Top 25 American Comedies: From Silent Classics to the 21st Century

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The first success of Tom Hanks, the legendary Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, the debut picture of Kevin Smith and more.

1. Dr. Strangelove, or How I stopped being afraid and loved the bomb

• USA, UK, 1964.
• Black comedy.
• Duration: 95 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 4.

Stanley Kubrick's satirical film, repeatedly called the funniest film of all time, tells the story of an American general who bypasses the US high command orchestrates a nuclear attack. The government tries to prevent the outbreak of war, but one of the planes loses contact with the base.

2. Singing in the rain

• USA, 1952.
• Musical, comedy, melodrama.
• Duration: 103 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

Don Lockwood is a musician and silent film star. But the revolution is coming to the cinema, and now the actors need to learn how to work with microphones and sound. Don is helped to adapt to new times by his new acquaintance - dancer Katie Seldon.

3. There are only girls in jazz

• USA, 1959.
• An eccentric comedy.
• Duration: 119 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

The legendary film by Billy Wilder is dedicated to two musicians. Hiding from the mafia, they are forced to disguise themselves as women and go on tour with a jazz band. But one of the heroes falls in love with the singer.

4. Gold rush

• USA, 1925.
• Comedy, adventure.
• Duration: 95 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

Little Tramp, played as always by Charlie Chaplin, travels to Alaska during the gold rush. The incident leads him to the hut of the criminal Black Larsen, where Big Jim, who recently found gold, also ends up. Then the heroes go their separate ways, but fate again brings them together in a small town.

Even those who haven't watched this movie must have seen legendary scenes such as the pie dance, the eating of the shoe, and the moment where the Tramp resists the storm while trying to get out of the hut.

5. General

• USA, 1926.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 75 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

And another silent comedy, just from another legend of cinema - Buster Keaton. He plays a machinist whose spies have stolen the General steam locomotive. Since, along with the locomotive, the villains also stole the hero's girlfriend, he goes in pursuit.

6. The Grand Budapest Hotel

• Germany, USA, 2014.
• Comedy, drama.
• Duration: 100 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

The most famous film by Wes Anderson is set in the fictional country of Zubrovka. The main characters - the senior concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel, Monsieur Gustav and his assistant Zero Mustafa - get involved in a crazy adventure to prove their right to the priceless painting "Boy with an Apple".

7. Annie Hall

• USA, 1977.
• A romantic comedy.
• Duration: 94 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

The protagonist of an almost autobiographical story from Woody Allen is comedian Alvy Singer, suffering from neuroses and everywhere looking for anti-Semitic conspiracies. There were several lovers in his life. But Annie Hall remained the main one among them. He himself humorously recalls the beginning and end of their relationship, as well as his constant failures.

8. Graduate

• USA, 1967.
• A romantic comedy.
• Duration: 105 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

College graduate Benjamin Braddock returns home. Soon he meets his parents' friend, the attractive Mrs. Robinson. The meeting leads to a romance. But soon Benjamin falls in love with her daughter.

The irony is that the age difference between Dustin Hoffman, who played the main role, and Anne Bancroft, who got the role of Mrs. Robinson, is only six years old.

9. Young Frankenstein

• USA, 1974.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 106 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

The famous comedy director Mel Brooks came up with the plot of this film with his longtime friend, actor Gene Wilder, who played the main role. A parody of classic horror films about the grandson of Dr. Frankenstein. He inherits the castle, where the notorious grandfather conducted his experiments, and also revives the monster.

10. Philadelphia story

• USA, 1940.
• Romantic comedy, melodrama.
• Duration: 112 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Beauty Tracy is divorced and plans to marry her father's business partner. She doesn't want any hype, but tabloid reporters infiltrate the wedding. And it soon turns out that the bride does not love her future husband and is carried away by one of the reporters. And on top of that, her ex-husband appears.

11. Groundhog Day

• USA, 1993.
• Comedy, melodrama.
• Duration: 101 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Television commentator Phil Connors travels to Punxsutawney to celebrate Groundhog Day. On February 2, he shoots a report, spends the day on a daily basis, and goes to bed. And in the morning he discovers that February 2 is again on the calendar. This day will repeat over and over again until Phil finds a way to get out of the time loop.

12. Duck soup

• USA, 1933.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 68 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

The classic buffoonery of the Marx brothers introduces the viewer to the fictional poor country of Freedonia. To save the state from bankruptcy, wealthy widow Tisdale agrees to set aside $ 20 million. But her suitor Rufus Firefly should lead the country. And he almost starts a war with neighboring Sylvania.

