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923 voters

The Best Walter Matthau Movies

Updated September 23, 2019 3.6k votes 923 voters 71.4k views64 items

List RulesVote for your favorite movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.

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.

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JFK
Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman
JFK is a 1991 American historical legal-conspiracy thriller film directed by Oliver Stone. It... more
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#54 of 309 The Best Movies Based On True Stories#251 of 375 'Old' Movies Every Young Person Needs To Watch In Their Lifetime
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134
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The Odd Couple
Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau
The Odd Couple is a 1968 American black comedy film written by Neil Simon, based on his play... more
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#435 of 781 The Greatest Chick Flicks Ever Made#172 of 246 The Best Rainy Day Movies
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130
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Grumpy Old Men
Ann-Margret, Daryl Hannah
Grumpy Old Men is a 1993 American romantic comedy film starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau... more
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#28 of 252 The Funniest '90s Movies#3 of 54 The Best Movies About Older People Falling in Love, Ranked
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93
18
The Bad News Bears
Tatum O'Neal, Jackie Earle Haley
The Bad News Bears is a 1976 comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie. It stars Walter Matthau... more
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#38 of 54 The Best Movies Where the Bad Guy Wins#21 of 204 The Best Sports Movies Ever Made
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84
15
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Jerry Stiller, Walter Matthau
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is a 1974 American thriller film directed by Joseph... more
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#182 of 306 The Greatest Movie Themes#13 of 46 The Best Train Movies
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101
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Charley Varrick
Walter Matthau, Norman Fell
Charley Varrick is a 1973 crime film directed by Don Siegel and starring Walter Matthau,... more
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#101 of 247 The Best Whodunit Movies#339 of 552 The Best '70s Movies
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92
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Grumpier Old Men
Sophia Loren, Ann-Margret
Grumpier Old Men is a 1995 romantic comedy film, and a sequel to the 1993 film Grumpy Old Men.... more
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#23 of 68 The Best Comedy Movie Sequels#33 of 36 The Best Movies to Watch While Drinking
8
77
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A New Leaf
Walter Matthau, Doris Roberts
A New Leaf is a dark comedy film based on the short story The Green Heart by Jack Ritchie,... more
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68
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Charade
Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant
Charade is a 1963 Technicolor American romantic comedy/mystery film directed by Stanley Donen,... more
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#572 of 1,184 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever#181 of 230 The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
10
64
16
The Fortune Cookie
Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau
The Fortune Cookie is a 1966 film starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in their first... more
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58
12
Earthquake
Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner
Earthquake is a 1974 American ensemble disaster film directed and produced by Mark Robson. The... more
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#460 of 541 The Greatest Guilty Pleasure Movies#47 of 125 The Best '70s Action Movies
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48
10
King Creole
Elvis Presley, Walter Matthau
King Creole is a 1958 American musical drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring... more
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47
9
Goodbye Charlie
Debbie Reynolds, Tony Curtis
Goodbye Charlie is a 1964 comedy film about a callous womanizer who gets his just reward. It... more

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46
8
I'm Not Rappaport
Craig T. Nelson, Walter Matthau
I'm Not Rappaport is a 1996 film adaptation by Herb Gardner of his play by the same name. Also... more
15
69
32
The Sunshine Boys
George Burns, Phyllis Diller
The Sunshine Boys is a 1975 American comedy film directed by Herbert Ross and produced by Ray... more
16
117
78
Hopscotch
Walter Matthau, Sam Waterston
Hopscotch is a 1980 American film directed by Ronald Neame and produced by Edie Landau and Ely... more
17
58
24
Dennis the Menace
Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson
Dennis the Menace is a 1993 live-action American family film based on the Hank Ketcham comic... more
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#89 of 117 The Best Movies Based on TV Shows#2 of 12 Classic '90s Kids Movies You Forgot Are Actually Super Messed Up
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43
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The Front Page
Susan Sarandon, Carol Burnett
The Front Page is a 1974 American comedy-drama film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jack... more
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#251 of 922 The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films#576 of 1,139 The Absolute Funniest Movies Of All Time
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39
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Plaza Suite
Walter Matthau, Lee Grant
Plaza Suite is a 1971 American comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller. The screenplay by Neil... more
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39
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House Calls
Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson
House Calls is a 1978 film comedy starring Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson, directed by... more
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37
10
Fail Safe
Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau
Fail-Safe is a 1964 Cold thriller film directed by Sidney Lumet, based on the 1962 novel of... more
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#61 of 175 The Best Movies Of The '60s#178 of 318 The Greatest Disaster Movies of All Time
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37
10
Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore
Walter Matthau, Harry Morgan
Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore is a 1992 American television drama.... more
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46
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The Odd Couple II
Jack Lemmon, Christine Baranski
The Odd Couple II is the 1998 sequel to 1968's The Odd Couple. Written by Neil Simon, the film... more
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#137 of 175 The Best Movie Sequels Ever Made#10 of 13 These Movie Sequels Came Out So Long After The Original That No One Cared Anymore

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Incident in a Small Town
Walter Matthau, Nick Stahl
Incident in a Small Town is a 1994 TV Drama directed by Delbert Mann, starring Walter Matthau,... more
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38
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Hanging Up
Meg Ryan, Diane Keaton
Hanging Up is a 2000 American comedy-drama film about a trio of sisters who bond over the... more

Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore

Incident in a Small Town