Commentary on AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs
Submitted by AJDaGreat on Wed, 07/24/2002 - 04:00
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- 1 SOME LIKE IT HOT 1959 - A very enjoyable comedy featuring some great performances by Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Marylin Monroe, and directed by one of the greatest directors of all time, Billy Wilder. I really loved this movie; however, I don't really think it deserves the #1 slot. Definitely in the top 10, but I don't think it's #1. What is #1, I don't really know, but I'd be more inclined to give it to "Dr. Strangelove."
- 2 TOOTSIE 1982 - One of the major reasons the list was criticized was because the first two movies are about cross-dressing. "Tootsie" was pretty funny, with likable characters and an interesting plot, but I definitely wouldn't put it at #2. It probably belongs on the list, but not so high. At least this atrocity isn't as bad as the AFI's ranking "Tootsie" as the #62 greatest movie of all time, beating out "Network", "Ben-Hur", "The Searchers", and every Charlie Chaplin movie (among others).
- 3 DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB 1964 - Awesome movie! This definitely belongs in the top 3, but I think I'd have put it even higher! Hilarious performances by Peter Sellers, Sterling Hayden, and George C. Scott, among others. Kubrick is also one of the greatest directors of all time.
- 4 ANNIE HALL 1977 - While this definitely belongs on the list, I wouldn't call it Woody Allen's funniest movie. Maybe his best movie, but not his funniest. He's become too philosophical by this stage of his career, and the humor suffers because of it. I prefer "Sleeper" or "Love and Death" or "Bananas" or "Zelig" (although "Zelig" was actually made after "Annie Hall"). Ah, well. I know many who this this is Allen's funniest. To each his own, I suppose.
- 5 DUCK SOUP 1933 - One of my personal favorites, "Duck Soup" is anarchy at its funniest. There are many belly-laughs here in the Marx Brothers' funniest movie, and I think it deserves a slot even higher than #5! This movie produced a lot of memorable one-liners (which I will resist spoiling here in case you haven't seen the movie - in which case, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???) and great performances by all the Brothers.
- 6 BLAZING SADDLES 1974 - While I love "Blazing Saddles", I think "Young Frankenstein" and "The Producers" should be above it. However, there's plenty to laugh at in "Blazing Saddles", and even if some of the jokes don't work, there are so many that you won't even care! (sigh) I can't believe Mel Brooks went on to make "Dracula: Dead and Loving It" 20 years later. I guess a lot can change in 20 years.
- 7 M*A*S*H 1970 - There are some laughs here, but not enough to warrant a #7 rating. The film is also flawed. The film portrays war as a place where a bunch of frat boys can become doctors and have fun. There are some scenes of the doctors healing gruesome wounds, but it rarely seems to affect them. The movie also has an overlong, boring football scene towards the end. It may belong on the list, but much lower.
- 8 IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT 1934 - One of the first screwball comedies. The film is delightfully funny with very good performances by Gable and Colbert. I've gone for too long without watching this classic comedy, maybe I'll watch it again soon.
- 9 THE GRADUATE 1967 - Is this really supposed to be a funny movie? Sure, there are a few chuckles at Hoffman's character, but that's not enough to be #9 on this list. I don't think it belongs on the list at all - not that it's not a great movie, mind you. I loved the movie, as a drama. But it doesn't belong here. I mean, am I wrong? Is there something I just don't get about "The Graduate"?
- 10 AIRPLANE! 1980 - One of my personal favorites. Definitely belongs on the top 10 here. This is an absolutely riotous movie, and what makes it great is that every line is played straight. "Joey, have you ever seen a grown man naked?" is said completely deadpan. My only complaint is, where are the other Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker movies? Where's "Top Secret!"? Where's "Ruthless People"? And, to a lesser extent, where are "The Naked Gun" and "Kentucky Fried Movie"?
- 11 THE PRODUCERS 1968 - The list would not be complete without this zany romp through Broadway, Mel Brooks's first work, starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. Hell, it's so popular, they made a 12-Tony-award-winning Broadway musical out of it! This riotous film is definitely worth watching if you haven't.
- 12 A NIGHT AT THE OPERA 1935 - "A Night at the Opera" is not the Marxes' 2nd-funniest film and does not belong at #12. Their Paramount films (#5, #65, #73, "Animal Crackers", etc.) are much better than their MGM films (#12, #59, "At the Circus", "The Big Store", etc.). MGM wouldn't let the Brothers perform their bits onstage to see audience reactions, they forced the films to concentrate more on a romance plot with plenty of musical numbers, and the Marx Brothers lost their mischievous edge and became just clownish. And I've already posted that twice.
- 13 YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN 1974 - Hilarious Mel Brooks movie. Should be higher than #13! There are so many memorable scenes and lines from "Young Frankenstein", and I could bore you by quoting my favorites, but I'll resist. Gene Wilder, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, and the late great Madeline Kahn are all hilarious.
- 14 BRINGING UP BABY 1938 - #14?? The AFI saves the funniest screwball comedy of all time, and one of the greatest movies of all time, for #14?? I think it at least deserves to be on the top 10. Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn are delightful in this romantic comedy. Oh, and a great performance is also given by the leopard.
- 15 THE PHILADELPHIA STORY 1940 - Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn are delightful in this romantic comedy (hey, waaaait a minute). However, I don't think it deserves the #15 slot. I don't think I laughed enough at this movie. Maybe it's because the movie is a little too sophisticated for me. I laugh at subtle humor, but perhaps this is a little TOO subtle. Ah, well. I think it belongs lower.
