I know we've had many 'best of' topics lately, but this one I'm especially curious about. Many great comedies have been released over the years, such as the films by Mel Brooks and the Monty Python troupe, I'm just wondering what you feel is the best comedy in history.

My choice would have to be Young Frankenstein by Mel Brooks. The film has great acting from all of it's cast (Teri Garr, Marty Feldman, Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle and Gene Hackman). It's also filmed entirely in black and white on the original Frankenstein film set. Lastly, it's Mel Brooks at his best, which means it's extremely funny even after repeated viewings. Heck, every member of my family owns their own copy of the film. If you haven't seen this film go see it immeadiately!

P.S. My runner up would be Some Like It Hot

Good question. There are a few different kinds of 'funny'. For flat out stupidness, 'Dumb and Dumber', with Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, has to be one of the funniest ever. A funny film has to hold up over multiple viewings, and my family and I NEVER tire of that one. For cerebral funny, I'd stick with '...the Holy Grail'. I think I've caught something new on each viewing...

Have to agree Vanyar: Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein.

Also: As Good As It Gets, Strictly Ballroom, Men In Black, Spies Like Us, Evolution.

Can't choose. There are more, just can't remember them at the moment.

I would have to say Planes, Trains and Automobiles with Steve Martin and John Candy.
I also thought Airplane was very funny.

Hard to choose just one, but I'm so relieved you suggested one of my favorites, Young Frankenstein!
Airplane I love too.
Anyone see the "Big Bus"? It's the story of a Cyclops bus, that is to take a cross country maiden voyage and goes through all these disasters. It's a spoof on spoofs.

Hard to choose just one but my faves are:

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Some Like it Hot
Duck Soup
Young Frankenstein
Blazing Saddles
Monty Python's The Life of Brian
Airplane

This is hard. Dumb and Dumber popped in my head first for some reason. I remember when it first came on video I watched in twice in a row. Happy Gilmore was funny. Just about any Mel Brooks movie is funny, my favorite from him is The Princess Bride. There are so many funny movies it is hard to choose.

Cabin Boy and Freaked.

Dumb and Dumber is pretty funny, especially the hitchhiking thing in the end!

Top question and utterly impossible...My top three in no particular order are:

Barefoot in the Park (with Robert Redford and Jane Fonda based on the Neil Simon play) - lovely lovely comedy. The only romantic comedy I have been known to sit through!

The Odd Couple (Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau also based on the Neil Simon play) - I just love the banter in this one although it was nearly pipped to the post by Some Like It Hot)

Annie Hall (Woody Allen) - could have been nominated on the strength of the line 'it's ok we can walk to the kerb from here' but which is fabulous all the way through, what a treat!

Of course I will spend the next day or so saying "Doh!" repeatedly as I remember films that should have made the list but which slipped out of my mind at the critical moment.

These are a few of my favorites.

1."It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" With a cast like this has, how can you go wrong? Uncle Miltie, Sid Ceaser, Buddy Hackett, Phil Silvers, Spencer Tracy, Johnathan Winters, Dick Shawn, Ethel Merman, Jimmy Durante, Terry Thomas, Mickey Rooney, Jim Backus, The Three Stooges, Buster Keaton, and many, many other great comics and comedians. A great story and an absolute laugh riot from beginning to end.

2. "A Shot in the Dark" Clouseau at his best and funniest. This is the one that started the whole "Pink Panther" phenomenon.

3. "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb" A true classic, and as topical today with it's threat of nuclear war as it was when it was released in 1964. Dark theme, but very, very funny.

4. "The Party" Sellers at his absolute silliest, and again timeless in that it punctures the pomposity of the Hollywood heirarchy. Birdie num nums.

5. "Caddyshack" They've tried, but they've never been able to match the crazy chemistry this has.
Carl, in a hushed tone: "Cinderella story... former caddy......comes out of the pack....to lead the Masters ......at Augusta.....". Hilarious.

6. "Duck Soup" They just don't make them any funnier than this. The wild and crazy Marx Brothers
at their very best. The pranks, sight gags and jokes come so fast it'll make your head spin! The mirror scene is brilliant!

7. "Ace Ventura, When Nature Calls" I laughed so hard during the Rhino birth scene, I almost wet myself. Jim Carrey is certifiable, but that's what makes him great.

8. "Evil Roy Slade" Made for TV in the early seventies. John Astin in the title role, and what Mel was aspiring to when he made "Blazing Saddles".
Obscure, but worth the search.

9. "Love Me Tonight" Early thirties romantic/comedy/musical. Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald. Very sweet and funny & great music. Really charming.

10. "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" Mid sixties farce set in ancient Rome. Makes fun of modern society, ancient Roman society, the hypocrisy inherent in any system based on classes,
all the ancient period dramas popular in this time like Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments, Cleopatra etc .

11. "Sleeper" Woody's best, I think. Again a very funny, biting commentary on modern society. Austin Powers is at least a partial ripoff/homage of this.

12.Any of the Dean Martin "Matt Helm" films like "Murderers Row" and "The Silencers". Again Mike Myers "Powers" films owe a huge debt of gratitude to these.

13. "The Caddy" Early fifties Martin and Lewis vehicle. Their chemistry was never better than in this. Jerry at the height of his youthful frenzy, and Dean, well he's Dean! Cameos by golfing greats of the day, such as Sam Snead and Ben Hogan. And the film that introduced Martin's theme song, "That's Amore".

