The Odd Couple (1968): Roomates from Hell

ByFabian Bullitt

1968 • Gene Saks • 2.35:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓

Directed by Gene Saks and adapted from Neil Simon’s play, The Odd Couple follows two recently divorced men who decide to share a flat, only to find that their radically different personalities quickly come into conflict. One is meticulous and obsessively tidy, while the other is easygoing and untidy, turning everyday domestic life into a constant source of friction.

With its theatrical roots, the film is unsurprisingly set primarily in a single apartment, relying on dialogue and performance for its humour. This limited setting allows the focus to be placed on timing, rhythm and verbal exchange, with much of the comedy emerging from repetition, escalation and the explicit contrast between the two central characters.

Thanks to the legendary pairing of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, The Odd Couple translates stage dynamics into cinematic form while preserving its focus on character relationships. The humour is driven less by plot than by the way the two friends interact, or rather, how they seem unable to find a way to live together in peace and harmony.

Technical Specs:

  • The Story: When a recently divorced neat-freak newswriter moves in with his slovenly but kind-hearted sportswriter best friend, their clashing personalities turn bachelor life into a comedic battlefield of dirty dishes, late-night arguments, and mismatched habits.
  • Actors: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Herb Edelman, Monica Evans, Carole Shelley, John Fiedler, David Sheiner.
  • Director: Gene Saks
  • Year: 1968
  • Cinematographer: Robert B. Hauser
  • Origin: American Cinema
  • Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
  • Genre: Comedy
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-01
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-02
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-03
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-04
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-05
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-06
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-07
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-08
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-09
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-10
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-11
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-12
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-13
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-14
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-15
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-16
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-17
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-18
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-19
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-20
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-21
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-22
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-23
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-24
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-25
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-26
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-27
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-28
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-29
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-30
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-31
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-32
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-33
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-34
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-35
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-36
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-37
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-38
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-39
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-40
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-41
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-42
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-43
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-44
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-45
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-46
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-47
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-48
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-49
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-50
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-51
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-52
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-53
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-54
The-Odd-Couple-1968-stills-55

More Galleries