![]() He won attention in his first film role, with Judy Holliday in 1954, in ''It Should Happen to You.'' He won an Oscar for best supporting actor in 1955 (as Ensign Pulver in ''Mr. Lemmon's pace - ''Buddy Buddy,'' to be released around Christmas, is his 37th picture in 28 years - is characteristic of one of Hollywood's hardest-working, best-liked and most ''bankable'' stars. After that, he will get behind the camera to direct Jill Clayburgh and Susan Sarandon in ''A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking.'' The day after Lemmon finished ''Buddy Buddy,'' he flew from Hawaii, where the last scenes were shot, to Mexico, where he made ''Missing,'' a film directed by Constantin Costa-Gav- ras, who made ''Z.'' In this drama, Lemmon plays an American father searching - with his hostile daughter-in-law - for his son, who has disappeared in a Latin American country during revolutionary turbulence. Jack is not an imposing, dramatic figure - when he does something silly, you say, 'Aw, I did that myself.' '' And he's very comfortable with physical comedy. Everyman face and it's very difficult not to believe him,'' said Stuart Rosenberg, who directed Lemmon in ''The April Fools.'' ''He can keep it real, as opposed to theatrical. Jack Lemmon has been showing directors and audiences for more than 30 years, and they have usually believed him. ''That's the first print,'' said Billy Wilder. On take five, Matthau matched the sincerity of Lemmon's apology with a look of disdain for his excessive humility that would fry bacon. He's a man who would not impose on the next customer, as it were.'' Wilder ordered the take held for possible printing. ''This is the character: He is the kind of guy who apologizes. ''Lemmon has a good concept as to how to make a thought come off on the screen,'' said Wilder. On the fourth take, Lemmon's expression shifted the emphasis of his speech from the fact that he had a nervous stomach to apologizing to Matthau for it. Saying 'tried everything' is redundant.'' But the less words the better.'' Wilder agreed: ''We show his taking Tums and Di-Gel. Diamond nodded to Wilder, Wilder nodded to Lemmon, and the words ''tried everything'' disappeared from the script.ĭiamond later explained, ''Jack felt that 'tried everything' interfered with the rhythm of his speech. Diamond has collaborated with Wilder on all seven Jack Lemmon films that Wilder has directed. ''Don't play them too fast if it's not necessary.'')Īfter take three, Lemmon talked quietly to Wilder, who talked quietly to I.A.L. So we'll have him keep the handkerchief in his hand.'' Why not a close-up of Lemmon, to release Matthau? ''Close-ups are trump cards,'' said Wilder. ''The camera also sees Matthau, who is still looking at Lemmon, and Matthau is hung up there if Lemmon takes two seconds longer. (''We evolve the simplest scene we can,'' said Wilder afterward. ![]() On the second take, Lemmon didn't put his handkerchief away as he walked back to his car - and Wilder realized that Lemmon had saved perhaps a second and a half by keeping it in his hand. (''Lemmon can act a bad stomach without that,'' said Wilder later. Wilder spoke quietly to Lemmon afterward and that was that. On the first take of ''Buddy Buddy,'' Lemmon showed Wilder his sudden attack of nausea. He may not see your mental image the same way you do. ''Don't prepare the director by verbally giving him a mental image. ![]() Lemmon thought it over: ''I don't know if I can get away with almost getting sick again, but I'm going to try.'' Would he first ask Billy Wilder, at 75 still the dean of Hollywood's directors? ''You don't talk about acting - you do it,'' Lemmon said. They say it's psychosomatic - because of my wife.' '' I have this nervous stomach.' ''įor a brief moment, Lemmon seemed about to encore his act. Finally, I come out and say, 'Sorry - I was throwing up. ![]() ''But I'm already there, on my way to try to reconcile with my wife, who has abandoned me for the head of a sex clinic. ''Matthau is a hit man who pulls into the gas station to use the men's room,'' said Lemmon. By John Culhane ack Lemmon, in his temporary dressing room in a gas station in Agoura, Calif., demonstrated how he would deliver his first speech to Walter Matthau in the film ''Buddy Buddy'' - if he could get away with it. John Culhane, a writer and film historian, is the author of a book on movie special effects to be published by Ballantine this fall. ![]()
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