On this week's Hollywood and Levine Podcast, Ken Levine puts together a list of over 60 of his favorite comedy movies worth seeing whilst you're locked on in quarantine. There’s nothing you can do and nowhere you can go, so you might as well spend the time laughing at some of the best comedies of all time.
The list includes: Beverly Hills Cop, All About Eve, Blazing Saddles, Groundhog Day, Road To Morocco, Something About Mary and many more. Enjoy!
Best comedy movies, including ALL ABOUT EVE??? Say what?
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Lost in America has contributed to our family vernacular.
ReplyDeleteEvery time my husband goes to a casino I send him off with the advice, "Don't Bet The Traveler's Checks!"
I know your list is subjective and you mentioned so many of my favourites, but two of my all time best romantic comedies missed the cut. The first is Dave (Kevin Kline) and the second is L.A. Story (Steve Martin). Love your podcast and listen every week.
ReplyDeleteAs a somewhat public figure, don't you think that even now in times of spreading disease, that it is mildly irresponsible to have the band come over to your house week after week to play and sing your theme and jingle? They are absolutely top-notch and they sound exactly the same each time, so it would be a pity for them to lose other potential gigs because of this.
ReplyDeleteAlso, how do you get them to tiptoe out of your recording area while you are in session? I NEVER hear them leave.
Looking forward to another great podcast!
Thanks for the comprehensive movie list. I was thinking that you were going to omit The Marx Brothers, but alas, they made the cut. Actually, one could pretty much binge on all their movies, and enjoy. No laugh track needed.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Britain's National Theatre is putting productions online at YouTube. One of the shows specifically listed is ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS.
ReplyDeleteNational Theatre
@NationalTheatre
Get the best seats in the house. We’re launching National Theatre at Home to give you access to theatre online.
A selection of much-loved @NTLive shows will be streamed on YouTube every week, free for everyone.
http://bit.ly/NTAtHome #NationalTheatreAtHome
wg
No W.C. Fields?
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Well, if you don't like him, fine; it takes all kinds to make the world, and like that.
I would like to put in a word for an early picture of his that nobody remembers, Million Dollar Legs, from 1932.
It's an Olympic spoof, with W.C. as the president of a paprika republic whose whole population is ridiculously athletic, none more so than his daughter, played by an actress named Susan Fleming, with whom I fell in love when I saw this on TV as a teenager.
She was funny, athletic, and was matched up with Jack Oakie, whom I somewhat resembled as a teenager - but that's neither here nor there …
As I matured (?), I always wondered why Susan Fleming didn't make more movies.
I found out why, years later: she married Harpo Marx and gave up performing (the only successful Marx Brothers marriage).
Our loss, Harpo's gain.
You pretty much covered most of my favorites in the post.
May I throw in a Fun Fact about Dale Launer (which you probably know anyway)?
His father was S. John Launer, who was the most frequent judge on Perry Mason.
So My Cousin Vinny wasn't a coincidence …
@Wendy Grossman, thanks for the update on the National Theater. I saw a production of "Macbeth" from them at the local movie theater, and enjoyed the experience.
ReplyDeleteExcellent suggestions, Ken. Thanks. I've also been watching You Bet Your Life on YouTube. That's really helped me get through this.
ReplyDeleteSTILL , this movie is the funniest --
ReplyDeleteBrain Donors is a 1992 American comedy.... loosely based on the Marx Brothers comedies A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races .
Best,
Telly
Great podcast..even wrote all your suggestions down. I have a couple to add to the comedy list...Big still makes me laugh...and Mighty Wind(from Christopher Guest) is right near the top...of course, my love for folk music makes it damn funny to me. Another one I love is wonderfully British even though it's viewed as a kid's movie. Chicken Run....I quote that movie at least once a month...
ReplyDeleteGinger: We'll either die free chickens or die trying!!!
Hen: Are those the only choices?
Wendy, thanks for the info. To my knowledge, ONE MAN,TWO GUVNORS never played here in Los Angeles...I have been waiting. I still remember James Corden in the scene he performed on the Tony telecast. It/he was hilarious, and I venture to say he deserved the Tony award he won. I feel a little cheated that he is right here and nary a word about mounting a production. In any event, I appreciate the tip and will check it out.
