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50 free The Odd Couple trivia questions with answers — entertainment quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy? Six decades of plays, films and sitcoms say no, hilariously. These The Odd Couple trivia questions cover Neil Simon's 1965 Broadway hit, the Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau film, the Tony Randall and Jack Klugman series, the Pigeon sisters, the poker buddies and the reboots through 2017. Every answer is sourced, with a short explanation so you learn something even when you miss.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01Who wrote the 1965 play The Odd Couple?
Neil Simon
In 1966 he had four shows running on Broadway at once, including Sweet Charity and Barefoot in the Park.
Q 02What is the surname of the neat, uptight roommate Felix?
Ungar
The play and film spell it Ungar; the 1970s television series changed it to Unger.
Q 03What is Oscar Madison's profession?
Sportswriter
His spending, gambling and a fridge full of spoiled food are the backdrop Felix walks into.
Q 04In the original play, what does Felix do for a living?
News writer
He writes news for CBS on stage and for television in the film; the sitcom made him a commercial photographer.
Q 05Why does Oscar invite Felix to move in with him?
He fears his friend may kill himself
Felix has just been thrown out by his wife and wanders the city in a daze before turning up at poker night.
Q 06What weekly ritual with friends does Felix's fussiness eventually break up?
A poker game
The regulars are Speed, Vinnie, Roy and a policeman, and they are still dealing cards as the curtain falls.
Q 07Which of Oscar's poker buddies is a New York City policeman?
Murray
Roy is Oscar's accountant, Vinnie is henpecked, and Speed spends the game needling both of them.
Q 08What surname do Cecily and Gwendolyn, the giggly English neighbors upstairs, share?
Pigeon
Cecily is a divorcee and Gwendolyn a widow, and their disastrous double date is the play's turning point.
Q 09Which Boston critic suggested the upstairs sisters should return in the third act?
Elliot Norton
The playwright said the note went off like a light bulb and rewrote the act during the Boston tryout.
Q 10Which real-life pairing is one claimed inspiration for the play?
Mel Brooks rooming with Speed Vogel
Another account credits the playwright's brother Danny, who moved in with agent Roy Gerber after his divorce.
Q 11Where on Broadway did The Odd Couple premiere on March 10, 1965?
Plymouth Theatre
It later moved to the Eugene O'Neill and closed in 1967 after 964 performances.
Q 12Who directed the original Broadway production?
Mike Nichols
He won the Tony for direction, one of four the production collected.
Q 13Who originated the role of Oscar on Broadway and won a Tony for it?
Walter Matthau
He later played the part again on film, opposite a different Felix.
Q 14Which Honeymooners star originated Felix on Broadway?
Q 21Who played Felix in the 1968 film?
Jack Lemmon
Frank Sinatra was reportedly considered for the part at one point, with Jackie Gleason as Oscar.
Q 22In the film, what is the name of Felix's estranged wife?
Frances
The sitcom renamed her Gloria; Blanche is Oscar's ex in every version.
Q 23At which ballpark did the film shoot a scene before a real Mets-Pirates game in 1967?
Shea Stadium
Oscar misses a triple play while taking a phone call from Felix about dinner.
Q 24Which Pirates star refused to hit into the film's staged triple play?
Art Carney
He was replaced by Eddie Bracken in October 1965 and later by Paul Dooley.
Q 15Which future SCTV stars played Felix, Oscar and the cop in a 1970 McMaster University production?
Short, Levy and Thomas
Martin Short was Felix, Eugene Levy was Oscar and Dave Thomas played the policeman.
Q 16What are the lead characters called in the 1985 all-female version of the play?
Florence and Olive
The Female Odd Couple ran 295 performances at the Broadhurst Theatre.
Q 17Which duo starred in the 2005 Broadway revival?
Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick
Brad Garrett, who played the policeman in the same production, stepped in as Oscar for three shows when Lane fell ill.
Q 18Which game show host played Felix in a 2001 Hawaii benefit production?
Pat Sajak
His Oscar was Honolulu news anchor Joe Moore, his old roommate from Vietnam.
Q 19In which year was The Odd Couple film released?
1968
It grossed more than $44.5 million, the third-highest total of its year in the United States.
Q 20Who directed the 1968 film?
Gene Saks
Producer Howard W. Koch kept most of the stage script but added New York location scenes.
Roberto Clemente
The Hall of Famer apparently did not want to be filmed grounding into a triple play, even a staged one.
Q 25Who composed the jazz theme used in the film and later the TV series?
Neal Hefti
He also wrote the Batman TV theme, and his Odd Couple tune was reused in the 1998 sequel.
Q 26In the film, where has Felix gone when Oscar's poker group fails to find him?
To the sisters' apartment
The sisters had been charmed by his weeping over his family on the failed double date.
Q 27On which network did The Odd Couple sitcom air from 1970 to 1975?
ABC
It never cracked the Nielsen top 30 but kept getting renewed because its summer reruns rated so well.
Q 28Who played Felix in the 1970s sitcom?
Tony Randall
He was hired first and lobbied for Mickey Rooney as Oscar before the producers won him over.
Q 29Who played Oscar in the 1970s sitcom?
Jack Klugman
He had already replaced the original Oscar on Broadway in November 1965.
Q 30Which producer developed the sitcom, his first of several for Paramount Television?
Garry Marshall
He went on to create Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley, and cast his sister Penny as Oscar's secretary.