Rating summary
| Movie |  | 3.5 |
| Video |  | 4.0 |
| Audio |  | 5.0 |
| Extras |  | 2.0 |
| Overall | | 3.5 |
The Fortune Cookie Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 13, 2021
Billy Wilder's "The Fortune Cookie" (1966) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary by film historian Joseph McBride; vintage trailer for the film; archival interviews; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
In freezing Cleveland, cameraman Harry Hinkle (Jack Lemmon) is seriously injured during a big football game. After he is transferred to the local hospital, his brother-in-law, Willie Gingrich (Walter Matthau), a shyster lawyer, convinces him that his injuries can make both of them rich.
Very rich. All Harry has to do is pretend that he is nearly paralyzed before the doctors examining his body. Willie will then sue the insurance company representing the NFL, CBS and the city of Cleveland, and at the right time ‘reluctantly’ settle the case for $1 million dollars. It’s a piece of cake, really, because Harry actually has an old spine injury that has left him with a heavily compressed disc, so he does not even have to try too hard.
Shortly after Harry begins playing his part, however, his former wife, Sandy (Judi West), phones the hospital to find out how he is doing -- or at least this is the official reason for her inquiry. The real reason is her calculation that Harry’s financial situation could improve rather dramatically, and if it does, she would not mind coming back to him. After all, even though she left Harry for another guy, she never stopped loving him. Then after Sandy, the man responsible for Harry’s ‘devastating’ injury, Boom Boom Jackson (Ron Rich), arrives in the hospital with a very moving apology. You see, he had the ball and just couldn’t stop running after entering the end zone. He should have been able to stop, but couldn’t do it, and now Harry might very well spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. What a nightmare, isn’t it? But he is here for Harry and will do whatever it takes to make him feel better.
While Harry very slowly begins to question his decision to help set up the insurance scam, Willie is summoned by a couple of veteran lawyers determined to find out whether he is willing to go all the way for his ‘client’. Is he? You betcha! And Willie knows exactly how to beat them at their own game. He has been dreaming of a scenario like this forever. He just never imagined that his brother-in-law would be playing a major part in it.
For a while Willie’s plan works exactly as intended, but Harry’s waning determination to go along with it creates some unexpected problems. A couple of private investigators dispatched by Willie’s opponents further complicates matters as well.
What makes Billy Wilder’s
The Fortune Cookie an attractive film is extremely easy to identify -- it is Lemmon and Matthau engaging each other in a very familiar way. The film’s story is good too, but it does not have the tremendous comedic twists of
Some Like It Hot. There is actually a very good reason for this.
The Fortune Cookie was conceived as a satirical piece that targets the vulnerability and integrity of the legal practice Matthau’s lawyer plans to exploit. So, even though it looks like the emphasis is on the hilarious evolution of the relationship between the lawyer and his uncooperative ‘client’, the bigger picture is a lot more important.
Unfortunately,
The Fortune Cookie has some disappointingly melodramatic material that does not blend particularly well with the humor and satire. It leaves the impression that Wilder is trying to humanize the main characters at a point where their character arcs are already complete, which seems to be the reason why the film runs quite a bit longer than it should as well.
Matthau won an Oscar statuette in the Best Actor in a Supporting Role category, but his filmography features vastly superior work that could and should have been recognized by the Academy.
The Fortune Cookie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Fortune Cookie arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
The release is sourced from an old but quite good master that was supplied by MGM. Delineation and depth range between good to very good, plus clarity remains consistently pleasing. Grain exposure is good as well, though a brand new 4K master will surely tighten up grain and make it even more appealing. I still think that density levels are very good, so if you view your film on a larger screen, you will not be disappointed. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. The grayscale is very nice. However, there is some room for minor rebalancing work. Image stability is good. All in all, eve though it is easy to tell that the current master is old, the film has a fine organic appearance. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
The Fortune Cookie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
Teere is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
On my system the lossless audio track sounded very nice. In fact, I unconvinced that a new remaster a newly redone audio could produce meaningful improvements. Clarity, sharpness, and depth are excellent. I did not encounter any balance issues either. Can I be proven wrong? Of course, especially now that so many majors are producing new Dolby Atmos tracks for older films, but I could not identify anything that is problematic on the existing lossless track.
The Fortune Cookie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
- Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by film historian Joseph McBride, author of Billy Wilder: Dancing on the Edge.
- Trailer - a vintage trailer for The Fortune Cookie. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).
- Trailers From Hell - a vintage episode of Trailers From Hell with writer/producer Chris Wilkinson (Ali). In English, not subtitled. (3 min).
- Scene Work with Jack Lemon and Walter Matthau - In English, not subtitled. (4 min).
- Tribute to I.A.L. Diamond - In English, not subtitled. (3 min).
- Call for Extras - Jack Lemmon asks the people of Cleveland to show up at Municipal Stadium. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).
The Fortune Cookie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
One of the most common criticisms you will encounter about The Fortune Cookie is that it isn't as consistently funny as it needs to be. Well, this film was conceived to perform as a satire and not all of the material in it is supposed to put a smile on your face. Walter Matthau won an Oscar statuette for his contribution to the film, but I think that his filmography features vastly superior work that could and should have been recognized by the Academy. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an old but good master that was supplied by MGM. RECOMMENDED.
