Welcome to the Ultimate Comedy Collection
This “Best Comedies of All Time” movie collection is actually the synopsis of 10 other amazingly fun journeys we took. Each of them explored the comedies of a selected era or decade of Cinema, and without the experiences we gathered through them, building this collection would have been just too complex to undertake.
Does “All Time” actually mean “All Time” to You?
In our dictionary, “All Time” means just that: From the earliest to the latest. In cinematic terms that would be: From the dawn of Cinema aka Silent Era to the current decade.
Thus, on this journey, we will visit the comedies of every single era of World Cinema, not just a selected few – and we’ll do so chronologically.
So prepare yourself, cause you’re about to see silent slapstick classics, early talking screwball comedies, musical comedies, black comedies, mockumentaries, old-school and modern comedies and everything in between. Every era and every comedy genre you can think of, will show up here.
Let’s keep the balance between the decades!
It is debatable, whether the comedies of some cinematic eras are more significant than others. Well, we don’t debate. Instead, we decided to keep a perfect balance between them.
Every era or decade got three spots on our list. That’s it, no exceptions.
This is a chronological list!
This is not a worst to best list. It presents the comedy films chronologically, in the order they came out. This way, if you decide to watch them all, the list will take you on an actual time-travel.
Ready? Buckle up then, and let the best comedies of all time make you laugh out loud!
Revealing the Best Comedies of All Time
A chronological presentation of the Greatest Comedy Films Ever Made
– 3 movies from each decade –
Silent Era
The Kid (1921)
Silent slapstick comedy drama film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin.
Story: The Tramp cares for an abandoned child, but events put that relationship in jeopardy. (IMDB)
Charles Chaplin’ irascible Tramp is given able support from Jackie Coogan as The Kid in this slapstick masterpiece, balancing the guffaws with moments of disarming poignancy.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is The Kid among the best comedy movies of all time?
✓ The Library of Congress selected The Kid for preservation in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
✓ Innovative in its combination of comedic and dramatic elements, it is widely considered one of the greatest films of the Silent Era.
Safety Last! (1923)
Silent romantic slapstick comedy film co-written by and starring Harold Lloyd.
Story: Lloyd, the store clerk talks his manager into offering $1000 for a publicity stunt, in which a man called “human fly” would climb the face of the 12-storey store building, thus bringing customers nearby.
Persuasive enough to give audiences acrophobia when they aren’t laughing at Harold Lloyd’s antics, Safety Last! is a marvel of visual effects and slapstick comedy.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Safety Last! among the best comedy films of all time?
✓ The Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
✓ It features one of the most memorable scenes of the Silent Era (Lloyd hanging from the hour hand).
✓ Included in Roger Ebert’s Great Movies list.
Sherlock Jr. (1924)
Silent slapstick comedy film co-produced, directed by and starring Buster Keaton.
Story: A film projectionist longs to be a detective, and puts his meagre skills to work when he is framed by a rival for stealing his girlfriend’s father’s pocketwatch. (IMDB)
Why is Sherlock Jr. among the best comedies of all time?
✓ The Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
✓ It is included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die and it is also in the American Film Institute’s list of the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.
…end of the Silent Era…
1930s
City Lights (1931)
Silent slapstick romantic comedy film written, produced, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin.
Story: The Little Tramp is in love with a sightless flower girl, whose blindness could be cured by an expensive operation. He decides to raise the money, even if that means being a prize fighter or worse.
One of the best underdog romance movies ever, with an ending that will light up any heart.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is City Lights among the best comedy movies of all time?
✓ Included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die and Roger Ebert’s Great Movies list.
✓ The American Film Institute ranked this as the #1 Romantic Comedy of All Time, and the #11 Greatest Movie of All Time.
✓ Upon release it became a critical success and a box office hit, and today many critics consider it not only the highest accomplishment of Chaplin’s career, but one of the greatest films of all time.
Duck Soup (1933)
Pre-Code musical comedy film starring the Marx Brothers.
