The Odd Couple

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The Odd Couple is probably best known as a television sitcom that ran from 1970 to 1975, but it began life in 1965 as a Broadway play by Neil Simon and was followed by a 1968 film. It tells the story of a couple of middle-aged friends, one divorced and the other recently separated. They decide to live together but, being complete opposites, drive each other crazy with their quirks. The sloppy Oscar Madison was played by Walter Matthau in the play and the film, and by Jack Klugman in the sitcom. The other half of the odd couple was the neat and prim Felix Ungar, played by Art Carney in the play, Jack Lemmon in film, and Tony Randall in the sitcom.

Another television adaptation (The New Odd Couple) was made in 1982 with predominantly black actors, Demond Wilson playing Oscar and Ron Glass playing Felix. A sequel to the film (The Odd Couple II) was made in 1998 with Matthau and Lemmon reprising their old roles. It was the last film in which they appeared together.