I love most of Mel Brooks work, especially "Young Frankenstein", "Blazing Saddles","The Producers" and "Silent Movie", Monty Python's "Holy Grail" and "Life of Brian", and of course "Some Like it Hot". Marilyn's other great comedy is "The Seven Year Itch". And the Chistopher Guest projects "This is Spinal Tap" and the recent "Waiting for Guffman" and "Best in Show". Character improvisation at its very best, and silly as the day is long! Imho, these are all great and worth the time it takes to find them.

[ 05-08-2002, 10:35 AM: Message edited by: tim10001 ]

'You don't understand...it goes to 11.'

Alladin
Shrek
The Lion King (Pumba and Timon, love them)
Chicken Run

okay, I'm still waiting to grow up. It can happen any time now

There's Something About Mary.......

and Kingpin.

Just couldn't get on with Dumb and Dumber, but the above two films made me cry with laughter.

Bobby and Peter rock!

wez

Some great choices out there,

I'd have to add The Princess Bride as well, but please not THE PRINCESS BRIDE IS NOT A MEL BROOKS FILM. It's by Rob Reiner, and is easily the best book to film adaptation ever.

As for 'The Big Bus,' yeah I have seen it and it's great! By the way, I can't stand Dumb and Dumber, to each his own I guess.

Bad Taste, Brain Dead, Meet The Feebles. All Peter Jackson, all amazingly funny.

Also (and on a somewhat different level...) Bob Roberts is a great piece of satire (did that get a cinematic release or was it a TVM?: I've only ever seen it on TV)

Beyond that, well the usual suspects I suppose (note the lower case!): anything Python, most things Kevin Smith (I'm thinking more along the lines of Clerks than Jay & Silent Bob) and I possibly am the only person who still laughs at Carry On films

This is very tough,
The person who mentioned Monty Python and Quest Fro the Holly Grail I think has hit the nail on the head, that film was very amusing.
However there is one other which I love called Trippin the poem he reads out in class is one the funniest things that I have every heard!

Anyone seen Young Einstein, the Australian film?
That one is quirky! (Now what Australian film isn't a little quirky? I'm still thinking, hold on!)

Tim's list, well, once again, you can tell we grew up in the same valley my dear! Probably crossed each other's paths in the fog in old beat up cars with towbars!

I am also so ashamed not to pick out Peter Sellers' movies in my choice, but you did say the best in the superlative.
For once I tried to limit my choice!

So hey, we've moved the goalposts and the Pink Panther films are wonderful. My favorite scene would either be, "does your dog bite?" or the dentist one where he masquerades as a dentist and gives Herbert Lohm so much novocaine that they laugh hysterically as he takes out all his teeth!
I'm laughing as I type!
You rent that film in my family and the bathrooms will be in demand, no one can withstand it!

Oh yeah! The best scene in Young Frankenstein, there are several, the knockers gag is good, but also the walk this way, and then, oh well, there are way too many to mention! "Oh Sweet Mystery of Life now that I've found you"

Guess who's UP, at 1:41 a.m.!
Always wanted to say that Fawlty Towers made me LAUGH...and all the Carry On movies, one of which I saw the other night...

Heather, I completely agree with the Peter Sellers! His Pink Panther movies were wonderful! I just read a very uncomplimentary biography of Sellers--but I couldn't care less about his personal life--the man created one of the most outrageously funny characters of all moviedom!!!

My absoulte favorite comedy in the entire world is Young Frankenstein. We recently bought the DVD which is loaded with out-takes and a commentary on making the movie by Gene Wilder-plus a deleted scene. I highly reccommend it all you lovers of Young Frankenstein---And if you guys all love it So Much, Why haven't you taken my quiz, hmmmmmmmm??? HA! (Actually it's one of my husband's favorite comedy, too--it's really His DVD--and I made the quiz at his suggestion!)

Has anyone ever seen the old WC Fields film the Bank Dick?? I watched it one night, and I laughed so hard that I cried!!

[ 05-10-2002, 01:21 AM: Message edited by: LindaC007 ]

Sorry, didn't get a chance to take many quizzes lately!
Once I hit the 1400 mark I tapered off!

Fawlty Towers is tops. I just watched an episode last night.
Manual's rat and the health inspectors?
What is it about animals that makes me laugh so hard?
Don't worry, I'm sure they can dig up the dirt on just about anyone, Beatles, Elvis, you name it, but at least they brought us some joy.
I hate what I know about Gauguin, but I love his art and have two prints in my living room.

My favorite is Young Frankenstein. I watched a couple of years ago but I've seen it on TV since then. I noticed that a lot of people put that movie. I can understand why. Two thumbs up.
I have other favorites but this one is the only one I wanted to mention.

Well, if we're bringing in Peter Sellars films then "The Party" must be mentioned. It's easily his funniest film, every time I hear "birdy num nums" I crack up. Falty Towers is a great choice for funny, but alas it is not a film.

Maybe we should start a funniest TV show category?

Some like It Hot,for great acting, especially by Jack Lemon and The Producers for a marvellous script!

'Traffic' with Jacques Tati (as M Hulot) had me helpless with laughter... if you ever see this advertised , you MUST see it. It is the funniest film I ever saw in my whole, long life, believe me.