Odd Couple, The

Odd Couple, The (1965), a comedy by Neil Simon.[Plymouth Theatre, 964 perf.] Felix Unger ( Art Carney), having separated from his wife, arrives bag and baggage at the apartment of his divorced friend Oscar Madison ( Walter Matthau) who takes him in. Within a short while, the obsessively neat Felix has driven the slovenly Oscar up all four walls and appears on the verge of destroying Oscar's regular poker game. But after a seemingly disastrous double date with a pair of neighboring sisters, Felix announces he will move in with one of the girls. His stay, however, has not been without its effect. As Oscar resumes his poker game he warns his fellow players not to flick ashes on the floor. Howard Taubman observed of Simon in the Times, “His skill—and it is not only great but constantly growing—lies in his gift for the deliciously surprising line and attitude. His instinct for incongruity is faultless. It nearly always operates on the basis of character.” The much‐revived comedy, a particular favorite in summer stock and community theatres, was rewritten as a vehicle for two women and presented on Broadway with success in 1985; that version also became popular across the country.