ReplyDeleteOk, these are mainstream as hell, but what about Naked Gun, Airplane, Mash (the movie), and Caddyshack?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Mash, you can stream the entire series.
However, I won't be watching that because my work is considered essential.
A couple of quick comments Ken:
ReplyDeleteBack in the 60’s there was a right wing columnist who wrote for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner named Morrie Ryskind and I was shocked to find out that he had been a comedy writer for several Marx Brothers movies, including one of my favorites, A Night At The Opera. His political column was decidedly humorless.
I have very fond memories of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. You might recall that they showed it every year on Halloween on local LA television. I looked forward to it even more than the candy.
I was on a flight with my wife to visit our son and his family a short while back. I had on my noise cancelling headphones and was watching Laurel and Hardy in the movie Fra Diavalo. My wife kept on nudging me because I was laughing so hard that she was afraid I was disturbing the other passengers.
Thanks for the podcast. I’ve been paying to much attention to current events and it was the diversion I needed.
ReplyDeleteKen's list is great and all the comment suggestions are great & special thanks to 'sueK2001' for mentioning CHICKEN RUN! I'm not really a fan of stop motion or British humor, but here we are -- absolutely loved it. Hadn't seen it in years. Have been meaning to read the Aardman bio, too. Thanks, sueK2001!
I am half way through this weeks podcast. A quick word to mention that Million Dollar Legs, suggested by MMike Doran, is on Turner Classic Movies tonight at 8pm( part of a salute to brothers Joseph and Herman J. Mankiewicz).
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I miss about living in Los Angeles at the time that I did was the amazingly thorough number of movies they would show late at night. KTLA was originally owned by Paramount, so they had a copy of every playable Paramount movie up to 1949, which meant they could and did show all of Preston Sturges' work (OK, maybe not "The Great Moment") and KCOP followed suit, so it was movie lover's paradise and a VCR taping nightmare!
ReplyDeleteIn this lovely barrage, I found a little-known gem, "The Ghost Goes West"(1935), written by Robert Sherwood and directed by Renè Clair and starring Robert Donat and the gravelly-voiced Eugene Pallette. It's about a spirit trying to join his ancestors after leading a carefree life and not defending the family name.
I am half way through this weeks podcast. A quick word to mention that Million Dollar Legs, suggested by MMike Doran, is on Turner Classic Movies tonight at 8pm( part of a salute to brothers Joseph and Herman J. Mankiewicz).
ReplyDeleteYou included my Holy Trinity of comedy movies. A Thousand Clowns, The In Laws and Arthur. (hopefully, your listeners/readers won't pick the remakes of In Laws or Arthur by mistake)
ReplyDeleteI don't know what's available on Netflix etc but there are a number of excellent comedies on Turner Classic Movies in April.
Monday 4/6 The Paleface 10:15pm. A Bob Hope classic from the 40's. features the song Buttons and Bows.
Saturday 4/11.8pm. What's Up Doc. co written by Buck Henry.
Thursday 4/23 A Neil Simon triple feature. The Goodbye Girl at 8pm. followed by The Sunshine Boys and The Prisoner of Second Ave.
Sunday 4/26 The Front Page 6am. The 1931 early talkie version with Adolph Menjou and Pat O'Brien.
Thanks for the many suggestions. You were a little light on British comedy so I'll mention THE WRONG BOX (Larry Gelbart) and A PRIVATE FUNCTION (Alan Bennett, starring Michael Palin and Maggie Smith). Also THE TALL GUY, if you can find it, very funny film with Emma Thompson, Jeff Goldblum and Rowan Atkinson.
ReplyDeleteI have a soft spot for THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING, THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING, with Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner and Jonathan Winters. If you care at all about the history of burlesque, you must see THE NIGHT THEY RAIDED MINSKY'S, directed by William Friedkin, with Jason Robards, Elliott Gould, and many old-time actors including Bert Lahr.
THE THIN MAN (1934) is very witty. The many sequels not so much. You should see DINNER AT EIGHT for Marie Dressler and Jean Harlow. The fade-out is magnificent.
For medical advice during these times - Dr. Anthony Fauci.
ReplyDeleteFor comedy advice during these times - Ken Levine.
:)
I saw RAISING ARIZONA in a first-run movie theater with six other people. My FAVORITE movie before the credits, ever.
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