Out To Sea (1997 Martha Coolidge)

Funny that Matthau is cast as an inveterate gambler, which I only recently learned he was in real life. Because of gambling debts he inveigles Lemmon onto a cruise ship, but rather than the luxury voyage he's been promised finds they are there to work as dance partners, under the strict eye of cruise director Brent Spiner, who ruins various songs. Also working there are Donald O'Connor and Hal Linden.

Matthau goes after Texas heiress Dyan Cannon, who you'd think would be far too young for him (her mother is Elaine Stritch), and who Edward Mulhare also covets, whilst widower Lemmon falls for widow Gloria DeHaven (who was in some second rate musicals*, The Thin Man Goes Home, then lots on TV). She's rather good.

It's fun, Matthau getting most of the laughs, e.g. learning how to dance. "There's no such thing as 'too late'. That's why they invented death." Written by Robert Nelson Jacobs.

"Madam. I would be honoured if you would take my last name and put it on your bank account."

Not their last teaming - 1998's The Odd Couple II took that ignominious credit

Photographed by Lajos Koltai, music by David Newman (brother of Thomas), edited by Anne Coates (particularly noticeable in carnival scene and end credits), using a variety of old-fashioned scene transitions.

* Sorry, I don't actually know Two Girls and a Sailor is second-rate. Could be the best goddam muscial in the world, for all I know.