13. Airplane

• USA, 1980.
• Black comedy.
• Duration: 88 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

From the trio of brothers Zuckers and Jim Abrahams, this acclaimed comedy parodies classic disaster films. In the center of the plot is a former military pilot who is in constant depression, but must rescue a falling plane.

14. Glittering Saddles

• USA, 1974.
• Comedy, western.
• Duration: 93 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

The film parodies classic westerns and, first of all, the picture "Exactly at noon". Greedy villains want to lead a railroad through a small town. But for this they need to expel all residents. To make everything look legal, they send a gang of thugs to the city and appoint a new sheriff who hardly knows how to shoot, and even a black one.

15. Ghostbusters

• USA, 1984.
• Comedy, fantasy.
• Duration: 105 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

The first real "summer blockbuster" in history is set in New York. People are increasingly faced with ghosts, and only scientists who have assembled a team of ghost hunters can resist the supernatural threat.

16. Office space

• USA, 1999.
• Comedy, crime.
• Duration: 89 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

King of the Hill and Beavis and Butthead author Mike Judge made one of the best films about office workers in the late nineties. The main character is clerk Peter Gibbons. After an unfinished session of hypnosis, he lost all interest in his work. But, oddly enough, it helps him move up the career ladder. And then Peter decides to steal some of the company's money, but things don't go according to plan.

17. Clerks

• USA, 1994.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 92 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

The debut film of the future creator of "Dogma" and "Jay and Silent Bob" Kevin Smith is dedicated to one day in the life of the workers of a small shop. The heroes understand friendships and love relationships, play hockey and even go to the funeral.

By the way, the very same Jay and Silent Bob appear in this picture for a short time.

18. Producers

• USA, 1968.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 88 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

The unlucky Broadway producer puts on one flop after another and declares himself bankrupt every time. But suddenly he has a chance to make money: the accountant offers him not the most honest, but very profitable scheme. To do this, they must stage a notoriously unsuccessful musical. For example, about Hitler.

19. Strange couple

• USA, 1968.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 105 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

The pedant and neat Felix Anger was kicked out of the house by his wife. And soon he settled with all of Oscar Madison's friend. The trouble is only one thing: Felix cannot stand any dirt and disruption of the routine, and Oscar loves bachelor parties and a riotous lifestyle.

After the success of the first film, this story was repeatedly continued, restarted and even female versions were filmed. But still the original remained inimitable.

20. M. E. Sh

• USA, 1970.
• Black comedy.
• Duration: 116 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

The legendary film that launched the entire franchise is set at 4077 American Field Hospital, located next to the front line of the Korean War. New surgeons arrive there. In order to somehow distract from the hardships of service and the horrors of battles, they constantly play each other.

21. Tutsi

• USA, 1982.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 116 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 4.

Actor Michael Dorsey has a complex personality, which is why he constantly loses his job. Once, for listening, the hero disguises himself as a woman and suddenly realizes that such people like him more. But soon there are problems with his beloved.

22. Raising Arizona

• USA, 1987.
• Comedy, crime.
• Duration: 94 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 4.

Nicolas Cage plays a petty criminal named High. Together with his wife working in the police, he decides to kidnap the child. After all, they just can't get their own, and the owner of a chain of stores, Nathan Arizona, had five at once. Huy decided that no one would notice the loss anyway. But to this already stupid plan is added a lot of problems when his former inmates come to Huy, and the bounty hunter goes in search of the baby.

23. Large

• USA, 1988.
• Comedy, drama, family.
• Duration: 104 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

Little boy Josh Baskin really wants to become an adult. He makes a wish and the next morning he wakes up already thirty years old. After running away from home, Josh finds himself a job. Of course, this is a toy business. It was this film that became the first major success of the beloved Tom Hanks.

24. Borat: Studying American Culture for the Benefit of the Glorious People of Kazakhstan

• USA, UK, 2006.
• Comedy, mock-documentary.
• Duration: 84 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

The pseudo-documentary film is dedicated to the adventures of another alter ego of comedian Sasha Baron Cohen, Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiev, who went to the United States to shoot a documentary.

25. Everyone is crazy about Mary

• USA, 1998.
• Comedy, melodrama.
• Duration: 119 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

The once awkward Ted disgraced himself on a date with the beautiful Mary. Thirteen years later, he still wants his first love back and even hires a private investigator to track her down. He fulfills the order, but he himself begins to feel feelings for the girl. In addition, she is looked after by a pizza delivery man and her ex-fiancé. But Ted doesn't want to give up.

Of course, the largest cinema in the world has produced many more great comedies in a century and a half. The list contains only a small part, loved by many critics and viewers. And in the comments, you can add your favorite funny Hollywood movies and delight other readers.