Watch The Fortune Cookie

The Fortune Cookie is a 1966 comedy film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Ron Rich. The film tells the story of a dishonest TV cameraman, Harry Hinkle (Lemmon), who is injured during a football game and persuaded by his shifty brother-in-law, a lawyer named Willie Gingrich (Matthau), to exaggerate his injuries in order to collect a large insurance settlement.

Harry is a simple guy who is just doing his job as a cameraman when he is accidentally tackled by a football player and is injured. While he is laid up in a hospital bed, his brother-in-law Willie sees the opportunity to cash in on Harry's misfortune. Willie is a crooked lawyer who convinces Harry to fake a much more serious injury for the insurance payout. With Harry pretending to be near death, Willie works his lawyerly magic and sets up a massive lawsuit against the football team for Harry's "injuries."

As Harry's condition worsens, Willie cooks up a scheme to keep Harry in the hospital as long as possible, hoping to increase the payout even further. Soon, a beautiful young nurse named Sandy (Judi West) is drawn into the plot, and as Harry becomes more and more attached to her, he begins to question the morality of their scheme.

Despite its somewhat dark premise, The Fortune Cookie is a hilariously funny comedy from start to finish. Lemmon and Matthau, who would go on to become one of the greatest comedic duos in Hollywood history, display their trademark chemistry in this film. Lemmon's Harry is the perfect everyman, likable and relatable in his befuddled attempts to navigate the legal and medical minefield into which he's fallen. Matthau's Willie is sly and conniving, but also deeply human; despite his tendency towards dishonesty, he genuinely cares for Harry and is even willing to put his own legal career on the line in order to keep his client safe.

The film is also notable for its stunning cinematography, which captures the vibrant energy of 1960s America in all its Technicolor glory. From the bustling streets of Chicago to the sterile hospital rooms where Harry spends most of his time, the film's visual style is an integral part of its comedic impact.

The Fortune Cookie was a critical and commercial success upon its release, and it remains a beloved classic of American comedy to this day. Its themes of greed, morality, and the power of friendship and love to transcend even the most unscrupulous of schemes still resonate with audiences, making it a timeless film that will continue to delight and entertain for generations to come.

The Fortune Cookie is a 1966 romance movie with a runtime of 2 hours and 5 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.2 and a MetaScore of 63.