- 16 SINGIN' IN THE RAIN 1952 - Some people may complain, "Singin' in the Rain?? That's not a comedy! That's a musical! What's wrong with the AFI?!" And then I'd have to smack those people. Because "Singin' in the Rain" not only has great musical numbers, but it's also hilarious. Definitely deserves its #16 slot.
- 17 THE ODD COUPLE 1968 - Neil Simon, Jack Lemmon, and Walter Matthau come together for this hilarious comedy. I'm sure you all know the plot. The list had to have "The Odd Couple." I can't think of much else to say, so I'll just disclose this Interesting Little Tidbit: I actually saw this movie BEFORE I started working on the list, which was odd for me because I rarely saw older movies before I started the list.
- 18 THE GENERAL 1927 - I've always preferred Chaplin over Keaton, but maybe that's just a personal bias. In any case, while "The General" is (looking up synonyms for "hilarious" in the Microsoft Word thesaurus) boisterously entertaining, I'm not sure it's Keaton's best. I'm sure I'll get a lot of discord about this, but I would've put "Sherlock, Jr." or "Steamboat Bill, Jr." (not on the list) above "The General." Anyone out there agree with me, or is "The General" Keaton's definitively best work?
- 19 HIS GIRL FRIDAY 1940 - This (more synonyms in Word thesaurus) noisily merry screwball comedy features memorable performances by Cary Grant (how is it that he never won an Oscar - can anyone explain that to me?), Rosalind Russell, and Ralph Bellamy. In fact, I'd probably put it even higher than #19.
- 20 THE APARTMENT 1960 - "The Apartment" is a great movie. While I laughed at some parts of it, it is in essence a drama with a few funny parts. While it is a great movie, it does not belong at #20, and it might not belong on the list at all. Its few funny parts don't make up for its dramatic attitude. Hell, it won an Oscar for Best Picture, and what was the last hilarious Best Picture you remember? Well, actually, there was "The Sting", and "Annie Hall", and "You Can't Take it With You", and "It Happened One Night", and "Tom Jones", and "My Fair Lady", but that's besides the point.
- 21 A FISH CALLED WANDA 1988 - I know I'll get a lot of flak for this one, especially from jim, but, while I thought "A Fish Called Wanda" was funny, I don't think it deserves the #21 spot. Maybe it's because I began to feel uncomfortably disturbed for the shabby treatment that K-K-K-Ken is given. Maybe it's because I hated the ending. But something doesn't feel right about this movie, to me. Anyway, it belongs on the list for a lot of its dialogue with Cleese, Curtis, and Kline, but I probably wouldn't put it so high.
- 22 ADAM'S RIB 1949 - I loved this Tracy / Hepburn collaboration about a man and his wife on opposite sides of a lawsuit...as the lawyers! I always love the mania-in-the-courtroom theme, and this film provided in that area. But the best scene takes place after the trial, and I wouldn't dream of spoiling it.
- 23 WHEN HARRY MET SALLY… 1989 - Probably the best contemporary romantic-comedy out there. Meg Ryan is beautiful, Billy Crystal is hilarious, and there are some good supporting performances. See my "Movie Scenes That Consistently Make Me Laugh" list for comments on the fake orgasm scene. A welcome addition to the list.
- 24 BORN YESTERDAY 1950 - I saw this a while ago, but I don't remember thinking this was very funny. I have to see it again though, and I'll hold off on comments until then.
- 25 THE GOLD RUSH 1925 - While this (synonyms) loudly amusing Chaplin movie certainly belongs on the list, I would have put "Modern Times" and "City Lights" higher. However, I still liked, and laughed at, this classic silent movie. Interesting Little Tidbit: This is 1 of 2 films whose position number is the same as its year (when you remove the 19). The other one is "Beetlejuice" (1988), at position #88.
- 26 BEING THERE 1979 - I loved this movie, and I thought it was pretty funny, but I don't think I'd put it as high as #26. Perhaps because I have such high expectations of Sellers, that when he's more subdued in this role, I didn't laugh as much. Don't get me wrong, I loved the movie's dramatic touch, but I don't think I laughed as much as everyone else. I know there are a lot of big fans of this movie, and, well, maybe that was just a personal prejudice.
- 27 THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY 1998 - The Farrelly Brothers' best movie, and while I enjoyed it - again, I wouldn't put it so high. While there were plenty of funny scenes in "There's Something About Mary", it's ridiculous to call it funnier than such classics as "Modern Times", "Arsenic and Old Lace", "The Seven Year Itch." I also don't think it's the funniest movie of the 90's, but it's up there.
- 28 GHOSTBUSTERS 1984 - Of course! "Ghostbusters", the classic 80's hit that brought Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, and Sigourney Weaver together. Naturally, I loved this movie, especially Bill Murray and the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man. However, at the risk of offending all the 'busters fans, I meekly put forth that, while it definitely belongs on the list, I wouldn't put it as high as #28.
- 29 THIS IS SPINAL TAP 1984 - You people save this movie for #29?? What's wrong with the AFI? This deserves to be in the top 15 at least! "This Is Spinal Tap" is a riotous documentary directed by Christopher Guest, and what makes it all the more amazing is when you realize that, while they had brief outlines for what to happen in each scene, almost all of the movie is improvised! It's hilarious!
- 30 ARSENIC AND OLD LACE 1944 - I once read that, of all his roles, Cary Grant liked his role in "Arsenic and Old Lace" the least, because the whole movie was overacted. This saddened me, because I love "Arsenic and Old Lace" and all its overacting mayhem. In my opinion, the movie would not have been as good if not for all the over-the-top overacting. This movie also has the second-best closing line on the list (#1 is "Some Like It Hot").
