Jack Lemmon
He is a Hollywood star with an unusual reputation: you cannot find anyone to say a bad word about him.
His versatility has earned him a career that has lasted over 50 years. He has twice won an Oscar and been nominated eight times. He gained recognition as a comic actor in films like Some Like It Hot and The Odd Couple, and as a serious one in The China Syndrome and Missing. And he is a fine stage actor, too. He looked back on a series of enviable achievements and said "the worst part about being me is when people want me to make them laugh."
Let's discuss the American actor Jack Lemmon.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 113 | June 1, 2023 3:38 AM
|
A discussion with Jack Lemmon and Sue Lawley on Desert Island Discs (1989)
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 1 | May 27, 2023 2:36 AM
|
The perfect American everyman
by Anonymous | reply 2 | May 27, 2023 2:40 AM
|
His son Chris had a career for a few years and then disappeared. I wonder what he thought when Ving Rhames gave his award to him?
by Anonymous | reply 3 | May 27, 2023 2:41 AM
|
Agree he was terrific. I think his first role was in an absolutely charming/hilarious movie called It Should Happen to You with Judy Holiday. Very sweet scene where they sing together at a piano.
I always thought of Lemmon and William Holden as two sides of the same coin. Lemmon the sunny side and Holden the dark, sexy side. But they always reminded me of each other in a doppelgänger fashion.
by Anonymous | reply 4 | May 27, 2023 2:42 AM
|
R3 I think his son won a big lawsuit and then inherited a lot from his father.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | May 27, 2023 2:45 AM
|
Audiences for Jack's Army training films were standing room only
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 6 | May 27, 2023 2:46 AM
|
Love him in Day of Wine and Roses with Lee Remick
by Anonymous | reply 7 | May 27, 2023 2:49 AM
|
It wasn't until Jack Lemmon portrayed a woman that he became a leading man.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | May 27, 2023 2:52 AM
|
He was perfect. Perfect timing. Charisma like he was born to be in front of a camera. Absolutely natural. I can't think of anyone better.
by Anonymous | reply 9 | May 27, 2023 2:57 AM
|
Favorite actor after Brando. The quintessential great at comedy/great at drama actor.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | May 27, 2023 2:59 AM
|
He was handsome in an honest way.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | May 27, 2023 3:01 AM
|
[quote]His versatility has earned him a career that has lasted over 50 years.
You know he's dead, right?
by Anonymous | reply 12 | May 27, 2023 3:02 AM
|
He is one of my favorite actors of all time, so I am a little biased. His works with Neil Simon give me life. Thank you for the thread, OP
Someone in a thread a few weeks ago called him a ham. Perhaps a bit of scenery chewing here and there, but so delightfully done that I cannot complain
by Anonymous | reply 13 | May 27, 2023 3:07 AM
|
Wasn't he a mentor to La Spacey? Doesn't exactly speak to his character judging abilities.
by Anonymous | reply 14 | May 27, 2023 3:09 AM
|
I wonder if Harry Cohn tried to change his name when he was signed by Columbia.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | May 27, 2023 3:09 AM
|
I truly believe Spacey lead an insidious life as an actor on movie sets in which he could successfully keep hidden his wicked ways from most of the other actors and crews. And his young victims were simply too intimidated to come forward with accusations. I doubt Lemmon ever saw or even heard about Spacey's other life.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | May 27, 2023 3:17 AM
|
In his later years, he gave some damn fine dramatic performances:
JFK
Glengarry Glen Ross
Hamlet
12 Angry Men
Inherit the Wind
Tuesdays with Morrie
by Anonymous | reply 18 | May 27, 2023 3:24 AM
|
What is with this OP, who keeps posting copied-and-pasted shit about famous people and then commands that we "talk about them" while she curates like a reading club monitor.
by Anonymous | reply 19 | May 27, 2023 3:26 AM
|
I loved him. One of the finest film actors of all time in my opinion.
