David Allen "A New Leaf" (1971) starring Walter Matthau and Elaine May is one of best screwball romantic comedies ever made.The story is based on a short story by Jack Ritchie titled "The Green Heart" and Elaine May wrote the movie script, directed and starred in the movie.By far, this is her best movie of all time.The movie presents a "poor little rich boy" meets "poor little rich girl" story, and follows the two into an unlikely marriage and a story which ends happily, even though the lovable villain, Walter Mathau playing "Henry Graham" does not have good or honest intentions, and does not intend to remain married to his new wife.(He plans to become a widower taking his new wife's fortune, but at the last moment, changes his mind and his life, and the two literally go off together into a beautiful sunset....a heartwarming ending rare and almost corny, but very welcome).The movie depends very much on the two main players, and the viewer comes to like them both very much as the story unfolds.Other supporting actors in the movie are also lovable and wonderful, and very funny.A really good movie has likable characters the viewer befriends from the very beginning of the film, and which characters remain lovable throughout.There are no true villains in good movies, and current era movies (2013) often make the mistake of foisting villains of such ugliness and brutal, violent character no onlooker could ever like them.The movie suffers when this happens, and the fact that despicable people exist in the world and have over history does not justify putting such people into the movies as characters.No movie can be edifying when such people are portrayed, no matter how skillfully.A good movie is edifying.That is true of all good art in any and all fields and categories of art."A New Leaf" (1971) is a gratifying example of an edifying movie where all portrayed, large and small roles, major and minor roles, are wonderful and memorable.It's a movie which makes the viewer feel good, and makes him/her glad for having spent time watching the movie.....and glad to return to it for many repeat screenings.Very, very few works of cinematic art are like this. That is why "A New Leaf" (1971) really is a treasure. Other classic screwball romantic comedies of note worth seeing, good for the same reasons "A New Leaf" (1971) was good, include "His Girl Friday" (1939), and "Lovers And Other Strangers" (1970).------------- Tex (David) Allen is a SAG-AFTRA accredited movie actor.See details about him on the IMDb website by searching for "Tex Allen."Email to [email protected]

Bob Pr. Henry (Walter Matthau), having squandered his large inheritance, his butler advises him that his only remedies are either suicide or marrying for money. The first option is less appealing to Henry so he quickly searches for a likely candidate--and finds Henrietta (Elaine May).This film is an example of what's sometimes called "comedy noir" in which undesirable acts or conditions set the stage for satire or laughs. Henry's an arrogant, completely self-centered man, profligate of his considerable inheritance, and seemingly never with any close emotional relationships. He risks taking out a very punitive short term loan to maintain his appearances as a man of considerable means with the aim of both quickly finding a wealthy woman to marry and then "doing her in." He finds his ideal candidate/victim: Henrietta --- the only child of deceased parents, extremely wealthy, a botanical scientist, AND with almost NO social sense or grace. Henry quickly courts her, proposes, and they marry. Henry researches potential poisons while Henrietta is researching ferns. But suddenly, Henry realizes Henrietta's love for him has become as gratifying as her abundant money and he begins a transformation. This film is liberally sprinkled with great (funny) one-liners and dialog; many people find it side-splitting hilarious. I chuckled some but neither Henry's extreme haughtiness nor Henrietta's "Asperger's"-like behavior was that funny to me nor such quick transformations believable.My rating of 6 was possibly influenced by my career (clinical psychologist) working with disturbed people which may have lessened my appreciation? Most friends in non-therapeutic fields think it's extremely funny.FWIW: Elaine May's (the director as well as co-star) original version of this film was 3 hours long which the studio found unacceptable so it was cut to its present length, eliminating 2 murders in the process. Elaine May was so dissatisfied with this cutting, she sought to have her name removed from the film credits. More about this can be found in IMDb's "Did You Know" Trivia for this film and/or look for this film's title on Wikipedia.

verbusen I have caught this on TCM more then once and while browsing through exotic car ads thought about it again. If you are in the middle class like me, and have rubbed elbows with the truly upper class (like me, grew up in Manhattan, I looked up an apartment I grew up in poor, it's selling for $3 million dollars now, I was surrounded by stinking rich people growing up and I was middle class poor) you will especially like this film. The reason why it's so funny? IT'S TRUE! Isn't that the best comedy? I mean yes the rich are portrayed in many comedies but for whatever reason, this one nails them. All of them, because like the poor there are many different personalities. It is also hilarious with it's depiction of the middle class so yes it's funny all around. There are lines in this movie that I vividly remember but my all time favorite, the all time gut buster that I attach to my own life when I lose a bundle of money in stocks? The part where Matthau talks to his accountant and realizes he has spent everything and he is walking in the streets aimlessly talking to himself "I'm poor" oh my god, that is just one of the most hilarious movie scenes ever. You have got to see this film if you know how the sheltered rich are, it is hilarious. 10 of 10.

moonspinner55 After burning through his trust fund, New York City playboy Walter Matthau must find a wealthy woman to marry or else lose everything, including his dignity; Elaine May (who also directed and adapted the screenplay from a short story by Jack Ritchie) is Matthau's target--a rich, klutzy plain-Jane botanist and bleeding heart. Not especially sharp (or satiric where it needed to be), but nevertheless a lot of fun. Matthau scores some big laughs; when he suddenly takes charge and fires May's thieving household staff, Matthau is comically forceful (a superb mixture which suits him). He even manages to make some of the lesser scenes (particularly a camping trip near the finish) amusing. May is sweetly frazzled and gives herself some good lines, yet she appears to understand this is Walter's movie and so allows him room to run the gamut from sneaky conniver to protective husband. The editing is noticeably ragged, with some scenes cut off too quickly and James Coco's role (as Matthau's uncle) amounting to little more than a cameo. However, when May gets her timing right and relies on the smart dialogue rather than the somewhat awkward physical comedy, the results are very appealing. **1/2 from ****