- 31 RAISING ARIZONA 1987 - Another hilarious Coen Brothers movie. While I laughed a good deal, it doesn't belong as high as #31. I like the bizarreness of the Coen Brothers' filmmaking style, but aspects of this movie cross the thin line between humorously bizarre and just plain stupid, especially the subplot about that apocalyptic biker. Now that's just dumb. I feel bad for the shabby treatment I'm giving the Coen Brothers (when I get to "Fargo", you'll see I don't think it belongs on the list at all), but I do consider them to be two of the greatest contemporary filmmakers in Hollywood - I just don't think their films are as funny as all that.
- 32 THE THIN MAN 1934 - Now this film doesn't belong on the list at all. This is a murder mystery / drama. The only thing that the AFI could have remotely found funny about the movie is the witty dialogue, and that's not enough to warrant an inclusion on a list of the funniest movies of all time, much less at the #32 slot. I liked the movie, but it just wasn't funny.
- 33 MODERN TIMES 1936 - "The Gold Rush" and "City Lights" were probably better films, but for laughs, give me "Modern Times" any day. This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen, silent or otherwise, and it deserves better than #33. I'd have put it on the top 10. Chaplin, despite his personal and pedophilic issues, was an absolute genius when it came to filmmaking, and this movie is absolutely hysterical.
- 34 GROUNDHOG DAY 1993 - Now THIS is probably the funniest movie of the nineties. So what's it doing all the way down here? I think it probably belongs in the top 25. I don't think I've ever met or heard from anyone who didn't like Bill Murray, and this film is comical but touching.
- 35 HARVEY 1950 - Jimmy Stewart, I think, was underrated as a comic actor. He had plenty of great dramas, but not many very funny movies. There are probably more, but I can only think of "Harvey" and "Destry Rides Again." In the highly amusing "Harvey", Stewart is a very likable guy, but he also has a keen sense of comic timing. I would highly recommend "Harvey."
- 36 NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE 1978 - Err, let's just say that, while I thought this movie was pretty funny, my affinity for its sense of humor is not as strong as many other people, and, at the risk of being berated, I'll leave it at that.
- 37 THE GREAT DICTATOR 1940 - I was kinda confused at this movie's appeal. I ordinarily love Chaplin, but I didn't like "The Great Dictator" as much. I thought it was overlong and oftentimes slow-paced - long stretches of time go by without something amusing or important happening. I think Chaplin should have stuck to silent movies even as others were making talkies (although I admit I haven't seen "Monsieur Verdoux" or "Limelight"), which he did up until this movie in 1940. The slapstick, though less frequent, is similar to that of his silent movies, and I can't think of any advantage to a talkie besides Chaplin's moving speech at the end. That and a scene where the dictator is playing with the world as if it's a toy are the highlights of the movie, which I might include on such a list but wouldn't put so high.
- 38 CITY LIGHTS 1931 - Now this is classic Chaplin. "City Lights" is not just a sentimental and romantic movie, as is its reputation, it is also a very funny movie. Chaplin is also a master artist: according to the trivia section of the IMDb, he did 342 takes on one shot before he got it exactly the way he wanted it. No director in 2002 would do that. Interesting Little Tidbit: This was Orson Welles's favorite movie.
- 39 SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS 1941 - How can you make a movie of the funniest movies of all time and not include a Preston Sturges movie until #39? I think it almost negates all the other merits of this list. "Sullivan's Travels", while a hilarious movie, is not, IMHO, Sturges's funniest; however, the list would not be complete without it. Joel McCrea is surprisingly good as a comic actor, and Veronica Lake of course is beautiful. A very clever movie.
- 40 IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD 1963 - There has never been anything like IaMMMMW, and there probably won't ever be ever again. It sure has a lot of talent and a lot of laughs, but I think it could've been much better. I'll take this time to recount a little story: Nicholas Pryor, a virtually unknown actor who has had small roles in such films as "Airplane!", "Smile", and "Risky Business", is an alumnus from my high school. He came to speak to us one day about movie / theatrical acting, and he said that, of 360 angles at which a camera can be for any given scene, only about 1 or 2 of these angles make the scene funny, and it's a director's job to find the right angle. He used "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" as an example of a film that suffers from having a lot of wrong angles. So I guess that's why it could have been better, but IaMMMMW is still an enjoyable movie if you have 3 hours to kill.
- 41 MOONSTRUCK 1987 - Sure, it's romantic, but is it really all that funny? I don't remember laughing very much at "Moonstruck." Maybe I have to see it again, but I don't think it belongs here.
- 42 BIG 1988 - Tom Hanks's funniest role (that I've seen), "Big" is a riotous movie. Most of the laughs come from the fact that Tom Hanks plays an adult with the personality of a kid, who is trapped in an adult world - a fish-out-of-water movie. The result is hysterical fun!
- 43 AMERICAN GRAFFITI 1973 - This coming-of-age film is really quite brilliant...but not too funny. Are you noticing a common theme among many of the AFI's selections? They're great films, but they have some witty dialogue or situations and the AFI calls them some of the funniest movies of all-time. That's what I don't like about the list. I would recommend "American Graffiti", but not to someone who wants to laugh out loud.
- 44 MY MAN GODFREY 1936 - As lbangs put it, "This is the only screwball comedy I have seen that can give Bringing Up Baby a run for its money." While I wouldn't quite agree with that (there's "Arsenic and Old Lace", "His Girl Friday", plenty of Preston Sturges movies), "My Man Godfrey" really is quite hilarious. William Powell and Carole Lombard give great performances, and I also loved Mischa Auer.
