Both IMDb and Wikipedia calls this a straight-up comedy. I call it a comedy-drama, because it works better that way. While more plainly joking than The King of Comedy, it feels pretty dour much of the time, as I suspected from the title.
Aged vaudevillian Willy Clark (Walter Matthau) wants to remain in show business despite having become nearly impossible to direct. His nephew, Ben (Richard Benjamin), also serves as his thankless agent. Ben finally gets him a role on a retrospective TV special, but Willy is extremely reluctant to reunite with estranged partner Al Lewis (George Burns) for even one reprisal of their classic "doctor sketch."
Odd to think that this came 18 years before Grumpy Old Men. Matthau was only 55 and already passing for the same age as a man 24 years older than himself. He was in his single digits during the time Willy reportedly became a star. Technically, even Burns was a little younger than his character. I took interest in earlier casting ideas: Jack Benny was too ill (and indeed died in '74), Red Skelton demanded too much money and had too blue a sense of humor, and Bob Hope and Bing Crosby weren't Jewish enough for writer Neil Simon's intentions.
I guess we're supposed to find Willy and Al about equally obnoxious, but I was always more inclined to sympathize with Al, partly because he's more tolerant of Willy than vice versa. Oh, they both make mountains out of molehills and absorb maybe half of what they hear, and we don't see as much of Al, but at least he acknowledges his limitations. He retired at a good point in his life (ironic considering that the Oscar-winning Burns made a huge comeback thanks to this). He shows a little more willingness to accept that his errors are his fault. He treats family as family, not nuisances or incompetent employees. He doesn't openly express bigotry against Hispanic or Black people.
Seems like the Sunshine Boys should have resolved their issues long ago. During their performances, Al would poke Willy's chest too hard and pronounce T's strongly enough to get spittle on Willy's face. Willy is convinced that both practices were deliberate provocations, but Al acts like he had no idea. Willy put up with these annoyances for more than four decades simply for the sake of comedy gold, so why doesn't he bring the same attitude anymore? Because he's still angry about Al retiring first, as if there were a contractual obligation for them to retire together?
For that matter, why does Ben try so hard to persuade them? He thinks a failure to do so would reflect badly on his career, but all he has to do is tell the truth. Or claim that Willy is too senile. Hey, that's more honest than the several times Ben denies any misgivings between the duo. I felt less sorry for him when I realized he largely brings his frustrations on himself.
When we finally see a rehearsal of the doctor sketch, yes, it's very suitably funny. By old-fashioned standards, anyway. Prepare for a fake German accent and a ditzy sexpot, aptly played by Lee Meredith, a.k.a. Ulla in The Producers. I kinda wish we could've seen the whole routine in their prime.
I almost opted to split my 111-minute viewing over two days to avoid wanting to pull my hair. Gradually, I acclimated myself to the movie's mood. It just barely paid off. I think you have to like '70s comedy more than vaudeville to fully appreciate TSB.
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