by Anonymous | reply 20 | May 27, 2023 3:28 AM
|
R19 It is fun discussion. You can move on
by Anonymous | reply 22 | May 27, 2023 3:37 AM
|
Jack and Judy had real chemistry.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 23 | May 27, 2023 3:42 AM
|
Mr Roberts. Such a great film and Lemmon was great in it.
by Anonymous | reply 24 | May 27, 2023 3:47 AM
|
I just found out Tom's son Truman plays the younger version of him in 'A Man Called Otto'. I bet that eats Chet up that both of his brothers get to act with their dad. I blame Rita for Chet.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | May 27, 2023 3:57 AM
|
oh sorry r25 is in the wrong thread. lolz
by Anonymous | reply 26 | May 27, 2023 3:58 AM
|
Love his friendship with Walter Matthau
by Anonymous | reply 27 | May 27, 2023 4:00 AM
|
Well, Hanks and Lemmon *do* share an amiability.
by Anonymous | reply 28 | May 27, 2023 4:01 AM
|
He was indeed a great actor but for some reason I like him best in Bell, Book, and Candle where he is the epitome of careless charm.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | May 27, 2023 4:03 AM
|
The Apartment - he was just so lovely in The Apartment . Oh and in Days of Wine and Roses when he ruins his father in laws Green House looking for the liquor bottle - it is so repulsive and pathetic - he was wonderful. ….. You know I haven’t seen it in about 20 years or more but he did that 1980s tv “extravaganza” about the Murder of Mary Phaegan with Peter Gallagher. ……. What was the movie where he was an illustrator that later was My World an Welcome to It with William Windom?
by Anonymous | reply 30 | May 27, 2023 4:26 AM
|
I hope Chris was more a Truman than a Chet...
by Anonymous | reply 31 | May 27, 2023 4:27 AM
|
What happened to his ass?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 32 | May 27, 2023 4:35 AM
|
R5, what was the lawsuit about?
by Anonymous | reply 35 | May 27, 2023 4:37 AM
|
As far as I can see he did not act with or know Eric Porter. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
by Anonymous | reply 36 | May 27, 2023 4:40 AM
|
He did an interview w/James Lipton on the Actors' Studio. That's when I knew Lipton was an inflexible interviewer and could only stick to the questions on his cards. Jack opened the door and said something about his alcoholism. Lipton froze, went back to his cards, and no more was said about Jack's alcoholism.
Anyway, I recently rewatched (partially) Glengary Glenross. Whoa. Do not watch that movie if you're feeling depressed.
I think Michael Imperioli had really good things to say about Jack Lemmon.
by Anonymous | reply 37 | May 27, 2023 4:47 AM
|
Can anyone do Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon for Lemmon and Eric Porter without cheating?
by Anonymous | reply 38 | May 27, 2023 4:51 AM
|
R30, James Thurber - The War Between Men and Women.
by Anonymous | reply 39 | May 27, 2023 5:13 AM
|
Growing up, my mother used to complain about Lemmon because he “shouted all the time.”
Which was odd, because my mom is a constant shouter..
by Anonymous | reply 40 | May 27, 2023 5:27 AM
|
Lemmon and Sandy Dennis were delightful in The Out-of-Towners.
by Anonymous | reply 41 | May 27, 2023 5:30 AM
|
Everyone has nice things to say about Jack Lemmon. I suppose back in his drinking days he could probably be a cunt but everyone he ever worked with said he was a lovely man so maybe he was a quiet drunk.
Save the Tiger was a really good movie.
by Anonymous | reply 42 | May 27, 2023 5:37 AM
|
The first movie of his that comes to mind is Costa-Gavras's 1982 film Missing, with Lemmon and Sissy Spacek. It's been decades since a I've seen it, and this thread has inspired a rewatch. Anyway, I also love the guy and he's the movie dad I never had
by Anonymous | reply 43 | May 27, 2023 5:38 AM
|
R40, are you the nice one in the family?
by Anonymous | reply 44 | May 27, 2023 5:40 AM
|
To be fair, Neil Simon's dialogue almost demands to be shouted.
by Anonymous | reply 45 | May 27, 2023 5:51 AM
|
[quote]Lemmon and Sandy Dennis were delightful in The Out-of-Towners.
