Who doesn't love to laugh? I know I do. I grew up during in a great time, when the television was filled daily with Three Stooges and Laurel & Hardy shorts, and there was always a Marx Brothers or W.C. Fields film playing somewhere. And let's not forget Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis, Ma & Pa Kettle and, of course, Francis The Talking Mule. Comedy was king. As a youth, I started collecting silent comedies on Super 8mm and discovered the comic trinity of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd.
The biggest problem with making a list of comedies is deciding what actually is a comedy. How many laughs are needed to turn a drama into a comedy? What about funny musicals? Or funny horror films? It calls for some very subjective judgments.
I am not going to handcuff myself with as many self-imposed restrictions as I did when I made my lists of horror films. My decision concerning what is a comedy will be decided on the basis of the individual film. However, I will try to restrain myself from flooding a decade with the work of a single comic visionary. For example, I am not going to put six Marx Brothers films on my Top 10 Comedies of the 1930s list. I will only pick one of their films as representative of their work during the period.
Also, I am going to try to rate the films in the context of their times. Therefore, expect to see some films on the lists which would be considered politically incorrect today. I will, however, discuss the controversy concerning some of those films when it seems appropriate.
I was actually surprised how many good comedies were made during the 1940s. While few of the films on my list were made during the height of American involvement in World War II, there were plenty of funny films both before and afterwards. However, I do look to the comedies of the 1940s with some melancholy. This decade proved to be a waning period for some of my favorite comedians. Laurel & Hardy, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin and The Marx Brothers all made films during this period, but they were clearly past their prime. Their brand of comedy was replaced by the wise-cracking style of Abbott and Costello as well as Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in their Road pictures.
With no further ado, here's the list:
My IMDB review:
Bud and Lou join the army and, like many comedians before and after them, endure the hardships of basic training in their first real feature. Having recently purchased the Abbott and Costello DVD boxed set, I decided to watch their features in a chronological order to study their comic development. It is an interesting journey for me. As a child, I was a big fan, but I somewhat soured on them over the years. (Probably due, in no small part, to reading how they grew to hate each other in real life.) Still, as a child, I often found them very funny, although, apart from the monster series, I had a hard time remembering which ones I liked the best. The box set seemed to be a good place to start. Buck Privates was always one of my favorite A&C films, but, now as America fights its war in Iraq, I found it hard to concentrate on the comedy. Instead, I was astounded by what a perfectly-constructed piece of propaganda it was. Hollywood certainly went to war with the troops, but this film is somewhat unique because it is a pre-war piece of propaganda. This is nothing short of a love letter to the draft. Through songs (admirably provided by the Andrews Sisters), comedy and social drama, we see how the draft not only helps the country, but the inductees as well. Although this film is regarded as the first "real" Abbott and Costello feature, they are, as in the One Night In The Tropics only supporting players. The real stars are Lee Bowman and Alan Curtis, a spoiled playboy and his former chauffeur, who become happy if competitive equals via the loving leveling of the military. This film so levels the two leads that neither of them manages to get the girl. I am not critical of the film. I'm simply amazed by it. I can't imagine Hollywood making such a patriotic film today - even if we were at war. It says a lot about Hollywood's, and our nation's, loss of innocence. ‘Tis a pity.
The biggest problem with making a list of comedies is deciding what actually is a comedy. How many laughs are needed to turn a drama into a comedy? What about funny musicals? Or funny horror films? It calls for some very subjective judgments.
I am not going to handcuff myself with as many self-imposed restrictions as I did when I made my lists of horror films. My decision concerning what is a comedy will be decided on the basis of the individual film. However, I will try to restrain myself from flooding a decade with the work of a single comic visionary. For example, I am not going to put six Marx Brothers films on my Top 10 Comedies of the 1930s list. I will only pick one of their films as representative of their work during the period.
Also, I am going to try to rate the films in the context of their times. Therefore, expect to see some films on the lists which would be considered politically incorrect today. I will, however, discuss the controversy concerning some of those films when it seems appropriate.
I was actually surprised how many good comedies were made during the 1940s. While few of the films on my list were made during the height of American involvement in World War II, there were plenty of funny films both before and afterwards. However, I do look to the comedies of the 1940s with some melancholy. This decade proved to be a waning period for some of my favorite comedians. Laurel & Hardy, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin and The Marx Brothers all made films during this period, but they were clearly past their prime. Their brand of comedy was replaced by the wise-cracking style of Abbott and Costello as well as Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in their Road pictures.
