"Felix was portrayed by Jack Lemmon, who had never played the character before. At one point, Frank Sinatra (as Felix) and Jackie Gleason (as Oscar) were reportedly considered for the film version. Dick Van Dyke and Tony Randall were also among those considered for the role of Felix (the latter portrayed him in the TV series). Similarly, Jack Klugman (who aside from the TV series had replaced Matthau on Broadway) and Mickey Rooney were also to play Oscar. Most of the script from the play has been retained, although the setting is expanded: instead of taking place entirely in Oscar's"
"Walter Matthau Walter Matthau (; born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor and comedian, best known for his film roles, including as Oscar Madison in ""The Odd Couple,"" based on the play of the same title by playwright Neil Simon, in which he also appeared on broadway theatre, and notably, opposite Audrey Hepburn in Charade. He also appeared in the less successful Odd Couple film sequel some 30 years later, ""The Odd Couple II."" Matthau was known for his frequent collaborations with ""Odd Couple"" co-star Jack Lemmon, particularly in the 1990s with"
"The Odd Couple II The Odd Couple II is the 1998 sequel to 1968's ""The Odd Couple"". Written by Neil Simon (who also produced), the film reunites Jack Lemmon as Felix Ungar and Walter Matthau as Oscar Madison. The film was the actors' last together, and Simon's final screenplay. It is also significant among sequels for having one of the longest gaps between the release of the original and a sequel in which all leads return. Each actor made only one more theatrical film after this: ""The Legend of Bagger Vance"" for Lemmon and ""Hanging Up"" for Matthau, in which"
"October 1962 to May 1963. From 1960 to 1963, Klugman appeared in two episodes of ""The Untouchables"" series: ""Loophole"" (1961), and ""An Eye for an Eye"" (1963). In 1965, Klugman replaced Walter Matthau in the lead role of Oscar Madison in the original Broadway production of ""The Odd Couple."" He reprised the role when the play was adapted as a television series, which was broadcast on ABC from 1970 to 1975. Over the course of the show's five-year, 114-episode run, Klugman won two Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on the series. In 1973, during the run of the series,"
"The Odd Couple (film) The Odd Couple is a 1968 American comedy Technicolor film in Panavision, written by Neil Simon, based on his play of the same name, produced by Howard W. Koch and directed by Gene Saks, and starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. It is the story of two divorced men - neurotic neat-freak Felix Ungar and fun-loving slob Oscar Madison - who decide to live together, even though their personalities clash. The film was successful with critics and audiences, grossing over $44.5 million, making it the fourth highest-grossing picture of 1968. The success of the film was"
"the same cast. The Odd Couple (film) The Odd Couple is a 1968 American comedy Technicolor film in Panavision, written by Neil Simon, based on his play of the same name, produced by Howard W. Koch and directed by Gene Saks, and starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. It is the story of two divorced men - neurotic neat-freak Felix Ungar and fun-loving slob Oscar Madison - who decide to live together, even though their personalities clash. The film was successful with critics and audiences, grossing over $44.5 million, making it the fourth highest-grossing picture of 1968. The success of"
"him out after only a brief time together, though he quickly realizes that Felix has had a positive effect on him. The play and the film both spell Felix's name ""Ungar"", while the television series spells it ""Unger"". ""The Odd Couple"" premiered on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre on March 10, 1965 and transferred to the Eugene O'Neill Theatre where it closed on July 2, 1967 after 964 performances and two previews. Directed by Mike Nichols, the cast starred Walter Matthau as Oscar Madison and Art Carney as Felix Ungar. The production gained Tony Awards for Walter Matthau, Best Actor"
"an animated series based upon the play. In 1968, ""The Odd Couple"" was made into a highly successful film starring Jack Lemmon as Felix and Walter 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. In 1998, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau reprised their roles for the film ""The Odd Couple II"", produced"
"gross. It holds a total of 22% on Rotten Tomatoes. Stephen Holden of ""The New York Times"" called it ""a dispiriting, flavorless travesty, the equivalent of moldy tofu mystery meat"". The Odd Couple II The Odd Couple II is the 1998 sequel to 1968's ""The Odd Couple"". Written by Neil Simon (who also produced), the film reunites Jack Lemmon as Felix Ungar and Walter Matthau as Oscar Madison. The film was the actors' last together, and Simon's final screenplay. It is also significant among sequels for having one of the longest gaps between the release of the original and a"
