Rubicon3: They Simply Must...

...make the movie "A New Leaf" (1971), starring Walter Matthau and Elaine May, available on DVD. It is a very funny movie - Matthau at his best as an old fashioned playboy who runs out of money and decides to marry a wealthy woman and then do away with her. He finds Elaine May, a nerdy horticulturalist. Their comedic chemistry was stellar! I laughed til I cried when I saw it and as one of the reviewers on IMDb remarked, even the second time around it's funny in anticipation of what you know is going to happen.

It's a crying shame it's not available on DVD. I check for it every few months, but no luck.

A summary from Amazon:

Elaine May wrote, directed, and starred in this acidic comedy about a wealthy playboy (Walter Matthau) who discovers that he has nearly spent all of his fortune. Casting about for a solution to his money problems that won't actually involve work, he finds a desperate solution: He'll marry an heiress (May) for her fortune. The hitch: She's a social maladept ("The woman is feral," Matthau growls). Indeed, Matthau finds marriage so intolerable that he decides there's only one course of action, which is to actively pursue making himself a widower by bumping her off. An offbeat, funny, and dry film, with a wonderfully misanthropic performance by Matthau and a sharply drawn one by May.

Some reviews from Amazon and IMDb:

This comedy performance by Walter Matthou ranks with his best work, such as in The Odd Couple, Sunshine Boys etc. Unfortunately, not as many people have seen it, as this movie is a little-known gem.

I saw it as a second feature and almost missed it as I had never heard or read anything about it. We stayed, and laughed so hard I looked for it for years and told people about this odd film no one knows about.

Thank God cable aired it and it became available on VHS so I could recommend it to friends. The movie is simply hilarious.

Matthau is an arrogant, cultured, vain, selfish and rich snob suddenly finding himself penniless. His only salvation is to marry a rich woman and he finds the perfect target in the introverted and socially inept heiress/botanist played by Elaine May.

Matthau, dreading this intrusion into his perfectly ordered bachelor existence, decides murder of this ditz-of-all-time is the answer to all his problems. But, that is just the beginning to a very funny and ultimately touching story.

There are some of the best written and performed comedy bits in this film that I've ever seen. Starting with William Redfield as an accountant trying to explain to a willfully uncomprehending Matthau that he's broke; James Coco as Matthau's detested uncle extorting him over breakfast; Jack Weston as May's conniving and crooked lawyer/boyfriend; Matthau proposing to May while kneeling on broken glass; the wedding with May being given away by a blubbering Weston; the Honeymoon and the toga nightgown; May's disasterous household of thieving servants; and so on.

Special mention must go to George Rose who plays Matthau's valet and all-purpose manservant. He is superb in his dry, clipped delivery while conveying the man's undelying wisdom and empathy.

Okay, the ending may seem tacked on or otherwise not perfect but you can say that about The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and quite a few other classic comedies. I won't take so much as 1/2 star off for that. This is a Classic American comedy and should be seen by everyone. Don't miss it. And please, someone, preserve it forever by putting it on DVD!

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Every now and then you stumble across a film that has been forgotten, or just ignored, and for the life of you, you can't figure out why. "A New Leaf" is such a film. Seeing this wonderful comedy for the first time was the movie-watching equivalent of discovering buried treasure.

One of the marks of an excellent comedy is one that you can watch a number of times and still laugh involuntarily even though you know what is coming. The performances of Matthau and May, as well as the supporting cast are that priceless.

So many funny and memorable scenes, but a couple of my favorites are: the meeting between Henry Graham (Matthau) and his accountant Beckett (Redfield) as Beckett tries to contain his frustration and explain to Matthau that his money is gone ("perfect"); and the scene where Graham crawls to his rich uncle (James Coco) to ask to borrow money while the uncle is favoring an electric pepper mill during his lavish meal (the expressions on Matthau's face are exquisite).

A delightful, black romantic comedy that somehow manages to be very light, and as a bonus even subtly tosses out some profound truths.