I'm a fan of both actors, but I despise that movie, which I find about as funny as a cholera epidemic. Neil Simon at his very worst. And Lemmon's character is incredibly annoying from start to finish.
by Anonymous | reply 46 | May 27, 2023 6:47 AM
|
I played golf with him in a celebrity tournament. He was a good player, nice, personable man, and just as you might imagine, a bit jumpy. His wife was quite nice at the dinner afterwards.
by Anonymous | reply 48 | May 27, 2023 7:21 AM
|
He was divorced from his first wife - a brief marriage. His second marriage was very successful. He married her in the early 1960's and stayed married to her for the rest of his life. Unusual for Hollywood.
by Anonymous | reply 49 | May 27, 2023 7:28 AM
|
Oh and just to add to the fun above, Johnny Mathis was also in our 4-some. Niiice!
by Anonymous | reply 50 | May 27, 2023 7:31 AM
|
Most of the above is true, except it was discovered after his death that his home in Beverly Hills had a secret torture dungeon in which he anally raped babies.
by Anonymous | reply 51 | May 27, 2023 7:36 AM
|
Okay R51 but at least he didn't do any GROOMING, that would be really bad. So he anally raped a few babies, at least he didn't circumcise them, that would be awful.
by Anonymous | reply 53 | May 27, 2023 7:47 AM
|
Universally loved. He annoys the fuck out of me. I said he never goes for reality in his acting. That that would be boring. It shows. He does the heterosexual version of camping it up when he acts.
Another one everyone loves > I've just been on facebook and reading a thread about Michael Caine - people think he's some sort of messiah. I can't bear him. I hate everything about him.
One more, everyone loves him but me actor, before I go - Peter Sellers.
ciao
by Anonymous | reply 54 | May 27, 2023 8:40 AM
|
I always found Neil Simon to be beyond formulaic, but with the exception of The Out of Towners, Lemmon was able to make his characters appear human.
I know there's love here for The Odd Couple, but the one I remember fondly is Prisoner of Second Avenue with Anne Bancroft.
[quote]I wonder what he thought when Ving Rhames gave his award to him?
God, I forgot all about that.
That was so weird, and IIRC Lemmon was thoroughly embarrassed by it.
by Anonymous | reply 55 | May 27, 2023 9:16 AM
|
[quote]I know there's love here for The Odd Couple, but the one I remember fondly is Prisoner of Second Avenue with Anne Bancroft.
VERY dated now (& not in a good way).
by Anonymous | reply 56 | May 27, 2023 9:37 AM
|
R54, agree completely with you. Lemmon always gives the same hyped-up, spazzed out, over-the-top hammy performance. The bundle-of-nerves schtick wears thin quickly.
Okay, ready for the hate on me!
by Anonymous | reply 57 | May 27, 2023 11:19 AM
|
Fun fact. Lemmon got to keep the globe Rhames gave him. And Rhames got one of his own also. One of the top five award show moments ever. I tear up when I rewatch it. Lemmon was one of the most extraordinary actors ever to grace Hollywood. The reaction in that room to him the night of the Golden Globes tells you all you need to know.
by Anonymous | reply 59 | May 27, 2023 12:37 PM
|
R39 That’s right - rmthats it! The War Berween Men and Women. I have a vague childhood memory of seeing that at the Drive in with my parents.
by Anonymous | reply 60 | May 27, 2023 12:49 PM
|
I love Jack Lemmon in many things, both early (THE APARTMENT) and late (GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS), but he could be mannered beyond belief, especially in a "serious" role -- check out his dreadful turn in LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, for instance.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 61 | May 27, 2023 12:52 PM
|
Terrible ham in "Save the Tiger."