"at that time. He was cast in a number of stark dramas, such as ""Fail Safe"" (1964), in which he portrayed Pentagon adviser Dr. Groeteschele, who urges an all-out nuclear attack on the Soviet Union in response to an accidental transmission of an attack signal to U.S. Air Force bombers. Neil Simon cast him in the play ""The Odd Couple"" in 1965, with Matthau playing slovenly sportswriter Oscar Madison, opposite Art Carney as Felix Ungar. Matthau later reprised the role in the film version, with Jack Lemmon as Felix Ungar. He played detective Ted Casselle in the Hitchcockian thriller ""Mirage"""
"as Dani, Oscar's assistant, Dave Foley as Roy (a holdover from the original play), and Leslie Bibb and Lindsay Sloane as Casey and Emily (taking over for the Pigeon sisters). The Odd Couple (play) The Odd Couple is a play by Neil Simon. Following its premiere on Broadway in 1965, the characters were revived in a successful 1968 film and 1970s television series, as well as several other derivative works and spin-offs. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates: the neat, uptight Felix Ungar and the slovenly, easygoing Oscar Madison. Simon adapted the play in 1985 to feature a pair of"
"began a series of highly successful plays on Broadway (often from works by Simon) that would establish his reputation. After an off-Broadway production of Ann Jellicoe's ""The Knack"", Nichols directed Murray Schisgal's play ""Luv"" in 1964. Again the show was a hit and Nichols won a Tony Award (shared with ""The Odd Couple""). In 1965 he directed another play by Neil Simon, ""The Odd Couple"". The original production starred Art Carney as Felix Ungar and Walter Matthau as Oscar Madison. The play ran for 966 performances and won Tony Awards for Nichols, Simon and Matthau. Overall, Nichols won nine Tony"
"their different lifestyles inevitably lead to conflicts and laughs. In 1997, the episodes ""Password"" and ""The Fat Farm"" were ranked #5 and #58, respectively, on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. The show received three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Its fourth season, from 1973–74, remains the most recent nominee for a show that aired during a Friday time slot. The success of the 1968 film version of the stage play of ""The Odd Couple"", which starred Jack Lemmon as Felix and Walter Matthau as Oscar, catalyzed production of the television show. Mickey"
"a recovering alcoholic. Lemmon's production company JML produced ""Cool Hand Luke"" in 1967. Paul Newman was grateful to Lemmon for his support and offered him the role of the Sundance Kid, later played by Robert Redford in ""Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"", but Lemmon turned it down. He did not like riding horses and he felt he'd already played too many aspects of the Sundance Kid's character before. Lemmon appeared in many films partnered with actor Walter Matthau. Among their pairings was 1968's ""The Odd Couple"", as Felix Ungar (Lemmon) and Oscar Madison (Matthau). The first film they starred"
"The Odd Couple (play) The Odd Couple is a play by Neil Simon. Following its premiere on Broadway in 1965, the characters were revived in a successful 1968 film and 1970s television series, as well as several other derivative works and spin-offs. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates: the neat, uptight Felix Ungar and the slovenly, easygoing Oscar Madison. Simon adapted the play in 1985 to feature a pair of female roommates (Florence Ungar and Olive Madison) in The Female Odd Couple. An updated version of the 1965 show appeared in 2002 with the title Oscar and Felix: A New"
"Pigeon sisters. Oscar and Felix apologize to each other, and realize that a bit of each has rubbed off on the other, with each being a better person for it. Felix agrees that next Friday night, he will be at Oscar's apartment for their poker game. The once slobbish Oscar tells his friends to clean up their mess after the poker game is over, ending the film. ""The Odd Couple"" was originally produced for Broadway and the original cast starred Art Carney as Felix and Walter Matthau as Oscar. For the film version, Matthau reprised his role as Oscar, and"
"""Grumpy Old Men"" and its sequel ""Grumpier Old Men"". He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 1966 Billy Wilder film ""The Fortune Cookie."" Besides the Oscar, he was the winner of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony awards. Matthau was born Walter John Matthow on October 1, 1920, in New York City's Lower East Side. His mother, Rose (née Berolsky), was a Lithuanian-Jewish immigrant who worked in a garment sweatshop, and his father, Milton Matthow, was a Ukrainian-Jewish peddler and electrician, from Kiev, Ukraine. As part of a lifelong love of practical jokes, Matthau"