- 45 HAROLD AND MAUDE 1972 - I just watched this movie again last night, and it is just as funny as when I first watched it! It really deserves better treatment than #45 - I think it at least belongs in the top 20. One of the best black comedies ever made. I especially love Harold's dates. Interesting Little Tidbit: Ruth Gordon, who wrote #22 ("Adam's Rib"), stars in "Harold and Maude." What makes this funnier is that the two movies couldn't be more different.
- 46 MANHATTAN 1979 - See my "Overrated Movies" list...I didn't like "Manhattan" very much, although I know plenty of people do. I didn't like the characters, I thought the plot was predictable, and I thought the cinematography was poor. I also didn't think it was very funny.
- 47 SHAMPOO 1975 - Now this movie is just awful. Not only is it completely devoid of anything resembling humor, it's also boring, the sex scenes are mechanical, and the characters are despicable. I tried to keep track of who was cheating on who with whom, but eventually I just gave up. Unfortunately, I had to finish the movie if I wanted to see all 100 of these.
- 48 A SHOT IN THE DARK 1964 - This Blake Edwards / Peter Sellers collaboration is an absolute riot! Of all the Pink Panther movies, this one is the best (according to my own opinion, and to my poll as to the best Pink Panther movie which got 4 votes). There's some high-quality slapstick but also a lot of good dialogue here. Highly recommended.
- 49 TO BE OR NOT TO BE 1942 - I'm getting tired of the same old synonyms for "funny", aren't you? Maybe I'll make up my own. Jack Benny and Carole Lombard shine in this greffalianous WWII comedy about actors who fight Nazi Germany. I really enjoyed this Lubitsch comedy. IMHO, it's also one of the most greffalianous comedies of the 40's.
- 50 CAT BALLOU 1965 - Err...I watched "Cat Ballou" when I was younger, and I didn't follow it too well. I have to watch it again, so I'll hold off on comments here too.
- 51 THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH 1955 - I think Marilyn Monroe's performance here is the funniest performance by an unnamed character. I loved Billy Wilder's "The Seven Year Itch", and I think it should be much higher than #51. I got it on VHS, though, and I've been dying to see it letterboxed; however, I'm reluctant to spend twenty bucks on a DVD of a movie that I already own in VHS format.
- 52 NINOTCHKA 1939 - A very well-done Lubitsch movie starring Greta Garbo. I enjoyed it, and I thought it was funny, but I admit I wouldn't put it quite so high. However, I don't remember it that well, and I have to see this one again too.
- 53 ARTHUR 1981 - John Gielgud deserved his Oscar; his dead-on comic timing and sarcasm is probably the best thing about this character-driven movie. Dudley Moore is also very funny as the drunken asshole who becomes a sober, civilized man. Liza Minelli is great too. I don't remember every detail of the plot of this movie, but the characters are unforgettable.
- 54 THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK 1944 - Another Sturges masterpiece. The screenplay is highly comical, and Eddie Bracken and William Demarest are hysterical. One aspect I didn't like was Betty Hutton, who responded to every situation by crying. Talk about overacting! I have no problem with overacting in a comedy if its funny, but Hutton was depressing. Interesting Little Tidbit: The screenplay is very good, and might have won an Oscar, except Sturges was competing against himself with the screenplay for "Hail the Conquering Hero." Instead, the Oscar went to some movie I've never heart of about the life of Woodrow Wilson.
- 55 THE LADY EVE 1941 - Some would call this Sturges's best movie. I wouldn't. "The Lady Eve" was good, and it deserves to be on this list, but I don't think it's as funny as Sturges's other comedies. The script is clever, and Barbara Stanwyck is great, but I'd still put it lower, and below "The Palm Beach Story" (#77).
- 56 ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN 1948 - Oh please. Come on, AFI. This is not their best movie. "Buck Privates" and "The Naughty Nineties" were funnier. (Actually, on the IMDB their top-rated movie is something called "Time of Their Lives." Has anyone seen this?) Anyway, "Meet Frankenstein" is still funny, but it's not the Abbott and Costello movie I'd put on the list.
- 57 DINER 1982 - Talk about 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon! This movie stars him along with Steve Guttenberg, Mickey Rourke, Daniel Stern, Ellen Barkin, and Paul Reiser! The movie is also quite well-done and very amusing in parts. However, there's too much drama in it to warrant a ranking as high as #57. Sorry, "Diner."
- 58 IT'S A GIFT 1934 - Personally, I think I liked "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man" better (along with the very underrated "International House", a hilarious ensemble comedy of 1933), but I know that "It's a Gift!" is generally considered Fields's best (although many contend for "The Bank Dick", but I haven't seen it).
- 59 A DAY AT THE RACES 1937 - Bah! This movie doesn't belong here at all. I reluctantly accepted the inclusion of "A Night at the Opera", but "A Day at the Races" is overlong and focuses too much on musical numbers and romance. Note that the two funniest scenes in the movie are when Chico and Groucho are acting like their old, mischievous, Paramount selves: the scene when Chico swindles Groucho into paying more and more money for a book, and the one where Groucho plays with the Dictaphone. Actually, there are some laughs in the movie, but not enough to be on this list, and it's not one of the Marxes' best movies.
- 60 TOPPER 1937 - Actually, I don't remember much about this movie, except that it was so incredibly hard to find that I had to go to www.vlibrary.com to pay $13.40 for a 6-day rental. And the only copy they had was colorized. Since I don't remember much, I'll save comments until I ever see it again, which will probably be never.
- 61 WHAT'S UP, DOC? 1972 - A hilarious tribute to the screwball comedies of the 30's and 40's, especially "Bringing Up Baby", with Barbra Streisand in the Katharine Hepburn role and Ryan O'Neal in the Cary Grant role. Also starring the late, great Madeline Kahn. While at times it's confusing as to which bag is where, it's still very funny.
