History Film / TheOddCouple1968

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: The whole premise of the movie is this. Despite being friends, Felix and Oscar eventually start to clash with each other, something which is bound to happen when two people with drastically different personalities and values try to live with each other.

* TheCameo: Oscar works a Pirates-Mets game at Shea Stadium, where future Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski hits into a rare, game-ending triple play (which Oscar misses seeing because Felix has phoned him about the dinner menu).

* TheGhost: Felix's wife Frances and Oscar's ex-wife Blanche. Often talked about but never seen or heard, though we do hear a loud '''''click''''' when Blanche angrily hangs the phone up on Oscar.

Matthau reprised his role from the Broadway production, which had featured Creator/ArtCarney as Felix. One of many many adaptations of the play, including [[Series/TheOddCouple1970 a popular 1970–75 TV sitcom]] starring Jack Klugman as Oscar and Tony Randall as Felix, a 1980s RaceLift TV show that featured Creator/RonGlass as Felix and Demond Wilson as Oscar, and [[Series/TheOddCouple2015 another TV adaptation]] in TheNewTens starring Creator/MatthewPerry as Oscar and Thomas Lennon as Felix. Thirty years after the movie, Lemmon and Matthau reprised their roles in a sequel, ''Film/TheOddCoupleII''.

* {{Joisey}}: During one of the poker games Vinnie mentions that he and his wife are "driving to Asbury Park for the weekend".

* TheCameo: Oscar works a Pirates-Mets game at Shea Stadium, where future Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski hits into a rare triple play (which Oscar misses seeing because Felix has called him about the dinner menu).

* MissingTheGoodStuff: Oscar misses seeing a rare triple play at the Mets game when Felix phones him at the ballpark press box to inform him he's making franks and beans for dinner.

** Just one look at Oscar's apartment during the initial poker game establishes his character, with all the rotten food, empty beer cans, a months-old dead Christmas tree, stacks of unorganized papers, and a broken air conditioner making everyone at the party sweat.

** The opening of the film is an extended one for Felix. He checks into a hotel and asks for a room on the highest floor because he intends to throw himself out the window. He's so fussy he leaves his possessions in an envelope marked for his children, [[AntiClimax and then gives up when the window won't open and he throws out his back]].

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The opening of the film is an extended one for Felix. He checks into a hotel and asks for a room on the highest floor because he intends to throw himself out the window. He's so fussy he leaves his possessions in an envelope marked for his children, [[AntiClimax and then gives up when the window won't open and he throws out his back]].

** Just taking one look at Oscar's apartment during the poker game establishes his character, with all the rotten food, empty beer cans, a months-old dead Christmas tree, stacks of unorganized papers, and a broken air conditioner making everyone at the party sweat.

* InstrumentalThemeTune: Composed by Neil Hefti, and subsequently reused for the Klugman-Randall TV series.

** Just taking one look at Oscar's apartment during the poker game establishes his character, with all the rotten food, empty beer cans, a dead months-old Christmas tree, stacks of unorganized papers, and a broken air conditioner making everyone at the party sweat.

** Just taking one look at Oscar's apartment during the poker game establishes his character, with all the rotten food, empty beer cans, stacks of unorganized papers, and a broken air conditioner making everyone at the party sweat.

Matthau reprised his role from the Broadway production, which had featured Creator/ArtCarney as Felix. One of many many adaptations of the play, including [[Series/TheOddCouple1970 a popular TV show that ran from 1970 to 1975]] with Jack Klugman as Oscar and Tony Randall as Felix, a 1980s RaceLift TV show that featured Creator/RonGlass as Felix and Demond Wilson as Oscar, and [[Series/TheOddCouple2015 another TV adaptation]] in TheNewTens starring Creator/MatthewPerry as Oscar and Thomas Lennon as Felix. Thirty years after the movie, Lemmon and Matthau reprised their roles in a sequel, ''Film/TheOddCoupleII''.

** Roy expresses irritation with Murray's glacially slow card shuffling by snarking, "Aren't you the one they call Film/TheCincinnatiKid?"

* VideoCredits: The film ends with clips of the main cast--Oscar, Felix, their poker buddies, the British sisters.