Now, as for the movie itself, The Fortune Cookie is certainly almost as entertaining as many of Wilder's other classics. One thing that makes it doubly entertaining is the fact that this is the first cinematic teaming of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, who would team up for The Odd Couple, and the Grumpy Old Men films. Another thing that makes this film fun to watch is the story line, which seems pretty mundane, but is given a lot of juice by Billy Wilder's natural cynicism.
Lemmon is a CBS cameramen, filming a football game, who gets injured when one of the players crashes into him while intercepting a pass. Lemmon is sent to the hospital to get checked on overnight. One of his visitors is his brother-in-law, played by Matthau. Matthau is a lawyer, one of those stereotypical ambulance chasers, who's nicknamed derisively as "Whiplash Willie". He wants to set up an elaborate scam, in which Lemmon is to sue CBS, the football league, the football team, and the stadium for his injuries. Of course, it goes without saying that Matthau wants Lemmon to slightly exaggerate his injuries, even so far as to get a "doctor" of questionable repute to give him drugs that would numb one of his arms, and his back, so as to be able to pass the tests given by the insurance company's doctors.
At the same time, Lemmon's ex-wife starts contacting him again. Lemmon resents this woman, who ran off with a musician. The woman seems all wrong for Lemmon, who's character is a goody-two-shoes kind of square, but Matthau attempts to convince him that Lemmon is still in love. As well, the football player who injured Lemmon begins to befriend him, much to Matthau's chagrin.
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