Our next film is an iconic one. It features a comedic duo that is everybody's favorite. 1968's "The Odd Couple", starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, tells the story of two friends who live together, one messy and one ultra neat, and the circumstances that force them together and apart. The film's supporting cast includes John Fiedler, Herb Edelman, David Sheiner, Larry Haines, Monica Evans, and Carole Shelley.
Newly separated neat-freak Felix Unger is despondent over the break-down of his marriage. He checks into a seedy motel with plans to kill himself by jumping out of a window.
As Felix's luck goes, he strains his back trying to get the window open and is unable to commit suicide as planned. He wanders the streets for a while.
The poker game hosted by mess cat Oscar Madison is a fixture in the guys' calendar each week. When Felix doesn't show up, the guys get worried. A phone call from his wife (who received a telegram from Felix saying he was going to kill himself) stops the game.
The guys are worried, and wonder how they can help Felix or even if they can. When he comes to the door, they decide to play it cool like they don't know of his plans.
Of course, those plans go out the window when Felix has a break-down in the apartment. A scurry of activity, including chasing Felix through the apartment, culminates in a cold shower to calm him down.
Oscar sends the guys home so Felix can have some quiet. He talks with Felix awhile and even helps him fix his sore back.
When they go out for a cup of coffee, Felix makes a big deal about clearing his ears. He loudly makes noises and attracts the attention of the entire cafe, to the embarrassment of Oscar.
Oscar offers Felix a place to stay until he can get on his feet again.
Felix is thrilled. In gratitude, he tells Oscar that he'll cook and help clean up around the place. He wastes no time in tackling the filthy kitchen.
Of course, the two polar opposite personalities soon clash. Felix calls Oscar when he's at work (he's a sportswriter) and causes Oscar to miss a game winning triple play. Oscar is furious. Felix's neat freak ways also get under the poker guys' skin. They each leave after his oddities start to affect them.
Oscar takes Felix bowling and tells him they need some excitement. He tells Felix that he's going to arrange a date with two sisters who live in the apartment building. Felix says he'll cook for the occasion.
On the night of the date, Felix is furious with Oscar because he's late and has caused the meatloaf to be overdone.
The argument must be put on hold when their dates arrive. Cecily and Gwendolyn Pigeon come in and giggle their way through the awkward introductions.
In my mind this is an absolute hilarious part of the film. The girls bring such an infectious zest to the movie.
When Oscar leaves to go make some drinks, the girls are left to sit awkwardly with Felix. After a few silent moments, they start to break into small talk.
After a while, Felix starts to talk about his divorce. The girls are touched by his sensitivity and they are endeared to him. They all end up crying about their failed relationships. This, of course, makes Oscar wonder what happened when he walks back into a room full of crying people.
Unfortunately, the meatloaf is not salvageable. The girls save the day by moving the whole party to their apartment.
Later though, the clash of their two different personalities is more than Oscar can stand. "I can’t take it anymore, Felix. I’m crackin’ up. Everything you do irritates me. And when you’re not here, the
things I know you’re gonna do when you come in irritate me.You leave me little notes on my
pillow.I told you a hundred and
fifty-eight times I cannot stand little notes on
my pillow! 'We are all out of
cornflakes.F.U.'It took me three hours to figure out
that F.U. is Felix Unger!" Oscar orders Felix out of his apartment for good.
Fearing that he's going to try and commit suicide again, the poker buddies search for him. They're surprised to find out that he's been upstairs with the Pigeon sisters when Gwendolyn comes for his things. She is very upset with Oscar for treating Felix the way he did and barely has a tolerance for him.
Cecily brings Felix back down and she and Gwendolyn beg him to stay on their couch until he lands on his feet. To their absolute delight, he says yes.
Oscar is utterly confused by this turn of events. All Felix can do is shrug his shoulders with a smile. He and Oscar patch up their friendship, and Felix promises to be at next week's poker game. Cast rundown:
Jack Lemmon...............................Felix Unger
Walter Matthau.............................Oscar Madison
John Fiedler..................................Vinnie
Herb Edelman...............................Murray
David Sheiner................................Roy
Larry Haines.................................Speed
Carole Shelley...............................Gwendolyn Pigeon And that's it for The Odd Couple. This is the second of ten films that Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau made together. The pairing of Monica Evans and Carole Shelley was popular, too. They made two Disney animated films together, as well as reprised their Pigeon sister roles in the television series "The Odd Couple". This film was named by the American Film Institute as one of the top funniest American movies. As always, if you wish to leave a comment, please remember our posting rules.
No comments:
Post a Comment