by Anonymous | reply 62 | May 27, 2023 12:53 PM
|
I like Grumpy Old Men too
by Anonymous | reply 63 | May 27, 2023 12:53 PM
|
I got to know him a little bit 1980ish. He was a good customer at the fancy men’s store in NYC, Andre Oliver. He was very nice, normal and paid as he bought with a credit card- no assumptions of house accounts due to fame. It definitely occurred to me that he drank a lot- watery eyes, ruddy complexion etc. But he was a nice guy- not a hint of do you know who I am.
by Anonymous | reply 64 | May 27, 2023 12:54 PM
|
OS, I think my favorite film of his is Day of Wine and Roses- pretty heavy stuff with an excellent Lee Remick.
by Anonymous | reply 65 | May 27, 2023 12:58 PM
|
I think of him as the Tom Hanks of his era but much better.
by Anonymous | reply 67 | May 27, 2023 1:22 PM
|
R64 he admitted to being an alcoholic on Inside The Actors Studio, which kind of surprised me. Lemmon seemed so intelligent, poised and confident. You really never know with anybody and their inner lives. This might’ve been around the time he was on the sauce the most.
by Anonymous | reply 68 | May 27, 2023 1:32 PM
|
“Wasn't he a mentor to La Spacey?“
Wasn’t that Jason Robards?
by Anonymous | reply 69 | May 27, 2023 1:48 PM
|
Having worked with Spacey on LONG DAY'S JOURNEY, Lemmon presumably played a role in Spacey's getting small parts in THE MURDER OF MARY PHAGAN and DAD.
I'm not aware of a personal Spacey-Robards connection, but I'm sure that Spacey yearned to BE Robards, especially in playing LONG DAY'S JOURNEY, ICEMAN and MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN.
by Anonymous | reply 70 | May 27, 2023 2:18 PM
|
Forgive my ignorance but what are the details on the incident with Ving Rhames at the Golden Globes?
by Anonymous | reply 71 | May 27, 2023 2:44 PM
|
Google is your friend, R71.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 72 | May 27, 2023 2:58 PM
|
Pauline Kael, in a post-retirement interview, when asked how SHORT CUTS features both the worst and the best of Altman:
"The camera fastened on Jack Lemmon's back as he walks down the hospital corridor pushes its point -- it's awful. Lemmon tries so hard, he has a special mood-altering quality. He seems to be pleading with you, and you think, 'What is it he's pleading with us for, in movie after movie? What does he want from us?'"
by Anonymous | reply 73 | May 27, 2023 3:04 PM
|
R70, Kevin Spacey will tell you himself . . .
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 74 | May 27, 2023 3:51 PM
|
[quote]He married her in the early 1960's and stayed married to her for the rest of his life. Unusual for Hollywood.
He knew Felicia was a catch, r49.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 75 | May 27, 2023 4:09 PM
|
[quote]Terrible ham in "Save the Tiger."
And yet he won the best actor Oscar for it, which tells you something about the Oscars.
by Anonymous | reply 76 | May 27, 2023 5:36 PM
|
Yes, they give lifetime achievement awards disguised as Best Actor awards. Terrible film.
by Anonymous | reply 77 | May 28, 2023 1:42 PM
|
Good in the forgotten about The Grass Harp. Direct by Charles Matthau, based on the novella by Truman Capote.
Great cast too: Lemmon, along with Piper Laurie, Sissy Spacek, Nell Carter, Mary Steenburgen, Roddy McDowell, Charles Durning, Joe Don Baker, Doris Roberts, Bonnie Bartlett, and Walter Matthau.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 78 | May 28, 2023 11:47 PM
|
Spacek must have felt let down working on [italic]The Grass Harp[/italic], after the dizzying heights of her success with [italic]The Mommy Market[/italic] just a year or so before.
by Anonymous | reply 79 | May 29, 2023 3:25 AM
|
Jack was a movie star, not a character actor. He had a distinct personality and when cast properly he really shone. Where so many of you see hamminess (which he was quite capable of), I see a certain midcentury personality type: the hopeless, frantic striver who is doomed to forever be on the outside, never to grasp that brass ring that men of his era were supposed to try for.
