The Sunshine Boys

source: The Sunshine Boys

Trailer—The Sunshine Boys

The Sunshine Boys

Willy Clark (Walter Matthau) and Al Lewis (George Burns) used to be a famous vaudeville comedy duo. Agent Ben Clark (Richard Benjamin) struggles to help his grumpy absent-minded uncle Willy. ABC wants to do a variety show of comedy history and they want both Lewis and Clark. They can't stand each other and haven't seen each other in 11 years. Al has been living the quiet life with his daughter in New Jersey. Ben needs to convince them both to reunite for just one night. I find Willy Clark more sad than funny. He is super grumpy and his bitterness doesn't make it easy to like him. He needs more loveability. It takes away from some of the comedy early on. George Burns is funnier. He's so deadpan. I love the Ah-stick. When the two of them get together, they are hilarious. Matthau's grumpy old man and Burns' biting remarks fit perfectly. The duo is a comedy master class. Their rehearsal together is comedy insanity. The movie with them apart isn't quite as funny.

The premise is simple: two old men were members of a vaudeville duo decades ago and broke up acrimoniously, but now the nephew of one wants them to reunite for a television special to showcase one of their acts. Reluctantly, they agree, though they had not met or spoken in twenty years. Once together, however, they find they still dislike one another. The big problem with the story is that it was written in the 1970's and takes place contemporaneously, while vaudeville effectively died out many years before the storyline's breakup would have taken place. Also, Matthau's character is a nasty man-nasty to everyone, even the nurse who takes care of him when he becomes ill. He's supposed to be the protagonist of the story, but I found no reason whatever to like him, or for anyone to want to have anything to do with him. The story would have been more credible if the televised reunion had fallen through.

I first saw "The Sunshine Boys" in the theater (The Park East, Garden City Park, NY). I've seen it many times since. It's a very funny movie. The three leads (Walter Matthau, George Burns and Richard Benjamin) are all terrific. The supporting cast is also very good. "The Sunshine Boys" always hits the spot. Honorable mention: F. Murray Abraham.

I have always liked Walter Matthau, so it was very disappointing to see him in this film, made up to look much older and overacting tremendously. George Burns was much better, with his usual deadpan delivery. I suppose that this was kind of a preview of Matthau in "Grumpy Old Men". Dealing with those in their dotage, with the hearing loss, and memory loss, etc. is quite tiresome, and watching it in this movie was also quite tiresome. It is too bad, but the funny lines were not all that funny. I expected more from a Neil Simon script. Richard Benjamin was okay as the nephew/agent, and the direction was done nicely. But I was impatient for the film to end, and that pretty much says it all.

This is an amazing accomplishment for George Burns. He had not made a film for almost 40 years and had never really acted before, and yet he gave one of the most moving performances I have ever seen in a motion picture. He was the oldest performer to ever win an Academy Award for best supporting actor and I think it would behoove acting students to study his wonderful performance. Neil Simon is one of my favorite writers and I think this is his best work. Burns and Matthau make movie magic and it is a delight from start to finish to see these two old pros at work.

Superb version of the early 1970's comedy by Neil Simon about two aging comics, who hate each other, who try to patch up their relationship for a comedy tribute. Matthau is right on, but it's Burns who steals scene after scene. Just watching all that talent makes the picture! Richard Benjamin is also very good as Matthau's agent and nephew. Keep an eye out for F. Murray Abraham and Howard Hessemen.

in one of Neil Simon's best plays. Creaky, cranky ex-Vaudeville stars played by Walter Matthau and George Burns are teaming up for a TV comedy special. The problem is they haven't even SEEN each other in over a decade. Full of zippy one liners and inside showbiz jokes, this story flies along with a steady stream of humor. Good work also by Richard Benjamin as the harried nephew, Rosetta LeNoire as the nurse, and Howard Hesseman as the TV commercial director. Steve Allen and Phyllis Diller appear as themselves. Trivia note: The opening montage contains footage from Hollywood Revue of 1929 and shows Marie Dressler, Bessie Love, Polly Moran, Cliff Edwards, Charles King, Gus Edwards, and the singing Brox Sisters.