The Owl and the Pussycat

The Owl and the Pussycat is a 1970 American romantic comedy film directed by Herbert Ross from a screenplay by Buck Henry, based on the 1964 play of the same name by Bill Manhoff. The film follows Doris (Barbra Streisand), a somewhat uneducated actress, model, and part-time prostitute who moves in temporarily with her neighbor Felix (George Segal), an intellectual aspiring writer. Despite their many obvious differences, the two begin to admire each other over time. Comedian and actor Robert Klein appears in a supporting role. Plot Felix Sherman, a meek book clerk and aspiring novelist, struggles to maintain peace and quiet in his walk-up New York City apartment. When he reports to his landlord that his brash, uneducated neighbor Doris is working as a prostitute, she is suddenly evicted. She then confronts him about this immediately, in the middle of the night. Felix, who had not intended that she actually be evicted, reluctantly allows her to stay at his apartment on a temporary basis. Later that same night, Doris dares Felix to disrobe, to which she reacts with a laughing fit that gives her a furious case of the hiccups. She asks Felix to scare her so that she stop hiccuping. He obliges, dressing up in a skeleton Halloween costume and jumping at her suddenly. She instinctively acts in self-defense, and the noise of their scuffle causes the landlord (and several neighbors) to barge in and evict both. In the middle of the night, Felix and Doris relocate to the apartment of Felix's friend and co-worker, Barney. The two very different personalities continue to clash throughout the night as Felix tries in vain to maintain his routine and to try to get some sleep. The TV-loving Doris becomes upset after Felix reads her an excerpt from his novel, which she vehemently dislikes, and the noise from their argument causes Barney and his girlfriend to leave. Nevertheless, as Felix and Doris get to know each other better, discussing topics such as Doris' various stage names, they grow to like each other and they make love. However, in the morning, their fighting resumes and Doris leaves in anger.