Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau Quiz

Answer: 13

"The Fortune Cookie" (1966), "The Odd Couple" (1968), "Kotch" (1971), "The Front Page" (1974), "The Gentleman Tramp" (1975),
"Buddy Buddy" (1981), "JFK" (1991), "Chaplin" (1992), "Grumpy Old Men" (1993), "Grumpier Old Men" (1995), "The Grass Harp" (1995), "Out to Sea" (1997), and "The Odd Couple II" (1998).

Answer: 3

"The Fortune Cookie" (1966), "The Front Page" (1974) and "Buddy Buddy" (1981) were directed by Billy Wilder.

Answer: 3

Jack Lemmon has two: "Mister Roberts" (Best Supporting Actor, 1955) and "Save the Tiger" (Best Actor, 1973). Walter Matthau received his Oscar for his role in "The Fortune Cookie" (Best Supporting Actor, 1966). In all, both actors were nominated for Academy Awards a total of 11 times (8 for Lemmon, 3 for Matthau).

Answer: True

Jack Lemmon was born John Uhler Lemmon III, on February 8, 1925.

Answer: False

Actually, he was born Walter Matthow, on October 1, 1920. The name Matuschanskayasky was the result of a dispute concerning the 1974 movie "Earthquake", in which he played a drunk at a bar. The original intent of his role was as an unbilled cameo appearance.

But when Walter Matthau discovered that his on-screen time was far more than he had been led to believe, he refused to be billed with his own name. So he made up the Matuschanskayasky name as a joke, and it somehow found its way into various lists of facts of his life. You have to remember that Walter Matthau fabricated a lot about himself to alleviate the boredom he would get whenever reporters asked him the same questions over and over again.

Some of these "facts" were that his father was a Russian spy, he was a member of the British Royal Family, and that his grandmother was a Chinese immigrant, all of which are untrue (Information from matthau.com). (My thanks to FunTrivia member Donyana regarding the story behind the Matuschanskayasky name)

Answer: Chaplin

Both Lemmon and Matthau appeared in archival footage during the Oscar sequence. "Chaplin", based on Charlie Chaplin's life, is regarded as Robert Downey, Jr.'s best work.

Answer: False

The only film Walter Matthau directed was 1960's "Gangster Story", before he started working with Jack Lemmon.

Answer: True

Like Matthau, Jack Lemmon directed one movie: "Kotch" (1971). He also costarred with Walter Matthau in this film.

Answer: 2

Only "The Odd Couple" (1968) and "The Odd Couple II" (1998) were Neil Simon films with both stars. Walter Matthau's other projects with Neil Simon include "Plaza Suite" (1971), "The Sunshine Boys" (1975), "California Suite" (1978), and "I Ought To Be In Pictures" (1982). Jack Lemmon's work with Neil Simon includes "The Out-of-Towners" (1970) and "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" (1974).

Answer: Out to Sea

It was "Out to Sea" (1997). Lemmon and Matthau con their way onto a cruise ship by posing as dance instructors, with Brent Spiner (Data of "Star Trek: TNG") playing a suspicious cruise director.