Forgotten Performances: Jack Warden in "Shampoo"

I've forgotten how great Warden was in the part of Lester Karpf, a straight-laced business man who tries ever so hard to be his hip, young self again while trying "maintaining" his marriage, his mistress, and clients. Warden plays Lester perfectly, making him a slight doof, while also mixing in understanding and texture. He makes Lester's motivations clear and perceptive, without making the character overtly transparant. His performance works better than that of his co-star Lee Grant because he can carry both the lightness and darker shades of the story/character without straining for his affects. His comedic timing is impeccable (Leslie Nielsen style), and offers up dozens of genius line readings ("now that's what I call fuckin'!"). In fact, Warden should have been the actor from Shampoo winning the Oscar, not the less effective Lee Grant as his sexually-starved wife.

Whadda' you say about Warden's Lester? Yay? Nay?