The Odd Couple (1968)

Director:

Gene Saks

Writers:

Neil Simon (play)
Neil Simon (screenplay)

Release Date:

27 May 1968 (Brazil)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau are The Odd Couple...say no more.

Plot:

Two friends try sharing an apartment, but their ideas of housekeeping and lifestyles are as different as night and day.

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Poker Chip | Restaurant | Curse | Crying

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Jack Lemmon	...	Felix Ungar
Walter Matthau	...	Oscar Madison
John Fiedler	...	Vinnie
Herb Edelman	...	Murray (as Herbert Edelman)
David Sheiner	...	Roy
Larry Haines	...	Speed
Monica Evans	...	Cecily Pigeon
Carole Shelley	...	Gwendolyn Pigeon
Iris Adrian	...	Waitress
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Matty Alou	...	Himself (uncredited)
Bill Baldwin	...	Sports Announcer (uncredited)
Al Barlick	...	Home Plate Umpire (uncredited)
John C. Becher	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Ted Beniades	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Billie Bird	...	Chambermaid (uncredited)
Patricia D. Bohannon	...	Bowler (uncredited)
Ken Boyer	...	Himself (uncredited)
Heywood Hale Broun	...	Himself - Sports Writer (uncredited)
Jerry Buchek	...	Himself (uncredited)
Roberto Clemente	...	Himself (uncredited)
Tommy Davis	...	Himself (uncredited)
Augie Donatelli	...	First Base Umpire (uncredited)
Jack Fisher	...	Himself (uncredited)
Ann Graeff	...	Scrubwoman (uncredited)
Bud Harrelson	...	Himself (uncredited)
Cleon Jones	...	Himself (uncredited)
Ed Kranepool	...	Himself (uncredited)
Vernon Law	...	Himself (uncredited)
Jack Lightcap	...	Public Address Announcer (uncredited)
Bill Mazeroski	...	Himself (uncredited)
Joe Palma	...	Butcher (uncredited)
Angelique Pettyjohn	...	Go-Go Dancer (uncredited)
Harry Spear	...	Janitor (uncredited)
Ralph Stantley	...	Cop (uncredited)
Maury Wills	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Gene Saks

Writing credits
Neil Simon		(play)
Neil Simon		(screenplay)

Produced by
Howard W. Koch	....	producer

Original Music by
Neal Hefti

Cinematography by
Robert B. Hauser		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Frank Bracht		(edited by)

Art Direction by
Hal Pereira
Walter H. Tyler		(as Walter Tyler)

Set Decoration by
Robert R. Benton		(as Robert Benton)
Ray Moyer

Costume Design by
Jack Bear		(costumes designed by)

Makeup Department
Nellie Manley	....	hair style supervisor
Jack Petty	....	makeup artist
Harry Ray	....	makeup artist
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
William Davidson	....	unit production manager (as William C. Davidson)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hank Moonjean	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John R. Carter	....	sound recordist (as John Carter)
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound recordist

Visual Effects by
Paul K. Lerpae	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank J. Calabria	....	additional photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John A. Anderson	....	wardrobe: men (as John Anderson)

Music Department
Lowell Marttin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Hal Mooney	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Luanna S. Poole	....	script continuity

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (A Howard Koch Production)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1968) (USA) (theatrical) (A Gulf + Western Company)
• Les Films Paramount (1968) (France) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1968) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1972) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere) (pan/scan)
• Paramount Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Paramount Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Paramount-Films (1968) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1976) (1980) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Saint Subber Theatrical Enterprises.  produced on the stage by (as Saint-Subber)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:S | Ireland:G | Netherlands:AL | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | UK:PG | USA:G (PCA #21575) | West Germany:12 (nf) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

190 Riverside Drive, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Monica Evans and Carole Shelley also reprise their roles in Disney's The AristoCats (1970) as a pair of English geese on a walking tour of France.

Goofs:

Continuity: In Oscar's apt., there is a wall lamp on either side of the front door. Each lamp holds two bulbs, but one of them is missing a bulb. This missing bulb jumps back and forth between the two lamps throughout the opening scenes.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Felix Ungar:A room, please.
Hotel clerk:You alone?
[Felix nods]
Hotel clerk:Luggage?
[Felix shakes his head]
Hotel clerk:How long do you want it for?
Felix Ungar:Oh, not very long.
Hotel clerk:Five dollars.
[Felix isn't paying attention]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Evening Shade: The Odder Couple (#4.25)" (1994)

Soundtrack:

Rule Britannia

The Original Dynamic Duo

THE ODD COUPLE (1968) **** Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau. Superb comic teaming of Lemmon/Matthau as fussbudget, neat freak Felix Unger and perpetual slob Oscar Madison, two recently divorced buddies in New York who decide to live together with some pricelessly funny moments and cutting dialogue. Based on Neil Simon's hit play and later a tv classic with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. Interesting note: original Broadway Felix, Art Carney, wasn't used in film because producers thought he wasn't a bankable name! Classic line: Matthau (after tossing Lemmon's plate of linguini at the kitchen wall and thinking it was spaghetti, only to have Lemmon correct him ) replies: "Now it's gahhbijgg!"