The Fortune Cookie was made for $3.7 million and grossed $6.8 million internationally.

United Artists sold the film with the taglines: "SOME PEOPLE WILL DO ANYTHING FOR MONEY!" and "Dough is the most important ingredient in..."

For the British release of The Fortune Cookie, it was retitled Meet Whiplash Willie. In Germany, it was Der Glücksplitz ("The Luck Mushroom"); in Italy Non Per Soldi...Ma Por Dinaro ("Not for Money...But for Money"); and in Brazil Uma Loura Por um Milhão ("A Blonde for a Million").

Billy Wilder was a serious sports fan and kept two televisions in his apartment so he could watch games airing simultaneously.

The description of Willie Gingrich in The Fortune Cookie screenplay as a man having "a brain full of razor blades and a heart full of chutzpah" is actually William Holden's description of Wilder.

The theme Andre Previn uses for Harry is the Cole Porter standard "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To."

After his heart attack while filming The Fortune Cookie, Walter Matthau quit smoking and started a regular exercise regime.

Matthau's heart attack created continuity problems for the film. Before the attack, he filmed the scene in which he runs up the stairs to present Lemmon with his settlement check. After the attack, he played the scene in Lemmon's apartment immediately following. Between the two, he had lost 30 pounds. For the rest of the shoot, he wore a heavy black coat to add bulk to his torso.

When Boom Boom (Ron Rich) returns a punt during the opening game, the Minnesota Vikings are momentarily replaced by the Philadelphia Eagles.

The announcer for the opening game is Keith Jackson, although he never worked for CBS.

Memorable Quotes From THE FORTUNE COOKIE

"He's so full of twists. He starts to describe a donut and it comes out a pretzel." -- Jack Lemmon, as Harry Hinkle, describing Walter Matthau, as Willie Gingrich.

"...too bad it didn't happen further down the street in front of the May Company. From them you can collect. Couldn't you have dragged yourself another 20 feet?" -- Matthau, as Willie Gingrich, to Howard McNear, as Mr. Cimoli, who broke his pelvis in front of a small delicatessen.

"Children! Jeffrey, Ginger, cut that out. This is a hospital."
"Let 'em. If they're gonna break a leg, this is the place to do it." -- Marge Redmond, as Charlotte Gingrich, trying to discipline her children with no help from Matthau, as Willie.

"Can I ask you something? What do you think our chances are against the Philadelphia Eagles? Because Sister Veronica wants thirteen points." -- Dodie Heath, as a Nun, to Ron Rich, as Luther "Boom Boom" Jackson.

"They've got so much money they don't know what to do with it. They've run out of storage space. They have to microfilm it." -- Matthau, justifying taking CBS to the cleaners.

"Why don't you kids go play on the freeway?" -- Matthau, to his noisy children.

"Those insurance guys think they're such geniuses. What they forget is every time they build a better mousetrap the mice get smarter." -- Matthau.

"You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time -- but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." -- The fortune cookie saying that seems to mock Lemmon, as Henry Hinkle.

"All these newfangled machines. Fake! It proves nothing. In the old days, we used to do these things better. The man says he's paralyzed, we simply throw him in the snake pit. If he climbs out, then we know he's lying."
"And if he doesn't climb out?"
"Then we have lost the patient, but we have found an honest man." -- Sig Ruman, as Professor Winterhalter, proving a point to Bartlett Robinson, as Specialist #1.

"Guess what?"
"Tinkerbell is coming back?" -- Lemmon, as Harry, trying to tell Matthau that Harry's estranged wife is returning to him.

"Put on a little weight, haven't you? I'd say about seven pounds." -- Matthau, to Judi West, as Sandy Hinkle, after patting her rear end.

"Wait? Who waits nowadays? Take the government. When they shoot a billion dollars worth of hardware into space, do you think they pay cash? It's all on the Diner's Club!" -- Matthau, trying to get Lemmon to spend the insurance money before he gets the check.

Compiled by Frank Miller