The Odd Couple (1968)

Now this is a comedy.

This movie fan wasn't overly impressed with a recent viewing of Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys. It felt like a rehash of The Odd Couple's premise. Plus, Walter Matthau was irritating. He yelled a lot. Bright lights were hard to find in the supporting cast.

The Odd Couple, also penned by Simon, is a more comfortable fit of two mismatched friends on the big screen.

Felix Ungar (Jack Lemmon) could kill himself. Really. His wife wants a divorce after 12 years of marriage. He can't imagine life without her or their two children. Efforts to end his life instead aggravate his back. Old friend Oscar Madison (Walter Matthau) invites him to live in his large New York City apartment.

It's a generous invitation, but these two are worlds apart when it comes to domestic happiness. Oscar, who's also divorced, wants to embrace his bachelorhood to the fullest. He's a slob who can't rub two nickels together. Ungar is a neat freak and dedicated cook. He makes sure everything has its tidy place. Oscar is driven to frustration by his buddy's personality. "The only man in the world with clenched hair," is how Oscar describes his friend at one point. The breaking point comes when he tries to put the moves on two English sisters, Cecily and Gwendolyn Pigeon (Monica Evans and Carole Shelley), who live in their building. There's some real venom in Oscar's words when he hurls Felix's dinner against a kitchen wall.

Felix isn't ready to mingle with the ladies and breaks down talking about his ex and his children. The Pigeons are touched by his emotional nature and give the cold shoulder to any night-time activities planned by Oscar.

The Odd Couple works because of a solid cast and some very funny lines. The Sunshine Boys focused a lot on Matthau's anger towards George Burns. We didn't learn much about their relationship when they were close. Here we see two men who have a close friendship, get frustrated over how different they are on the home front, but also appreciate the good they bring out in each other.

The Pigeon sisters are a hoot. They make their appearnace near the film's end and are great fun to watch. There's a suggestion they enjoy the company of men. They giggle. A lot. Oscar can't wait to score. Felix can't wait until the night's over. The Odd Couple also boasts fine support work from Felix and Oscar's poker buddies. Vinnie (John Fiedler), Murray (Herb Edelman), Roy (David Sheiner) and Speed (Larry Haines) are, depending on the night they're playing, concerned about Unger's well-being, irritated by his clean-loving ways or grossed out by Oscar's housekeeping.

The Odd Couple is a solid comedy with a fantastic cast and solid laughs. It's neat to see a glimpse of New York City in the late 1960s too. Watch it.

RATING: 8/10

FUN FACTS: Iris Adrian appears briefly as a waitress. The veteran actress, who earned her first credit in 1928, died in 1994. She appeared in a string of Disney films in the 1970s including Freaky Friday, The Shaggy D.A., The Apple Dumpling Gang and Gus.

Director Gene Saks helmed screen versions of several Neil Simon plays including Barefoot in the Park and Last of the Red Hot Lovers.

You'll likely recognize John Fiedler once you hear his voice. He was the voice of Winnie the Pooh's friend, Piglet, for many years.

David Sheiner is one of the few actors who can claim to have appeared in The Gong Show Movie. He was also James the Elder in The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Charade (1963)

With Charade's 50th anniversary coming up, I'm tempted to think of 50 reasons why this comedic thriller is worth watching.

Alas, that could make for a rather long review.

How about five?

1. Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. Here's a chance to see two screen legends together. Audrey is divine in her long line of Givenchy fashions. Cary, at 59, is still an incredibly handsome man. Wow. Remember folks, Grant only made two more films after this with Father Goose and, finally, Walk Don't Run in 1966. Both are a delight here.

2. There's plenty of great supporting talent in this 1963 feature from director Stanley Donen (Singin' in the Rain) including James Coburn, Walter Matthau and George Kennedy. The Internet Movie Database website lists three of Kennedy's four most well-known roles as Leslie Nielsen's sidekick in The Naked Gun trilogy. Yikes. Kennedy deserves more attention for his fine work here. He's a great villain, complete with mechanical arm. George, you're a great bad guy.

3. Lend an ear to Henry Mancini's score. Great stuff. Hear Donen explain in the film's commentary why he decided to recruit the American composer for this project. It's hard to believe Mancini died almost 20 years ago in 1994.

4. A great script from Peter Stone (The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Father Goose). I can't remember the last time I saw so many great character names, Hamilton Bartholemew, Tex Panthollow, Herman Scobie. Stone cooks up plenty of smart dialogue too.

"I don't bite unless it's called for." Hepburn

"That's OK. It's a drip dry." Grant to Hepburn when she cries on the shoulder of his suit.

Stone keeps viewers guessing through the film. Hepburn's husband is murdered for his part in stealing $250,000 during the Second World War. His old army buddies including Coburn and Kennedy, want it back. Hepburn has no idea where said cash can be found. Grant appears to be the only person who can help Hepburn. But can he be trusted? He changes his identity almost as often as Hepburn sports new designer fashions.

5. A great ending. All the world's a stage, eh? For a movie where numerous characters aren't who they seem, what better place to end this film than on the stage of an empty theatre.

RATING: 8/10

FUN FACTS: This is the only film appearance for Thomas Chelimsky. IMDB site reports he is a neurologist and professor in Ohio.

Donen directed a musical number for one episode of television's Moonlighting, Big Man on Mulberry Street.