- 62 SHERLOCK, JR. 1924 - This is a hysterical Buster Keaton SHORT. Yes, that's right: short. As it's not a feature film (clocking in at 44 minutes), it should have been disqualified from the AFI's list. For that reason alone, it doesn't belong here; it's certainly funny enough to be on the list.
- 63 BEVERLY HILLS COP 1984 - The classic action-comedy. I think this was a strong influence on some later action-comedies, but few did it as well as "Beverly Hills Cop." Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, and that other guy are very funny as the unappreciated cops who solve mysteries while goofing off. A very good movie, but avoid the sequels.
- 64 BROADCAST NEWS 1987 - I remembered thinking this movie was very funny, but I read plenty of commentaries on the list (you have no idea how obsessed with this list I was, at one point) that seemed to disagree with me. Well, yes, this is primarily a drama, but Albert Brooks is hilarious, and I remember some other funny parts as well. It may be mainly a drama, but I think it belongs here, unlike some other completely unfunny dramas on this list.
- 65 HORSE FEATHERS 1932 - "Horse Feathers" is wild fun as the Marx Brothers wreak havoc on a college campus. As it is the fourth film the Marxes made with Paramount, it should be higher than "A Night at the Opera" and "A Day at the Races", but I still think "Monkey Business" is funnier. In any case, "Horse Feathers" is hilarious and definitely deserves a spot on the list.
- 66 TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN 1969 - A solid Woody Allen movie, but I wouldn't put it on the list. While it is pretty funny, it's not funnier than "Sleeper" or "Bananas", and some Woody films that aren't on the list, like "Play It Again Sam" and "Zelig" are also funnier than "Take the Money and Run." It's pretty good, but I still don't think it belongs here.
- 67 MRS. DOUBTFIRE 1993 - This choice is truly baffling. "Mrs. Doubtfire" was a pretty funny movie, a lightweight 90's comedy. I laughed at some of the jokes, then moved on. It's funny, but definitely not funny enough to be #67 on a list of the funniest movies of all time. Also, this is the 3rd cross-dressing movie on the list.
- 68 THE AWFUL TRUTH 1937 - This is a hilarious Cary Grant screwball comedy in a similar vein as "His Girl Friday." Cary Grant was a very funny man - in fact, he's the actor with the most movies on the list (he has 8). His performance is a strong point of the movie, and Irene Dunne is also highly amusing. A welcome addition to the list.
- 69 BANANAS 1971 - I read an article on Woody Allen once that said he was sorta disappointed with his earlier work because he didn't focus as much on plot, but just tried to cram in as many jokes as possible. Yeah, so?!?! It creates hilarious movies, Woody, not the least of which is "Bananas", a wild farce about government and war. I'd put "Sleeper" ahead of it, though, but, no matter, "Bananas" is still very funny. Interesting Little Tidbit: Sylvester Stallone and Danny DeVito both have very brief cameos in this movie, before their careers picked up.
- 70 MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN 1936 - Adam Sandler can go on making crap like "Little Nicky", but if he tries to remake another classic movie, I think he should be beaten with a large stick. I didn't see "Mr. Deeds", but there's no way it could be anywhere in the same league as the original, which is a riotous yet moving comedy. The best part is the end in the courtroom, but the whole movie is very good, mostly because of Gary Cooper, who delivers a great performance as the small-town guy who inherits big bucks.
- 71 CADDYSHACK 1980 - Similar to my comments on "Mrs. Doubtfire", I thought "Caddyshack" was pretty funny, but not funny enough to get the #71 slot on a list of the funniest movies ever made. "Caddyshack" is even more overrated, though; I've posted on the IMDB boards before, and on the Comedy board there is one thread declaring "Caddyshack" the funniest movie ever, and many people agreed. I don't, and it's not. It's decent, though.
- 72 MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE 1948 - While it is comical, the schtick gets old after a while - it's just one bad thing after another happening to Cary Grant. This proves to be a decent movie, and it's pretty funny, but if I put it on the list, I'd probably put it lower than #72. I also didn't like the conclusion - it's too optimistic and it negates most of the movie.
- 73 MONKEY BUSINESS 1931 - Finally! "Monkey Business" deserves a slot much higher than #73! It's a Marx Brothers movie, which means lots of random wackiness, but it also has a funny plot: four brothers stow away on a ship; eventually, two are hired to protect a gangster and two are hired to protect his rival. There are so many hilarious sequences in "Monkey Business", I don't know where to begin. How about with, SEE THIS MOVIE!
- 74 9 TO 5 1980 - A funny, lightweight movie starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Dabney Coleman. Three female workers get revenge on their sexist boss, and it actually turns out humorous. I don't think I would've put it on the list, but I don't mind that the AFI did.
- 75 SHE DONE HIM WRONG 1933 - Another baffling choice. I haven't seen it in a while, but I do remember rarely laughing at this movie. Mae West is occasionally humorous, but that was it. Oh, and Cary Grant is very young in this movie, but he's not funny at all. If anyone out there thought it was hysterical, I may be willing to watch it again, but for now I don't think it belongs on the list.
- 76 VICTOR/VICTORIA 1982 - The fourth and final cross-dressing movie on this list, and this is some weird kinda double-cross-dressing. I think this is an unlikely choice, but a good one; "Victor / Victoria" is a very funny musical, directed by Blake Edwards later in his career. It's about a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman. Confused yet?
