Main Cast: Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Art Carney, Richard Benjamin, Candice Azzara
Release Year: 1978
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Recently widowed Dr. Nichols (Walter Matthau) finds himself ill at ease in re-entering the singles scene. Then he meets Ann Atkinson (Glenda Jackson), a patient recuperating from a jaw operation. Freshly divorced from a philandering spouse, Jackson is as reluctant to inaugurate a lasting commitment as Walter--but inaugurate they do, in a hilarious scene wherein Jackson and Walter try to emulate those romantic couples in 1930s movies who were forced by the censors to keep one foot on the floor while lying in bed. It is Jackson who encourages Matthau to stand up for his ideals during a lawsuit involving senile head physician Dr. Willoughby (Art Carney, who is unbearably funny at times). Richard Benjamin rounds off the cast of polished farceurs who add so much sparkle to House Calls. The film was later adapted into a TV sitcom starring Wayne Rogers in the Matthau role, Lynn Redgrave (and later Sharon Gless) in the Jackson counterpart, and David Wayne as a less aphasiatic version of the Carney character. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
House Calls is a stylish, laugh-out-loud comedy, with stellar performances from Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson. They're funny largely because they treat the story and their characters with respect; there's little sense of condescension or contempt for the material. Some of the humor may feel forced at times, but the joke-to-laugh ratio is high, and the few misfired moments are quickly forgotten. References to pop culture are part of House Calls' strong appeal, with fish-out-of-water Matthau trying to reconnect with a lifestyle he had previously abandoned. The supporting cast is solid, with a very funny Art Carney stealing several scenes from his top-billed co-stars. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide
Dick O'Neill - Irwin Owett; Thayer David - Phil Pogostin; Anita Alberts - Nurse; Taurean Blacque - Levi; David Bond - Patient in wheelchair; Judith Brown - Nurse; Jane Connell - Mrs. Conway; Brad Dexter - Quinn; William J. Fiore - Dr. Sloan; Lloyd Gough - Harry Grady; Anthony Holland - TV moderator; Nancy Hsueh - Gretchen; Gordon Jump - Dr. O'Brien; Sandra Kerns - Lani Mason; Bernie Kuby - Minister; Len Lesser - Waiter; Harlee MacBride; Patch MacKenzie - Edith Baskin; Maurice Marks - Ambulance driver; Sally K. Marr - Mrs. Meyers; Ken Olfson - Make-Up man; John Pleshette - Theatrical agent; Reva Rose - Mrs. DeVoto; Robert Trujillo - Mexican Boy; Lee Weaver - Anesthesiologist; Kedric Wolfe - Funeral director; Charles Matthau - Michael Atkinson; Pamela Toll - Sarah; Susan Batson - Shirley; Alma Beltran - Gina; George Sasaki - Hospital janitor; Dave Morick - Ambulance driver; Jack Griffin; Jesus Franco - Bunny suited actor; Michael Mann - Assistant TV director; Bob Goldstein - Taxi cab driver
Credit
Burton Miller - Costume Designer, Gary Daigler - First Assistant Director, Howard Zieff - Director, Martine Barraqué-Curie - Editor, Edward Warschilka - Editor, Jennings Lang - Executive Producer, Henry Mancini - Composer (Music Score), Henry Bumstead - Production Designer, David M. Walsh - Cinematographer, Jennings Lang - Producer, Arlene Sellers - Producer, Alex Winitsky - Producer, Mickey Michaels - Set Designer, Robert L. Hoyt - Sound/Sound Designer, Don Sharpless - Sound/Sound Designer, Julius J. Epstein - Screenwriter, Max Shulman - Screenwriter, Charles Shyer - Screenwriter, Alan Mandel - Screenwriter, Stephen A. Hope - Music Editor