With no further ado, here's the list:
10. BUCK PRIVATES, 1941
Directed by Arthur Lubin
Screenplay by Arthur T. Horman
Special material for Abbott and Costello by John Grant
My IMDB review:
Bud and Lou join the army and, like many comedians before and after them, endure the hardships of basic training in their first real feature. Having recently purchased the Abbott and Costello DVD boxed set, I decided to watch their features in a chronological order to study their comic development. It is an interesting journey for me. As a child, I was a big fan, but I somewhat soured on them over the years. (Probably due, in no small part, to reading how they grew to hate each other in real life.) Still, as a child, I often found them very funny, although, apart from the monster series, I had a hard time remembering which ones I liked the best. The box set seemed to be a good place to start. Buck Privates was always one of my favorite A&C films, but, now as America fights its war in Iraq, I found it hard to concentrate on the comedy. Instead, I was astounded by what a perfectly-constructed piece of propaganda it was. Hollywood certainly went to war with the troops, but this film is somewhat unique because it is a pre-war piece of propaganda. This is nothing short of a love letter to the draft. Through songs (admirably provided by the Andrews Sisters), comedy and social drama, we see how the draft not only helps the country, but the inductees as well. Although this film is regarded as the first "real" Abbott and Costello feature, they are, as in the One Night In The Tropics only supporting players. The real stars are Lee Bowman and Alan Curtis, a spoiled playboy and his former chauffeur, who become happy if competitive equals via the loving leveling of the military. This film so levels the two leads that neither of them manages to get the girl. I am not critical of the film. I'm simply amazed by it. I can't imagine Hollywood making such a patriotic film today - even if we were at war. It says a lot about Hollywood's, and our nation's, loss of innocence. ‘Tis a pity.
This film was nominated for two Oscars. One for the score and one for the song Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B.
Here's Director Larry Cohen's take on the trailer:
Childhood friends Bob Hope and Bing Crosby find themselves shipwrecked in Morocco where they meet Dorothy Lamour.
This is the third Road picture and arguably the best. However, to me, they are all more or less the same. An exotic location. Hope and Crosby try to one up each other while competing for Dorothy Lamour. Lots of industry jokes and breaking the fourth wall. These films were all the rage during the 1940s. I recently saw one of the later (and lesser) efforts on cable and I thought it held up surprisingly well.
This screenplay was nominated for an Oscar. Screenwriter Frank Butler would be nominated again for his script for Wake Island and later win for the Bing Crosby film Going My Way. Screenwriter Don Hartman had been previously nominated for an Oscar for 1935's The Gay Deception, which was not what you might think.
This film was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound Recording.
A young man, angry that his mother was shunned by her noble family for marrying beneath her station, conspires to murder all eight of the heirs between himself and the title.
I saw this film on PBS when I was very young. I believe it was the first black comedy I saw that I identified as much. I remember being amazed how Alec Guinness played all of the ill-fated heirs. A real tour de force. (And, no doubt, an inspiration for Peter Sellers' similar comic stunts.) However, since the "hero" was also a D'Ascoyne heir, Guinness should have played him, too.
A couple decides to build their dream house in the country but cost overruns and other issues turn it into a nightmare instead.
This film perfectly captures the post-war prosperity and optimism. Unfortunately, for Mr. Blandings, Cary Grant, the prosperity doesn't go quite far enough to build a house for his wife, Myrna Loy. Frustration leads to paranoia and he begins to suspect that his best friend, Melvyn Douglas, may have designs on the lady of the house. A good domestic comedy well-played by a skilled cast. Cary Grant was one of the best comic actors of the era, and Myrna Loy matches him every step of the way. She is very under-appreciated today.
Groucho is hired as the manager of a hotel in Casablanca where he, and Harpo and Chico, must tangle with former Nazis over a treasure.
The Marx Brothers of the 1940s were a pale shadow of the Marx Brothers of the 1930s. They knew it, too. If they were action heroes in the 1980s, they would have collectively said "I'm too old for this s**t." They apparently only did the film to help Chico with his gambling debts. Still, pale Marx Brothers are better than no Marx Brothers at all. I definitely prefer this film to some of their late MGM features like 1940's Go West and 1941's The Big Store. To me, this is the last real Marx Brothers film. Love Happy, The Story of Mankind and The Incredible Jewel Robbery don't count.
Here's a clip from the film:
Chaplin plays two roles in this film, a poor, persecuted Jewish barber and an anti-Semitic, Hitler-like dictator of the country.