- 77 THE PALM BEACH STORY 1942 - Preston Sturges's final appearance on the list. "Palm Beach Story" should've been much higher; it is screwball comedy at its finest. Claudette Colbert is amazing, and Joel McCrea shines. The screenplay is the best part, though; Sturges is a master at writing sharp dialogue and clever plot twists. The result is always greffalianous.
- 78 ROAD TO MOROCCO 1942 - They can put "The Graduate" at #9. They can put "A Day at the Races" above "Monkey Business." But they CANNOT put only one Bob Hope movie on this list and get away with it. Okay, so his movies aren't great classics, but they are funny as hell, and isn't that what really matters here? "Road to Morocco" is one of the best showcases of Hope's talent, but there are so many other Hope movies they could've put on here: the Paleface duo, the "My Favorite..." triplet, "The Lemon Drop Kid", the other "Road to..." movies...but no other "Road" movies were even nominated. Oh, yeah, and "Road to Morocco" is hilarious, and it's one of my favorites.
- 79 THE FRESHMAN 1925 - While I think "The Freshman" deserves a place here, I don't think it's Harold Lloyd's best work; I would've picked "Safety Last" or "The Kid Brother" sooner. "The Freshman is a very funny film, however, and it deserves its spot on the list. I'll never get why so many people today are afraid of silent movies - if you like Jim Carrey's physical humor, why not Chaplin's, or Keaton's, or Lloyd's? BTW, this is the second movie that was so hard to find that I had to shell out $13.40 for a 6-day rental at www.vlibrary.com. If you're looking for very rare movies, go to www.vlibrary.com as a last resort. But even this site didn't have some of the really, really obscure films on the list of the 500 movies nominated for this 100 Laughs list.
- 80 SLEEPER 1973 - This is probably my favorite Woody Allen movie, although "Zelig" is up there. Allen's wild adventure through the future is uproarious, a nice combination of slapstick and great dialogue. I'd have put it much higher than #80. Diane Keaton also shines in "Sleeper." Hell, what's not to like? If you haven't seen it, go rent "Sleeper" immediately.
- 81 THE NAVIGATOR 1924 - This is not Buster Keaton's best work, but it certainly is a funny one, and it belongs on the list. Uh...I can't think of much else to say about it, except why are Keaton's films so damn hard to find in any store? And when I do find them, why are they so expensive? I saw a VHS of "The General" for 30 bucks the other day. Harold Lloyd's films are even worse - I don't think I've seen any of his films in any video store. Don't they appreciate the classics, dammit??
- 82 PRIVATE BENJAMIN 1980 - I love Goldie Hawn, but "Private Benjamin" is definitely not her best work. Actually, she was in "Shampoo" too, and I hated that one. But I do like Goldie Hawn! Really! Despite her annoying performance in this movie! Anyway, "Private Benjamin" is the film on this list that has the lowest vote rating on IMDB (6.0/10). I agree with that; "Private Benjamin" has the occasional laugh, but it's not enough to make it here. Where's "Foul Play" though?!
- 83 FATHER OF THE BRIDE 1950 - A very good Spencer Tracy comedy, better than the Steve Martin remake, even though I'm a big Steve Martin fan. Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor are great in this comedy of errors, this satire of marriage and coming of age. The sequel, "Father's Little Dividend", is also half-decent. All in all, an enjoyable duo of comedies.
- 84 LOST IN AMERICA 1985 - There is some tongue-in-cheek humor here, but not enough to make up for this unimpressive comedy. First of all, if my wife did what Julie Hagerty did in this movie, I would not be as forgiving as Albert Brooks. I would have wanted to blow her head off. How stupid can one woman be? And yet Brooks soon calms down and lets it go. The rest of the script is kinda plodding, making for an entirely mediocre movie. I like Albert Brooks though - where are "Defending Your Life" and "Modern Romance", two very funny movies? (the latter wasn't even nominated)
- 85 DINNER AT EIGHT 1933 - This is a great movie. It has some very good performances from Barrymore and Harlow, among others. What it isn't, is a comedy. The laughs are far and wide in this supposedly funny movie. What's more, I don't think the moviemakers really intended it to be a funny movie, much less the 85th funniest film ever made. The movie is about heart disease, suicide, and entirely non-humorous love affairs (kinda risque for 1933, I think). It's not funny. But I'd recommend it if you're looking for a drama.
- 86 CITY SLICKERS 1991 - "City Slickers" is an unexpected choice. Yes, it is comical with a hint of a dark side, but would I call it the 4th-funniest movie of the 90's? Probably not. It is a pretty funny movie, though; I'm not bashing it, I just don't think it's the 86th funniest movie ever made. It would definitely belong on a list of the 200 funniest movies ever made, but I don't think it should be here.
- 87 FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH 1982 - Teen comedy at its raunchiest! It took a LOT of convincing before my parents agreed to let me see this one. As it happened, it's the last one I watched on the list. In any case, there are some funny scenes here with Spicoli and Mr. Hand, but all the other characters have very few funny scenes (except the one where a girl learns how to perform oral sex, with the help of a carrot - and possibly the masturbation scene). There are also some issues here that are dealt with very seriously. Despite the funny scenes, I don't think "Fast Times" belongs on this list.
- 88 BEETLEJUICE 1988 - Perhaps I need to see this one again too, but I disliked this movie. I didn't mind the bizarreness, but what was the PURPOSE of the bizarreness? Bizarreness solely for the purpose of being bizarre does not make for a good movie. Keaton was funny, but everyone else was not. This had potential to be a good movie, but it was wasted.