"doctor and Oscar a musician. Another American remake, also called ""The Odd Couple"", aired on CBS for three seasons from 2015 to 2017. This version, a multi-camera sitcom, was co-created and co-produced by Matthew Perry, who played Oscar, while Thomas Lennon played Felix. The Complete First Season of ""The Odd Couple"" was released on DVD in Region 1 on August 18, 2006 by Time Life Video under license from Paramount Home Entertainment (Paramount Television was the program's original distributor). Some episodes, mainly from the first season, were available on a VHS videotape set during the 1990s, and distributed by Columbia"
"on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: The film spawned a television series spinoff in 1970, also entitled ""The Odd Couple"" which ran until 1975. As the series ended, a cartoon version called ""The Oddball Couple"" ran on ABC. Produced by Depatie-Freleng, it features a sloppy dog and a neat cat. A sequel, ""The Odd Couple II"", reunited Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in their original roles and was released 30 years later, breaking the record for the length of time between an original movie and a sequel featuring"
"as Oscar, William Christopher as Felix, and William Richard Rogers as Murray. The production was directed by Curt Wollan. In 2001, ""Wheel of Fortune"" host Pat Sajak and Hawaii TV news anchor Joe Moore (Sajak's Vietnam roommate and close friend) played Felix and Oscar at the Hawaii Theatre Center as a benefit for Hawaii's Manoa Valley Theater. In 2002, Simon wrote an updated version of ""The Odd Couple"", titled ""Oscar and Felix: A New Look at the Odd Couple"". This version incorporated updated references and elements into the original storyline. This production ran at the Geffen Playhouse (Los Angeles) from"
"Carol Marcus died in 2003, and her body was interred in the same grave as her husband. Jack Lemmon along with others of Matthau's friends and relations appeared on ""Larry King Live"" in an hour of tribute and remembrance; many of those same people appeared on the show one year later, paying tribute to Lemmon himself who died the following year (and whose body was also buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park). Walter Matthau Walter Matthau (; born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor and comedian, best known for his film roles,"
"to Live"". He guest starred on a number of television series including """", ""30 Rock"", ""Damages"", """" and ""The Sopranos"". He earned credentials in theatrical productions such as Shakespeare plays and ""The Rise Of Dorothy Hale"". He played Oscar Madison in the 2013 revival production of ""The Odd Couple"", with co-star Jeff Talbott as Felix Unger. LaMura was married to Elizabeth Maclellan, an actress, and they had one daughter. He was the cousin of former ""Survivor"" castaway Terry Dietz. Mark LaMura Mark LaMura (October 18, 1948 – September 11, 2017) was an American actor. His name was occasionally spelled as"
"both the 1961 film version and the 1988 TV version. He appeared in the 1968 film ""The Odd Couple"" (1968) as poker player Vinnie; later, at the invitation of his friend Jack Klugman, he also appeared on the TV series adaptation ""The Odd Couple"" as the manager of a hyper-security building into which Felix and Oscar temporarily moved and the owner of a racing greyhound adopted by Felix and Oscar. He also appeared in the films ""Harper Valley PTA"" (1978) and ""The Cannonball Run"" (1981). He appeared three times in a recurring role on """" as morgue attendant Gordy ""The"
"He later portrayed the role of Oscar Madison in an off Broadway production of ""The Odd Couple"". Beginning in the 1980s, Mann created and performed an original rap routine for senior citizens living in the San Fernando Valley. Howard Mann died of cancer on September 18, 2008, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 85. He was survived by his longtime girlfriend and companion, Bea Mitz. Howard Mann Howard Mann (June 20, 1923 – September 18, 2008) was an American actor and comedian. Mann appeared on television, film and commercials during his 40-year-long career in the"
"Rydell in ""West Side Story"", Merv Griffin in ""Come Blow Your Horn"", Rock Hudson in ""Camelot"", Karla DeVito and Robert Ozn (billed as Robert M. Rosen) in Pirates of Penzance and Robby Benson in ""Evita"", to name just a few. During the run of the TV version of The Odd Couple (1970 TV series), stars Jack Klugman and Tony Randall recreated their TV roles in Neil Simon's original play. More traditional Broadway stars also appeared regularly, such as John Raitt in ""Man of La Mancha"", Ethel Merman in ""Call Me Madam"" and Tommy Tune in ""Pippin"". Kenley died on October"
