The Five Best Walter Matthau Performances

1.  The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) - Four men hijack a New York subway and hold the passengers for ransom, demanding that $1 million be delivered within an hour. One passenger will be executed for every minute that the money is late. As the unlikely hero of this tense suspense film, Matthau stars as Lieutenant Garber of the New York Transit Authority Police. Initially, Garber appears a dull, methodical company man who spends most of his day in the transit’s office. But as the situation worsens, Matthau reveals his character's coolness and ability to make quick decisions in a finely nuanced performance.

2.  Charley Varrick (1973) - The title character is a crop duster who makes ends meet by robbing small-town banks. When a patrolman recognizes a stolen license plate, one of Charley's robberies goes horribly awry, resulting in three fatalities. Plus, it turns out the stolen loot belongs to the mob. Charley is an morally dubious anti-hero, but at least he's better than the corrupt bank officials and the hit man chasing him. The gruff, likable Matthau fits the bill perfectly, somehow coming across as curmudgeonly and cold. The bottom line is that, despite his significant moral flaws, it's easy to root for Charley because we admire his ingenuity--and because he's played by Walter Matthau.

3.  Hopscotch (1980) - When CIA operative Miles Kendig is forced into retirement, he decides to get even by writing and publishing his memoirs. Her former bosses are none too pleased and set off to find him--though Kendig always seems to be one step ahead. Walter Matthau makes it grand fun to watch the crafty, opera-humming Kendig outmaneuver the CIA at every turn. It's also entertaining to watch him unveil his grand scheme step by step. Oddly enough, Warren Beatty was originally cast in the role--I can't imagine that!

4.  The Fortune Cookie (1966) - Cameraman Henry Hinkle (Jack Lemmon) suffers a concussion when a Cleveland Browns football player accidentally plows into him during a game. Henry recovers with no side effects, but his brother-in-law--an ambulance-chasing lawyer nicknamed Whiplash Willie--wants to sue CBS, the Cleveland Browns, and Municipal Stadium for $1 million. The Fortune Cookie is one of Billy Wilder's most uneven films, but it provides Matthau with a plum role as Whiplash Willie. As the rascally devious attorney--who is actually quite smart--Matthau stole the film and won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. It was his only Academy Award, though he was also nominated for Kotch (1971) and The Sunshine Boys (1975).

5.  Kotch (1971) - Walter Matthau was 51 when he starred in Kotch, but he's quite convincing as an elderly man who rejects his family's plan to put him in a retirement home. It would be easy to turn the title character in a stereotypical curmudgeon, but Matthau finds the loneliness, hopefulness, and humor in the role.

Honorable Mentions:  Charade, Lonely Are the Brave, The Odd Couple, The Bad News Bears, and Fail Safe.