Ha, A Hundred Times
I get the feeling this is going to be a long post.
The BBC polled 253 critics to find the top 100 comedies of all time. The list is below, with my comments.
100. (tie) The King of Comedy (Martin Scorsese, 1982)
100. The Ladies Man (Jerry Lewis, 1961)
Interesting tie--two Jerry Lewis movies. However, I don't consider The King Of Comedy to be a comedy, so I don't know why it's on the list. The Ladies Man is not Lewis's best, but it's one of his most interesting, formally speaking.
99. The Jerk (Carl Reiner, 1979)
Fun, but no classic.
98. The Hangover (Todd Phillips, 2009)
A modern classic. Should maybe be higher.
97. The Music Box (James Parrott, 1932)
A short, but Laurel and Hardy should definitely be on this list, and their best work was done in shorts, such as this one.
96. Born Yesterday (George Cukor, 1950)
Decent, but no classic.
95. Ghostbusters (Ivan Reitman, 1984)
Should maybe be higher.
94. Rushmore (Wes Anderson, 1998)
Generally speaking, an overrated film, Interesting, but flawed, and not that funny.
93. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (Trey Parker, 1999)
Pretty funny film. Should it be on this list? Probably not.
92. The Exterminating Angel (Luis Buñuel, 1962)
A fascinating film, but far from Bunuel's best.
91. What's Up, Doc? (Peter Bogdanovich, 1972)
A vague remake of Bringing Up Baby. Pretty good, but probably shouldn't be on this list.
90. A New Leaf (Elaine May, 1971)
An often forgotten gem. Good to see it here (even if Elaine May has disowned it due to reediting).
89. Daisies (Vera Chytilová, 1966)
An interesting surrealist film, but hardly a classic comedy. (The critics were from around the world--I wonder how many Czechs were included.)
88. Zoolander (Ben Stiller, 2001)
What is this doing here, polluting this list?
87. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953)
Not anywhere near Hawks' greatest comedies.
86. Kind Hearts and Coronets (Robert Hamer, 1949)
A good film, but regularly overrated.
85. Amarcord (Federico Fellini, 1973)
Not bad, but Fellini's done better.
84. Waiting for Guffman (Christopher Guest, 1996)
Maybe the best of the Christopher Guest comedies.
83. Safety Last! (Fred C Newmeyer and Sam Taylor, 1923)
A classic silent comedy--a genre that should represent about a quarter of this list, by the way.
82. Top Secret! (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker, 1984)
It was considered a disappointment in its day, but a worthy follow-up to Airplane!. Has it become a cult classic?
81. There's Something About Mary (Bobby and Peter Farrelly, 1998)
The greatest comedy of the past quarter century. Should be ranked higher.
80. Office Space (Mike Judge, 1999)
A fun if seriously flawed film. Doubt it should be on the list.
79. The Dinner Game (Francis Veber, 1998)
A decent film, but since most of the films on this list are in English, it's odd that this is one that represents France.
78. The Princess Bride (Rob Reiner, 1987)
His first three movies are all superior (as comedies and as films) to this overrated, over-loved work.
77. Divorce Italian Style (Pietro Germi, 1961)
Pretty good. I suppose there's room for it on the list.
76. Design for Living (Ernst Lubitsch, 1933)
I love Lubitsch, and there are three comedies of his that absolutely deserve to make this list, but not this one.
75. The Palm Beach Story (Preston Sturges, 1942)
Good, but overrated Sturges.
74. Trading Places (John Landis, 1983)
A fun film, still holds up. Top 100 material? Hard to say.
73. The Nutty Professor (Jerry Lewis, 1963)
If Lewis has a classic, this is it.
72. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (David Zucker, 1988)
A good job, though maybe not deserving enough to be on the list.
71. The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson, 2001)
Another overrated Wes Anderson film. Not bad, but not a classic (and not that funny).
70. In the Loop (Armando Iannucci, 2009)
Well done (and led to Veep), but maybe not top 100.
69. Love and Death (Woody Allen, 1975)
A classic. Should be higher.
