neil simon the odd couple set up a model for many of his later play . felix unger and oscar madison be the unsuitably paired roommate in the original and the former be picky and neat and the latter be slovenly and loose . simon would rewrite ( less successfully ) the play in the 1990s a the new odd couple and with female roommate . he make it a mixed couple ( a woman with her daughter and and a man ) in the goodbye girl . he also give it an additional twist in 1973 with the sunshine boy and a broadway hit star jack alberson and sam levine a al lewis and willie clark and the age and semi retired vaudevillian . here the apartment problem be reduce to a teaming of two men who can not stand each other . the 1976 film star walter matthau a willie and and george burn a al . in actuality and al probably do not think totally badly of willie willie be pathological on the subject of al . first al have little habit and such a accidentally spit slightly when pronounce word begin with the letter t and and slightly jab willie with his index finger and on stage . secondly and al retire when his wife die . willie be not ready to retire ( and have be force his nephew and agent and ben ( richard benjamin ) to try to get him job in commercial . but willie can not remember line unless they be funny and and keep flub them . so he rarely be able to stay to the end of a rehearsal for a commercial . ben be ask to get the two back together for a live scene of their most famous sketch on a television show about american comedy . he do bring al to see willie and and the spark begin fly and a neither can figure out what the other be do ( and this be just in rehearsal . on top of that and willie be insist on change ( minor one and but they throw off al ) such a say enter . when al knock on the door . the initial rehearsal be a failure and but ben manages to get them to the taping of the show . the question be if they will complete the scene in the finished program or will willie wring al neck . the three lead and matthau and burn and and benjamin and do very well with the one liner and frequently reminiscent of vaudeville patter ( example represent chest pain . i be get chest pain uncle willie . every thursday i come here and get chest pain . so and come on friday . ) . benjamin strive to prove his deep affection for his uncle and although matthau rough outer shell make it difficult ( he only smooth down when he discuss the glory day of vaudeville ) . matthau have a little good grasp on reality ( at first ) than burn and who seem senile by his repeat himself but in actuality matthau sense of rejection by the world that once applaud him make him less willing to behave properly . burn be not senile he take thing slowly . but he seem far happy in accept his retirement . i call this a final voyage of discovery for our modern lewis and clark . al and willie transcend their old skit and a they gradually end up realize that they have more in common in their old age than they think . even the irascible willie admit that al may be ( to him ) a pain in the as and but he be a funny man . burn be not the original choice for the part of al lewis ( supposedly dale of the team smith and dale ) . jack benny be . benny probably would have do a good job and but ill health force him out ( he die in 1975 ) . burn ( whose last involvement in any film be in the solid gold cadillac in 1956 a the narrator ) turn in such a fine performance that he get the oscar for best support actor and and be to have a career in movie in the next decade in such film a oh god . while oh god and you devil while and go in style . he die in 1996 age 100 and have prove that he be more than just a brilliant straight man for his wife gracie allan .