I think you could make a case for Airplane! — without or without the exclamation mark on the end of the title — as being the funniest movie comedy ever made. If it’s not number one (and feel free to hash it out in the comments below), then certainly in the top ten. For better or worse, it’s also the comedy that ushered in the modern ironic age. (See also headline above.)
Many of Airplane’s (Airplane!’s?) fans know that it was based on a mid-1950s film called Zero Hour!, based on a novel by Arthur Hailey, who would go on to write Airport in 1968, adopted into the mother of all ’70s disaster movies by Universal two years later. Zero Hour! starred Dana Andrews as a washed up fighter pilot named Ted Stryker, Sterling Hayden in the control tower, and then-L.A. Rams star running back Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and played deadly, earnestly, straight. So straight that when the Zucker Brothers, coming off their debut Kentucky Fried Movie taped this film off the late-night movie show in the late 1970s, they knew there was the basis for a comedy. But to get a sense of how much the Zuckers stuck to the script of the original film (which they bought the rights to, so as to avoid getting sued) check out this YouTube clip, which cross-cuts between the original and in this case, it’s far superior imitation — the one substitute you should definitely accept.
And stop calling me Shirley. (Sorry, it was inevitable.)
I’d go with “Duck Soup,” but “Airplane!” would have to be up there.
“Monty Python & the Holy Grail” gets my vote for funniest film ever. But “Airplane” would definitely be a close second.
Such a tough one.
I think we mis-remember how funny movies are. Does Blazing Saddles STILL make you laugh? Really?
The Hebrew Hammer is our “Christmas movie” and I still laugh at it, mostly in that “it’s so stupid, it’s funny” way. Under that category, I’d put recent stuff like Zoolander and Anchorman. (Although the bit with the dog ultimately ruins Anchorman for me.)
I esp. enjoy movies like “Hammer” because you have to watch them more than once to catch all the details.
I watched Spinal Tap about ten times before I “got” the “Isle of Lucy” joke. I have to put that movie in my top 5, maybe 3.
“Holy Grail” — absolutely. “Life of Brian” is more “important” than truly funny.
A Fish Called Wanda is a joy to watch. Kevin Kline deserved an Oscar.
I feel like I’m missing a really obvious one, though — having a brain freeze.
Galaxy Quest is my favourite.
I’m not such a fan of ‘pure’ comedy like Airplane, but prefer the comedy to be part of a proper drama (which Galaxy Quest is and Airplane isn’t, strangely enough). So I like A Fish Called Wanda, but not the other Python films so much.
Plus, Kathy, Galaxy Quest has Alan Rickman in it!
Four words: Galaxy Quest, Alan Rickman.
Kids watch old movies and make up their own lines, many funnier than Airplane!. Mad Magazine used to have “Scenes We’d Like To See.” When I was a kid I had a friend who’d imitate the “Grenade!” fallen into a trench and then throw his body on the ground flat and then raise it as if there was an explosion underneath. A whole movie of that isn’t all that funny.
Goofing on stereotypes especially constructed mostly along quips isn’t all that creative. “Young Frankenstein” whups “Airplane.”
It don’t make my list. Almost any Marx Bros, Laurel and Hardy, Monty Python, Sacha Cohen and a host of others would come first.
“Airplane” is good, but I’ll take “A Night at the Opera,” “Duck Soup,” “Ghostbusters,” “Blazing Saddles,” and “Young Frankenstein” over it. “MP & HG,” too.
“Funny” is one of those “your mileage may vary” terms, en’ it? So very many factors play into it. I have never been that taken with Chaplin, for example, but consider Buster Keaton one of filmdom’s greatest geniuses, putting The General or Sherlock Jr. amongst the funniest films ever made. There are so many films I could pick from the 30s and 40s — The Marx Bros. Paramount comedies, almost anything by Preston Sturgess, His Girl Friday or Bringing Up Baby from Howard Hawks — before choosing any film post 1980 that it is ridiculous.
I’d vote for Airplane, because it has the highest concentration of gags per minute. I first saw it on video with a group, and once it was over we all voted to watch it again immediately, because we all felt we had missed some of the jokes by laughing at others. And I say this as a huge fan of ’30s comedies, which are great but always have lots of setup and flat spots.
I watched Blazing Saddles with a Jewish guy from Detroit in a theater in Amsterdam. We laughed ourselves silly while the Dutch all around us were quite puzzled.
Blazing Saddles also has my vote for Funniest Ever. I once had the unusual experience of watching it with a blind friend and describing the visuals. NOT EASY when you’re trying not to crack up yourself!
I have to say The Cohen brothers Raising Arizona. I have a sudden hankering to eat cereal while having a smoke.
I can’t believe there has been no mention of the funniest movie of all time, “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World!” I have never laughed so long and so hard in my life before or since, of course the fact that I was watching it in the base theatre at RCAF Station Gimli, Manitoba while on pilot training in the mid 60′s probably had nothing to do with my assessment.
Airplane! has been exceeded by Hot Shots!. Watch Top Gun, then Hot Shots! Endless genius.
My funniest movie is “What’s Up, Doc?” Madeline Kahn as Eunice Burns.