The disadvantage I seem to have is that I'm such a big fan of the TV show with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. I saw them first and so many times that they define the Odd Couple for me. So I was conscious of my bias when I began watching this for the first time the other day.
Nevertheless Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau did a fairly admirable and funny job with this assignment. The same opening theme music that was used later in the TV series sets the proper mood and I was surprised to see so many of the later elements used here, obviously for the first time. The bit that really got me was when Felix (Lemmon) started his honking routine to clear his ears, closely followed by the 'brown sandwiches or green sandwiches' offer from Oscar (Matthau) to his poker buddies. One thing I don't remember from the series, and it's something I might have missed, was that not only was Felix divorced, but he had kids.
There's another layer of entertainment woven into the picture for viewers like myself who grew up in New York (State, not the City, but still). The scene at Shea Stadium was pretty cool, and when Felix goes shopping at a Bohack Supermarket it was like a trip down memory lane. That goes for the prices too - bagels at four for ninety nine cents and turkey roast at sixty nine cents a pound. But the one that really got me was when Felix checked in to a New York City hotel and got charged five bucks! Holy cow, for a minute this comedy became a fantasy flick!
Nevertheless Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau did a fairly admirable and funny job with this assignment. The same opening theme music that was used later in the TV series sets the proper mood and I was surprised to see so many of the later elements used here, obviously for the first time. The bit that really got me was when Felix (Lemmon) started his honking routine to clear his ears, closely followed by the 'brown sandwiches or green sandwiches' offer from Oscar (Matthau) to his poker buddies. One thing I don't remember from the series, and it's something I might have missed, was that not only was Felix divorced, but he had kids.
There's another layer of entertainment woven into the picture for viewers like myself who grew up in New York (State, not the City, but still). The scene at Shea Stadium was pretty cool, and when Felix goes shopping at a Bohack Supermarket it was like a trip down memory lane. That goes for the prices too - bagels at four for ninety nine cents and turkey roast at sixty nine cents a pound. But the one that really got me was when Felix checked in to a New York City hotel and got charged five bucks! Holy cow, for a minute this comedy became a fantasy flick!