Comedy Movie List from a New Book..

[Ed Augusts]

I sat down yesterday and tried to think of every funny movie, every
funny performer I could... But of course any list I could come up with
on the spur-of-the-moment was necessarily incomplete, I just couldn't
think of various favorite actors & actresses, etc., not all at one
sitting! But here are all the comedies I came up with on short
notice for a book, "LAUGH THERAPY" that I'm working on. This is (c)
Copyright 2008 by Ed Augusts so please don't use this material
yourself! [I'm sorry Google Groups doesn't allow for italics,
point size differences, etc.etc., that would give these messages more
eye-appeal!]

If I had to go on a “COMEDY DIET”, to improve my state-of-mind and
possible health, this tentative list would include movies for my daily
fare.

Why don't you do a list, just from memory? Better yet! DON'T READ
MY LIST until you've MADE YOUR OWN. How's that?

By the way, I don't necessarily LIKE all these comedies, in fact, I
wouldn't be thrilled if I had to sit through one or two of them yet
again. Some comedies and comics I can only take in small doses. But if
it was for THERAPEUTIC purposes, if I thought I could rid myself of an
ailment by squeezing out a laugh or two, then.. bring 'em on!


Here's MY 'Comedy' list, in no special order...

Anything written by and/or starring Woody Allen, including: Annie
Hall, Manhattan, Bananas, Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex But
Were Afraid to Ask, Midsummer Night's Sex Story, The Jade Scorpion,
Manhattan Murder Mystery...even films nearly devoid of humor, such as
Interiors and Hannah and Her Four Sisters, just because Woody Allen
strikes me as funny.... Catch “Hooray for Captain Spalding” sung in
French in his recent musical comedy set in New York, Paris and Venice.

Absolutely Fabulous (known also as 'AB FAB'), the 1990's BBC comedy
series.

Are You Being Served? The BBC comedy series (1970's)

The Vicar of Dibley (another BBC comedy series)

Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1962 film; all-star cast!)

Monty Python movies, particularly And Now For Something Completely
Different, and The Meaning of Life; not so keen on The Life of Brian,
etc. But Monty Python at the Hollywood Bowl, and collections of Monty
Python – the series, with dozens of original shows, are good.

TV Bloopers

Laurel & Hardy comedies. Films, from shorts to full-length, mainly
from the Hal Roach Studios, 1920's silents, through '30's, some
'40's). Saps at Sea, the hilarious Haunted House short; Chumps at
Oxford, et al.

Camera Infragrante – on Univision. People trip-up and go flying,
grannies tumble over walls in their wheelchairs, people run from and
are gored by bulls, etc., as the audience howls with laughter.

Candid Camera – old ones (late 1950's, early 60's) with Allen Funt, if
they can be found. Maybe they were never syndicated?

Don Knotts. Any fish-faced movies or taped performances of his.

Ernie Kovaks. Any movies or TV series in which he starred, cigars and
all, with or without Edie Gorme, such as the Ernie Kovaks Show.

Anything with Jeff Goldblum, especially the likes of Earth Girls Are
Easy, also starring Jim Carey and Gina Davis, the silly Buckaroo
Banzai Beyond the Eighth Dimension, Jurassic Park, (those parts of it
which are funny, Goldblum gets most of the funny lines), everything
EXCEPT the movie in which he implausibly tries to play Ernie Kovaks.

Adam Sandler movies are to be avoided, if possible.

Addams Family Values and any other films with Gomez, Morticia, Uncle
Fester, Wednesday, Pugsley, and Lurch , which lead us back to The
Addams Family TV series.

The Munsters TV series is a bit of fun, too, but I never got into it
as much as the Addams movies.

Jack Benny's few comedies, such as Trumpet Blows at Midnight, and
episodes (rarely shown) of his 1950's-1960's TV series.

Philadelphia Story, starring Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy
Stewart.

Any other Cary Grant comedies, such as the one in which he plays one
of seven professors working on a new dictionary, and the one in which
he is upstaged by a one-and-a-half year old baby boy.

Any other Jimmy Stewart comedies, including Its a Wonderful Life,
although it's not really a comedy, and Harvey, the story of the
invisible 6-foot tall rabbit.

Any other Katherine Hepburn comedies, avoiding 'coming of age'
tearjerkers like 'On Golden Pond' , however, which can make even a
young person feel old.

Any Clark Gable comedies.

Any Judy Garland comedies, such as the “I know! Let's put on a show!”
ones that she did in the 1940's with Mickey Rooney.

Any Mickey Rooney comedies, including some in the Andy Hardy (1940's)
series, although I couldn't sit through too many of them, even if they
have Judy Garland in 'em.

Our Gang comedies, also known as The Little Rascals, mostly from the
1930's., featuring Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla, Buckwheat, Froggy, etc.
Never a dull moment in this “long gone” world of little kids with much
too much time on their hands, and no place to go all day...except the
'clubhouse!'

Any and all Popeye cartoons, the older the better. (1930's are
infinitely better than the ones filmed 20 or 30 years later!)
Avoidance must be made in the case of Popeye, the Movie, however. Even
Robin Williams couldn't save THAT one!

Any Max Fleischman (sp?) black & white cartoons made in the 1920's,
most of which aren't being shown much these days.

Felix the Cat, 1920's, 1930's, same as above. Avoiding later ones

Betty Boop. 1930's. Much prefered from my Adult point of view are
the pre-Production Code cartoons in which Betty wears a garter on her
thigh and gets chased, tickled, etc., cartoons which are generally
much more suggestive than later ones (mid to late 1930's) when her
skirts came down to her ankle and nothing suggestive was allowed.

I'm told Milton Berle was good in the early 1950's, but haven't seen
much of this stuff – it was before my time and not re-shown.

