Old vintage TV shows we loved is also a semi-popular topic (I say “semi” because we don’t like that we’re old enough to have written on many of these chestnuts). But the HONEYMOONERS was mentioned recently, and everyone perked up (that show was even before “our” time). I said that the biggest laugh I ever had was for the payoff of the “$99,000 Answer” episode. I won’t spoil it in case you haven’t seen it (in which case, GO SEE IT). But suffice to say the entire episode builds to one last joke and it’s a killer. I was ten at the time and probably laughed for ten minutes.
That led to a discussion of “what was the biggest laugh you ever had?” Preferably sober. More fun than hearing theirs (e.g. Monty Python) would be hearing yours? So I throw out that topic today. And please, don’t feel obligated to cite an example from MANNEQUIN 2. But think back – hopefully this will be a tough choice because you’ve had many big belly laughs in your life (not a tough choice because you have amnesia) – what moment, scene, one-liner, cartoon, stand up routine, America’s Funniest Home Video made you uncontrollably laugh the hardest, loudest, longest?
This is going to be one of those days where the comments are more interesting than the post. I, for one, look forward to your responses. If nothing else I bet it will illustrate how subjective comedy is. There will be some entries that other readers won’t think is funny at all. I’m also curious as to whether your single biggest laugh came as a child (like mine) or as an adult. Anyway, it should be fun. Put on your thinking caps and I’ll see ya in the comments section. Thanks.
243 comments :
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 243 of 243When I was a kid, probably scene in "Night at the Opera" where the guys take over control of the orchestra.
As an adult:
In the film Children of Paradise, Frederick makes a comedy out of the horrible drama he is pressured into performing in.
Monty Python:
- The WWII weaponized joke so bad people die laughing
- "It's only a flesh wound"
- The dead parrot
- Documentary about German author with long name
The Simpsons Halloween King Kong parody
SCTV: The station's production of "Death of a Salesman"
Another one for me would be the "Fawlty Towers" episode "Hotel Inspectors" as Basil starts to lose it more and more. His unloading on the one diner makes me laugh really hard: "Do you want to run the place? No? Then shut up then!"
Two more, with apologies if they've already been mentioned:
Peter Cook & Dudley Moore "One Leg Too Few":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFoagC5yGY0
Jonathan Winter roasts Johnny Carson, who starts cracking up before Winters says one word:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BJItiG6FRg
The first thing that came to mind was the scene in Annie Hall where Alvy tries cocaine for the first time. I actually fell off my seat in the theater.
The other memorable laugh was when Jim takes his written driver's test in Taxi. with 'what does the yellow light mean'being the topper.
W.C. Fields trying to nap on the back porch in "It's A Gift"
"Who's On First?" with Abbott and Costello
I'll also mention "Rat Race" as it contains a hilarious scene (I won't give it away) featuring Kathy Bates as the Squirrel Lady and what subsequently happens to two characters who don't buy one of her squirrels.
One of my favorite scenes in The Golden Girls is when Rose (the ‘dummy’ character played by Betty White) picks up a cake from the “Get It While It’s Hot Erotic Bakery” because she thinks it’s in the shape of Florida.
The Honeymooners episode when Ralph finds a suitcase full of money on the bus. My favorite scene is when he phones his boss to quit his job and calls him a bum.
Two more come to mind:
1) Anything Don Rickles does live, but especially his Johnny Carson appearances, and the Dean Martin Roast. Laughing until I cried.
2) Woody Allen's "Play It Again, Sam". The scene were his friends convince him to go on a date, they go to a Chinese restaurant, Woody tells them this is how the Chinese really eat rice, and proceeds to shovel the rice into his mouth. Never laughed so hard.
An episode of Frasier:
Frasier is endorsing a political candidate, and starring in a TV spot for his campaign. The candidate informs Frasier that years ago he was abducted by aliens, and beamed aboard the mothership. Frasier then has to record the ad. The whole scene is great, but the killer line that made me laugh harder than anything in recent memory:
"And he cares about...the little people."
Kids In The Hall: "Good evening, I'm Simon Milligan and welcome to the Pit of Penultimate Darkness. Apparently someone had a pit that was slightly darker."
