Ep. 42 - The Fortune Cookie

Written By Bart Simpson

Why does “Bart Gets Hit by a Car” (S2E10) show the episode title on screen at the beginning, unlike nearly every other episode of The Simpsons? We think we found an answer in The Fortune Cookie (1966), the very first pairing of longtime comedy duo Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. They’re the original odd couple! This forgotten movie provided the plot for this early episode of The Simpsons, and possibly much more.

Also in this episode:

  • A classic example of “homage, French for theft”

  • How this movie may have inspired the origins of Lionel Hutz and Dr. Nick Riviera

  • When does Walter Matthau sound most like season 1 Homer in this movie?

  • Adam and Nate unwisely try to rewrite Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond, two masters of comedy writing

Next time, filmmaker and podcaster Devan Scott returns to discuss Jaws (1975) on its 50th anniversary, alongside its culty parody in “The Joy of Sect” (S9E13).

For more Simpsons movie parody content, check out SpringfieldGoogolplex.com, or follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok, YouTube, and Letterboxd. Discover more great podcasts on the That Shelf Podcast Network.

Every Simpsons Reference to The Fortune Cookie

By our count, The Fortune Cookie has been directly referenced once in the first 13 seasons of The Simpsons. The first reference appears in “Bart Gets Hit by a Car” (S2E10) from 1991, 25 years after the release of the movie.

Plot Reference

Bart Gets Hit by a Car (S2E10): On the commentary for this episode, Mike Reiss notes that the plot of this episode is heavily inspired by The Fortune Cookie. The similarities start before the credits are even over, when a minor injury sends both protagonists to the hospital. (Note the way both the skateboard and camera fly through the air!)

Fun fact: This is one of the few Simpsons episodes to include its episode title on screen. While on the commentary, Mike Reiss says this is just a weird joke to play with audience expectations, we think it’s another reference to The Fortune Cookie, which includes numbered, on-screen “chapter” titles throughout the movie. They’re even presented in white text with a strong black shadow, just like in this episode.

At the hospital, both Bart and Harry encounter an unscrupulous lawyer. This episode brings us the first appearance of Lionel Hutz, and while the character is quite different from Walter Matthau’s Willie Whiplash, he does play the same role in the story. In other words, perhaps we can thank this plot parody for Mr. Hutz!

In both stories, the lawyer coaches the protagonist to pretend to be more injured than he really is by using a wheelchair and wearing a neck brace—although in The Fortune Cookie, the case never goes to court.

The ultimate goal of both lawyers is to encourage their opponents to settle the case outside of court by writing a check.

In both cases, the opposing lawyers put the protagonist under surveillance, however while in The Simpsons, this leads to information they can use to win the case, in The Fortune Cookie the protagonists manage to keep up the rouse for most of the movie’s runtime.

Both stories also end similarly with the moral hearts of the stories—Marge and Harry—fessing up to the scheme and blowing the case. Interestingly, however, in The Fortune Cookie this means Harry himself taking ownership for his own role in the big lie, while in The Simpsons, this role is split, with Marge confessing under oath to Homer and Bart’s shenanigans without their approval.

Extra Credit

Looking for more like this or an interesting double feature? Here are our recommendations.

Further Reading & Viewing

Bart Simpson
Next

Ep. 41 - 2025 Oscars Special