This same "character" spans all the way from The Apartment to Days of Wine and Roses to Save the Tiger to Glengarry Glen Ross. A guy who believes in the American Dream of success, a businessman who sweats and frets but never can quite make it. The All-American Loser.
I knew people very much like him in real life. He felt authentic to me, even when he was irritatingly kinetic. Being irritating was part of that "loser" persona. Maybe he feels inauthentic and forced to younger people because his generation is all gone now, along with those ideals of success that his characters failed to reach.
by Anonymous | reply 81 | May 29, 2023 5:02 PM
|
Well said, R81 -- and all of it is why he was such a spectacularly bad fit for James Tyrone, Sr.
by Anonymous | reply 82 | May 29, 2023 5:19 PM
|
R81 nails it. And while Lemmon excelled in certain dramatic roles (especially Days Of Wine And Roses), genuine tragedy (i.e. Long Day's Journey) was beyond his capabilities.
Someone above mentioned HAMLET. You must be joking. Fortunately he plays Marcellus which is a small role at the beginning, but Lemmon's flat, awkward line readings stick out in the worst way. It was a bit of stunt casting by Kenneth Branagh to help get financing.
by Anonymous | reply 83 | May 29, 2023 5:49 PM
|
Stunt casting? But, whatever do you mean, r83??
And yes, BRAVO to r81 for that brilliant assessment.
by Anonymous | reply 84 | May 29, 2023 6:00 PM
|
R84 stunt casting is when a director hires a "bankable" actor. In Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, Branagh hired Lemmon as Marcellus, Billy Crystal as the Grave Digger, Robin Williams as Orsic, and Charlton Heston as the Player King.
Only Heston was good.
by Anonymous | reply 85 | May 29, 2023 6:51 PM
|
I love Jack Lemmon as a dramatic actor. Missing is one of my favorite films. But as a comic actor, a little Jack Lemmon goes a looong way.
by Anonymous | reply 87 | May 29, 2023 7:04 PM
|
R48 and R50
And who might you be to get to play golf with Lemmon and Mathis?
I hate golf, but I'm still insanely jealous.
by Anonymous | reply 88 | May 30, 2023 3:43 PM
|
I loved him in The Great Race. He was hilarious as Professor Fate. And dealing with Natalie Wood - who had a nervous breakdown during the taping. And immature ass - Tony Curtis - must have been challenging.
by Anonymous | reply 89 | May 30, 2023 10:26 PM
|
He was also a Harvard grad, back when that meant something before it became a factory for turning out MAGA assholes.
by Anonymous | reply 90 | May 30, 2023 10:33 PM
|
[quote]I loved him in The Great Race. He was hilarious as Professor Fate. And dealing with Natalie Wood - who had a nervous breakdown during the taping. And immature ass - Tony Curtis - must have been challenging.
I'm quite sure "The Great Race" was shot on film rather than videotape.
by Anonymous | reply 91 | May 31, 2023 1:21 AM
|
The first Grumpy Old Men was his peak as an actor, he was able to balance drama and comedy.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 93 | May 31, 2023 3:25 AM
|
My Fellow Americans, about two former Presidents (one Republican, one Democrat), with James Garner is fantastic. It held up well. Could be a hilarious remake potentially.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 94 | May 31, 2023 3:27 AM
|
R95 that would be the comedy. Imagine Cory Booker and Matt Gaetz types stuck together on a road trip.
by Anonymous | reply 96 | May 31, 2023 4:09 AM
|
[quote] My Fellow Americans, about two former Presidents
Lemon represented Jimmy Carter. Garner represented Reagan.
by Anonymous | reply 97 | May 31, 2023 5:02 AM
|
R97 Lemmon was the Republican and Garner the Democrat. Lemmon’s character was a mix of Carter and GHWB, Garner’s was a horn dog like Clinton.