Newhart: An entire series that led up to the ultimate final joke with Suzanne Pleshette rolling over in bed.
"And he cares about...the little people."
Andrew, I don't even remember seeing that episode, and I'm at work reading this, but I doubled over anyway. Maybe because in my head I can hear Kelsey Grammer's baritone voice reading that line, complete with perfectly timed pause.
Craig Gustafson said...
NOBODY has come up with "This is Your Story" from "Your Show of Shows"?! Sid Caesar, Howard Morris, Carl Reiner & Louis Nye. "UNCLE GOOPY!!!!"
The Uncle Goopy (This is Your Life) scene is a fav of my family. Although when we were younger we thought it was Uncle Goofy, and we'd imitate Howard Morris grabbing Sid Caesar's leg, and then being dragged around.
Bob & Ray "Slow Takers of America" or "Komodo Dragon" Still all these years later I start laughing just thinking about those two bits!
Ray Taylor
"Surf City South" Atlanta GA
Woody: How's the world treating you, Mr. Peterson?
Norm: Like a baby treats a diaper, Woody.
Homer Simpson tries to jump Springfield Gorge on a skateboard and falls well short. He's airlifted out on a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance, the ambulance drives about four feet and crashes into a tree, the impact knocks the back doors open and Homer rolls out (still strapped on the stretcher) and falls down the gorge again.
Ten-year-old me literally almost choked to laughing at that scene.
On the local upstate NY PBS station's pledge drive (around 1982), one local personality, in the middle of her half hour, said: "What if your turned on your TV one day and we were black?" I chuckled. But, when someone asked me what was so funny about a pledge drive and I tried to explain, I burst into laughter before I could finish her line. It took me almost 20 minutes to explain.
estiv, thanks for the comment. If you have a chance to watch, I found it on Youtube. One of the funniest moments ever.
Frasier, the Phil Patterson commercial.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCqrOXcJ7wk
Frasier, when Frasier doesn't realize the studio guy is gay, but Niles does. Frasier tries to set him up with Daphne but the guy is interested in Frasier. I never laughed so hard in my life! Excellent writing, excellent acting. Janice B.
There are two scenes from Simpsons episodes that make me cry with laughter. In one, Bart pranks Homer by shaking up a can of beer as much as he can (even using a paint shaker at one point) and putting it back in the fridge. When Homer goes to open it, he pops the top and a huge explosion destroys his house. (I'm giggling just thinking about it.) In the other scene, Bart is looking to meet up at church with a new girl that he loves. As he arrives outside, he hears the extremely high voice of someone singing a beautiful church hymn. Before he enters the church, Bart says there's no mistaking that incredible, angelic voice -- that's gotta be his girl singing. But when he goes inside, he is horrified to discover that the singer wasn't his girl but was instead Ned Flanders.
Someone mentioned George Gobel on the Tonight Show. Johnny, Dean Martin, Bob Hope and Gobel. Dean Martin kept flicking his cigarette ashes into Gobel's cup, unknown to Gobel. Say what you will about Carson but no one has ever come close since he retired.Janice B.
Peterj, in the same episode, when they come back from commercial, The Simpsons put up a card that said
"Frasier is a comedy on the NBC television network."
My votes,
Frasier sees Diane running a play about a bar,starring character Marianne as the center,
then gives a speech to Diane and leaves, except he goes out the steps of the Cheers set.
My Name Is Earl. Can't really by explained, but it's many episodes into the series right before Earl tells his brother 'You don't understand what the list is do you?" and is similar to the part in Lost where they reveal John Locke in the wheelchair.
Mr Bill ... Oh Noooo!
Who's on first?
Arte Johnson:
Do you believe in the hereafter??
Ruth Buzzi:
Yes!
Arte Johnson:
Then you know what I'm here after!
The kitchen exploding scene in Laurel and Hardy's "Blockheads". Saw this as a kid, this provided an "early all-time biggest laugh" ("early all time" - does that phrase even make sense?). This was an early lesson that L&H comic timing and detail covered everything - yes, explosions.
Stan turns on the oven, leaves the kitchen to ask Ollie for a match, Ollie decides to light a match himself and proceeds to the kitchen - naturally - in a huff ( "Anytime I want something done right, I'll always have to do it myself!" ).
