After Felix Unger’s (Jack Lemmon) wife throws him out of their house, he finds himself at a fleabag motel to end it all. In an attempt to open a window in his room Felix pulls out his back and thwarts any suicide plans for the night. Instead he decides to go out and get drunk and hurts his neck trying to drink a shot. Meanwhile across town at divorced sports writer Oscar Madison’s (Walter Matthau) place, a poker game is in process a bunch of his buddies. Felix who is always on time has yet to arrive and concern begins to grow among the players. Murray the cop (Herb Edelman) receives a call from his wife during the game who fills them all in that Felix and his wife Frances have split up. As they begin to think of wild ideas of where and what Felix is doing, there is a knock on the door. It is Felix and he is unaware that the news of him and his wife have traveled so soon to his friends. The guys spend the evening pre-occupied with thoughts that Felix is going to commit suicide. Eventually the game ends and Felix and Oscar get some fresh air. Through the course of the evening Oscar suggests that Felix come live with him and Felix accepts. However within a week Felix has driven Oscar up the wall and he is now thinking that maybe Felix jumping out the window isn’t such a bad idea.
So goes the classic comedy hit about a pair of opposites who live together only to find out they can’t stand anything about each other. Neil Simon wrote this hilarious comedy that has you in stitches from beginning to end. The Odd Couple has been available for some time in many different releases but now with Paramount’s Centennial Collection release, we finally have a two disc set worthy of this enduring comedy.
Along with the feature film, we have a nice collection of bonus material for this two disc set. First up we have a very unusual commentary track. Normally commentary tracks feature either the players in front of or behind the scenes of the film or even film historians if they are not available. However with this commentary track they took quite a different path. The commentary track is by the sons of the two lead actors – Charlie Matthau and Chris Lemmon. It’s actually a unique and interesting idea that offers some very personal insight’s to the two Hollywood actors. If there’s anything bad to say about it, is that at times it is hard to tell the difference between the two voices. It would be nice to maybe have their names pop up when they are speaking. Still none the less, a very nice thoughtful commentary track.
On disc two is where all the main bonus material is located. "In the Beginning” is an almost twenty minute feature on the background of the play with an introduction by Larry King. "Inside The Odd Couple” is another almost twenty minute feature on the casting of the film. "Memories from the Set" and "Matthau and Lemmon" are both roughly ten minutes each about the stars and the making of the film. "The Odd Couple: A Classic" is another shorter featurette on the film. Wrapping up our bonus features are two photo galleries on the production and the movie.
Through the years Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau would continue to make films together and have an off-screen friendship that would last for decades. However it is with the original Odd Couple that the two would shine. In turn they have created two film icons that will entertain filmgoers forever.
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