This was an exceptionally bold film. Chaplin set out to make it when the big seven Hollywood studios, who were mostly run by Jews, were working hard to placate Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy for business reasons. (Pretty much the same way Hollywood now studiously removes any content from their films that might possibly offend the totalitarian overlords of the People's Republic of China.) Chaplin was his own boss and he had the power to follow his conscience.
This was the last of his great slapstick comedies, and the film is very funny in places. (The comedy in 1947's Monsieur Verdoux would take a darker and more cynical tone.) I particularly enjoy the scenes between Chaplin and Jack Oakie, who stands in for Mussolini. Chaplin's dance with the globe is also justly celebrated. That said, Chaplin completely steps out of the narrative when the barber, mistaken for the dictator, delivers a radio speech to the nation. This heartfelt speech, for world peace and equality, was widely applauded at the time, but later got him in trouble during the postwar Red Scare.
The film was nominated for five Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Chaplin), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Jack Oakie), Best Writing, Original Screenplay (Chaplin), and Best Music, Original Score (Meredith Wilson).
All that said, The Three Stooges beat Chaplin to a Hitler spoof with You Nazty Spy. (Chaplin started his film first, but the Stooges beat him to the theaters.)
Here's the whole film:
A theatrical troupe in occupied Poland, lead by a hammy actor, Jack Benny, and his leading lady wife, Carole Lombard, finds itself in a plot to save the underground from the Nazis.
Ernst Lubitsch, a European emigre, brought his famous "touch' of sophistication to this anti-Nazi film. I rate this film higher on the list than Chaplin's film because he managed to make his points within the context of the story, which was funny in and of itself. Unlike Chaplin, he didn't step out of the narrative to deliver a speech.
This film was completed in 1941, but held back for release until after America entered the war. It proved to be the last film for the talented Carole Lombard. She died in a plane crash returning home after a war bond rally, making her an early American casualty of the conflict.
W.C. Fields tries his hand at directing and working at a bank while mainly trying to find his next drink in this film.
W.C. Fields had three starring vehicles for Universal during the 1940s before his failing health slowed him down considerably: My Little Chickadee, with top-billed Mae West, The Bank Dick and Never Give A Sucker An Even Break. Many Fields aficionados think the later two films who the Great One at his finest. Not me. I like his earlier Paramount films better. Still, all three of the films have their charms. I find The Bank Dick the funniest, but Never Give A Sucker An Even Break ranks a close second. Fields was a unique presence in American comedy. He resolutely remained himself, and wasn't afraid to appear unlikeable. He didn't beg for laughs. He just earned them.
The patriarch of a wealthy New York family in the 1890s, William Powell, tries to run his family of his wife, Irene Dunne, and four sons with the efficiency of a business.
The Patriarchy Police will no doubt be triggered by this film, but, of course, we soon discover that, despite his bluster and intentions, mother ultimately rules the roost. The film is excellently played by William Powell and Irene Dunne and an adorable young Elizabeth Taylor. Although its roots on the stage are obvious, director Michael Curtiz makes it a movie.
I never understood why Michael Curtiz isn't ranked in the top echelon of Hollywood "auteurs" with the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Frank Capra and Preston Sturges. It is perhaps that those other directors specialized in a specific genre. Curtiz could do it all. Imagine directing a drama like Casablanca, 1942, a musical like Yankee Doodle Dandy, also 1942, a swashbuckler like The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1938, and a comedy like this one equally well. Wow. Talk about no respect!
David Ogden Stewart, the best screenwriter out of Columbus, Ohio, was previously nominated for an Oscar for the 1931film Laughter. He would finally win the prize for the next film on the list.
Here's the whole movie:
A rich woman's ex-husband shows up on eve of her second marriage with a tabloid reporter and photographer in tow.
This is a very interesting film in the context of today's times. I think Katherine Hepburn's status as a feminist icon holds the politically correct police at bay. It would not be difficult to view this film as a misogynistic exercise in a taming a confident, socially-defiant woman so that she can accept a more acceptable feminine role. Nor can we forget the way Cary Grant pushes her over in the open. That's spousal abuse. Or maybe we can just relax and enjoy the film as a comic examination of social mores of the time. Personally, I'll take the later.
The film one three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (James Stewart) and Best Writing, Screenplay, David Ogden Stewart. Katherine Hepburn, who had gained the reputation of box office poison before this film, was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Ruth Hussey was also nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and George Cukor was nominated for Best Director.
Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn also appeared in George Cukor's 1938 film Holiday, another adaptation of a Philip Barry play. That film is perhaps my favorite Katherine Hepburn film, but I don't know if it will make my list of 1930s comedies since it leans toward the dramatic side. If you like The Philadelphia Story, you should check out that film as well.
Honorable Mention:
HIS GIRL FRIDAY, 1940. Perhaps the best version of the oft-filmed play The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. The play set the tone for snappy dialogue in Hollywood and Ben Hecht himself became perhaps the greatest screenwriter in history. Just thinking about it makes me want to rework my list.... MY FAVORITE WIFE, 1940. This screwball romcom starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunn found itself on and off the list a couple of times. THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, 1942. Acerbic critic Monty Woolley becomes the unwelcome house guest of an Ohio businessman in this comedy based on a play by the great George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN, 1941. All of the Thin Man movies are worth watching. However, the films lost some of their subversive charm as Nick and Nora became more domesticated later in the series. HELLZAPOPPIN', 1941. Many people rank this Olsen and Johnson film one of the greats, but I am ashamed to admit I haven't seen it. (Yet.) SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS, 1941. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate all of Preston Struges' films, but they just don't make me laugh as much as the other films on the list. SAPS AT SEA, 1940. Although I enjoy Laurel & Hardy's weaker efforts, none of their films in the 1940s reach the classic level of their work in the 1920s and 1930s. I think the boys would agree with me. THE FULLER BRUSH MAN, 1948. Perhaps the best Red Skelton vehicle, but he would ultimately find a comfortable home on television.
Other Lists:
Here's Director Larry Cohen's take on the trailer:
9. ROAD TO MOROCCO, 1942
Directed by David Butler
Screenplay by Frank Butler and Don Hartman
Childhood friends Bob Hope and Bing Crosby find themselves shipwrecked in Morocco where they meet Dorothy Lamour.
This is the third Road picture and arguably the best. However, to me, they are all more or less the same. An exotic location. Hope and Crosby try to one up each other while competing for Dorothy Lamour. Lots of industry jokes and breaking the fourth wall. These films were all the rage during the 1940s. I recently saw one of the later (and lesser) efforts on cable and I thought it held up surprisingly well.
This screenplay was nominated for an Oscar. Screenwriter Frank Butler would be nominated again for his script for Wake Island and later win for the Bing Crosby film Going My Way. Screenwriter Don Hartman had been previously nominated for an Oscar for 1935's The Gay Deception, which was not what you might think.
This film was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound Recording.
8. KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS, 1949
Directed by Robert Hamer
Screenplay by Robert Hamer and Robert Dighton
Based on the novel by Roy Horniman
A young man, angry that his mother was shunned by her noble family for marrying beneath her station, conspires to murder all eight of the heirs between himself and the title.
I saw this film on PBS when I was very young. I believe it was the first black comedy I saw that I identified as much. I remember being amazed how Alec Guinness played all of the ill-fated heirs. A real tour de force. (And, no doubt, an inspiration for Peter Sellers' similar comic stunts.) However, since the "hero" was also a D'Ascoyne heir, Guinness should have played him, too.
7. MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE, 1948
Directed by H.C. Potter
Screenplay by Norman Panama & Melvin Frank
Based on the novel by Eric Hodgins
A couple decides to build their dream house in the country but cost overruns and other issues turn it into a nightmare instead.
This film perfectly captures the post-war prosperity and optimism. Unfortunately, for Mr. Blandings, Cary Grant, the prosperity doesn't go quite far enough to build a house for his wife, Myrna Loy. Frustration leads to paranoia and he begins to suspect that his best friend, Melvyn Douglas, may have designs on the lady of the house. A good domestic comedy well-played by a skilled cast. Cary Grant was one of the best comic actors of the era, and Myrna Loy matches him every step of the way. She is very under-appreciated today.
6. A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA, 1946
Directed by Archie Mayo
Screenplay by Joseph Fields and Roland Kibbee
The Marx Brothers of the 1940s were a pale shadow of the Marx Brothers of the 1930s. They knew it, too. If they were action heroes in the 1980s, they would have collectively said "I'm too old for this s**t." They apparently only did the film to help Chico with his gambling debts. Still, pale Marx Brothers are better than no Marx Brothers at all. I definitely prefer this film to some of their late MGM features like 1940's Go West and 1941's The Big Store. To me, this is the last real Marx Brothers film. Love Happy, The Story of Mankind and The Incredible Jewel Robbery don't count.
