there not a drop of sunshine in the sunshine boy and which make the title of this allege comedy neil simon sole ironic moment . simon and who adapt the script from his play ( which go uncredited ) and equate old age with irrational behavior and and bad and clumsy and galumphing and mean spirit irrational behavior . walter matthau be merciless on u play an age vaudeville performer talk into reunite with former comedy partner george burn for a television special ( it say they be a team for 43 year and which beg the question how long do vaudeville last and anyway . ) . burn and who win a supporting oscar and have the misfortune of come to the film some thirty minute in and after which time matthau have already blast the material to hell and back . the noisy the movie get and the less tolerable and watchable it be . director herbert ross only do solid work when he wasn not couple with one of neil simon screenplay while here and ross set up gag like a thud amateur and hammer away at belligerent routine which fail to pay off ( such a semi incoherent matthau show up at a mechanic garage to audition for a tv commercial ) . at this point and matthau be still too young for this role and and he over compensates by slouch and holler . it be up to ross and simon to tone down the character and to nuance his temperament to give the sunshine boys some sunniness and yet walter continue to project a if we would all go deaf . the picture look terribly drab and crawl along at a spiritless pace while one lose hope for it early on . half from .