Walter Matthau

Walter Matthau

Walter John Matthau (né Matthow; MATH-ow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, known for his "hangdog face" and for playing world-weary characters. He starred in 10 films alongside his real-life friend Jack Lemmon, including The Odd Couple (1968) and Grumpy Old Men (1993). The New York Times called this "one of Hollywood's most successful pairings". Among other accolades, Matthau won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and two Tony Awards. On Broadway, Matthau originated the role of Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple by playwright Neil Simon, for which he received a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play in 1965, his second after A Shot in the Dark in 1962. Matthau won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the Billy Wilder film The Fortune Cookie (1966), with further Best Actor nominations for Kotch (1971) and The Sunshine Boys (1975). He gained further recognition for his portrayal of the coach of a hapless little league team in the baseball comedy The Bad News Bears (1976). Matthau is also known for his performances in Elia Kazan's A Face in the Crowd (1957), the Elvis Presley vehicle King Creole (1958), Stanley Donen's romance Charade (1963), Fail Safe (1964), Gene Kelly's musical Hello, Dolly! (1969), Elaine May's screwball comedy A New Leaf (1971) and Herbert Ross's ensemble comedy California Suite (1978). He also starred in Plaza Suite (1971), Charley Varrick (1973), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), The Sunshine Boys (1975), House Calls (1978), Hopscotch (1980) and Dennis the Menace (1993). In 1982, Matthau received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Birth and Death Data: Born New York City (most populous city in the United States), Died July 1, 2000 (Santa Monica (beachfront city in Los Angeles County, California, United States) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1972

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company	Matrix No.	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Role
Decca	L 16295	12/12/1972	Love's the only game in town	Walter Matthau	vocalist
Decca	L 16296	12/12/1972	Love theme from Pete and Tillie	Walter Matthau	vocalist
Decca	L 16297	12/12/1972	[Unknown title(s)]	Walter Matthau	vocalist
Decca	L 16298	12/12/1972	Love theme from Pete and Tillie	Walter Matthau	vocalist

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Matthau, Walter," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104509.

Matthau, Walter. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104509.

"Matthau, Walter." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.