What’s funny is highly subjective, but here are my candidates for the funniest movies of all time:
5. It’s a Mad, Mad World [1963] Spenser Tracy, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett and Ethel Merman are only a fraction of the top-notch Hollywood talent who made this wild and wacky film a perennial favorite.
4. What’s Up, Doc? [1972] A “screwball comedy” from the 1930s gets made in the ’70s. Barbra Streisand is funny, but Madeline Khan steals the show. The “car chase” down the hills of San Francisco has me hootin’ and hollerin’ every time I see it.
3. Monty Python’s: The Meaning of Life [1983] You either get British humor or you don’t quite get it. If, like me, you appreciate a subversive and ironic take on reality, this is first rate stuff. The Catholic Church takes it in the jaw during the “Every Sperm is Sacred” musical number. Absolutely hilarious.
2. Team America: World Police [2004] I have never been a fan of South Park, but Trey Parker and Matt Stone caught my funny bone and didn’t stop jiggling it. This marionette movie is crude in every way — do not even think of showing it with Grandma in the room — but it is very, very clever and I laughed so much that it hurt.
1. Airplane! [1980] No matter how sad, sick or sorry-for-myself I’m feeling, simply thinking about Airplane! makes me smile. I can quote you whole chunks of the dialog. How can anything this dumb be so perfect in every way?
To my own surprise, I didn’t put a single Woody Allen film on the list. Nothing with Steve Martin or Robin Williams and I left out This is Spinal Tap & Young Frankenstein. Sheesh. What was I thinking?
Okay, now have your say.
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Eric 09.02.09 at 11:44 am
5. I can’t come up with a name, but Leslie Nielson stars as a cop without and IQ.
4. The first Scary Movie.
3. Mars Attacks. Dumb! Dumb! Dumb! But it is so dumb, it is funny, or the fact that a movie could be so dumb is funny.
2. The Pink Panther Strikes Again.
1. Young Frankenstein.
Maureen 09.02.09 at 12:21 pm
A Fish Called Wanda: It’s a great combination of both intelligently funny and absolutely silly.
Marg 09.02.09 at 12:22 pm
In no particular order:
The Producers – original.
A Fish Called Wanda – John Cleese, Michael Palin, need i say more?
Tootsie – men in dresses and makeup have killed me since Uncle Miltie
Some Like it Hot – Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, made up to a tee – what a hoot!
Overboard – Goldie Hawn, so funny; especially the scene with the chain saw.
I know that’s 5, but I can’t leave out my husband’s favorites – all the Pink Panther movies.
Kathleen 09.03.09 at 9:41 am
Barefoot in the Park (1967) is one of my favorites. While Robert Redford and Jane Fonda were great, Mildred Natwick (the mother) was hysterical. Just thinking of her reaction to the many flights of stairs she had to climb to get to the apartment … makes me laugh out loud.
Tom 09.03.09 at 2:57 pm
I agree with so many that have been said (especially Madeline Kahn in What’s Up Doc?) so I’ll add one that’s not a comedy per se but Cary Grant has some of his best comedic moments in North by Northwest. When he disrupts the hoity toity auction I always have a hearty laugh.
Maura 09.03.09 at 3:20 pm
Being a bit of a Drama queen I have fewer comedic choices but they include in no particular order…
A Mighty Wind
Bringing up Baby ~ Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn together does it get better than that?
The Trouble with Harry ~ A Hitchcock classic (who puts those two words with comedy?)
And yes I will admit that I am English enough to enjoy Monty Python’s Holy Grail but only when I’m slap happy tired.
Paul 09.07.09 at 1:22 am
Eric,
I can’t believe that I haven’t seen your first three movies — or at least I don’t think I have — but we agree that “Pink Panther Strikes Again” and “Young Frankenstein” are hilarious.
Paul
Paul 09.07.09 at 1:23 am
Maureen,
“A Fish Called Wanda” is a riot, but I decided that I could put only one “Monty Python” film on and, for me, “The Meaning of Life” gives me more bang for my buck.
Paul
Paul 09.07.09 at 1:26 am
Marg,
Like you and Maureen, I’m keen on “A Fish Called Wanda” and I agree with you on “The Producers.” I can understand your fondness for “Tootsie” and “Some Like It Hot,” but I confess to being puzzled about “Overboard.” It’s all highly subjective, of course, but I don’t think I even smiled once during “Overboard.” Sorry!
Paul
Paul 09.07.09 at 1:27 am
Kathleen,
I saw “Barefoot in the Park” so long ago that it barely registers on my memory. I shall seek it out and watch it again. Thanks for the tip.
Paul
Paul 09.07.09 at 1:29 am
Tom,
I know that Hitchcock has a fine comedic touch (thanks to his Jesuit education?) and that Cary Grant is no slouch himself, but I would never have thought of putting “North by Northwest” amongst my favorite funny films. Each to his own.
Paul
Paul 09.07.09 at 1:32 am
Maura,
“A Mighty Wind” was good, but wasn’t “Waiting for Guffman” the true classic from that troupe? Love, love, love “Bringing up Baby” and now want to see it again. Same goes for “The Trouble With Harry” — haven’t seen it in decades, but will look for it now.
Paul
Maura 09.07.09 at 7:17 pm
A Mighty Wind struck a chord becuase we grew up in a house where my mom listened regularly to groups like the Peter, Paul and Mary, Up with People (the originals!) etc. well into the 70s and 80s.
I haven’t seen Waiting for Guffman. I’ll have to add it to my list.
karen 09.08.09 at 2:48 pm
I think Eric is referring to Naked Gun, it was a very funny movie.
I love a lot of the oldies listed (A Fish Called Wanda my fav) but think one of the funniest movies of late was 40-Year-Old Virgin. Sorry, but my husband and I laughed so hard we cried!