The Odd Couple
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See Odd Couple (disambiguation) for other works with the same title
Image:The Odd Couple.jpgThe Odd Couple was a hit 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spinoffs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one uptight and the other slovenly.
Simon was inspired to write the play when he saw his brother Danny and theatrical agent Roy Gerber living together after recent divorces. Danny, also a writer, took the first crack at the play, but later handed over the idea to Neil. The show, directed by Mike Nichols, ran for 966 performances and won several Tony Awards, including Best Play.
Felix Ungar, a neurotic, neat-freak newswriter, is thrown out by his wife, and moves in with Oscar Madison, a slovenly sportswriter. Ungar was played by Art Carney and Madison by Walter Matthau. Matthau was later replaced with Jack Klugman.
The play and the film both spell Felix's name "Ungar", not "Unger".
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Film and TV adaptations
1968 film
In 1968 The Odd Couple was made into a highly successful movie starring Jack Lemmon as Felix and Matthau (once more) as Oscar. Most of the script from the play is the same, although the setting is expanded: instead of taking place entirely in Oscar's apartment, some scenes take place at various outside locations.
Sitcom
It was later the basis for a 1970-75 ABC prime-time television show of the same name, this time starring Tony Randall as Felix (now a commercial photographer) and Jack Klugman (once more) as Oscar. In 1982, there was a short lived new version of the series, The New Odd Couple, with Ron Glass playing Felix and Demond Wilson playing Oscar. (Aside from both actors' being African-American, that series was notable for featuring one of the few instances of product placement for the Apple Lisa computer.)
Sequels
In 1998 Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau resurrected their roles for the film The Odd Couple II, produced by Neil Simon, while Randall and Klugman also reunited in 1993 for a made-for-TV reunion film based upon the series.
Theme music
The award-winning jazz instrumental theme was composed by Neal Hefti for the film. It was played over the opening credits, as the depressed Felix silently wandered the streets of New York, contemplating suicide after having been kicked out of his own house by his exasperated wife. The theme was adapted for the TV series, again used over the opening credits. It is not used in the theatrical versions. The song also has seldom-heard lyrics, written by Sammy Cahn.[1]
Stage revivals
The Odd Couple was also revised by Neil Simon in 1985 for a female cast. It was based on the same story line and same lead characters, now called Florence Ungar and Olive Madison. The play ran on Broadway for 295 performances.
Funny line
- Oscar, to Felix: "You leave me little notes on my pillow. I told you a hundred times that I can't stand little notes on my pillow. We are all out of Corn Flakes. F.U. It took me hours to figure out that 'F.U.' was Felix Ungar!"