Story: Rufus T. Firefly is named president/dictator of bankrupt Freedonia and declares war on neighboring Sylvania over the love of wealthy Mrs. Teasdale. (IMDB)
Fueled by inspired silliness and blessed with some of the Marx brothers’ most brilliant work, Duck Soup is one of its – or any – era’s finest comedies.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Duck Soup among the best comedy films of all time?
✓ Widely considered among critics to be a masterpiece of comedy, and the Marx Brothers’ finest film.
✓ Included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die and Roger Ebert’s Great Movies list.
✓ The United States Library of Congress deemed it “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.
It Happened One Night (1934)
Pre-Code romantic screwball comedy film directed by Frank Capra, starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert.
Story: A spoiled heiress running away from her family is helped by a man who is actually a reporter in need of a story. (IMDB)
Capturing its stars and director at their finest, It Happened One Night remains unsurpassed by the countless romantic comedies it has inspired.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is It Happened One Night among the best comedies of all time?
✓ Winner of five Academy Awards, including the Oscar’s Best Picture of the Year Award.
✓ It is included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die and also selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
✓ Often credited as the very first true screwball comedy.
…end of the 1930s…
1940s
The Great Dictator (1940)
Political satire comedy-drama film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring Charlie Chaplin.
Story: Dictator Adenoid Hynkel tries to expand his empire while a poor Jewish barber tries to avoid persecution from Hynkel’s regime. (IMDB)
Charlie Chaplin demonstrates that his comedic voice is undiminished by dialogue in this rousing satire of tyranny, which may be more distinguished by its uplifting humanism than its gags.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is The Great Dictator among the funniest movies of all time?
✓ Included among the American Film Institute’s list of the Top 100 Funniest American Movies, and also part of Roger Ebert’s Great Movies list.
✓ One of the most popular movies of the 1940s Cinema and an influential, timeless classic.
✓ Selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Black comedy film directed by Frank Capra and starring Cary Grant.
Story: A drama critic learns on his wedding day that his beloved maiden aunts are homicidal maniacs, and that insanity runs in his family. (IMDB)
Why is Arsenic and Old Lace among the funniest films of all time?
✓ Included among the American Film Institute’s list of the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.
✓ The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews from audiences and critics, who praised its spirit, humor and Capra’s direction.
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Horror comedy film starring the comedy duo Bud Abbott and Lou Costello.
Story: The Wolf Man tries to warn a dimwitted porter that Dracula wants his brain for Frankenstein monster’s body. (IMDB)
A zany horror spoof that plays up and then plays into the best of Universal horror cliches.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein among the best comedy movies ever made?
✓ Selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
✓ Reader’s Digest selected the movie as one of the top 100 funniest films of all time, and its also part of the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 Funniest American Movies.
…end of the 1940s…
1950s
Harvey (1950)
Comedy-drama film starring James Stewart.
Story: Due to his insistence that he has an invisible six foot-tall rabbit for a best friend, a whimsical middle-aged man is thought by his family to be insane – but he may be wiser than anyone knows. (IMDB)
Why is Harvey among the best comedy films ever made?
✓ Included among the American Film Institute’s list of the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.
✓ The movie received positive reviews from audiences and critics, who praised the film’s overall tone, Henry Koster’s direction and the acting performances of James Stewart and Josephine Hull.
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds.
Story: A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound. (IMDB)
Clever, incisive, and funny, Singin’ in the Rain is a masterpiece of the classical Hollywood musical.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Singin’ in the Rain among the best comedies ever made?
✓ The American Film Institute ranked this as the #5 Greatest Movie of All Time and voted it the #1 movie musical in American film history.
✓ Included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die and Roger Ebert’s Great Movies list.
✓ Selected into the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Romantic comedy film directed and produced by Billy Wilder, starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon.
Story: When two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in. (IMDB)
Some Like It Hot: A spry, quick-witted farce that never drags.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Some Like It Hot among the funniest movies ever made?
✓ Included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die and Roger Ebert’s Great Movies list.
✓ Voted as the top comedy film by the American Film Institute on their list on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Laughs.
✓ Selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
…end of the 1950s…
1960s
The Apartment (1960)
Romantic comedy-drama film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jack Lemmon.
