Dreamers and Wayfarers/Chroniclers, talks about the innovators that made American expansion possible. The transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, linking two coasts and a legion of possibilities. The chroniclers of the West served as witnesses to the great open spaces. The artists, photographers, and writers that spread the images of a new world also set up its mythic nature. Now, the stark contrasts of the wild West are forever engraved in travelers' imagination. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi
- 1993
Wild West is a ten-hour documentary which showcases the diverse groups that settled the American frontier. Volume five, Wild West: Searchers, explores the most adventurous of these groups, the explorers. Propelled into a hostile and foreign environment, these characters were driven by curiosity. The canyons and vistas of the diverse land opened up to the searcher's insatiable quest for knowledge. Likewise, American readers devoured tales of the West's grand personalities. The segment "Mythmakers" profiles the creation of larger-than-life figures through popular literature. Annie Oakley and Wild Bill Hickok are just two examples of the East's fascination with all things Western. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi
- 1993
Wild West is a ten-hour documentary that showcases the diverse groups that settled the American frontier. Volume five, Wild West: Mythmakers, profiles the creation of larger-than-life figures through popular literature. Annie Oakley and "Wild" Bill Hickok are just two examples of the East's fascination with all things western. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi
- 1993
The star-studded series Wild West presents a look back at the most notorious of the new settlers in its second volume, Wild West: Gunfighters. Director Kieth Merrill pulled together some big names to stage this ten-hour documentary including narrator Jack Lemmon, and actors Graham Greene, Laurence Fishburne, and Lloyd Bridges. Using archival photographs, this second episode profiles some of the most famous outlaw faces such as Wyatt Earp, the Dalton brothers, and Bat Masterson. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi
- 1993
The star-studded series Wild West presents a look back at the most notorious of the new settlers in its second volume, Wild West: Gunfighters and Townspeople. Director Keith W. Merrill pulled together some big names to stage this ten-hour documentary, including narrator Jack Lemmon and actors Graham Greene, Laurence Fishburne, and Lloyd Bridges. Using archival photographs, this second episode profiles normal folk who are given their due, as shopkeepers and community founders are remembered. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi
- 1993
The ten-hour series Wild West takes viewers from the battles on the Great Plains to the dusty streets of burgeoning towns. Volume three, Wild West: Indians, concentrates on the effects of American expansion on two different cultures. While the search for gold brought many settlers west, Native Americans suffered loss of land and freedom in return. Vital heroes emerged in the fight for rights including Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, and Geronimo. Part two of this volume deals with the soldiers that patrolled the West protecting American outposts. A ragtag gathering, the army consisted of cast-offs from society, ex-slaves, and new arrivals. Both groups clashed often in the half-a-century war to settle the West. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi
- 1993
The ten-hour series Wild West takes viewers from the battles on the Great Plains to the dusty streets of burgeoning towns. Volume three, Wild West: Soldiers, concentrates on the effects of American expansion on two different cultures. While the search for gold brought many settlers west, Native Americans suffered loss of land and freedom in return. Vital heroes emerged in the fight for rights including Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, and Geronimo. Part two of this volume deals with the soldiers that patrolled the west, protecting American outposts. A ragtag gathering, the army consisted of castoffs from society, ex-slaves, and new arrivals. Both groups clashed often in the half-century war to settle the West. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi
- 1993
Produced by Monterey Home Video, Poetry Hall of Fame 2 is the second volume of a four-part video series hosted by actress Valerie Harper. Verse written by some of the world's most famous poets are recited by well-known performers who eloquently bring alive the poets' words of wisdom, joy, hope and fear. The video presents a wide selection of poems including, "Afterwards" by Thomas Hardy, "Sweet Spring is Your Time" by E.E. Cummings, "Facade Tarantella" by Edith Sitwell, "Ozymandias" by Percy Shelley, and others. ~ Kristin Alynn Hussein, Rovi
- 1993
Produced by Monterey Home Video, Poetry Hall of Fame 3 is the third volume of a four-part video series hosted by actress Valerie Harper. Verse written by some of the world's most famous poets are recited by well-known performers who eloquently bring alive the poets' words of wisdom, joy, hope, humor and fear. The video presents a wide selection of poems including Edward Lear's "The Owl and the Pussycat," W.H. Auden's "Carry Her Over the Water," "The Rubaiyat" by Omar Khayyham, "To Helen" by Edgar Allan Poe and more. ~ Kristin Alynn Hussein, Rovi
- 1993
Originally made for cable television, this adaptation of an early play by author David Mamet focuses on the backstage relationship between two actors: Robert, an aging veteran and John, a young greenhorn. The pair, who share a dressing room in a repertory theatre, work together over the course of a season, performing in everything from poetic Elizabethan works to modern-day medical melodrama. Short glimpses of these plays alternate with equally brief glimpses backstage, terse exchanges between Robert and John that largely focus on evaluating that evening's performance and discussing the art of the theatre. As in much of Mamet's writing, however, much lies below the surface, with the progression of short scenes hinting at unspoken power struggles and deeper relationships. The film is directed by Gregory Mosher, who had directed the initial theatrical production of A Life in the Theatre, American Buffalo, and several other Mamet plays. Matthew Broderick portrays the younger actor, while the role of the older actor is assayed by Jack Lemmon, who had not long before won acclaim for his work on another Mamet film adaptation, Glengarry Glen Ross. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Matthew Broderick, (more)
- 1991
This program chronicles the events of December 7, 1941, the day of the Japanese attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor and the event that brought America into World War II. The events of that day are chronicled here, effectively and dramatically bringing across the horror and heroism that walked hand in hand. ~ Rob Ferrier, Rovi
- 1990
Enjoy this selection of light verse created by authors including e.e. cummings and read by Jack Lemmon, Fred Gwynne and George Plimpton. ~ Rovi
- 1990
A cast of celebrities gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Earth Day. It is an entertaining special that points out the crisis state of our planet's environment. It provides scientific facts and detailed analysis. The show provides ways in which everyone can participate in saving the planet. There are ways we can do this everyday with the choices we make. It strives to make us all take responsibility for the condition of the environment. The cast entertains and teaches through comedy, singing, and storytelling. The Earth Day Special is an entertaining motivational tool that encourages everyone to do their part in saving the earth. ~ Beth Deki, Rovi
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