Jack Lemmon: From the comedy star to the Oscar winner - a life's work!

Jack Lemmon: From the comedy star to the Oscar winner - a life's work!

Jack Lemmon, one of the greatest comedians in Hollywood, celebrates its 100th birthday today. Born on February 8, 1925 in Newton, Massachusetts, he left a lasting impression due to his versatility in the film world. He became famous with the iconic role in Billy Wilder's comedy "Some like it hot" (original title: "Some like it hot"). In this masterpiece, Lemmon plays a murder witness that has to slip into women's clothes to flee criminals. The cinematic highlight, the final sentence "Nobody’s Perfect", was spoken by Joe E. Brown as Osgood Fielding, and remains legendary to this day.

like radioherford.de , Lemmon is not only known for his comedic skills. He also shone in more serious roles, as in the love comedy "The Apartment" (1960) alongside Shirley Maclaine. Together the two also turned "The girl Irma La Douce" (1963). His versatility in acting brought him the Oscar twice: 1956 for "no time for heroism" and in 1974 for "Save the Tiger". Lemmon was honored for his life's work in 1996.

famous duos and unforgettable films

A striking feature of Lemmon's career was his long -term collaboration with Walter Mathau. The two formed an iconic comedian duo that had its roots in the film "Der Glückspilz" (1966). In total, they made six films together, including classics such as "a strange couple" and "Grumpy Old Men". She made her chemistry on the screen, coupled with matt house of lively humor, an unforgettable team. Jack Lemmon died in 2001 at the age of 76, while Matthau died a year earlier at the age of 79. Both are buried at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

One of the first films that the duo could experience in cooperation was "The Fortune Cookie" (alternative UK title: Meet Whiplash Willie), a film from 1966, which brought Lemmon and Mathau into the same scenes. Directed by Billy Wilder, who also worked as a producer and co -author, the film became a black comedy in which the main character, played by Lemmon, would like to swindle an insurance sum. The Oscar-winning Mathau, who acts as his brother-in-law, got an Academy Award for the best supporting role.

The plot of "The Fortune Cookie"

In "The Fortune Cookie", CBS cameraman Harold "Harry" Hinkle is injured during a game of the Cleveland Browns. His brother -in -law, William H. "Whiplash Willie" Gingrich, persuades him to pretend that he is partially paralyzed to get a high compensation from the insurance company. Despite the initial reservations, Hinkle agrees because he hopes to regain his ex-wife Sandy. While the insurance lawyers doubt his fraud, Hinkle is monitored by a private detective, which continues to drive the action.

• First publication: 1966
• genre: black comedy
• worldwide income: 6.8 million USD
• director: Billy Wilder
• Academy Award for Walter Mathau for the best supporting role

with a pleasant mix of profound comedy and the ingenious dialogues of the screenwriter i.a.l. Diamond, wilder to cleverly structure the plot. The comedy is gently integrated in the background, which gives the characters space. It is noteworthy that the film also appeals to socially relevant topics without bringing the political tensions into play at the time, as was often the case in many other films of the civil rights movement.

Jack Lemmon remains an incomparable figure of American cinema, and today his legacy is continued by the many famous roles he embodied, and the unforgettable films he created. His contribution to film art will continue to be valued and reminded.