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 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 in The Female Odd Couple. An updated version of the
1965 show appeared in 2002 with the title Oscar and Felix: A New Look at the
Odd Couple. History
Sources vary as to the origins of the play. In Danny Simon's obituary in The
Washington Post, Adam Bernstein wrote that the idea for the play came from his
divorce. "Mr. Simon had moved in with a newly single theatrical agent named Roy
Gerber in Hollywood, and they invited friends over one night. Mr. Simon
botched the pot roast. The next day, Gerber told him: "Sweetheart, that was a
lovely dinner last night. What are we going to have tonight?" Mr. Simon
replied: "What do you mean, cook you dinner? You never take me out to dinner.
You never bring me flowers." Danny Simon wrote a partial first draft of the play,
but then handed over the idea to Neil. However, in the Mel Brooks biography
It's Good to Be the King, author James Robert Parish claims that the play came
about after Simon observed Brooks, in a separation from his first wife, living
with writer Speed Vogel for three months. Vogel later wrote that Brooks
had insomnia, "a brushstroke of paranoia," and "a blood-sugar problem
that kept us a scintilla away from insanity."
= Boston tryout= Simon credited Boston critic Elliot
Norton with helping him develop the final act of the play. Norton practiced
drama criticism when the relationship between the regional critic and
playwrights whose shows were undergoing tryouts in their towns were not as
adversarial as they were to become. Appearing on the public television show
Eliott Norton Reviews, during Simon's conversation with the critic, Elliott
said that the play went "flat" in its final act. As it appeared originally in
Boston, the characters the Pigeon Sisters did not appear in the final act.
Simon told the Boston Globe: He invited one of the stars and the
writer. He loved the play and gave it a wonderful review but he said the third
act was lacking something. On the show he said, 'You know who I missed in the
third act was the Pigeon Sisters,' and it was like a light bulb went off in my
head. It made an enormous difference in the play. I rewrote it and it worked
very well. I was so grateful to Elliot ... Elliot had such a keen eye. I don't
know if he saved the play or not, but he made it a bigger success.
Plot overview Felix Ungar, a neurotic, neat freak
newswriter, is thrown out by his wife, and moves in with his friend Oscar
Madison, a slovenly sportswriter. Despite Oscar's problems – careless
spending, excessive gambling, a poorly kept house filled with spoiled food – he
seems to enjoy life. Felix, however, seems utterly incapable of enjoying
anything and only finds purpose in pointing out his own and other people's
mistakes and foibles. Even when he tries to do so in a gentle and constructive
way, his corrections and suggestions prove extremely annoying to those around
him. Oscar, his closest friend, feels compelled to throw 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.
Characters Oscar Madison: A slovenly, recently
divorced sportswriter. Felix Ungar: A fastidious, hypochondriac
newswriter whose marriage is ending. Murray: An NYPD policeman, one of Oscar
and Felix's poker buddies. Speed: One of the poker buddies. Gruff
and sarcastic, often picking on Vinnie and Murray.
Vinnie: One of the poker buddies. Vinnie is mild-mannered and henpecked, making
him an easy target for Speed's verbal barbs.
Roy: One of the poker buddies. Oscar's accountant. Roy has a dry wit but is
less acerbic than Speed. Cecily and Gwendolyn Pigeon: Oscar and
Felix's giggly upstairs neighbors, a pair of English sisters. The former is a
divorcée, the latter a widow. Productions
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, Best Author, Best
Direction of a Play, and Best Scenic Design, and was nominated for Best Play.
Matthau was replaced with Jack Klugman, starting in November 1965 and later Pat
Hingle, starting in February 1966. Carney was replaced with Eddie Bracken
starting in October 1965 and later Paul Dooley.
= Stage revivals= In 1970, the McMaster Shakespearean
Players performed The Odd Couple with Martin Short as Felix, Eugene Levy as
Oscar, and Dave Thomas as Murray – before any of these performers were
famous. In 1994, a version of the play moved to
Glasgow and toured Scotland, starring Gerard Kelly as Felix, Craig Ferguson as
Oscar and Kate Anthony as Gwendolyn Pigeon. Kelly reprised the role of Felix
at the 2002 Edinburgh Fringe, opposite Andy Gray.
In 1996, Klugman and Tony Randall reprised their roles from the TV series
for a three-month run at the Theatre Royal in Haymarket, London. The
production was an effort to raise money to support Randall's National Actors
Theatre. In a 1997 issue of Premiere Magazine,
Billy Crystal and Robin Williams announced a possible stage revival, in
anticipation of success of their film Fathers' Day. When that film failed at
the box office, the Crystal-Williams revival was quickly forgotten.