- 89 THE JERK 1979 - Another one of my favorites. Steve Martin is one of the funniest men alive, and "The Jerk" is probably his funniest movie. Okay, so it's not a GREAT movie, but it certainly is a hilarious one, and isn't that what we're measuring here, AFI? Why, oh why, AFI, did you save "The Jerk" for #89? It deserves a slot in the top 20, AFI. This is one of the funniest movies ever. Period.
- 90 WOMAN OF THE YEAR 1942 - This film marked the first pairing of Tracy and Hepburn. And it stinks. Well, I guess it's decent, but it's not funny in the least bit. And it lacks the charm of the later Tracy / Hepburn movies; everyone seems to be just trudging along with their performances. I didn't like it as a movie or as a comedy, but I think it's somewhat more successful as a movie. There are few laughs here, folks.
- 91 THE HEARTBREAK KID 1972 - Come on, Neil Simon! You can do much better than this, I know you can! I really didn't like "The Heartbreak Kid." The characters were obnoxious, the movie was predictable, the ending was very weak. From Neil Simon, I would've included "Murder by Death" and / or "The Sunshine Boys", but not "The Heartbreak Kid." I can't recommend this film to anyone.
- 92 BALL OF FIRE 1941 - This relatively obscure film was a pleasant surprise for me, perhaps because Howard Hawks directed and Billy Wilder co-wrote the screenplay. But the actors were great here too - Gary Cooper may be great as a star of westerns, but he does a great job here too, playing a nerd. Barbara Stanwyck is also enjoyable, as always. This is a delightful screwball comedy, and I think it deserves higher than #92.
- 93 FARGO 1996 - "Fargo" is an awesome thriller. It is an awesome human drama. It is not an awesome comedy. I will never understand why some people claim "Fargo" to be one of the funniest movies ever made. Yes, I can identify the few attempts to be humorous, but these attempts are usually not laugh-out-loud funny, and they don't make for a movie that should have a spot on a list of the 100 funniest movies ever made. As I said, I feel kinda bad bashing the Coen brothers, but I'd sooner choose "Barton Fink" or "The Hudsucker Proxy" or "The Big Lebowski" than "Fargo."
- 94 AUNTIE MAME 1958 - This is another film I have to see again. I don't remember laughing much, but one of my best friends says it's one of the funniest movies ever, so I guess I have to watch it again.
- 95 SILVER STREAK 1976 - I love Richard Pryor, and I love Gene Wilder, and they have great chemistry in the films they're in together. The best is probably "Silver Streak", a very good comedy about a man who thinks he sees a guy get killed...or did he? And it takes place on a train. I really enjoyed "Silver Streak."
- 96 SONS OF THE DESERT 1933 - I've always thought Laurel and Hardy were overrated. I liked their comedy, but some people blow it way outta proportion. I've heard Stan Laurel called the funniest man who ever lived (he's not) and Laurel and Hardy called the funniest comic team ever (they're not; it's the Marx Brothers). I still like their movies though, especially "Sons of the Desert", which is a hilarious satire of marriage with the usual Laurel and Hardy slapstick and stupidity. Certainly deserves a spot on the list.
- 97 BULL DURHAM 1988 - I've been dreading the day when I had to write a comment for "Bull Durham." I know I'm going against many other listologists here, but I didn't like "Bull Durham" much. I just didn't care about any of the characters. The acting isn't that great, especially Susan Sarandon - she's about as seductive as a forklift. I also didn't think it was funny; not that there were jokes that didn't work, but I couldn't even tell what was supposed to be funny. Eh, I think I'm the exception to the rule; maybe "Bull Durham" belongs on the list after all. I just don't understand its cult following.
- 98 THE COURT JESTER 1956 - Danny Kaye is a very talented singer / dancer / actor / comedian / performer, and this is probably his best movie. We could all use another nice, light musical-comedy in our lives, and "The Court Jester" is all of that. It's also a highly amusing movie that deserves a spot higher than #98.
- 99 THE NUTTY PROFESSOR 1963 - While this is Jerry Lewis's best movie, I probably wouldn't include a Jerry Lewis movie at all; his schtick is sometimes funny, but more often tiresome. He certainly influenced many physical comedians, most notably Jim Carrey, but that's not a reason to include a Jerry Lewis movie. "The Nutty Professor" is still pretty funny, and I would have to include it on a list of the 200 funniest movies ever made.
- 100 GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM 1987 - Robin Williams has been criticized for making movies solely as an excuse to include his schtick. "Good Morning, Vietnam" at least makes a good excuse, and Robin Williams is hilarious in the movie. Unfortunately, very little other than Williams is funny, and the movie is too seriously dramatic in parts. The movie is still very funny as a whole, though, and it probably deserves a low spot on the list. I suppose #100 is appropriate. And now I am done all the comments! Yay!
- Movies That Do Belong But Aren't Here - The AFI did a decent job with this list, but it's pretty blatant that they left off some very funny movies. Here are 50 suggestions for the list, in chronological order (note - some of these films I haven't seen, but I assume they should be on the list based on their reputations):
- The Kid (1921)
- Safety Last (1923)
- The Kid Brother (1927)
- Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
- Animal Crackers (1930)
- Trouble in Paradise (1932)
- International House (1933)
- Libeled Lady (1936)
- Bachelor Mother (1939)
- The Bank Dick (1940)
- Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)
- My Favorite Brunette (1947)
- The Paleface (1948)
- Unfaithfully Yours (1948)
- Roman Holiday (1953)
- Sabrina (1954)
- Mister Roberts (1955)
- No Time for Sergeants (1958)
- Pillow Talk (1959)
- One, Two, Three (1961)
- Lover Come Back (1961)
- Charade (1963)
- The Loved One (1965)
- The Party (1968)
- Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)
- Play It Again, Sam (1972)
- The Sting (1973)
- Love and Death (1975)
- Network (1976)
- Murder by Death (1976)
- The In-Laws (1979)
- The Muppet Movie (1979)
- A Christmas Story (1983)
- Zelig (1983)
- Back to the Future (1985)
- Brazil (1985) (Note: You may think that "Brazil" counts as a British film to the AFI, but I'm pretty sure it was on the list of movies nominated for their 100 greatest movies list. I don't know how they could've refrained from nominating it for this list.)
