By Iminza Keboge
Published August 22, 2017
An international survey has revealed what is termed as 100 greatest comedies of all time.
The poll by BBC Culture that saw films from United States of America’s Hollywood, India’s Bollywood, Nigeria’s Nollywood and throughout the world being nominated has ranked SOME LIKE IT HOT, a 1959 hit film by Billy Wilder’s as the greatest comedy ever made.
RELATED:South African Animation Wins Best Children’s Movie Award
“As well as being a romantic comedy, a buddy movie, a crime caper, and a musical,” Nicholas Barber, BBC Culture film critic, says of Wilder’s winning film, “SOME LIKE IT HOT is an anthem in praise of tolerance, acceptance, and the possibility of transformation. It’s an anthem that we need to hear now more than ever.”
While DR STRANGELOVE, made by Stanley Kubrick in 1964 is second, Woody Allen’s ANNIE HALL (1977), Harold Ramis ‘s GROUNDHOG DAY (1993) and Leo McCarey ‘s DUCK SOUP (1933) have emerged third, fourth and fifth, respectively.
Charlie Chaplin appears four times in the top 100 with MODERN TIMES (1936) at number 12; THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940) at number 16; CITY LIGHTS (1931) at 21 and THE GOLD RUSH (1925) at 25.
Rebecca Laurence, BBC Culture acting editor, says, “BBC Culture’s films of the 21st Century poll was a huge success – but few comedy films made the top 100. This year, we asked film critics and experts to nominate their favourite comedies of all time. We hope that this list will encourage lively debate and discussion – not just about greatest scenes, favourite jokes and best one-liners – but also about the importance of humour and the very human need to laugh.”
The poll, described as having been extensive, involved 253 film critics—were 135 male and 118 female—in 52 countries and six continents. Each participant, BBC Culture says, “ranked their top 10 favourite comedies, with films from Hollywood, Bollywood, Nollywood and throughout the world being nominated.”
RELATED:Twelve-Year Old Turns Ordinary Stories into Extraordinary Films!
The top 100 comedy films in the poll are:
100. (tie) THE KING OF COMEDY (Martin Scorsese, 1982)
100. THE LADIES MAN (Jerry Lewis, 1961)
99. THE JERK (Carl Reiner, 1979)
98. THE HANGOVER (Todd Phillips, 2009)
97. THE MUSIC BOX (James Parrott, 1932)
96. BORN YESTERDAY (George Cukor, 1950)
95. GHOSTBUSTERS (Ivan Reitman, 1984)
94. RUSHMORE (Wes Anderson, 1998)
93. SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT (Trey Parker, 1999)
92. THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL (Luis Buñuel, 1962)
91. WHAT’S UP, DOC? (Peter Bogdanovich, 1972)
90. A NEW LEAF (Elaine May, 1971)
89. DAISIES (Vera Chytilová, 1966)
88. ZOOLANDER (Ben Stiller, 2001)
87. GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (Howard Hawks, 1953)
86. KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS (Robert Hamer, 1949)
85. AMARCORD (Federico Fellini, 1973)
84. WAITING FOR GUFFMAN (Christopher Guest, 1996)
83. SAFETY LAST! (Fred C Newmeyer and Sam Taylor, 1923)
82. TOP SECRET! (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker, 1984)
81. THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (Bobby and Peter Farrelly, 1998)
80. OFFICE SPACE (Mike Judge, 1999)
RELATED:Investment Opportunities Abound in Africa’s Hospitality Sector
79. THE DINNER GAME (Francis Veber, 1998)
78. THE PRINCESS BRIDE (Rob Reiner, 1987)
77. DIVORCE ITALIAN STYLE (Pietro Germi, 1961)
76. DESIGN FOR LIVING (Ernst Lubitsch, 1933)
75. THE PALM BEACH STORY (Preston Sturges, 1942)
74. TRADING PLACES (John Landis, 1983)
73. THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (Jerry Lewis, 1963)
72. THE NAKED GUN: FROM THE FILES OF POLICE SQUAD! (David Zucker, 1988)
71. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (Wes Anderson, 2001)
RELATED:My Graduation from Mechanical to Creative Producer
70. IN THE LOOP (Armando Iannucci, 2009)
69. LOVE AND DEATH (Woody Allen, 1975)