by Anonymous | reply 98 | May 31, 2023 5:05 AM
|
Some critics speculated that Jack Lemmon's character in "The China Syndrome" (a nuclear engineer who was a submarine commander in the navy and is a strong supporter of nuclear energy) was at least partly inspired by then President Carter, who had been a naval nuclear engineer and in 1952 was send to Chalk River, Ontario to lead a maintenance crew after a partial meltdown at a reactor there. Less than a month after "The China Syndrome" was released, Carter visited the Three Mile Island nuclear plant which had just suffered a partial meltdown at a reactor.
by Anonymous | reply 99 | May 31, 2023 5:42 AM
|
[quote] Carter visited the Three Mile Island nuclear plant which had just suffered a partial meltdown at a reactor.
Yes with horrible consequences
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 100 | May 31, 2023 5:50 AM
|
This is a tough one. I admired so many things about his talent, but unfortunately that era of comedy, the 1960’s color films with broad, goofy jokes and irritating obvious gags, and the bug-eyed comic frustrations and disbeliefs, hasn’t aged well. But maybe that’s a function of the era, and the writing and staging. Watching Neil Simon is pretty frustrating now. I just wish it was funnier, and I feel bad for the actors trying to make it funny. But I understand the time specific taste for comedy, and maybe I will appreciate the films more in time. I do like the period styling and autos and sets, though.
But the overall arc of his work/craft is pretty masterful. A talented guy with a lot of good fortune, and some humility about it. That seems rare.
by Anonymous | reply 101 | May 31, 2023 10:10 AM
|
Fell “in love” with him in “Mr Roberts”; did not realize at that tender age that my desire to comfort him in his moment of grief and loss meant that I really wanted ti suck his duck ( PS exactly the same held true for Tony Perkins in “Friendly Persuasion” -I was a slow learner).
by Anonymous | reply 102 | May 31, 2023 12:46 PM
|
R101 do you not like Murder by Death?
by Anonymous | reply 103 | May 31, 2023 1:08 PM
|
R103 God I really wanted to like that film, but found the jokes to be so cheesy and goofy, but not in a very clever or subversive way. Let me watch again. I loved Eileen Brennan so much in everything else, so…
by Anonymous | reply 104 | May 31, 2023 1:58 PM
|
'What is it he's pleading with us for, in movie after movie? What does he want from us?'"
That's it! That's the quality in his acting I couldn't pinpoint.. I think it had something to do with wanting to be liked. It could be a little embarrassing, a bit too effortful.
by Anonymous | reply 105 | May 31, 2023 3:49 PM
|
IMO, professionally his acting washammy, and personally he was boring.
by Anonymous | reply 106 | May 31, 2023 4:05 PM
|
Tom Hanks is a kind of Jack Lemmon only less annoying.
by Anonymous | reply 107 | May 31, 2023 4:28 PM
|
Holy shit! That Army film not only had Jack Lemmon starring, but also included DL fave Connie Ford!
by Anonymous | reply 108 | May 31, 2023 4:56 PM
|
My mother lived her life on a chance encounter with Jack Lemmon. My father was in a NY bar for the second night. Jack Lemmon was sitting next to him, and said, "Hey! Don't I know you? Oh, yeah, you're the guy who was sitting next to that knockout brunette last night." My mother never got to see Lemmon, just retell the story. Of course, Lemmon was her favorite movie star. We heard the story ad nauseum growing up.
by Anonymous | reply 109 | May 31, 2023 5:13 PM
|
[quote] That Army film not only had Jack Lemmon starring, but also included DL fave Connie Ford!
I watch a lot of those old training films. They're interesting not only for who you may recognize but also you never know when you might have occasion to properly load a bazooka so as to kill a herd of giant mutant ants
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 110 | May 31, 2023 5:21 PM
|
Matthau & Lemmon were the perfect comedy pair
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 112 | June 1, 2023 3:20 AM
|
[quote]Only Heston was good.
Well, r85, he *did* like to do the classics, like...Peer Gynt.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 113 | June 1, 2023 3:38 AM
|