68. Ninotchka (Ernst Lubitsch, 1939)
A fine Lubitsch film. Happy to see it on the list, but not in his top three.
67. Sons of the Desert (William A Seiter, 1933)
Probably the best L&H feature (along with Way Out West). Good to have it, though as mentioned earlier, their best work is in shorts.
66. Hot Fuzz (Edgar Wright, 2007)
I'm confused by this film's reputation.
65. Caddyshack (Harold Ramis, 1980)
I don't get why this film is considered a classic when it's not even that good.
64. Step Brothers (Adam McKay, 2008)
What is this film doing here?
63. Arsenic and Old Lace (Frank Capra, 1944)
Fun, but no classic, and far from Capra's best.
62. What We Do in the Shadows (Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, 2014)
A well-done comedy, though let's wait a few more year to see if it should make this list.
61. Team America: World Police (Trey Parker, 2004)
Another good job by the South Park boys. But should it be on the list?
60. Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)
A good film. (A lot better than Hot Fuzz.) Not sure if it should be on the list.
59. Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade, 2016)
Way too new, but more important, not that great.
58. Zelig (Woody Allen, 1983)
A fine Woody Allen comedy, but he's done much better.
57. Mean Girls (Mark Waters, 2004)
Has held up pretty well.
56. Broadcast News (James L Brooks, 1987)
While flawed, a well-done comedy.
55. Best in Show (Christopher Guest, 2000)
Another decent Christopher Guest mockumentary.
54. Harold and Maude (Hal Ashby, 1971)
A cult classic that isn't an actual classic.
53. The Blues Brothers (John Landis, 1980)
Has its moments, but is not particularly good.
52. My Man Godfrey (Gregory La Cava, 1936)
One of the great screwball comedies. Should be higher.
51. Seven Chances (Buster Keaton, 1925)
A solid choice from Buster, but I'm not sure if I'd place it in his top five.
50. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Pedro Almodóvar, 1988)
I like Almodover, but I don't think this is his best, and I'm not sure if any of his films should make this list.
49. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Luis Buñuel, 1972)
A Bunuel classic.
48. Trouble in Paradise (Ernst Lubitsch, 1932)
Definitely should be on the list. Maybe higher.
47. Animal House (John Landis, 1978)
A classic. Maybe should be even higher.
46. Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)
A classic film. I'm glad to see it treated as a comedy, because it's very funny.
45. Big Deal on Madonna Street (Mario Monicelli, 1958)
Certainly one of the most memorable Italian comedies.
44. Bridesmaids (Paul Feig, 2011)
What is this doing here?
43. M*A*S*H (Robert Altman, 1970)
A classic.
42. The Awful Truth (Leo McCarey, 1937)
A fine screwball comedy (though not as good as My Man Godfrey).
41. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Larry Charles, 2006)
Not bad, but I question if it should make the list.
40. The Producers (Mel Brooks, 1967)
This won't be the highest-ranked Mel Brooks film, but maybe it should be.
39. A Night at the Opera (Sam Wood and Edmund Goulding, 1935)
Among the Marx Brothers best. Should probably be higher.
38. The Philadelphia Story (George Cukor, 1940)
A classic romantic comedy. Maybe should be ranked higher.
37. Sullivan’s Travels (Preston Sturges, 1941)
Good to see here, even though it's almost as much drama as comedy.
36. A Fish Called Wanda (Charles Crichton and John Cleese, 1988)
A good film, but rated too high.
35. Singin' in the Rain (Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, 1952)
Maybe the greatest musical of all. And since it's a musical comedy, why not?
34. Clueless (Amy Heckerling, 1995)
Decent film, but shouldn't be on this list.
33. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Adam McKay, 2004)
Overrated.
32. Raising Arizona (Joel and Ethan Coen, 1987)
Probably the Coen's greatest comedy.
31. Tootsie (Sydney Pollack, 1982)
Perhaps should be ranked higher.
30. Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (Jacques Tati, 1953)
Good to see Tati, but is this too high?
29. When Harry Met Sally... (Rob Reiner, 1989)
Still holds up.
