Sunday, September 05, 2010
Movie Lists - Classic Comedies
Need a laugh? Try one of these classic comedies that will remind you of the good ol' days!
The Gold Rush (1925)
Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp endures various misadventures while searching for gold in frozen tundra country.
The General (1926)
When Union spies during the Civil War abscond with Buster Keaton's girlfriend, he puts his train engineer skills to use in one of the all-time greatest comic chase films. One of the great silent classics.
It Happened One Night (1934)
A story-seeking reporter (Clark Gable) helps a heiress (Claudette Colbert) run out on her upcoming wedding. Directed by Frank Capra, the film won five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Writing.
The Thin Man (1934)
William Powell is Nick Charles, Myrna Loy is his wife Nora, and their dog is Asta in this exceedingly sharp adaption of Dashiell Hammett's comic detective novel. The film was so popular that it launched a series of sequels.
Duck Soup (1935)
The Marx Brothers combine burlesque politics and war in perhaps their greatest movie.
A Night at the Opera (1935)
The Marx Brothers bring their zany brand of anarchy to the staid world of the opera.
Modern Times (1936)
Chaplin's Little Tramp faces the perils of modern life. The film is most famous for a particularly gobsmacking sequence detailing Chaplin's mechanized factory job.
My Man Godfrey (1936)
William Powell stars as 'forgotten man' Godfrey, a man literally picked off a Depression-era scrap head by scatterbrained socialite Carole Lombard in one of the very greatest screwball romances.
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Cary Grant is an introverted paleontologist pursued (to his increasing dismay) by a cheerfully inane Katherine Hepburn. Directed by the great Howard Hawks.
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Two men with romantic designs of their own - an ex-husband (Cary Grant) and a cynical reporter (Jimmy Stewart) - attempt to stop Katherine Hepburn's upcoming wedding. Directed by George Cukor.
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
Due to a heavenly mix-up, a boxer (Robert Montgomery) is taken to the afterlife before his appointed time, and must return to Earth in another body. Claude Rains plays Mr. Jordan, the head angel. The film was remade by Warren Beatty as Heaven Can Wait.
The Lady Eve (1941)
Bunco artist Barbara Stanwyck falls in love with shy mark Henry Fonda in this classic romantic comedy. Directed by Preston Sturges, the film boasts an array of great character actors such as Charles Coburn, William Demarest and Eugene Pallette.
Sullivan's Travels (1941)
A film director known for his goofy comedies wants to make a great, socially relevant art film. He decides to travel the country as a tramp to learn of life on the other side of the tracks. Directed by Preston Sturges.
The Road to Morocco (1942)
Bob Hope and Bing Crosby share desert adventures in perhaps the funniest of the duo's 'Road' movies. The film can be found on the one-disc collection On the Road with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, which also features The Road to Singapore, The Road to Utopia and The Road to Zanzibar.
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Cary Grant is trying to get married, but a snag in his plans occurs when he learns that his sweet, lovable aunts are poisoning gentlemen callers and burying the bodies in the basement. Directed by Frank Capra.
Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Bud and Lou run not only into Frankenstein's Monster, but Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.) in perhaps the greatest horror comedy ever.
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
In this dark British comedy, a man decides to gain the family fortune by killing all the many relatives who stand between him and the inheritance. Alec Guinness plays eight different roles in the film, each of them murdered in due course.
Harvey (1950)
James Stewart, in one of his most famous roles, plays lovable sot Elwood P. Dowd, whose best friend is a (possibly) imaginary six-foot tall rabbit. Josephine Hull won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar as his sister.
Some Like it Hot (1959)
After witnessing a gangland killing, musicians Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon seeks to escape a similar fate by disguising themselves as women, whereupon they meet Marilyn Monroe. Directed by Billy Wilder.
The Pink Panther (1963)
Peter Sellers introduces the great comic character Inspector Clouseau, who seeks to catch the jewel thief The Phantom (David Niven). Directed by Blake Edwards, with a classic theme by Henry Mancini. Especially noteworthy is the film's first sequel, A Shot in the Dark.
Dr. Strangelove, or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Peter Sellers plays multiple roles in Stanley Kubrick's brilliantly dark nuclear war comedy.
New Fiction Titles
If you are interested in any of these new titles, give us a call at 847-720-3280. We'd be happy to help!