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
- Ruthless People (1986)
- Top Secret! (1986)
- The Princess Bride (1987)
- Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
- The Player (1992)
- Clerks (1994)
- Toy Story (1995)
- Get Shorty (1995)
- Swingers (1996)
- The Big Lebowski (1998)
- A Jim Carrey Movie - but which one? I loved "The Truman Show", but I think Carrey's funnier when he's doing physical comedy. I personally liked "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective", but I know many who didn't. So then I can't decide between "The Truman Show", "Dumb and Dumber", or "Liar Liar" for the list. Little help please?
- (Note: I didn't include any movies made after 1998, such as "Being John Malkovich" or "Office Space.")
Author Comments:
I figured since I've seen all 100 movies on this list, I might as well do this. This will be a commentary on the list - which movies belong, which movies don't, which movies are great but aren't really funny, which movies deserve a higher / lower spot, etc. I also plan to suggest some movies that didn't make it but should have. This will be an ongoing project.
BTW, the reason such comedies as "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", "Kind Hearts and Coronets", "Life of Brian", etc., didn't make the list, is because they are British films, and this is the AMERICAN Film Institute. So stop asking.
You're right--The Graduate does NOT belong on this list, although it would definitely appear on a top-100 listing of all-time best American dramas. What were they thinking???
Oh, it did. On the AFI's list of the 100 Greatest Movies, "The Graduate" is #7. It's the only movie to be on the top 10 of both lists.
AJ, I mean this in the nicest manner possible but you are a scary kid. :) Your movie knowledge is very impressive and to find a 15 year old with the knowledge of the older films is impressive. You and AAA scare the hell out of me.
Real nice comments and I will make some individual observations later.
LOL! Thanks, jgandcag, I take that as a compliment.
I'm going to second jgandcag in finding you and AAA rather fearsome. :-) I don't know what makes me cringe more - the quality of the movies I liked as a teenager or the complete lack of critical thought I brought into the theater. Anyway, I'm impressed! Thanks for kicking in such great lists here at Listology.
How come Dr. Stranglove isn't considered a British film?
good question... my only thought is they are going by the country the director was born in, thus making the UK made film Dr. Strangelove an American film.
Actually, I wrote the AFI once asking a similar question. Here was a snippet of their response:
A lot of it depends on where the money came from to make the film. If a film is equally budgeted between different countries, that film can qualify for both....[also] the film has to be equally, or mostly, made by American filmmakers, actors, etc. and financed by American investors.
You should ask them specifically about Dr. Strangelove.
Gotta disagree with you on #7, AJ. "MASH" works because, much like "Dr. Strangelove", it puts a satiric spin on the absurdities of war. Yes, it does seem like Sutherland and Gould get away with frat-boy tendencies, but their inane behavior further clarifies and strengthens the anti-war sentiment. If Robert Altman had decided to direct the film in a more serious light, the hardened comedic edge would have been totally lost. As a comedy, it wins big. Besides, I'll take the film over the vastly over-praised sitcom any day. Seems to me the TV show was a remake of "Hogan's Heroes" with a slew of Emmys awarded it.
"their inane behavior further clarifies and strengthens the anti-war sentiment"
I just don't see why this is true.
This list continues to live up to its promise! Very nicely done. I am a bit surprised by you not finding The Thin Man funny, however. While it is a mystery, it is lightly-handled which serves to bring the aforementioned witty dialog further to the fore ("He didn't come anywhere near my tabloids!"). And there were some nice dialogless physical bits - well, at least one when Powell is playing with his Christmas gift. As a married man I can attest that that is a classic married moment. :-) And the pseudo-intellectual nephew (?) is strictly comic. Great movie, and one that I'd rank as pretty darn funny. IMO it deserves a spot.
Completely with you on the merits of Groundhog Day though.
Really? Huh, I didn't remember any physical bits or the nephew, just some witty dialogue. Maybe I should watch it again. I do remember thinking it was a well-done mystery though.
The physical bit was understated, but it makes me laugh every time. Nora gave Nick a toy gun for Christmas and he practices different trick shots with it, each one more contorted than the last. Myrna Loy's expressions while watching these exercises are priceless - perfectly bemused. The nephew (nephew? perhaps a son of the victim? I think his name was Gilbert) is constantly walking around with some psychobabble book under his nose. He's particular funny when he's trying to give the police advice on the investigation. He stands too close, and asks ridiculous questions with the straighest face.
You'll have to let me know if you watch it again. I've watched it several times, and I've enjoyed it more each time.
Cool! Just this morning I was going to congratulate you on having only 10 to go, and here you've up and finished it! Congrats!
I'd say "great list" but I can't because you didn't like Bull Durham. What are you, NUTS?!
:-) Just kidding. Great list, and one of the more impressive achievements on this site, if I do say so myself.
P.S. I'll never be able to look at forklifts the same way.
LOL! Thanks a lot for appreciating my contributions, even after I dissed some of your favorites. I hope to get cracking on the Movies That Do Belong But Aren't Here soon.
How can you even question which Carrey movie belongs on the list but isn't there? Dumb and Dumber is hilarious, definitely one of the best comedies of the nineties.