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*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

There are very few movies that can accurately depict love, and even fewer comedies still, that can show that depth of feeling without irony or silliness. This has long been a movie very close to my heart.

I think this is Walter Matthau's best movie for showing his range, and Elaine May has always been an underrated actress and writer...and director. It was her movie.

Walter Matthau is a self-centered, ruthless, snobbish, wealthy bachelor whose only talent appears to be spending money on such outdated frivolities as reflected by his "manservent" and conscience, Harold (at least I think that's his name!).

One day, his accountant attempts to explain to him how really and truly broke he is. This is a hilarious scene, with Henry flatly refusing to believe broke means ZERO money. None. Undeterred, Henry has no visions of joining the real world. he simply must get money to continue his Royal lifestyle. This is 1971 but Henry lives in the middle ages, and it is clear he is not getting-down with the more natural lifestyle, and social progress. After much soul searching (and help from his manservant) Henry decides he must do things the old-fashioned way and Marry the money. It a last ditch effort to bail himself temporarily he borrows money from a detested scornful uncle who commits extortion over breakfast, all the while nearly choking to death on the food he gorges upon while Henry writhes in a chair and begs.

And so a series of Very funny scenes pass with countless wealthy spinsters, divorcees and widows, all of whom cause Henry to be repulsed (they are hilariously awful...and desperate!). One day he encounters Henrietta Lowell at another socialites tea party. After finding out Henrietta is loaded and has no family, rescues her multiple faux pas with the hostess. And so the whirlwind courtship begins. Henrietta is hopeless in the critical eyes of Henry graham--she is badly myopic, clumsy, has no concept of time or money, does nothing to improve her appearance...she's a botanist. And worse still--she has no taste in fine alcohol. Henry waxes on about fine wine, then she asks Henry if he's ever tasted "Mogen-David extra-heavy malaga wine with soda water and lime juice?"--an absolute laugh out loud moment. whoever heard of Ripple being so important to the wealthy socialites. Elaine May delivers every line so perfectly dead-pan, it is hard not to imagine her as Henrietta in real life.

Henry proposes, while kneeling on broken glass, and so their marriage begins. Henry takes over, gets rid of the corrupt "servants" (a young Doris Roberts is hilarious as the corrupt head housekeeper fleecing Henrietta blind). Henry plots to kill Henrietta so he can have all the money for himself.

But something funny happens along the way to the perfect murder. Henry really falls into place as the new King of the mansion. He is a good organizer, gets things repaired, and the staff that are allowed to stay actually start working. He also starts to care about Henrietta even though loudly protesting the otherwise out of her earshot (he doesn't manage to kill her on Honeymoon and only half-heartedly tried). Henrietta is clearly head over heels in love with Henry and thinks of nothing but him, she even asks him to teach so they can work together and one day she completely surprises him--she names a new leaf after him--a fern. He is so shocked, so touched. He will be famous, forever, immortalized as the species Grahami. He wears the leaf around his neck.

They go on a camping trip, where he finally had long planned to do her in.

I can't tell the final scenes, but they are gripping, death defying, and full of romance. Henrietta even manages to look pretty as she is pulled out of a river.

In a backhand way she tells him she knows that he didn't "plan" for things to happen the way they did, but she gently begs him to stick with her.

Matthau's transformation must be one of the most humorous "I changed for the love of a good woman" stories on record.

Please issue on DVD. Buy the VHS. This movie is beautiful. And it has some of the funniest dialog EVER written.

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Apparently, I was extremely lucky, and had the privilege of watching this wonderful, funny movie several times when it ran on local television stations 25-30 years ago. I've been touting A New Leaf to my friends ever since--and I've yet to meet anyone else who's seen it.

If Walter Matthau and Elaine May had done nothing else in their careers--and they indisputably have done much more--this splendid film could assure them an honored place in cinema history. As your other users have already said more eloquently, please, please, if there is any justice in the entertainment world, won't someone preserve this movie on DVD and/or legal digital downloads? It's way too good to lose--especially when we consider that every mind-numbing network reality show is now or soon will be available to cherish forever in every possible digital format.