House Calls

PG

1978

1 hr. 38 min.

Comedy

List

33%

9 Reviews

Tomatometer

48%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Widower Dr. Charles Nichols (Walter Matthau) is trying to get back into the dating game, but he's having a hard time adjusting to life as a single man. Every attempt at meeting women seems to end in disaster. It isn't until he meets Ann (Glenda Jackson) as a patient at the hospital that he begins to think he might be able to find love once again. But both Charles and Ann have issues with commitment, and neither want to be the first to take the plunge into another long-term relationship.

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Audience Member

I guess this film must be considered a sleeper. I am not a huge comedy fan but really appreciated this. A more able cast than you might expect for a comedy. It is not perfect but no comedy is. Worth a look if you are in a receptive mood.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

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Audience Member

nette 70er comedy mit guten ansätzen aber leider auch viel leerlauf

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

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Audience Member

This 1970's Matthau film has some enjoyable moments of levity, but doesn't have much mass appeal. The film is about a widower and surgeon (played by Matthau) and a divorcee (played by Jackson) starting a new relationship for the first time in decades. The target audience is pretty much the character's own demographic (i.e., middle-aged men and women) and will bore younger viewers who will also find the movie extremely dated. Matthau and Jackson are both celebrated actors and are better than the unfulfilling script allows them to be. Carney plays an aging forgetful doctor in a role definitely intended to add humour, but severely missed the mark.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Audience Member

Hard to imagine Walter Matthau as this Lothario Dr. who beds all these younger women just 3 months after the death of his wife. Glenda Jackson adds spark as a foil and serious interest for Matthau, and while they do have some chemistry, I felt Jackson's character deserved better. Even more disturbing was the way the hospital was portrayed with Art Carney as a senile chief of surgery still allowed to practice medicine.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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Audience Member

A good old romantic comedy with Walter Matthau's fantastic performance (as usual). Richard Benjamin and Glenda Jackson are good as well.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Audience Member

Walter plays a great part in this movie being a doctor. Great Comedy. If you like older movies it is a Must See!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Howard Zieff

Director

Walter Matthau

Dr. Charley Nichols

Glenda Jackson

Ann Atkinson

Art Carney

Dr. Amos Willoughby

Richard Benjamin

Dr. Norman Solomon

Candice Azzara

Ellen Grady

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Romola Costantino

The Sun-Herald (Australia)

Four script writers were involved, and it shows. But there is still plenty of fun.

May 18, 2023

Full Review

Bernard Drew

Gannett News Service

House Calls is never really terrible, it simply isn't ever good enough.

Nov 1, 2019

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Though poor on character development, it catches the flavor of what a mediocre hospital looks like.

Rated: C+

Oct 28, 2015

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Michael Szymanski

International Press Academy

Rated: 1/5

Nov 4, 2005

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Chuck O'Leary

Fantastica Daily

A very good comedy full of deft comic performances.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 9, 2005

Full Review

Philip Martin

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Rated: 2/5

Jul 8, 2005

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Synopsis

Widower Dr. Charles Nichols (Walter Matthau) is trying to get back into the dating game, but he's having a hard time adjusting to life as a single man. Every attempt at meeting women seems to end in disaster. It isn't until he meets Ann (Glenda Jackson) as a patient at the hospital that he begins to think he might be able to find love once again. But both Charles and Ann have issues with commitment, and neither want to be the first to take the plunge into another long-term relationship.

Director: Howard Zieff
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (DVD): May 31, 2005