Lemmon, Jack

orig. John Uhler Lemmon III

born Feb. 8, 1925, Boston, Mass., U.S.

died June 27, 2001, Los Angeles, Calif.

U.S. actor.

He attended Harvard University and acted in radio and television dramas before making his Broadway debut in 1953. He established his movie career in Mister Roberts (1955, Academy Award) and became noted for his character portrayals, often playing excitable, baffled individuals in movies such as Some Like It Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960), The Odd Couple (1968), and The Out-of-Towners (1970). His many other films include Save the Tiger (1973, Academy Award), The China Syndrome (1979), Missing (1982), and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). He received an Emmy Award for his portrayal of a dying college professor in the television film Tuesdays with Morrie (1999).

* * *

▪ 2002

John Uhler Lemmon III 

      American actor (b. Feb. 8, 1925, Boston, Mass.—d. June 27, 2001, Los Angeles, Calif.), excelled in both comic and dramatic character roles, especially in portrayals of a beleaguered everyman beset by the quirks and trials of everyday life; his career was especially defined by two partnerships—with Billy Wilder, who directed him in 7 films, and with his good friend and fellow actor Walter Matthau, with whom he costarred in 10 films and who preceded him in death by almost exactly a year. Lemmon first discovered his passion for acting when he was a young boy, participated in amateur theatre during his years as a student at Harvard University, and, following navy service toward the end of World War II and graduation from Harvard (1947), moved to New York City to pursue a performing career. Having earlier taught himself to play the piano by ear, he supported himself by supplying the music for silent films in a beer hall as he began getting roles on radio and in the live television series Robert Montgomery Presents, Danger, Studio One, and Suspense. Lemmon's Off-Broadway debut came in Power of Darkness in 1947, and in 1953 he made his Broadway debut in a revival of Room Service. That performance caught the attention of a film talent scout, and the following year Lemmon was cast opposite Judy Holliday in It Should Happen to You. A year later he played Ensign Pulver in Mr. Roberts, for which he won the best supporting actor Oscar. Some Like It Hot (1959), Lemmon's first movie with Wilder, and The Apartment (1960), his second, provided two of his definitive performances, and another Wilder film, The Fortune Cookie (1966), introduced his partnership with Matthau. That collaboration was highlighted by the two friends' performances as a neat freak (Lemmon, as Felix Unger) and a slob (Matthau, as Oscar Madison) attempting to survive each other as roommates in Neil Simon's The Odd Couple (1968). Late in their careers their teaming found them in Grumpy Old Men (1993) and its sequel (1995), Out to Sea (1997), and The Odd Couple II (1998). In addition, Lemmon excelled in dramatic films—including Days of Wine and Roses (1962), Save the Tiger (1973), for which he won a best actor Oscar, The China Syndrome (1979), Missing (1982), and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)—and throughout his career he also returned to the stage, notably in Tribute (1978) and Long Day's Journey into Night (1986). He was last seen in the TV production Tuesdays with Morrie (1999), for which he won an Emmy. Among Lemmon's many other honours were the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award in 1988, the Screen Actors Guild's Life Achievement Award in 1990, and a Kennedy Center Honor in 1996.

* * *

▪ American actor

in full  John Uhler Lemmon III  

born February 8, 1925, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

died June 27, 2001, Los Angeles, California

      American screen and stage actor adept at both comedy and drama and noted for his portrayals of high-strung or neurotic characters in American films from the 1950s onward.

      Lemmon attended Harvard University and was president of the school's Hasty Pudding Club, an organization renowned for its annual satiric revues. Upon graduation in 1947, he served in the navy, after which he moved to New York City. There he worked as a piano player and actor, making his Broadway debut in a revival of the farce Room Service (1953). Although the production was unsuccessful, his performance led to a contract with Columbia Pictures (Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) the following year.

      His first two film appearances were opposite Judy Holliday (Holliday, Judy) in It Should Happen to You and Phffft! (both 1954). His Oscar-winning performance as Ensign Pulver in Mister Roberts (1955) firmly established him as one of the screen's brightest new comic actors. He went on to deliver solid performances in other comedies, including My Sister Eileen (1955), Operation Mad Ball (1957), Bell, Book and Candle (1958), and It Happened to Jane (1959). Two films directed by Billy Wilder (Wilder, Billy) helped establish Lemmon as a major star. Some Like It Hot (1959), an American comedy classic, featured Lemmon as a jazz musician posing as a woman, and The Apartment (1960) reinforced the character type for which he became known, that of a tense, excitable, and baffled individual who painfully progresses to a deeper understanding of the world. He received Oscar nominations for both films, as well as for Days of Wine and Roses (1962), in which he gave a harrowing portrayal of an alcoholic advertising executive.

      Wilder teamed Lemmon with Walter Matthau (Matthau, Walter) in The Fortune Cookie (1966), the first of many comedies for the pair. Their most famous teaming was in The Odd Couple (1968), based on Neil Simon (Simon, Neil)'s stage hit. The film established the pattern for most of their appearances together, with a fussy neurotic (Lemmon) butting heads with a carefree scalawag (Matthau). Other Lemmon-Matthau films include The Front Page (1974), Buddy Buddy (1981), Grumpy Old Men (1993), Grumpier Old Men (1995), and The Odd Couple II (1998).

      In the 1970s Lemmon made his directorial debut with Kotch (1970), starring Matthau, and won his second Oscar for his performance in Save the Tiger (1973). He appeared in two more Neil Simon comedies, The Out-of-Towners (1970) and The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1974), and garnered additional Oscar nominations for The China Syndrome (1979), Tribute (1980), and Missing (1982).

      As he aged into character roles, Lemmon remained no less prolific. His acclaimed performances of later years include his portrayal of James Tyrone in Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night in both a stage revival (1986) and a television adaptation (1987); a down-and-out real estate salesman in Glengarry Glen Ross (1992); a smooth-talking con man in The Grass Harp (1995); and two TV renderings of classic American dramas, 12 Angry Men (1997) and Inherit the Wind (1999), both of which costarred George C. Scott (Scott, George C.). Lemmon also won an Emmy Award for his touching portrayal of a dying college professor in the television film Tuesdays with Morrie (1999).

Additional Reading

Joe Baltake, Jack Lemmon: His Films and Career (1986).

* * *