68. NINOTCHKA (Ernst Lubitsch, 1939)
67. SONS OF THE DESERT (William A Seiter, 1933)
66. HOT FUZZ (Edgar Wright, 2007)
65. CADDYSHACK (Harold Ramis, 1980)
64. STEP BROTHERS (Adam McKay, 2008)
63. ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (Frank Capra, 1944)
62. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADDOWS (Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, 2014)
61. TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE (Trey Parker, 2004)
60. SHAUN OF THE DEAD (Edgar Wright, 2004)
59. TONI ERDMANN (Maren Ade, 2016)
58. ZELIG (Woody Allen, 1983)
RELATED:Here is How to Get Value Out of the Arts
57. MEAN GIRLS (Mark Waters, 2004)
56. BROADCAST NEWS (James L Brooks, 1987)
55. BEST IN SHOW (Christopher Guest, 2000)
54. HAROLD AND MAUDE (Hal Ashby, 1971)
53. THE BLUES BROTHERS (John Landis, 1980)
52. MY MAN GODFREY (Gregory La Cava, 1936)
51. SEVEN CHANCES (Buster Keaton, 1925)
50. WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN (Pedro Almodóvar, 1988)
49. THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE (Luis Buñuel, 1972)
48. TROUBLE IN PARADISE (Ernst Lubitsch, 1932)
RELATED:I Found My Career Path and Forged Lifelong Friendships at Lola Kenya Screen
47. ANIMAL HOUSE (John Landis, 1978)
46. PULP FICTION (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)
45. BIG DEAL ON MADONNA STREET (Mario Monicelli, 1958)
44. BRIDESMAIDS (Paul Feig, 2011)
43. M*A*S*H (Robert Altman, 1970)
42. THE AWFUL TRUTH (Leo McCarey, 1937)
41. BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN (Larry Charles, 2006)
40. THE PRODUCERS (Mel Brooks, 1967)
39. A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (Sam Wood and Edmund Goulding, 1935)
38. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (George Cukor, 1940)
RELATED:China to Empower Youth and Bring Satellite TV Programmes to African Villages
37. SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS (Preston Sturges, 1941)
36. A FISH CALLED WANDA (Charles Crichton and John Cleese, 1988)
35. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, 1952)
34. CLUELESS (Amy Heckerling, 1995)
33. ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY (Adam McKay, 2004)
32. RAISING ARIZONA (Joel and Ethan Coen, 1987)
31. TOOTSIE (Sydney Pollack, 1982)
30. MONSIEUR HULOT’S HOLIDAY (Jacques Tati, 1953)
29. WHEN HARRY MET SALLY… (Rob Reiner, 1989)
28. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (Frank Capra, 1934)
RELATED:How to Bust Cyber Attackers Hiding Backdoor in Legitimate Software
27. THE APARTMENT (Billy Wilder, 1960)
26. MON ONCLE (Jacques Tati, 1958)
25. THE GOLD RUSH (Charlie Chaplin, 1925)
24. WITHNAIL AND I (Bruce Robinson, 1987)
23. THE PARTY (Blake Edwards, 1968)
22. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (Mel Brooks, 1974)
21. CITY LIGHTS (Charlie Chaplin, 1931)
20. BLAZING SADDLES (Mel Brooks, 1974)
19. THE LADY EVE (Preston Sturges, 1941)
18. SHERLOCK JR (Buster Keaton, 1924)
RELATED:Secret to Successful Movie Business in Africa
17. BRINGING UP BABY (Howard Hawks, 1938)
16. THE GREATEST DICTATOR (Charlie Chaplin, 1940)
15. MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, 1975)
14. HIS GIRL FRIDAY (Howard Hawks, 1940)
13. TO BE OR NOT TO BE (Ernst Lubitsch, 1942)
12. MODERN TIMES (Charlie Chaplin, 1936)
11. THE BIG LEBOWSKI (Joel and Ethan Coen, 1998)
10. THE GENERAL (Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton, 1926)
9. This Is Spinal Tap (Rob Reiner, 1984)
8. PLAYTIME (Jacques Tati, 1967)
RELATED:BBC Launches Pidgin Service for Younger Africans
7. AIRPLANE! (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker, 1980)
6. LIFE OF BRIAN (Terry Jones, 1979)
5. DUCK SOUP (Leo McCarey, 1933)
4. GROUNDHOG DAY (Harold Ramis, 1993)
3. ANNIE HALL (Woody Allen, 1977)
2. DR STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (Stanley Kubrick, 1964)
1. SOME LIKE IT HOT (Billy Wilder, 1959).
RELATED:Subscription Video on Demand Service Comes to Black Africa
