No need to recap the plot. Mildly amusing comedy with serious overtones. Considering the talent involved, the film's something of a disappointment. The one-note plot simply can't carry 2-hours of run-time, especially when the middle sags with too much exposition. Then too, the visuals are a dour brand of b&w that clash with the comedic part. Still, I don't know that Technicolor would have been appropriate, but at least brighter shades would have helped. Of course, there's the incomparable Lemmon and Matthau in their first pairing. As a result, I suspect the writers didn't realize the comedic potential they had on hand, and thus couldn't decide whether to play up the sociological element (race relations, bogus litigation) or the funnier parts. Consequently, the movie becomes a stretched out patchwork of the two, despite the intermittent chuckles. I realize my take is a minority, but I'm trying to judge the results strictly apart from the reputations involved.