Gilligan's Island – any and all reruns of the TV series. And, speaking
of Bob Denver: The Life & Adventures of Doby Gillis, in which Denver
plays the slightly kooky 'Beatnik' character, with Daryl Hickman (I
think?) the straight-man 'lead'.
Jim Backus as the voice of Mr. Magoo and other 1960's +-- cartoon
characters and in a few select movies, as well.

Robin Williams -- any of his comedies, stage performances, interviews,
and tapes of old shows. such as from his 'Mork & Mindy' series. Any
of his movies such as Jumanji., even very un-funny ones such as: If
There Be Dreams (or is it: If We Should Dream ?)

Loony Tune cartoons (mainly 1940's-50's) featuring Buggs Bunny, Daffy
Duck, Elmer Fudd, etc.

Gremlins from the Kremlin, a wartime (1940's) anti-Nazi cartoon in
which “gremlins” knock Der Fuhrer's plane out of the sky, and when he
lands, he gets bopped on the head by a gremlin wearing a Josef Stalin
mask.

Twilight Zone episodes that were mildly comical/satiric/ironic.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents episodes and intro-skits that were funny.

Three Stooges features, (with Curly in the 1930's and Shemp in the
1940's), but avoiding the later (1950's-1960's) films.

Walt Disney cartoons of all kinds, (1920's-60's), including Donald
Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Goofy, Mickey Mouse, etc.

More modern cartoon-movies like Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Walt Disney comedy movies such as the Ed McMurry series: Flubber, Son
of Flubber, etc., or Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

Mary Poppins with Julie Andrews.

Some Carol Burnett vehicles.

Haley Mills, anything comedic she was in as a teenager, especially if
she plays both of a set of twins.

Bob Newhart's TV series...the “Bob Newhart Show”, both the one in
which he's a shrink, and also the one in which he's running a country
hotel. Nice, dry humor... I like the 'haunted hotel' episode the
best... I don't know how many episodes are available on tape or DVD,
but I'm game for as many as I can find!

Any movies filmed by Ed Wood, such as Plan Nine from Outer Space,
Glenn or Glenda, (in the 1950's), and, a related item: Ed Wood, the
B&W comedic biography of Ed Wood starring Johnny Depp.

Johnny Depp in his few 'funny' roles, which may even include him
playing a book-scout destined for hell in The Ninth Gate.

Jim Carrey – in a variety of films. For some reason I can't remember
any titles at the moment!

Vincent Price – I like anything with this star. His creepy movies
from the 1950's to the 1970's or so, such as The Tingler, strike me as
hilariously funny.

I Love Lucy reruns with Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz (1950's-60's)
Jackie Gleason & the Honeymooners (1950's).

Red Skelton skits such as Freddie the Freeloader, and Clem
Kadiddlehopper (1950's-1970's). The first Skelton movie I saw was from
the late 1940's.

Bowery Boys or Dead End Kids, not my favorites.

Charlie Chaplin (silent films, many titles, 1910's-20's)

Bob Hope & Bing Crosby “Road Pictures” (1930's-50's) such as Road to
Singapore, Road to Bali, Road to Morocco, Road to Utopia. Clips of
Bob Hope USO performances. Certain parts of his first (1938) movie in
which he sings: “Thanks for the Memories”.

Abbott & Costello films (1940's-50's) including Abbott & Costello Meet
Frankenstein and Abbott & Costello Meet the Invisible Man. I also
love their famous “Who's On First?” skit.

National Lampoon series, such as Animal House and Summer Vacation.

Mel Brooks comedies, such as High Anxiety and Blazing Saddles or Robin
Hood – Men in Tights.

Buster Keaton (silent films, 1920's).

Marx Brothers movies (1929-late '40's), such as: Coconuts, Animal
Crackers, A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races, the Big Store,
etc.

Scream I, II and III. Damon Wayons, Drew Barrymore, and others. All
funny beyond words!

A lot of Stephen King is funny, almost every screen appearance that
King actually makes is unintentionally funny in the extreme, take his
“Farmer Jeb” role when the mossy green stuff sprouts from a meteor
that lands near his cabin.

Zorro in several of its incarnations, including Zorro the Gay Blade,
the most hilarious entry. Who thought THAT one up?

There are lilting, happy, positive musical comedies on film to watch!
The Music Man, My Fair Lady.

Speaking of Rex Harrison (in My Fair Lady), he is wonderful, as is
Margaret Rutherford, in 'Blithe Spirit' a very early entry.

There are Broadway musicals with a bright, comic touch, and Broadway
comedies.

Any comedy with Dan Aykroyd and/or Bill Murray, such as: Ghostbusters,
Groundhog Day, and Men in Black.

Anything with John Belushi, such as Animal House, and even such dogs
as 1941.

Killer Clowns from Outer Space. A little-known gem!

Return of the Living Dead, the one set in Kentucky that starts in a
Medical Supply Warehouse.. awesome pic with lots of scary stuff and
gore but pervaded by a comic spirit throughout.

While we're in that genre, Shaun of the Dead is a good recent
addition.

Anything with Chevy Chase, Martin Short such as Money Pit, The Three
Amigos, and Summer Vacation.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, with a no-star cast.

Silver Streak, with Gene Wilder.

Young Frankenstein with Gene Wilder.

Cave Man, starring Ringo Starr and a wacky collection of comic
dinosaurs and cave-men, and cave-women...

Crumb.. the great 1990's bio / homage to Robert Crumb, the wacky
cartoonist, and his whole wacky family!

Comedies that everybody hated, but I loved even more because of it,
like: Xanadu. Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly. Kind of a comedy.
Okay, not really a comedy. Funny because it was so badly-received.

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