House Calls

Walter Matthau stars as a surgeon who is enjoying his new-found role as most desirable bachelor around. His pal, Richard Benjamin (his wonderful droll self) points out what a cliche' this is, but Matthau doesn't care. He explains he was married young and as a virgin, and although his marriage ended with his wife's death, he wants to sample the wares so to speak and experience the sexual freedom of the 70s. The two are on staff at a small hospital headed by slightly senile Art Carney, who shouldn't be allowed to drive, let alone perform surgery. When Matthau corrects Carney's antiquated treatment of patient Glenda Jackson, he is forced to back the old guy or risk dismissal. Matthau and Jackson cross paths again, in a heated discussion about health care..and again..and again.

Jackson is divorced, opinionated and clever--everything the young women Matthau has been seeing aren't. Their first real date is like watching a comfortable couple, and ends in a truly funny bit of physical comedy ('keeping one foot on the floor'as was required in old films they're discussing). Since Jackson's ex was a serial cheater, she makes it clear she isn't interested in being just one of his many, and they agree on a two week 'trial' exclusive relationship. There is a montage of 'togetherness scenes' that seems a little too pat in the film, but the witty dialogue returns as the pair hits a snag: Matthau may be the only one who can convince a wealthy young woman (Candy Azzara) not to file a hefty lawsuit after her rich old hubby dies in surgery. Matthau has two decisions of conscience to make--is he ready for a real commitment to Jackson, and will he stand up to Carney?

This really was a delight to watch--Matthau and Jackson had great funny chemistry, and Carney is terrific as the doctor who teeters between wacky (he orders breakfast for patients be served at 5am, and lunch at 9) and sounding perfectly lucid while explaining why he wants to keep his position of power. We get to see Matthau in a dress (and it isn't a pretty sight), and his son, Charlie, as Jackson's teenager. This used to make the rounds on network TV a great deal, but it seems lost to the ages these days. It's on DVD but will likely never make it to Blu.

Pay no attention to dispeptic, angst-ridden critics who find this kind of fare unfunny and out of favor. (Well, maybe it is out of favor.) Who cares, it's funny. House Calls is a thoroughly enjoyable tale of mis-matched, middle-aged singles working their way toward romance (or a loose approximateion thereof). No car chases, space ships, or wild sex antics here. Instead, a cast of likeable people (Matthau, Jackson, Richard Benjamin, et.al.) and the great Art Carney as one of the more incompetent physicians ever portrayed on screen. The film puts a smile on your face and keeps it there. Ambitious? Of course not. The stuff of sitcoms? Yeah (in fact, it became one). Enjoyable? You bet. This is one of those films that reminds you how much fun it can be simply to sit down and be with old friends.

Matthau is a widowed hospital doctor enjoying his single status and the footloose and available nurses on the staff whilst colleague and friend Richard Benjamin looks on with amusement and amazement. Their boss is hard-of-hearing going on senile Chief of Staff Art Carney who is up for re-election to that post.

Matthau is content playing the field without commitment until he meets single mother Glenda Jackson who insists upon being the only woman in his life while she is in his life. At the same time, he comes under pressure to respond to the amorous advances of a potential litigant in a malpractice suit, and to support the shambolic and incompetent Carney in his attempt to be re-elected Chief of Staff.

This is a superior old-fashioned romantic comedy graced by four Grade-A actors and an excellent supporting cast working with a first-rate dry, caustic and sarcastic script. Carney steals every scene he's in and, in the parlance of IMDb, has us rolling on the floor laughing out loud whenever he appears on screen. We are otherwise entertained by the on-off relationship of the two leads and various sub-plots.

Lacks the ambition to be a great film, but remains one of the best of its kind and watchable and re-watchable for its comedic value alone. Deserves more attention than it seems to have received and well worth the cost of the DVD or video cassette.

it is a brilliant film. scene by scene, word by word. not only for the smart script or for great acting - both interesting ingredients of movie but for the real seductive chemistry between the leas actors. sure, it is the Hepburn- Tracy recipes but the taste is different. Glenda Jackson does a remarkable job and Walter Matthau use with grace the small details in his personal manner. charming and clever, old fashion and modern, bottle for the flavor of a kind of lost perfume, it is pure delight. Art Carney is one of splendid pillars of humor and the mixture between couple problems and ethic dilemmas is explored with rare art.

A great, small, simple comedy that works because of the terrific cast. And it's not only Glenda Jackson and Walter Matthau but Art Carney and Richard Benjamin. And the story actually works because all the characters are involved. There isn't any arbitrary stories. Matthau meets Jackson because she's made to wear a ridiculous head bandage provided by Carney and Matthau removes it and performs surgery on her. Carney becomes angry/upset over this and blackmails Matthau into supporting him for Chief Resident even though Carney's obviously "crack pot". Jackson and Matthau become lovers but she eventually becomes angry with him for (among other things) not standing up to Carney. That's what makes this an almost perfect film comedy: the characters, plot and situations all seem to spring naturally from the events in the plot. There's nothing forced. And the actors seem to be having a ball.

Matthau and Jackson are superb together.