# Neil Simon died at 91 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 26, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305 "2018-08-26T16:44:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305/1 "2018-08-26T16:44:38Z")
Odd couple was a good show > **[Neil Simon, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, dies at 91 | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/26/entertainment/neil-simon-playwright-dies/index.html)** > > Neil Simon, the playwright and screenwriter whose indestructible comedies -- including "The Odd Couple," "Barefoot in the Park," "The Sunshine Boys" and "Brighton Beach Memoirs" -- made him one of the most successful writers in American history, has... ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305/2 "2018-08-26T17:02:52Z")
RIP Mr. Simon; thanks for all the laughs and the fond memories. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305/3 "2018-08-26T17:27:28Z")
_ **Corie:** You can’t go to sleep now. We’re having a fight. **Paul:** You have the fight. When you’re through, turn off the lights. **Corie:** Ooh, that gets me insane. You can even control your emotions. **Paul:** Look, I’m just as upset as you are . . . but when I get hungry I eat. And when I get tired I sleep. You eat and sleep too. Don’t deny it, I’ve seen you . . . **Corie:** Not in the middle of a crisis. **Paul:** What crisis? We’re just yelling a little. **Corie:** You don’t consider this a crisis? Our whole marriage hangs in the balance. **Paul:** It does? When did that happen? **Corie:** Just now. It’s suddenly very clear that you and I have absolutely nothing in common. **Paul:** Why. Because I won’t walk barefoot in the park in winter? You haven’t got a case, Corie. Adultery, yes. Cold feet? No._ RIP, Neil. You were one of the Good Ones. ---
**Author:** ![koufax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ea924/32.png) [@koufax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koufax)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305/4 "2018-08-26T17:50:09Z")
A friend got us tickets to the Los Angeles preview of “They’re Playing Our Song” which then went on to Broadway. As we were sitting down, I turned around and sitting about 20 feet behind us in the 1st row of the second section of orchestra seats was Neil Simon. Although it wasn’t his best play, it was still good and I kept wanting to turn around and give him a thumbs up every time there was a good funny line. It was strange to have the author of the play we were watching sitting right behind us, especially someone as famous and talented as he was. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305/5 "2018-08-26T17:50:31Z")
Thank you for all the laughs, Mr. Simon. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305/6 "2018-08-26T18:00:56Z")
It’s sad, but at least he led a long, productive life. Neil Simon wrote civil comedies, in which the humor came from conflict, but not from the characters being jerks. Simon’s best movies include: [ul] [li]Barefoot in the Park[/li][li]The Odd Couple[/li][li]Sweet Charity[/li][li]The Heartbreak Kid[/li][li]The Prisoner of Second Avenue[/li][li]The Sunshine Boys[/li][li]Murder by Death[/li][li]The Goodbye Girl[/li][li]California Suite[/li][li]Brighton Beach Memoirs[/li][li]Biloxi Blues[/li][/ul] I can picture him now at the gates of heaven: “Slide it, Uncle Neil! Don’t push it!” ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305/7 "2018-08-26T18:13:32Z")
> [@koufax](#): > > A friend got us tickets to the Los Angeles preview of “They’re Playing Our Song” which then went on to Broadway. > > As we were sitting down, I turned around and sitting about 20 feet behind us in the 1st row of the second section of orchestra seats was Neil Simon. > > Although it wasn’t his best play, it was still good and I kept wanting to turn around and give him a thumbs up every time there was a good funny line. > > It was strange to have the author of the play we were watching sitting right behind us, especially someone as famous and talented as he was. OMG, I saw “They’re Playing Our Song” in L.A. too! I thought nobody remembered that show! I even had the cast recording for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305/8 "2018-08-26T20:11:12Z")
I like a lot of Simon’s stuff, but I have a special fondness for **Prisoner of Second Avenue**. I just watched it fairly recently, in fact. \*Edna: We’ve been robbed. Mel: What do you mean, “robbed”? Edna: Robbed. Robbed! What does “rob” mean? They come in, they take things out. You had 'em, now they got 'em. They used to be yours, now they’re theirs. We’ve been robbed! Mel: Uh, I don’t understand… You mean someone walked in here and robbed us? Edna: What do you think, they called up and made an appointment? We’ve been ROBBED!\* Lemmon and Bancroft were perfect. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305/9 "2018-08-26T20:17:16Z")
Another one I didn’t even realize was still alive. RIP, Niel. Yes, thank you for all the laughs. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305/10 "2018-08-26T21:27:40Z")
Recently watched a long PBS special on him. I think it was American Masters. He was really funny. Don’t forget he goes back to that magical pool of geniuses from the Show of Shows and Sid Caeser Show. Mel Brooks, **Neil Simon** , Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, Michael Stewart, Mel Tolkin, Selma Diamond, and Woody Allen. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305/11 "2018-08-26T21:33:33Z")
You leave me little notes on my pillow. Told you 158 times I can’t stand little notes on my pillow. “We’re all out of cornflakes. F.U.” Took me three hours to figure out F.U. was Felix Ungar! ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2018, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305/12 "2018-08-27T05:02:31Z")
Wikipedia says he died around 1 a.m. I can’t help but imagine him fighting to live just long enough to avoid dying the same day as John McCain so he could be his day’s big obituary. “I made it to Sunday? That’s good enough for me!” ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2018, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305/13 "2018-08-27T13:09:46Z")
He was as good as it gets. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2018, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305/14 "2018-08-27T13:59:34Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > _ **Corie:** You can’t go to sleep now. We’re having a fight. > **Paul:** You have the fight. When you’re through, turn off the lights. > **Corie:** Ooh, that gets me insane. You can even control your emotions. > **Paul:** Look, I’m just as upset as you are . . . but when I get hungry I eat. And when I get tired I sleep. You eat > and sleep too. Don’t deny it, I’ve seen you . . . > **Corie:** Not in the middle of a crisis. > **Paul:** What crisis? We’re just yelling a little. > **Corie:** You don’t consider this a crisis? Our whole marriage hangs in the balance. > **Paul:** It does? When did that happen? > **Corie:** Just now. It’s suddenly very clear that you and I have absolutely nothing in common. > **Paul:** Why. Because I won’t walk barefoot in the park in winter? You haven’t got a case, Corie. Adultery, yes. Cold feet? No._ > > RIP, Neil. You were one of the Good Ones. We watched this last night, as neither of us had seen it, despite being around when it first came out in 1967. The humor still holds up, and god_damn_ but Jane Fonda was a hottie. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2018, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-simon-died-at-91/820305/15 "2018-08-27T15:09:33Z")
RIP, Neil. You made me laugh till I wet myself.