The Best Walter Matthau Movies

Ranker Film
Updated August 11, 2023 4.2K votes 964 voters 73.1K views
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List of the best Walter Matthau movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Walter Matthau has starred in countless films, but one of his best roles has to be that of Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple. Walter Matthau's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Walter Matthau movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Walter Matthau movies will be at the top of the list. Walter Matthau has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Walter Matthau movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Walter Matthau films to end the squabble once and for all.

If you think the best Walter Matthau role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Walter Matthau performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.

The list you're viewing is made up of many different films, like Grumpy Old Men and Bad News Bears.

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Walter Matthau movies?" and "What are the greatest Walter Matthau roles of all time?" If you are a fan of Matthau's buddy comedies, you might also enjoy our list of best Jack Lemmon movies and best Burgess Meredith movies.

Walter Matthau was no stranger to working with popular directors, including Roman Polanski, Billy Wilder and Sidney Lumet. Walter Matthau was in some really popular films, and is right up there with stars like Jack Lemmon and Jason Robards Jr. in terms of fame and success.

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  • Hopscotch
    1

    Hopscotch

    Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Sam Waterston
    117 votes
    • Released: 1980
    • Directed by: Ronald Neame
    When CIA operative Miles Kendig (Walter Matthau) deliberately lets KGB agent Yaskov (Herbert Lom) get away, his boss (Ned Beatty) threatens to retire him. Kendig beats him to it, however, destroying his own records and traveling to Austria where he begins work on a memoir that will expose all his former agency's covert practices. The CIA catches wind of the book and sends other agents after him, initiating a frenetic game of cat and mouse that spans the globe.

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  • The Odd Couple
    2

    The Odd Couple

    Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, John Fiedler
    147 votes
    • Released: 1968
    • Directed by: Gene Saks
    When fussy Felix (Jack Lemmon) becomes suicidal over his impending divorce, he accepts an offer to move in with his best friend, messy Oscar (Walter Matthau). Felix drives Oscar crazy with his obsession over his soon-to-be ex. Oscar tries to get him out of his funk by arranging a double date with two wacky British neighbors, Cecily (Monica Evans) and Gwendolyn (Carole Shelley). When the plan backfires and Felix grows even more despondent, his friendship with Oscar is put to the test.

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  • Grumpy Old Men
    3

    Grumpy Old Men

    Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret
    144 votes
    • Released: 1993
    • Directed by: Donald Petrie
    John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) are two curmudgeonly neighbors who have been at each other's throats for years. The rivalry of the former friends intensifies when Ariel (Ann-Margret) comes along and provides a love interest for both of them. When Max finds out that John is experiencing family troubles and financial ruin, however, he steps in to help. Their bond is further cemented when John has a health scare and Max makes the ultimate sacrifice for his friend.

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  • Fail Safe
    4

    Fail Safe

    Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau, Dan O'Herlihy
    40 votes
    • Released: 1964
    • Directed by: Sidney Lumet
    During the Cold War, U.S. bomber jets are equipped with fail-safe boxes that instruct pilots when and if to attack. When an attack order is inadvertently administered due to a system malfunction, the President of the United States (Henry Fonda) must scramble to fix the mistake before the bombs are dropped on Moscow. He manages to stop almost all the bombers headed for Moscow, except for one determined pilot who manages to complete his mission, with deadly consequences.

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  • The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
    5

    The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

    Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam
    91 votes
    • Released: 1974
    • Directed by: Joseph Sargent
    In New York City, a criminal gang led by the ruthless "Mr. Blue" (Robert Shaw) hijacks a subway car and threatens to start shooting one passenger per minute unless they receive a million dollars in cash from the city within an hour. On the other end of the line, crusty veteran transit policeman Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau) has his hands full dealing with the mayor's office and his hotheaded fellow cops, while also trying to deliver the ransom before the deadline expires.

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  • Charade
    6

    Charade

    Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau
    71 votes
    • Released: 1963
    • Directed by: Stanley Donen
    After Regina Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) falls for the dashing Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) on a skiing holiday in the French Alps, she discovers upon her return to Paris that her husband has been murdered. Soon, she and Peter are giving chase to three of her late husband's World War II cronies, Tex (James Coburn), Scobie (George Kennedy) and Gideon (Ned Glass), who are after a quarter of a million dollars the quartet stole while behind enemy lines. But why does Peter keep changing his name?

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