You can see it coming, but the sight of Hardy and assorted bric-a-brac flying mid air from the kitchen is hilarious: however, the added detail of a nonchalant Laurel, sitting back to camera away from the action, ALSO flying up in air (!?!) absolutely adds to the surrealism and hilarity. So many years later, still am amazed at the detail, timing, and craftmanship involved in this and so many setups and payoffs involving Stanley and Oliver.
Monty Python's Flying Circus: the Fish Slapping Dance.
I'm not much of an [b]I Love Lucy[/b] fan, but I was as a kid when I saw it the first time, and I recently saw it again as an adult and it holds up.
It's the episode where everyone's coming back from Hollywood by train, and Lucy keeps pulling the emergency stop cord. Fred and Ethel are in the dining car each time she pulls the cord, so after the train stops and Lucy gets yelled at by the conductor, Fred and Ethel walk in--heavily splattered with the food they were trying to eat when the train slammed to a stop.
It was a beautifully constructed episode, like a great Laurel and Hardy bit, where things started small and built up to bigger and bigger payoffs.
'Way down here! Hi!
John Candy performing "Mess Around" in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Destroyed me.
YouTube. CLAP CLAP.
Here it is.
1. There's an episode of Wings where Helen has a date with Davis and the crew is all at her house -- everytime the doorbell rings they run through the same set of lines (one of which is Lowell coming out from the kitchen saying, "Dinner's STILL not ready.") My roommate and I could NOT stop laughing and would say that line everytime our doorbell rang.
2. The entire episode of 30 Rock -- Retreat to Move Forward -- where Jack takes Liz to a corporate retreat. HILARIOUS!!!
3. There's a moment in the "Flu Season" episode of Parks and Recreation where Rob Lowe's character looks into a mirror and earnestly commands himself, "STOP POOPING!"
4. When Sheldon gave Amy the tiara.
5. Elaine's dance
1. "Coast To Coast Big Mouth" episode of Dick Van Dyke Show. Alan Brady, as he addresses his hairpiece collection, in his office saying to Laura "fellas.....(beat)....there she is......(beat).....there's the little lady who put you out of business." The camera shots were genius. Every word landed. That whole scene is genius, but that line is the pinnacle for me.
2. "The Gunslinger" when Miss Laura's crying to the assembled crowd in the saloon "well....(beat)...I hope you're satisfied." (beat) the crowd nods and mumbles "yea, we're satisfied."
Sorry, DVD is my favorite show of all time. Most laugh out loud moments in my comedy viewing come from that show. Hundreds more where those 2 came from. "Malicious accusory," "Rob, all I see is our baby with a blue foot," "Danny was morose", "I have perfect 20-20-20 vision," "I didn't give you enough points," etc.
Romping through the fields and spinneys of my youth, but better is "Watch out, he's got a nug!"
So many great ones already mentioned, but a few that stand out in my mind that haven't gotten any love are -
1) An episode of BOSOM BUDDIES where Kip and Amy, despondent over the lack of returned affection from their respective loves Sonny and Henry, get drunk and decide to get tattoos. Just as the tattoo artist is about to touch the needle to Kip's back, they cut to a shot of the sidewalk outside the tattoo parlor where we hear a scream and then Tom Hanks comes running out, shirtless, with his back crooked at a weird angle, arms akimbo and eyes open wildly wide. He pivots and runs straight towards the camera! It was a wonderful bit of physical comedy that my younger brother and would imitate around the house for months afterwards. (In the next scene, Kip would show off the tiny blue dot on his shoulder blade to Sonny, claiming it was a "love dot.")
2) Two sketches scene with a friend whom I was sharing a house with at the time. One was the original "Barry and LeVon/$240 Worth of Pudding" and a random sketch on Jon Stewart's old syndicated talk show where he was "interviewing" male cheerleaders and one said "Mom said we could have ham..." To this day I can be grocery shopping, text a picture of ham or pudding to my friend and I know he will be laughing. He does it to me.
3) On the Comedy Central late night talk show "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn" Jim Norton had a great insult that still gets me chuckling - "He has a face that looks like he should be in a bike basket flying in front of the moon."