28. It Happened One Night (Frank Capra, 1934)
Started the screwball craze, and may be the best one still. Should be ranked higher.
27. The Apartment (Billy Wilder, 1960)
A decent film, but overrated Wilder.
26. Mon Oncle (Jacques Tati, 1958)
Like Hulot's Holiday, a fine film, though ranked a bit high here.
25. The Gold Rush (Charlie Chaplin, 1925)
Should be top ten.
24. Withnail and I (Bruce Robinson, 1987)
A tough film. Probably shouldn't make the list.
23. The Party (Blake Edwards, 1968)
A fun cult classic, but nowhere near top fifty. Probably not top hundred.
22. Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks, 1974)
A decent film, even though Brooks can be overrated.
21. City Lights (Charlie Chaplin, 1931)
Should be top ten.
20. Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks, 1974)
See Young Frankenstein.
19. The Lady Eve (Preston Sturges, 1941)
One of Sturges best, so why not? (Though others are missing, especially Hail The Conquering Hero.)
18. Sherlock Jr (Buster Keaton, 1924)
One of Keaton's best, so why not? (They left out too much Keaton, in fact.)
17. Bringing Up Baby (Howard Hawks, 1938)
A great screwball comedy, so why not make it top twenty.
16. The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin, 1940)
A big hit, but not a great comedy.
15. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, 1975)
Good to see Monty Python here.
14. His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks, 1940)
Good to see lots of Hawks.
13. To Be or Not To Be (Ernst Lubitsch, 1942)
Deserves to be near the top. Though I see they've left out his best, The Shop Around The Corner.
12. Modern Times (Charlie Chaplin, 1936)
Maybe too low.
11. The Big Lebowski (Joel and Ethan Coen, 1998)
A huge cult classic, but it's ridiculous to rate it this high.
10. The General (Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton, 1926)
Gotta have some Keaton in the top ten, so why not this one. (Though where's The Cameraman or Steamboat Bill, Jr.?)
9. This Is Spinal Tap (Rob Reiner, 1984)
A great comedy, though ranked too high.
8. Playtime (Jacques Tati, 1967)
I'm surprised to see it ranked so high, but this is Tati's masterpiece.
7. Airplane! (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker, 1980)
As far as pure laughs, one of the best.
6. Life of Brian (Terry Jones, 1979)
Ranked maybe a bit high (and above The Holy Grail).
5. Duck Soup (Leo McCarey, 1933)
Really you could throw in all five Marx Brothers Paramount films--they're as funny as any films ever made.
4. Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis, 1993)
Probably shouldn't be on this list. And I'm not even sure if it's a comedy.
3. Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977)
Woody's best. If it were #1 it would fit.
2. Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick, 1964)
Could also be #1.
1. Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959)
Hard to complain too much about this choice. Wilder's best, and an all-time classic comedy.
posted by LAGuy @ 10:00 AM
10 Comments:
Acknowledging that I haven't seen a number of the titles on this list, my list would be pretty different. As I'm trying to catch up on the classics, I find that the old comedies (pre-1941) didn't worry much about plot, and I'm biased that I like to laugh and have a story that I care about somewhat.
I can agree with LAG's assessment that King of Comedy, Zoolander, and Trading Places shouldn't be on the list. But I'm surprised you would dump Groundhog Day and Caddyshack? Groundhog Day would be in my top 10.
For me, the top 20 would include Raising AZ, Annie Hall, Airplane, Animal House, Young Frankenstein, Ghostbusters, Shaun of the Dead, Monty Python & the Holy Grail, Best in Show, Blues Brothers, MASH, A Fish Called Wanda, Blazing Saddles, Love & Death, Waiting for Guffman, Some Like it Hot, There's Something About Mary, and The Jerk.
And they missed several of my top 100 completely - like Austin Powers, Stripes, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Major League, Murder by Death, The World's End (also better than Hot Fuzz), The Road to Morroco, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and Shrek.
