Two friends try sharing an apartment, but their ideas of housekeeping and lifestyles are as different as night and day.
Director:
Gene Saks
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Title: The Odd Couple (1968)
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| Complete credited 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 | |
| Carole Shelley | ... | Gwendolyn | |
| Iris Adrian | ... | Waitress | |
Felix's (Jack Lemmon) wife has left him and he is contemplating suicide. His friends sense his depression and one of them, Oscar (Walter Matthau), volunteers to take him in until he is fine again. The two of them are like chalk and cheese - Oscar is fun-loving, gregarious and slovenly, Felix is a shy, stay-at-home, obsessive-compulsive neat-freak. Being around Oscar brightens Felix up, but he quickly starts to irritate Oscar. Written by grantss
Of all of the versions and variations on Neil Simon's classic, "The Odd Couple," from its original production on Broadway, to the celebrated television series starring Jack Klugman and Tony Randall, the 1968 film version is, arguably, the best representation of the dynamic twosome.
Felix Unger (Jack Lemmon) and Oscar Madison (Walter Matthau) are friends and sharing an apartment because Felix's marriage has fallen apart and needs a place to stay temporarily. Though Felix and Oscar are friends, their lifestyles and housekeeping skills are as different as night and day, which leads inevitably to endless confrontations fueled by frustration, and the results are pure comedic splendor. The hilarious, second to none chemistry between Lemmon and Matthau is the backbone of this film, accompanied by Neil Simon's incisive, wholehearted writing gives the movie its timeless quality.
Matthau and Lemmon both do a sensational job, because even though they can't stand living together, they both do care for each other, and their performances reflect just that magnificently. If you are looking for a timeless comedy classic with brilliant writing and wonderful performances, there is no need to search any further. The film received two Academy Award Nominations for Film Editing and Adapted Screenplay.