Here's a clip from the film:
5. THE GREAT DICTATOR, 1940
Written and directed by Charlie Chaplin
Chaplin plays two roles in this film, a poor, persecuted Jewish barber and an anti-Semitic, Hitler-like dictator of the country.
This was an exceptionally bold film. Chaplin set out to make it when the big seven Hollywood studios, who were mostly run by Jews, were working hard to placate Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy for business reasons. (Pretty much the same way Hollywood now studiously removes any content from their films that might possibly offend the totalitarian overlords of the People's Republic of China.) Chaplin was his own boss and he had the power to follow his conscience.
This was the last of his great slapstick comedies, and the film is very funny in places. (The comedy in 1947's Monsieur Verdoux would take a darker and more cynical tone.) I particularly enjoy the scenes between Chaplin and Jack Oakie, who stands in for Mussolini. Chaplin's dance with the globe is also justly celebrated. That said, Chaplin completely steps out of the narrative when the barber, mistaken for the dictator, delivers a radio speech to the nation. This heartfelt speech, for world peace and equality, was widely applauded at the time, but later got him in trouble during the postwar Red Scare.
The film was nominated for five Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Chaplin), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Jack Oakie), Best Writing, Original Screenplay (Chaplin), and Best Music, Original Score (Meredith Wilson).
All that said, The Three Stooges beat Chaplin to a Hitler spoof with You Nazty Spy. (Chaplin started his film first, but the Stooges beat him to the theaters.)
Here's the whole film:
4. TO BE OR NOT TO BE, 1942
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
Screenplay by Edwin Justus Mayer
Story by Melchior Lengyel
Ernst Lubitsch, a European emigre, brought his famous "touch' of sophistication to this anti-Nazi film. I rate this film higher on the list than Chaplin's film because he managed to make his points within the context of the story, which was funny in and of itself. Unlike Chaplin, he didn't step out of the narrative to deliver a speech.
This film was completed in 1941, but held back for release until after America entered the war. It proved to be the last film for the talented Carole Lombard. She died in a plane crash returning home after a war bond rally, making her an early American casualty of the conflict.
3. THE BANK DICK, 1940
Directed by Edward F. Cline
Screenplay by W.C. Fields (as Mahatma Kane Jeeves)
W.C. Fields tries his hand at directing and working at a bank while mainly trying to find his next drink in this film.
W.C. Fields had three starring vehicles for Universal during the 1940s before his failing health slowed him down considerably: My Little Chickadee, with top-billed Mae West, The Bank Dick and Never Give A Sucker An Even Break. Many Fields aficionados think the later two films who the Great One at his finest. Not me. I like his earlier Paramount films better. Still, all three of the films have their charms. I find The Bank Dick the funniest, but Never Give A Sucker An Even Break ranks a close second. Fields was a unique presence in American comedy. He resolutely remained himself, and wasn't afraid to appear unlikeable. He didn't beg for laughs. He just earned them.
2. LIFE WITH FATHER, 1941
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Screenplay by David Ogden Stewart
Based on the play by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse
Based on the memoir by Clarence Day
The Patriarchy Police will no doubt be triggered by this film, but, of course, we soon discover that, despite his bluster and intentions, mother ultimately rules the roost. The film is excellently played by William Powell and Irene Dunne and an adorable young Elizabeth Taylor. Although its roots on the stage are obvious, director Michael Curtiz makes it a movie.
I never understood why Michael Curtiz isn't ranked in the top echelon of Hollywood "auteurs" with the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Frank Capra and Preston Sturges. It is perhaps that those other directors specialized in a specific genre. Curtiz could do it all. Imagine directing a drama like Casablanca, 1942, a musical like Yankee Doodle Dandy, also 1942, a swashbuckler like The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1938, and a comedy like this one equally well. Wow. Talk about no respect!
David Ogden Stewart, the best screenwriter out of Columbus, Ohio, was previously nominated for an Oscar for the 1931film Laughter. He would finally win the prize for the next film on the list.
Here's the whole movie:
1. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, 1940
Directed by George Cukor
Screenplay by David Ogden Stewart
Based on the play by Philip Barry
A rich woman's ex-husband shows up on eve of her second marriage with a tabloid reporter and photographer in tow.
This is a very interesting film in the context of today's times. I think Katherine Hepburn's status as a feminist icon holds the politically correct police at bay. It would not be difficult to view this film as a misogynistic exercise in a taming a confident, socially-defiant woman so that she can accept a more acceptable feminine role. Nor can we forget the way Cary Grant pushes her over in the open. That's spousal abuse. Or maybe we can just relax and enjoy the film as a comic examination of social mores of the time. Personally, I'll take the later.
