History Film / TheOddCouple1968

* SuicideAsComedy: The film opens with a despondent Felix planning to jump to his death from a hotel room, only to throw his back out trying to open the window. Later we learn that he downed an entire bottle of sleeping pills and then threw them up, all offscreen.

* SuicideAsComedy: The film opens with a despondent Felix planning to jump to his death from a hotel room, only to throw his back out trying to open the window. Later we learn that he downed an entire bottle of sleeping pills and then threw them up offscreen.

* BungledSuicide: PlayedForLaughs. In the opening scene Felix tries killing himself by jumping from a hotel window, only to find that it's stuck shut, and then throws his back out trying to force it open.
** We also learn he downed an entire bottle of sleeping pills and then threw them up offscreen.

* SuicideAsComedy: The film opens with a despondent Felix planning to jump to his death from a hotel room, only to throw his back out trying to open the window.

* BungledSuicide: PlayedForLaughs. In the opening scene Felix tries killing himself by jumping from a hotel window, only to find that it's stuck shut, thens throw his back out trying to force it open.

* BungledSuicide: PlayedForLaughs. In the opening scene Felix tries killing himself by jumping from a hotel window, only to find that it's stuck shut and then throwing his back out trying to force it open.

* BungledSuicide: PlayedForLaughs. In the opening scene Felix tries killing himself by jumping from a hotel window, only to find that it's stuck shut and then throwing his back out trying to get it open.

Oscar Madison (Matthau) is a divorced [[BigApplesauce New York City]] sportswriter who lives in a spacious but horrifically messy Upper West Side apartment. He hosts a weekly Friday night poker game, which includes as one of the players Felix Ungar (Lemmon), a persnickety television news writer. Felix is in a state of grief and despair, his wife Frances having just left him; after he nearly kills himself by jumping from a hotel window, Oscar takes him in. Comic situations ensue as super neat-freak Felix and Oscar the slob irritate each other.

* BungledSuicide: Felix tries killing himself by jumping from a hotel window, only to find that it's stuck shut and then throwing his back out trying to get it open.
** He also downed an entire bottle of sleeping pills and then threw them up offscreen.

Oscar Madison (Matthau) is a divorced [[BigApplesauce New York City]] sportswriter who lives in a spacious but horrifically messy Upper West Side apartment. He hosts a weekly Friday night poker game, which includes as one of the players Felix Ungar (Lemmon), a persnickety writer for TV news. Felix is in a state of grief and despair, his wife Frances having just left him. After Felix nearly kills himself by jumping into the river, Oscar takes him in. Comic situations ensue as super neat-freak Felix and Oscar the slob irritate each other.

* TheCameo: Sharing the press box with Oscar at the Mets game is Heywood Hale Braun, a real-life sportswriter and Creator/{{CBS}} commentator.

* RooftopConfrontation: Eventually Oscar snaps, breathing fire and murder and chasing Felix around the building. He chases Felix all the way to the roof, where he manages to restrain himself from murdering Felix but does demand that Felix move out immediately.

* RooftopConfrontation: Eventually Oscar snaps, breathing fire and murder and chasing Felix around the building. He chases Felix all the way to the roof, where he manages to restrain from murdering Felix but does demand that Felix move out immediately.

-->'''Felix''': You are crazy! I'm a neurotic nut but ''you are crazy!''\\
'''Oscar''': ''I'm'' crazy, heh? That's really funny coming from a fruitcake like you.

* YoureInsane: In the play, after Oscar snatches the plate of linguini and senselessly throws it against the kitchen wall:

* NewhartPhoneCall: Felix talking to his ex on the phone.

* TheGhost: Felix's wife Frances and Oscar's ex-wife Blanche. Often talked about but never seen or heard, but we do hear a loud '''''click''''' when Blanche angrily hangs up on Oscar.

* {{Cameo}}: Sharing the press box with Oscar at the Mets game is Heywood Hale Braun, a real-life sportswriter and Creator/{{CBS}} commentator.

!!Tropes:

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: The whole premise of the movie is this. Despite being friends, Felix and Oscar eventually start to clash with each other which is bound to happen when two people with drastically different personalities and values try to live with each other.

** As Felix and the Pigeon sisters are sobbing over their respective divorces, Oscar emerges from the kitchen with a drink tray asking "Is everybody happy?" in a chipper singsong voice. Besides being a funny gag, this would have been recognized by older 1968 viewers as the catchphrase of Depression-era bandleader Ted Lewis.