"of the ABC sitcom ""Mr. Sunshine"", which ran from February to April 2011. In August 2012, Perry began starring as Ryan King, a sportscaster, on the NBC sitcom ""Go On"". The series was canceled on May 10, 2013. Perry co-developed and starred in the 2015 CBS sitcom ""The Odd Couple"" portraying Oscar Madison. The series was renewed for a second season on May 11, 2015 and for a third season on May 16, 2016. Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts on August 19, 1969. His mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison (""née"" Langford), is a Canadian journalist and former press secretary to"
"Jack Klugman Jack Klugman (April 27, 1922 – December 24, 2012) was an American stage, film, and television actor. He began his career in 1950, and started television and film work with roles in ""12 Angry Men"" (1957) and ""Cry Terror!"" (1958). During the 1960s, he guest-starred on numerous television series. Klugman won his first Primetime Emmy Award for his guest-starring role on ""The Defenders"", in 1964. He also made a total of four appearances on ""The Twilight Zone"" from 1960 to 1963. In 1970, Klugman reprised his Broadway role of Oscar Madison in the television adaptation of ""The Odd"
"original TV play starred Walter Matthau as Meredith. The five richest men in the territory gather in Laredo for their annual high-stakes poker game. The high rollers let nothing get in the way of their yearly showdown. When undertaker Tropp (Charles Bickford) calls for them in his horse-drawn hearse, cattleman Henry Drummond (Jason Robards) forces a postponement of his daughter's wedding, while lawyer Otto Habershaw (Kevin McCarthy) abandons his closing arguments in a trial, with his client's life hanging in the balance. They are joined by Wilcox (Robert Middleton) and Buford (John Qualen) in the back room of Sam's saloon,"
"late in their careers, ""Out to Sea"" (1997) and a Simon-scripted sequel to their much earlier success, ""The Odd Couple II"" (1998). ""Hanging Up"" (2000), directed by Diane Keaton, was Matthau's final appearance onscreen. Matthau was married twice; first to Grace Geraldine Johnson from 1948 to 1958, and then to Carol Marcus from 1959 until he died in 2000. He had two children, Jenny and David, by his first wife, and a son, Charlie Matthau, with his second wife. David is a radio news reporter, currently at WKXW ""New Jersey 101.5"" in Trenton, New Jersey. Jenny is president of the"
"Jack Lemmon John Uhler ""Jack"" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor and musician. Lemmon was an eight-time Academy Award nominee, with two wins. He starred in over 60 films, such as ""Some Like It Hot"", ""The Apartment"", ""Mister Roberts"" (for which he won the 1955 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), ""Days of Wine and Roses"", ""The Great Race"", ""Irma la Douce"", ""The Odd Couple"" and its sequel ""The Odd Couple II"" (and other frequent collaborations with ""Odd Couple"" co-star Walter Matthau), ""Save the Tiger"" (for which he won the 1973 Academy Award"
"Misa Noeru as Felix. In 2011, Cezary Żak and Artur Barciś (popular actors from the Polish hit TV series ""Ranczo"") performed as Oscar and Felix in ""Dziwna Para"", a Polish rendition of ""The Odd Couple."" The play was performed in the U.S and in Toronto, Canada and received good reviews. In 2016, Australian comedians Shaun Micallef and Francis Greenslade starred as Felix Ungar and Oscar Madison in a version of the play directed by Peter Houghton. The play was performed at Southbank Theatre, Melbourne from November 5 to December 22, 2016, and received positive reviews. In 1985, Neil Simon revised"
"The Odd Couple (2015 TV series) The Odd Couple is an American multi-camera television sitcom that aired on CBS from February 19, 2015 to January 30, 2017. It is the seventh screen production based on the 1965 play written by Neil Simon, following the 1968 film, the original 1970s television series, a 1975 Saturday morning cartoon, a 1982 reboot of the 1970 series, ""The Odd Couple: Together Again"" (a TV film reunion of the 1970 series) and ""The Odd Couple II"" (a 1998 sequel to the 1968 film). This show stars Matthew Perry (also developing and executive producing the series)"
"Brett Somers Brett Somers (born Audrey Dawn Johnston; July 11, 1924 – September 15, 2007) was a Canadian-American actress, singer, and game-show personality who was born in Canada and raised in Maine. Brett was best known as a panelist on the 1970s game show ""Match Game"" and for her recurring role as Blanche Madison opposite her real-life husband, actor Jack Klugman, on ""The Odd Couple"". Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, Somers grew up near Portland, Maine. At age 18 she moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting, settling in Greenwich Village. Her chosen first"