Out to Sea is a throwback to the old days. Its plot wouldn't fill one-third of a typical Love Boat hour: Luckless gambler (Walter Matthau) persuades mourning widower (Jack Lemmon) to go on a cruise to meet wealthy women. The catch, and the comedy hook: They have to act as dance hosts. (Do cruise ships still have such anachronisms?) While Matthau flashes imaginary wealth to impress Texas heiress Dyan Cannon, Lemmon pretends he's a doctor for widow Gloria De Haven. Of course, their lies catch up with them in the second act and all is forgiven in the third. Nobody's going to sit through this movie for the suspense.

The thin plot only reveals what a stellar cast of entertainers has been assembled here. Matthau's comic timing is inimitable: Deliberate, straight-faced, emphatic, his work here reminded me of the hilarious '70s novelty Hopscotch. Lemmon's stuttering shtick has been wearing thin for years, but his character has some touching moments, and his relationship with De Haven is sweet. Brent Spiner wreaks havoc in the inspired role of a megalomaniac cruise director who fancies himself a Vegas lounge act. Around the fringes, old hoofers Donald O'Connor, Hal Linden, and Elaine Stritch are a delight to watch, and they look like they're having a terrific time. But couldn't the budget have stretched to include just one real production number?