The Odd Couple
See Odd Couple (disambiguation) for other works with the same titleThe 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 Simon 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".
*Oscar Madison: A slovenly, recently divorced sportswriter
*Felix Unger/Ungar: A fastidious, hypochondriac newswriter whose marriage is ending. (In the television series, he is a professional photographer)
*Murray: A cop, one of Oscar and Felix's poker buddies. (In the Television series, Murray's last name was revealed to be Greshler.)
*Roy: One of the poker buddies. Oscar's accountant
*Speed: One of the poker buddies.
*Vinnie: One of the poker Buddies.
*Cecily and Gwendolyn Pigeon: Oscar and Felix's upstairs neighbors, a pair of British sisters. One is a widow, the other a divorcee.
In the Television series, another recurring character was added, that of Myrna Turner, Oscar's ditzy secretary.
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. The film was also written by Simon (who was nominated for an
Academy Award) and was directed by
Gene Saks.
1970-1975 ABC Sitcom
Main Page: The Odd Couple The Odd Couple was later the basis for a
1970-
75 ABC prime-time television show of the same name, this time starring
Tony Randall as Felix and
Jack Klugman (once more) as Oscar.
1982 ABC Sitcom
Main Page: The New Odd Couple In
1982, ABC-TV aired the short lived new version of the series, entitled
The New Odd Couple, with
Ron Glass playing Felix and
Demond Wilson playing Oscar.
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.
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]
The Odd Couple was also revised by Neil Simon in 1985 for a female cast (
Sally Struthers and
Rita Moreno starred). 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.
In
1994 a version of the play relocated to
Glasgow toured
Scotland, starring
Gerard Kelly as Felix and
Craig Ferguson as Oscar. Kelly reprised the role of Felix at the
2002 Edinburgh Fringe, opposite
Andy Gray.
In a 1997 issue of
Premiere Magazine,
Billy Crystal and
Robin Williams announced a possible stage revival, in anticipation of success of their film
Fathers' Day. When that film failed at the box office, the Crystal/Williams revival was quickly forgotten. A similar announcement was made in
Premiere in 2005 by
Matthew Broderick and
Nathan Lane, in light of their success on stage and screen as the leads in
The Producers. Broderick and Lane play Felix and Oscar, respectively. The Production opened at
The Brooks Atkinson Theatre in New York on
October 27,
2005. Lane was replaced for two weeks (due to illness) by
Brad Garrett, who had previously played Murray.
*Announcer: On November 13, Felix Unger was asked to remove himself from his place of residence. (Lady Slams Door). That request came from his wife. Deep down, he knew she was right. But he also knew that someday, he would return to her. With no where else to go, he appeared at the home of his childhood friend, Oscar Madison. Sometime earlier, Madison's wife had thrown him out, requesting that he never return. Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy? (the opening to the TV show for the first few years of it's run)
*Oscar (to Felix): "You leave me little notes on my pillow. I told you a hundred-and-sixty-eight times I can't .. stand .. little notes on my pillow! 'We are all out of Corn Flakes. -F.U.' It took me three hours to figure out that 'F.U.' was Felix Ungar!"
*Oscar (to Felix): "I have a typewritten list in my office of the 10 most annoying things you do that drive me berserk."
*Oscar (repeating Felix's warning): "'Let it be on your head.' What the hell is that, the Curse of the Cat People?"
*Roy (Oscar's poker-playing buddy, sniffing): "What is that, disinfectant? . . . It's the cards. He washed the cards."
*Oscar has just talked to Felix's wife about Felix, who is missing:
Murray: Is that what he said? 'I'm going to go out and kill myself?'
Oscar: I don't know, Murray, she didn't read it to me.
Murray: You mean he left a note?
Oscar: No, he sent a telegram.
Murray: A telegram? Who sends a suicide telgram?
Oscar: Felix the Nut, that's who. Can you imagine receiving something like that? She even had to tipthe kid a quarter.
*Randall and Klugman released a musical record during the run of the TV show, entitled
The Odd Couple Sings. The record was exactly that, as Randall and Klugman warbled standards. It didn't have any life at the record stores but is regarded today as a scarce curio.
*Randall and Klugman did a series of commercials as Felix and Oscar during 1974 for the game Challenge
Yahtzee. For awhile, their likenesses also appeared on the games packaging.
*Randall and Klugman did a series of commercials for Eagle snacks, which reprised their characters during the late 1980's.
*
The Odd Couple (TV Show)*
Tony and Me, A Story of Friendship. By Jack Klugman*
Jack Klugman's Blog