Old comedies don't worry much about plot? That's an odd thing to say. Comedy, in general, may care less about plot that other genres, since they're generally trying to make you laugh. But if you look at the romantic comedies (as opposed to the clowns) of the pre-WWII era, I'd say plot is more significant then than it is now. The best old comedies of Lubitsch, Capra, Cukor, McCarey, La Cava, Stevens, Sturges--even Leisen and Hawks--make you care about the characters and the situation they're in. Have you not seen, for instance, It Happened One Night, or The Shop Around The Corner?
Caddyshack was a disappointment--critically and financially--when it opened. They were right back then. The film is a mess. You say you care about story, but the whole plot of Caddyshack is a joke. What's remembered are some of the comic turns by the stars, and they're not so great that the film deserves its reputation.
Your top 20 is almost all modern stuff. My top 20, if I were being honest and not trying to spread the wealth, would be mostly Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd and the Marx Brothers. I'm not sure if there'd be room for anything else.
I liked some of the stuff you said was left out of the list, though I'm not sure if any of them would make my top 100. Maybe Road To Morocco, maybe Stripes.
Of "recent" (i.e., the last 20 years) comedies, the most obvious one they left off was, I'd say, The Wedding Crashers. And, for modern Hollywood (starting at some point in the late 60s), maybe the most surprising omission is The Graduate--unless you want to claim it's a drama. They also left off about five of Woody's early comedies that they might have considered.
As I have seen relatively few movies (a fact we all now know!), I'm not qualified to say what belongs in the top ten or top fifty, because even my favorite comedy might be objectively out-ranked by two dozen movies I've never seen. But I agree with Denver Guy that Airplane, Ghostbusters, Blazing Saddles, and Animal House are true greats. Unlike LAGuy, I think Blazing Saddles deserves to be near the top of any list, while Animal House might be slightly overrated (even though it is excellent).
To Be Or Not No Be is so good that I'd put both versions in the list. The Hogan's Heroes TV show was merely a homage to this movie.
Top Secret had some good gags but doesn't stand up as a whole. I agree with LAGuy about Caddyshack, Blues Brothers, Fish Called Wanda, and Spinal Tap as being very overrated. Each of them has some great scenes, but I can't imagine rewatching the whole movie just to see those scenes again.
Life of Brian in the top ten is absurd. Holy Grail is much better (and yet it shouldn't be in the top ten either).
It does seem weird to list Singing in the Rain as a comedy. If you do, why not also include The Music Man?
Other than Music Man, the only movies that I would be tempted to add are Stripes (which DG mentioned), Fletch, and at least one John Hughes movie (either Sixteen Candles or Ferris, or both). But again, I can't say they belong in the top hundred until I watch all the films in this list and LAGuy's rival list.
Murder by Death? It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World?
Hey CG, what are your favorites? I've mentioned here before I really like It's a Mad .... World, and I know I'm in a minority. And Murder by Death may just reflect my love of mystery novels and dramatizations.
Another favorite that is missing imho is The Three Amigos.
As DG suspects, I haven't seen It Happened One Night, or The Shop Around The Corner, but I'll get to it. I have seen the Marx brothers, and I like them, but not for the plots.
Three Amigos is another film that disappointed when it came out but has since become a favorite among some. I'd say it has some decent moments but overall isn't much.
I thought of some other "modern" comedies that might be worthy of the list--Splash, Big and The In-Laws.
As for classic comedies with stories, Denver Guy, when you're done with It Happened One Night and The Shop Around The Corner, here are some others you might consider (in no particular order except me thinking of them):
My Man Godfrey
The Philadelphia Story
Ball Of Fire
Hail The Conquering Hero
The Major And The Minor
To Be Or Not To Be
Midnight
Ruggles Of Red Gap
Mr. Deeds Goes To Town
When you're done with those, let me know and I'll give you more.
I'm like you, DG, I like Groundhog Day and Caddyshack. Lots of stuff on the list, of course. Raising Arizona, Keaton, Chaplin but not as much as Keaton, quite a bit of your top 20.
So, LAGuy, it seems as if half your top 10 would be silents. Seems heavy.
Maybe all. I don't think any filmmakers have topped the work of the great clowns, most of whom were silent.
I didn't see Repo Man. That's my whole lsit
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