During a high-profile Mafia testimony case in Riverside County, a hired killer checks into a hotel room near the courthouse, while his depressed neighbor contemplates suicide over marital problems.
Acting
Matthau's deadpan killer vs Lemmon's weeping wreck—chef's kiss
Direction
Wilder's final bow, still timing every door slam to perfection
Writing
Dialogue so sharp it'll cut you, then blame you for bleeding
Director
Billy Wilder
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Wilder originally wanted this to star Matthau and Lemmon in 1966; fifteen years of studio rejection later, he finally got his wish.
This flopped so hard it killed Wilder's career—audiences wanted '80s blockbusters, not Depression-era timing.
US