The film one three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (James Stewart) and Best Writing, Screenplay, David Ogden Stewart. Katherine Hepburn, who had gained the reputation of box office poison before this film, was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Ruth Hussey was also nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and George Cukor was nominated for Best Director.
Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn also appeared in George Cukor's 1938 film Holiday, another adaptation of a Philip Barry play. That film is perhaps my favorite Katherine Hepburn film, but I don't know if it will make my list of 1930s comedies since it leans toward the dramatic side. If you like The Philadelphia Story, you should check out that film as well.
Honorable Mention:
HIS GIRL FRIDAY, 1940. Perhaps the best version of the oft-filmed play The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. The play set the tone for snappy dialogue in Hollywood and Ben Hecht himself became perhaps the greatest screenwriter in history. Just thinking about it makes me want to rework my list.... MY FAVORITE WIFE, 1940. This screwball romcom starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunn found itself on and off the list a couple of times. THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, 1942. Acerbic critic Monty Woolley becomes the unwelcome house guest of an Ohio businessman in this comedy based on a play by the great George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN, 1941. All of the Thin Man movies are worth watching. However, the films lost some of their subversive charm as Nick and Nora became more domesticated later in the series. HELLZAPOPPIN', 1941. Many people rank this Olsen and Johnson film one of the greats, but I am ashamed to admit I haven't seen it. (Yet.) SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS, 1941. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate all of Preston Struges' films, but they just don't make me laugh as much as the other films on the list. SAPS AT SEA, 1940. Although I enjoy Laurel & Hardy's weaker efforts, none of their films in the 1940s reach the classic level of their work in the 1920s and 1930s. I think the boys would agree with me. THE FULLER BRUSH MAN, 1948. Perhaps the best Red Skelton vehicle, but he would ultimately find a comfortable home on television.
Other Lists:
Top 10 Comedies of the 2000s
Top 10 Comedies of the 1990s
Top 10 Comedies of the 1980s
Top 10 Comedies of the 1970s
Top 10 Comedies of the 1960s
Top 10 Comedies of the 1950s
Top 10 Comedies of the 1940s
Top 10 Comedies of the 1930s
Top 10 Horror Films of the 2010s
Top 10 Horror Films of the 2000s
Top 10 Horror Films of the 1990s
Top 10 Horror Films of the 1980s
Top 10 Horror Films of the 1970s
Top 10 Horror Films of the 1960s
Top 10 Horror Films of the 1950s
Top 15 Horror Films of the 1930s and 1940s
My 10 Favorite James Bonds Films
My 10 Favorite Faith Based Films
My 10 Favorite Laurel & Hardy Shorts
Top 10 Comedies of the 1990s
Top 10 Comedies of the 1980s
Top 10 Comedies of the 1970s
Top 10 Comedies of the 1960s
Top 10 Comedies of the 1950s
Top 10 Comedies of the 1940s
Top 10 Comedies of the 1930s
Top 10 Horror Films of the 2010s
Top 10 Horror Films of the 2000s
Top 10 Horror Films of the 1990s
Top 10 Horror Films of the 1980s
Top 10 Horror Films of the 1970s
Top 10 Horror Films of the 1960s
Top 10 Horror Films of the 1950s
Top 15 Horror Films of the 1930s and 1940s
My 10 Favorite James Bonds Films
My 10 Favorite Faith Based Films
My 10 Favorite Laurel & Hardy Shorts
The 10 Worst Films I Paid To See!
My 5 Favorite Westerns
7 Guy Films
20 Films, or Confessions of a Misspent Youth
The Marx Brothers Films Ranked
The Chaplin Mutual Shorts Ranked
Beatles Albums Ranked
My 20 Favorite Beatles Songs
My 5 Least Favorite Beatles Songs
My 5 Favorite Rolling Stones Albums
My 5 Favorite Dylan Albums
My 5 Favorite Westerns
7 Guy Films
20 Films, or Confessions of a Misspent Youth
The Marx Brothers Films Ranked
The Chaplin Mutual Shorts Ranked
Beatles Albums Ranked
My 20 Favorite Beatles Songs
My 5 Least Favorite Beatles Songs
My 5 Favorite Rolling Stones Albums
My 5 Favorite Dylan Albums
My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.
Listen to me read some chapters here:
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