Published at: July 1, 2000, 3:51 p.m. CST by staff
Hey, all. "Moriarty" here. I know FATHER GEEK is already on the case, doing his normal bang-up job of writing something so difficult at such an emotional time, but I was moved to toss in my two cents today as well. It's always strange how the death of a public figure strikes you. Many times, you're not aware of what someone means to you until a moment like this. Case in point: 79 year old comic legend Walter Matthau, who unfortunately passed away early this morning in Santa Monica after being admitted to the hospital in "full cardiac arrest."
His last film was HANGING UP, the Diane Keaton/Meg Ryan/Lisa Kudrow comedy from earlier this year. I haven't seen it. With Matthau, there was never any sense from me that I had to run out and see his latest film the moment it was released. He was never that kind of actor for me. Instead, he was the kind of guy who would simply make a film better by being in it. Matthau had impeccable timing, and there was something so approachable, so normal, so real about him... and that's not even taking into account his wonderful chemistry with co-star Jack Lemmon in a number of films. That's a whole different kind of wonderful.
His career stretched all the way back to films like A FACE IN THE CROWD and THE KENTUCKIAN, and it was marked with some astonishing high points. The original FAIL-SAFE, THE FORTUNE COOKIE, THE ODD COUPLE, CACTUS FLOWER, CHARLEY VARRICK, THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3, THE SUNSHINE BOYS... these are all films that are as much fun today because of him as they were when they were released. There is a timelessness to Matthau. Maybe it's the fact that he was the most unglamourous of movie stars. He never seemed like he was out of reach.
I know that my introduction to Matthau made an indelible impression on how I viewed him for the rest of my life. Like many kids of the '70s, I first saw Matthau in THE BAD NEWS BEARS. Coach Morris Buttermaker. It was a great role, and it's a great performance. Not since W.C. Field in his heyday has there been a more honest kid-hating performance on film. Matthau was bliss as the guy who'd rather work his way through a six-pack than an afternoon's batting practice. His work with Tatum O'Neal in the film is memorable and affecting, and it made me want to know more about this guy.
Writer/producer Mark Steven Johnson must be given credit for Matthau's late-career resurgence. It was GRUMPY OLD MEN and its sequel that put Matthau and Lemmon back in the spotlight together, and I have no doubt there will be a run on the films this weekend as people rent them to see Matthau in all his glory. I don't know exactly why Johnson's formula manages to be so funny, but there's something undeniably joyous about seeing the Odd Couple call each other dickheads.
In the end, Matthau was a guy who did everything. There's drama, comedy, and even musicals in his filmography. He was still a contributing member of the film community, and the loss of his spark is a painful blow to all of us still hoping to meet him, still hoping to work with him. I don't often use this phrase, but it seems appropriate this Saturday afternoon as I sit here, filled with sorrow at his passing...
Today, we have lost a national treasure.
We at AICN wish the Matthau family and all their friends all the best at this moment.
