A New Leaf (1971)

A New Leaf (1971)

starring Walter Matthau, Elaine May

written and directed by Elaine May

Henry (Walter Matthau) has gone broke. Desperate for money he casts about for rich woman to marry. He winds up with Henrietta Lowell (Elaine May). He is attracted to her money and the fact that she looks like the perfect wife for him. She accepts his marriage proposal and they get married just in time for him to pay off all his debts. He plans to murder her but at the last minute he has a change of heart.

Thoughts

I think I caught the tail end of this movie once on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in 1980s. I'm pretty sure that this was the first time I have watched it from beginning to end.

The movie starts a little slow, before Henrietta enters the picture. I found it to be very enjoyable from that point forward. I wasn't laughing from beginning to end but its very good and was worth watching.

Notes 

I've seen Walter Matthau in at least a dozen other films including Charlie Varrick (1973), The Front Page (1974), and Taking of the Pelham One Two Three (1974). He was in four episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955).

Jack Weston played the part of Henrietta's lawyer. He was in two episodes of Tales of the Unexpected, the first of which was 1.08 A Dip in the Pool. He also appeared in episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955), The Twilight Zone (1959), and Kraft Suspense Theatre.

This is the only movie Elaine May has been in that I have watched. This was her directorial debut. 

05/12/26 - 16:10