* VideoCredits: Clips from the movie of the main cast--Oscar, Felix, their poker buddies, the British sisters.

** Oscar compares Felix to Film/MaryPoppins. Later he calls him [[Film/TheWizardOfOz the Wicked Witch of the North]].

** As Felix and the Pigeon sisters are sobbing over their respective divorces, Oscar emerges from the kitchen with the drink tray asking, "Is everybody happy?" Besides being a funny gag, this would have been recognized by older 1968 viewers as the catchphrase of '20s–'40s bandleader Ted Lewis.

'''Oscar:''' (checks plate of pre-made sandwiches) I got, uh, brown sandwiches and, uh, green sandwiches. Which one do you want?\\

'''Oscar''': ''I'm'' crazy, heh? That's really funny coming from a fruitcake like you.

Matthau reprised his role from the Broadway production, which had featured Creator/ArtCarney as Felix. One of many many adaptations of the play, including a popular TV show that ran from 1970 to 1975 with Jack Klugman as Oscar and Tony Randall as Felix, a 1980s RaceLift TV show that featured Creator/RonGlass as Felix and Demond Wilson as Oscar, and [[Series/TheOddCouple another TV adaptation]] in TheNewTens starring Creator/MatthewPerry as Oscar and Thomas Lennon as Felix. Thirty years after the movie, Lemmon and Matthau reprised their roles in a sequel, ''Film/TheOddCoupleII''.

Matthau reprised his role from the Broadway production, which had featured Creator/ArtCarney as Felix. One of many many adaptations of the play, including a popular TV show that ran from 1970 to 1975 with Jack Klugman as Oscar and Tony Randall as Felix, a 1980s RaceLift TV show that featured Creator/RonGlass as Felix and Demond Wilson as Oscar, and [[Series/TheOddCouple another TV adaptation]] in TheNewTens that featured Creator/MatthewPerry as Oscar and Thomas Lennon as Felix. Thirty years after the movie, Lemmon and Matthau reprised their roles in a sequel, ''Film/TheOddCoupleII''.

Matthau reprised his role from the Broadway production, which had featured Creator/ArtCarney as Felix. One of many many adaptations of the play, including a popular TV show that ran from 1970 to 1975 with Jack Klugman as Oscar and Tony Randall as Felix, a 1980s RaceLift TV show that featured Creator/RonGlass as Felix and DemondWilson as Oscar, and [[Series/TheOddCouple another TV adaptation]] in TheNewTens that featured Creator/MatthewPerry as Oscar and Thomas Lennon as Felix. Thirty years after the movie, Lemmon and Matthau reprised their roles in a sequel, ''Film/TheOddCoupleII''.

Matthau reprised his role from the Broadway production, which had featured Creator/ArtCarney as Felix. One of many many adaptations of the play, including a popular TV show that ran from 1970 to 1975 with Jack Klugman as Oscar and Tony Randall as Felix, a 1980s RaceLift TV show that featured Ron Glass fresh off of ''Series/BarneyMiller'', and [[Series/TheOddCouple another TV adaptation]] in TheNewTens that featured Creator/MatthewPerry as Oscar and Creator/ThomasLemmon as Felix. Thirty years after the movie, Lemmon and Matthau reprised their roles in a sequel, ''Film/TheOddCoupleII''.

Matthau reprised his role from the Broadway production, which had featured Creator/ArtCarney as Felix. One of many many adaptations of the play, including a popular TV show that ran from 1970 to 1975 with Jack Klugman as Oscar and Tony Randall as Felix, a 1980s RaceLift TV show that featured Ron Glass fresh off of ''Series/BarneyMiller'', and [[Series/TheOddCouple another TV adaptation]] in TheNewTens that featured Creator/MatthewPerry as Oscar and Creator/ThomasLennon as Felix. Thirty years after the movie, Lemmon and Matthau reprised their roles in a sequel, ''Film/TheOddCoupleII''.

Matthau reprised his role from the Broadway production, which had featured Creator/ArtCarney as Felix. One of many many adaptations of the play, including a popular TV show that ran from 1970 to 1975 with Jack Klugman as Oscar and Tony Randall as Felix, a 1980s RaceLift TV show that featured Ron Glass fresh off of ''Series/BarneyMiller'', and [[Series/TheOddCouple another TV adaptation]] in TheNewTens that featured Creator/MatthewPerry as Oscar. Thirty years after the movie, Lemmon and Matthau reprised their roles in a sequel, ''Film/TheOddCoupleII''.