The Fortune Cookie

"Is he a spy? A security risk? Is he unfaithful? Or is he a nice, normal shnook - out to make a million bucks by sheer accident!"

1966 2h 5m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

🔥

96%

CERTIFIED FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★7.2TMDB · 364🍅96%Rotten Tomatoes●63Metacritic★7.2IMDB · 15,906

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

TV 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.

“Is he a spy? A security risk? Is he unfaithful? Or is he a nice, normal shnook - out to make a million bucks by sheer accident!”

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Cast

Jack Lemmon
Harry Hinkle
Walter Matthau
Willie Gingrich
Ron Rich
Boom Boom Jackson
Judi West
Sandy Hinkle
Cliff Osmond
Purkey
Lurene Tuttle
Mother Hinkle
Harry Holcombe
O'Brien
Les Tremayne
Thompson

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Billy Wilder
Writers: Billy Wilder, I. A. L. Diamond
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

60 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Billy Wilder, shot by Joseph LaShelle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by André Previn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Daniel Mandell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau and Ron Rich carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Is he a spy? A security risk? Is he unfaithful? Or is he a nice, normal shnook - out to make a million bucks by sheer accident!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0060424 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Billy Wilder directs. Joseph LaShelle behind the camera. André Previn scores. Daniel Mandell cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $3.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
260 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Billy Wilder, shot by Joseph LaShelle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by André Previn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Daniel Mandell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau and Ron Rich carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Is he a spy? A security risk? Is he unfaithful? Or is he a nice, normal shnook - out to make a million bucks by sheer accident!".
8IMDB entry: tt0060424 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 15 themes, including "shadowing", "brother-in-law", "wheelchair", "honesty".

The technical file

Cinematography: Joseph LaShelle
Original score: André Previn
Editing: Daniel Mandell
Sound: Robert Martin
Runtime: 125 min · 2h 5m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $3,705,000
Box office: $6,800,000
Return: 184% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Fortune Cookie (1966)
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 63/100
IMDB rating: 7.2/10 · 15,906 votes
MPAA: Approved

Awards

Won 1 Oscar. 3 wins & 5 nominations total

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Billy Wilder

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Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-07-02
★ 8/10
Morality and cynicism not quite the bedfellows Wilder intended? Wilder's response to his previous film Kiss Me Stupid's criticism was intended to be a bitter attack on American morality, yet many critics of the time felt Wilder chickened out by sweetening the finale. If he actualy did this is obviously down to each individual viewer to decide, but in my case I just feel that it comes together nicely to finish off a very funny and sharp Wilder film. Camerman Harry Henkle is working the sidelines filming a Browns/Vikings game when he is flattened by running back Boom Boom Jackson and taken to hospital. His crafty chiseller brother-in-law Willie sees an opportunity to make big money by suing all and sundry for negligence, that Harry is actually OK is a minor inconvenience. This sets us up to watch the dynamic duo of Walter Matthau (Willie) & Jack Lemmon (Harry) try and fake major injury to garner a big pay out. Naturally there are many problems along the way as Harry fights with his moral fibre and a burning torch for his ex wife Sandy. While convincing the doctors and insurance people that he is actually injured is not going to be easy, thus it makes for some truly funny sequences. As you would expect from Wilder & I.A.L Diamond, the script sizzles with wit and cynicism (perfect material here for Matthau who won the best supporting Oscar), and although the running plot strand of Boom Boom Jackson's guilt and subsequent career jolt does dampen the film down a touch, it's still a winner that can be pleasantly sampled from time to time. 8/10

Production companies