The Silver Screen Oasis

There have been a ton of very, very talented comedians that have been extremely successful on the big screen. Some have burned brightly for a short period of time and then flamed out (often due to self-imposed destructive behavior). Others have had careers that extended successfully through several decades.

Judging from their entire body of work on film, which comedian do you think has had the best celluloid career? Why?

Were they influential on the genre or on other comedians?

Abbott & Costello immediately come to mind. Great movies? No, but several are enjoyable. Successful movie careers? Yes. Influential? Between their movies and TV show, some of the classic vandeville/burlesque routines that might have been otherwise lost have been saved to be watched (as opposed to just heard), so I imagine that many of the comedians born in the '50s & '60s were influenced. Certainly their film success, if not their style of performance, paved the way for Martin & Lewis on the screen.

I'd love to say Richard Pryor, my favorite comedian ever, but I think his influence is far greater in the stand-up arena than in film.

It's got to be Charlie followed by Buster.

I find I don't relate as well to sound comedy as I do to silent comedy. I know it is a very different genre but when I think of film comedians from the talkie era, there's none that really spring to mind.

Laurel and Hardy are very funny but they were better in their silent movies.

There are comedy movies I like like screwball comedies but the actors like Cary Grant, Carole Lombard, John Barrymore, Irene Dunne etc aren't comedians but comedy actors.

Then I like movies like Some Like It Hot and some of the Monty Python movies.

I've never watched Jerry Lewis, Richard Pryor, Abbott and Costello. Maybe I should watch this thread and see who you all recommend. I love a good laugh.

I agree that for pure longevity it is probably Chaplin. Although most of his later years were sporadic in product they seemed to well received.

Buster was great but only for about ten years. L&H, as great as they were only had about seven years of good feature films. (They did 6 or 8 after 1940 but the quality was usually below their standard.) If you include their short films then you're on to something. They made the move from silent to sound probably better than anyone.

I think one could make an argument for Bob Hope. He may not have been influential in the movies (a lot) but his film career covers thirty or so years, admittedly of varying quality.

Oops. Maybe I read too much into the original question. Given the recent comments on another thread about successful radio comedians as a backdrop, I was interpreting "comedian" as "someone who performed comedy on stage, radio, or TV as a 'stand-up' and then found success in films". That eliminated Chaplin who otherwise is No. 1 comedian in films for me.

Of course, the Marx Brothers (they were certainly on stage, but not as "stand-ups") make me laugh the hardest, but that's only if I'm watching Monkey Business, Horse Feathers, Duck Soup, or A Night at the Opera.

Bob Hope is a nice selection. And, even under my criteria, how in the world did I forget Woody Allen? I typed way too soon.

ChiO wrote: And, even under my criteria, how in the world did I forget Woody Allen? I typed way too soon.

You may have hit on something there with Woody. He didn't even cross my mind. When you stop and think he's been doing this over 40 years without slowing down very much.

Has he influenced more recent comedies? Not sure. Based on his ability to continue to make films, regardless of their box office appeal, he seemingly belongs near the top.

And one of my favorite stand-up comedians. Your mention of Bob Hope reminded me of Woody Allen. I read an interview back in the late-'70s, early-'80s wherein he said that Bob Hope was his hero and that he based his comic persona on Hope.

I could go with Woody Allen. I've never seen a Bob Hope film and I call myself a film fan I'll have to rectify it, I'll rent a Road movie, any recommendations?

Agreed it has to be Chaplin, of course.
several really good ones are mostly overlooked because they generally had small parts. ex; Edward Brophy, Mary Boland.
And some considered non comedians could be very funny ex Cary Grant.... mel

charliechaplinfan wrote:I could go with Woody Allen. I've never seen a Bob Hope film and I call myself a film fan I'll have to rectify it, I'll rent a Road movie, any recommendations?

I guess "Road To Morocco" may be the most popular but "Road To Singapore" and "Road To Zanzibar" all come from the smae time period.

One of my favorites that had a big influence on ME, and my appreciation of humor was W.C. Fields. His first film credit was in 1915 and, sadly, his last one came way too soon in 1942.

He was a wonderful writer and often clashed with studios over control of his films. But he made me laugh like few others. He was at his best as a hen-pecked husband, shackled by responsibility when all he yearned for was a drink and a wager or two. He made chicanery respectable.

movieman1957 wrote:

charliechaplinfan wrote:I could go with Woody Allen. I've never seen a Bob Hope film and I call myself a film fan I'll have to rectify it, I'll rent a Road movie, any recommendations?

I guess "Road To Morocco" may be the most popular but "Road To Singapore" and "Road To Zanzibar" all come from the smae time period.

I'm not a fan of the road movies, but I like The Paleface, The Ghost Breakers and My Favorite Brunette.

Sure to get some groans around here, but I love Jimmy Durante. Comedian, actor, musician, composer, host, and overall nice guy, he had a good 20-year movie career through 1950, then returned for a few from 1957-1963, culminating with the bucket-kicking in "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World". Bob Hope is a close second for me.

Another actor, who may be remembered as more of a support character, is Charles Ruggles. He played lead in a lot of early comedies and could be pretty darn funny if the script allowed.

cinemalover wrote:
Judging from their entire body of work on film, which comedian do you think has had the best celluloid career? Why?

Were they influential on the genre or on other comedians?

Wow...very tough question, as it's difficult to name one film comedian that didn't have his or her share of misfires.

However, in my view, W. C. Fields could do virtually no wrong, and I say this despite the criticisms of several who rate his last starring role in Never Give a Sucker an Even Break a disappointment. I think if he'd never given us anything beyond his trilogy of comedies depicting domestic life (It's a Gift, The Man on the Flying Trapeze, The Bank Dick), he'd still deserve to be considered a national treasure. Other comedians could leave you cold with their bleak depictions of life's annoyances and disappointments (Jackie Gleason is one example I could name), but I've always been tickled by Fields's ability to roll along from situation to situation, meeting each hassle with a sardonic mutter and retreat into his own surreal world.

Coming in second for me would be Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd (a tie), whose films delight me every time I revisit them.

-Stephen