| Director | Gene Saks |
|---|---|
| Genre | buddy film, comedy film |
| Runtime | 101 min |
| Country | United States |
| Budget | $1.2 million |
| Box office | $44.5 million |
Newly separated Felix Ungar wanders Manhattan in a daze, with thoughts of dying by suicide.
Divorced sportswriter Oscar Madison and his poker playing cronies Murray, Speed, Roy and Vinnie have assembled in Madison's Upper West Side apartment for their usual Friday night game. Murray is concerned because their mutual friend Felix is unusually late for the game. Murray's wife phones and informs them that Felix's whereabouts are unknown. Oscar calls Felix's wife Frances, who tells him that she and Felix have separated.
Felix arrives, unaware that everyone has already heard that he and his wife have separated. The nervous group attempts to pretend that nothing is wrong, but Felix eventually breaks down and his friends attempt to console him. After everyone else leaves, Oscar suggests that Felix move in with him, for Oscar has lived alone since breaking up with his own ex-wife, Blanche, sometime earlier. Felix agrees and urges Oscar not to be shy about letting him know if he gets on Oscar's nerves.
Within a week, Felix is driving Oscar crazy. Felix is constantly cleaning the apartment and berating Oscar for being so sloppy. Uninterested in having any fun, Felix spends most of his time thinking about Frances. While at a tavern, Oscar tells Felix about recently meeting two English sisters who live in their building, Cecily and Gwendolyn Pigeon. Oscar telephones the girls and arranges a double date for the following evening.
After the Pigeon sisters arrive, Oscar leaves the room to mix some drinks, hoping that uptight Felix will loosen up while alone with the two flirtatious girls. Instead, Felix talks incessantly about his wife and children and begins weeping. The sisters are attracted to Felix's sensitivity and invite the two men to their apartment, but Felix refuses to go.
The following day, Oscar is still angry with Felix for ruining the date. He resorts to giving his friend the silent treatment and tormenting him by deliberately making the apartment as much of a mess as possible. Eventually, the tension escalates to an argument that results in Oscar demanding that Felix move out. Felix complies but leaves Oscar feeling guilty for having abandoned his friend who is still in need.
Oscar assembles the poker group to help find Felix, but they are unsuccessful. After returning to Oscar's apartment to play poker, Gwendolyn appears and informs Oscar that Felix has moved in with her and Cecily. Felix shows up and tells Oscar that he intends to get a place of his own. Felix and Oscar apologize to each other, realizing that a bit of each has rubbed off on the other, each better for the experience. Felix promises that next week, he will attend their usual Friday night poker game. The normally slovenly Oscar reminds his friends to keep their cigarette butts off the floor as the poker game continues.