Typecast as a grumpy old man, Oscar-winner Walter Matthau plays an older widower whose family misunderstands him in this dramedy directed by friend and colleague, Jack Lemmon. This is Jack Lemmon’s sole effort as a director and it’s quite promising.  Matthau, who was only 52, would play another dozen roles as grumpy old man, sometimes […]

In this farce, written and directed by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, DannyKaye, at the height of his career, plays a ventriloquist, who gets involved in international espionage. The cast includes Mai Zetterling, Torin Thatcher, and David Burns Oscar Nominations: 1 Story and Screenplay: Norman Panama and Melvin Frank Oscar Awards: None Oscar Context: The […]

In this role-reversal comedy, directed by German-born director Curtis Bernhardt, Polly Bergen becomes the first female predient of the U.S., which causes domestic problems with her husband, Fred MacMurray Oscar Nominations: 1 Costume Design (b/w): Howard Shoup   Oscar Awards: None Oscar Context: The winner was Dorothy Jeakins for The Night of the Iguana Share […]

This screen version of Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson’s stage musical, directed by Harry Brown, stars Charles Coburn (in one of his few leadinf roles) as Peter Stuyvesant, the governor of 19th New Amsterdam, whose rival (Eddy Nelson) believes in democracy. Walter Huston (john’s father) played Coburn’s part on the Broadway stage. The cast also […]

This screen version of Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson’s stage musical, directed by Harry Brown, stars Charles Coburn (in one of his few leadinf roles) as Peter Stuyvesant, the governor of 19th New Amsterdam, whose rival (Eddy Nelson) believes in democracy. Walter Huston (john’s father) played Coburn’s part on the Broadway stage. The cast also […]