The first time I can remember having one of the biggest and best laughing experience was when I was six years old seeing Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein. The opening scene pushed in and open the coffin of Victor Frankenstein is holding his journal. A pair of hands off camera reaches for it and as they take the journal away from the corpse, the corpse's hands pull the journal back. The human arms are taken aback and react in the most hysterical way to a six year old.
The CHEERS episode when Diane decides to fulfill her dream of being a ballerina after reading half a letter from her old ballet teacher. She goes to an audition and says "pay no attention to what my arms and legs are doing." and when Sam comes up to her and whispers in her ear about what was in the other half of the letter she just says "Never mind!"
John Candy doing Divine staring as Peter Pan on SCTV.
I saw "Lost in America" in a theater when it was released, and my brother and I, who were very young adults at the time, couldn't stop laughing during the "nest egg" scene. Albert Brooks plays an advertising executive (I think) who talks his wife (played by Julie Haggerty) into selling the house, cashing in their retirement accounts, buying a motor home and hitting the road. Albert Brooks' anger when Julie Haggerty gambles away their life's savings during an overnight stay in Las Vegas was incredibly funny. When she tries to explain that something came over her and she just had to gamble with their "nest egg" he responds with withering anger and forbids her to use the word nest egg (or the words "nest" or "egg" individually) ever again. His rant is two minutes or so of sterling Albert Brooks dialogue.
Also,the scene in The Pink Panther Strikes Again in which Peter Sellers interrogates the service staff(after a quick turn on the parallel bars!) always get me--lots of physical stuff and classic Clouseau buffoonery. The circumstance, with a room full of "straight men" who are trying to be helpful but become progressively more mystified by Clouseau's incompetence, frames the performance perfectly.
So many forgotten laughs here. THE SIMPSONS was incredible in its first years, and of course, Woody Allen made me double over at times, too.
Chalk up another vote for WKRP and Turkeys Away. I way lying on the floor in front of the TV when I saw the debut airing in 1978. I could barely breathe once Les Nessman blurted out the, "Oh my God, they're turkeys!" line. When they finally broke for a commercial (after Johnny Fever's "Film at 11" line?), I noticed the carpet in front of where I had been laying was totally soaked from all the tears of laughter. Had I know that Mr. Carlson was coming with maybe the best sitcom closing line ever, I wouldn't have bothered to go get towels...yes, plural, as my parents had also just completely lost it, too.
Honorable mention...
In the episode of Barney Miller where Wojo's girlfriend baked hashish brownies, Nick's line of, "Let's all go down to the beach and shoot some clams."
From Taxi: What...does...a...yellow...light...mean?
Here's one I forgot, and it's from a movie that's more drama than comedy. In NASHVILLE Henry Gibson plays a country singer and Ned Beatty his lawyer. At a fundraiser for a political candidate that Gibson's supporting, Elliot Gould, playing himself, shows up. Beatty doesn't recognize the name, and simply shakes his hand, as if he's some some guy off the street. Informed later on that Gould is in fact a movie star, Beatty breaks out in embarrassed laughter.
I don't know why, but that made me break out in (unembarrassed) laughter.
IT Crowd by Graham Linehan: "The Work Outing": Roy and Moss try not to embarrass their boss, Jen, who's on a date at the theater. They fail. The episode is a farce, with multiple plotlines and confused identities converging to a wonderful payoff that will leave you disabled. The best episode in a series that's filled with terrific moments.
This thread is apparently never going to end, so has anyone mentioned Monty Python's "Fish Slapping Dance" with John Cleese.
"He's going to very popular."
Igor, Young Frankenstein
So many ways to laugh. This comments section has been fantastic--thanks Ken for getting us started!
Introducing old comic bits to a 13 year old who thinks everything old is never new again, I found him (and me, again) hysterical watching the dentist sketch with Harvey Korman and Tim Conway from the Carol Burnett show. He got just as hysterical when we saw the turkey episode from WKRP. He gets it, he really gets it! Now if I can just get him to stop adjusting the tv when an old black and white movie comes on.
Either "As God as my witness I thought turkeys could fly" from WKRP or Tim Conway's dentist sketch on Carol Burnett. Still funny.
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