The Odd Couple

The Odd Couple is a 1968 American comedy film directed by Gene Saks, produced by Howard W. Koch and written by Neil Simon, based on his 1965 play. It stars Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau as two divorced men – neurotic neat-freak Felix Ungar and fun-loving slob Oscar Madison – who decide to live together. The film was successful with critics and grossed over $44.5 million, making it the third highest-grossing film of 1968 in the United States. The success of the film was the basis for ABC to produce a popular sitcom series based on it, starring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman as Felix and Oscar. Almost three decades later, a sequel – The Odd Couple II, in which Lemmon and Matthau reprised their roles – was released, but it was a critical and commercial failure. Plot Newly separated Felix Ungar wanders New York City in a daze with vague ideas of committing suicide.