Also in 1997, a tour of the US and Canada was mounted by Troupe America and
Lake Pepin Players starring Jamie Farr 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 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 from June 2002 to July 21, 2002 with a cast that
starred Gregory Jbara, John Larroquette, Joe Regalbuto and María Conchita Alonso
and was directed by Peter Bonerz. The revival opened on Broadway at The Brooks
Atkinson Theatre on October 27, 2005, and closed on June 4, 2006 after 249
performances. Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane played Felix and Oscar,
respectively. Lane was replaced for three performances in January 2006 due
to illness by Brad Garrett who had previously played Murray.
A reading featuring Ethan Hawke and Billy Crudup was staged at the Cherry
Lane Theatre on January 9, 2011. A Venezuelan production appeared at the
Trasnocho Cultural Theater in 2009. It was Directed by Armando Alvarez and
featured Armando Cabrera, Luigi Sciamanna, Juan Carlos Ogando, Alezander
Slorzano, Alexandra Malave, and Stephanie Cardone.
The all-female Takarazuka Revue Company performed the show under the title
Okashi-na Futari in September 2011 in Takarazuka, Japan. It starred Yu
Todoroki as Oscar and Misa Noeru as Felix.
In 2011, Cezary Żak and Artur Barciś 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 2013, The Dallas Theater Center performed a revival of The Odd Couple
that was directed by Kevin Moriarty. Female version
In 1985, Neil Simon revised The Odd Couple for a female cast. The Female Odd
Couple was based on the same story line and same lead characters, now called
Florence Ungar and Olive Madison. The poker game became Trivial Pursuit with
their friends becoming the girlfriends: Mickey, Sylvie, Vera, and Renee. The
Pigeon sisters became the Costazuela brothers, Manolo and Jesus.
The Female Odd Couple opened on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on June 11,
1985, and closed on February 23, 1986, after 295 performances and nine
previews. Directed by Gene Saks the cast starred Sally Struthers and Rita Moreno
as Florence and Olive, with Lewis J. Stadlen and Tony Shalhoub as the
Costazuela brothers. A London production of this version ran
at the Apollo Theatre in 2001 and starred Paula Wilcox and Jenny Seagrove.
Film and TV adaptations Neil Simon sold film and TV rights to
Paramount Pictures in 1967. Paramount produced two films and three TV series
based upon the play. Rights are now split between Paramount and CBS, the
result of Paramount owner Viacom's purchase of and eventual spinoff from
the latter company. = 1968 film=
In 1968, The Odd Couple was made into a highly successful film starring Jack
Lemmon as Felix and Walter Matthau 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 and was directed by Gene Saks.
In 1998, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau reprised their roles for the film The
Odd Couple II, produced by Neil Simon. = 1970–1975 ABC sitcom=
The success of the film was the basis for 114 episodes of the 1970–75 ABC
television sitcom, starring Tony Randall as Felix and Jack Klugman as Oscar.
Klugman was familiar with the role as he had replaced Walter Matthau in the
original Broadway run. Neil Simon originally disapproved of this
adaptation, but by the series' final season, he reassessed the show
positively to the point of appearing in a cameo role.
Randall and Klugman also reunited in 1993 for a made-for-TV reunion film
based upon the series. The movie was initially broadcast on CBS on September
24, 1993. Robert Klane was the writer and director, with a cast that included
Barbara Barrie as Felix's wife, Penny Marshall as Myrna and Dick Van Patten.
The throat-cancer surgery that Jack Klugman had is written into the script,
when Felix stays with Oscar and helps with his rehabilitation.
= 1975 ABC cartoon= In the fall of 1975, ABC aired a cartoon
version of the play entitled The Oddball Couple, produced by Paramount and
DePatie-Freleng Enterprises. The roles were played by a cat and dog named
Spiffy and Fleabag. = 1982–1983 ABC sitcom=
In 1982, ABC aired a new version of the series, entitled The New Odd Couple.
Produced by Garry Marshall, the premise of the new version has two black actors,
Ron Glass as Felix and Demond Wilson as Oscar. The New York Times reviewer noted
"What may be surprising is how little the spine of the show has changed. The
dialogue has been updated a little, but the plots are essentially the same. The
New Odd Couple bounces along nicely. It adds nothing new to the craft of
situation comedy, but it does provide employment and a good showcase for
talented black actors, who generally don't have an easy time of it on
television these days." This new version was not successful and was canceled
after just 13 episodes. = 2015 CBS sitcom=
In December 2013, it was announced that Matthew Perry would be starring in,
co-writing, and executive-producing a remake of The Odd Couple. The
multi-camera comedy premiered on February 19, 2015 on CBS. Perry stars as
Oscar while Thomas Lennon stars as Felix. The show also features Wendell
Pierce as Teddy, Oscar's agent, Yvette Nicole Brown as Dani, Oscar's assistant,
Dave Foley as Roy, and Leslie Bibb and Lindsay Sloane as Casey and Emily.
References External links
The Odd Couple at the Internet Broadway Database