Story: A man tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications and a romance of his own ensue. (IMDB)
Director Billy Wilder’s customary cynicism is leavened here by tender humor, romance, and genuine pathos.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is The Apartment among the funniest comedy movies ever made?
✓ Featured in Roger Ebert’s Great Movies list.
✓ Winner of Oscar’s Best Picture of the Year Academy Award.
✓ Included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
✓ Selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Romantic comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Audrey Hepburn.
Story: A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building, but her past threatens to get in the way. (IMDB)
It contains some ugly anachronisms, but Blake Edwards is at his funniest in this iconic classic, and Audrey Hepburn absolutely lights up the screen.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Breakfast at Tiffany’s among the funniest films ever made?
✓ Included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
✓ Winner of 2 Academy Awards, and nominated for another three.
✓ Deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Black comedy film directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick, starring Peter Sellers.
Story: An insane general triggers a path to nuclear holocaust that a War Room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop. (IMDB)
Stanley Kubrick’s brilliant Cold War satire remains as funny and razor-sharp today as it was in 1964.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Dr. Strangelove among the funniest comedy films ever made?
✓ Included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die and Roger Ebert’s Great Movies list.
✓ Widely considered one of the best comedies ever made.
✓ Selected into the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
…end of the 1960s…
1970s
Sleeper (1973)
Science fiction comedy film written, directed by and starring Woody Allen.
Story: A nerdish store owner is revived out of cryostasis into a future world to fight an oppressive government. (IMDB)
In Sleeper, Woody Allen’s madcap futurist comedy, practically each joke and one-liner hits it target.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Sleeper among the top comedy movies of all time?
✓ Included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
✓ The film was awarded the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.
✓ The American Film Institute included the film in its list AFI’s 100 Years…100 Laughs.
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Satirical Western black comedy film directed by Mel Brooks, starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder.
Story: In order to ruin a western town, a corrupt politician appoints a black Sheriff, who promptly becomes his most formidable adversary. (IMDB)
Daring, provocative, and laugh-out-loud funny, Blazing Saddles is a gleefully vulgar spoof of Westerns that marks a high point in Mel Brooks’ storied career.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Blazing Saddles among the top comedy movies ever made?
✓ Included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
✓ Selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
✓ Part of the American Film Institute’s 100 Years…100 Laughs list.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
British comedy adventure film written and performed by the Monty Python comedy group.
Story: King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a surreal, low-budget search for the Holy Grail, encountering many, very silly obstacles. (IMDB)
A cult classic as gut-bustingly hilarious as it is blithely ridiculous, Monty Python and the Holy Grail has lost none of its exceedingly silly charm.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Monty Python and the Holy Grail among the top comedy films of all time?
✓ Included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
✓ Premiere voted this movie as one of “The 50 Greatest Comedies Of All Time”.
✓ The film’s reputation grew over time, and now it is widely acclaimed by critics and audiences as an influential classic comedy.
…end of the 1970s…
1980s
Airplane! (1980)
Parody film written and directed by David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams.
Story: A man afraid to fly must ensure that a plane lands safely after the pilots become sick. (IMDB)
Though unabashedly juvenile and silly, Airplane! is nevertheless an uproarious spoof comedy full of quotable lines and slapstick gags that endure to this day.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Airplane! among the top comedy films ever made?
✓ Included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
✓ Selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
✓ In the years since its release, the film’s reputation has grown substantially. Today it is widely considered one of the best comedies of all time.
Trading Places (1983)
Comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd.
Story: A snobbish investor and a wily street con artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires. (IMDB)
Featuring deft interplay between Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, Trading Places is an immensely appealing social satire.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Trading Places among the top comedies of all time?
✓ Premiere voted this movie as one of “The 50 Greatest Comedies Of All Time”.
✓ Critics and audiences praised the performance of the central cast, and they appreciated the film’s revival of the screwball comedy genre prevalent in the 1930s and 1940s.
✓ Widely considered one of the greatest comedy films and Christmas movies ever made.
Big (1988)
Fantasy comedy-drama film starring Tom Hanks.
Story: After wishing to be made big, a teenage boy wakes the next morning to find himself mysteriously in the body of an adult. (IMDB)
Refreshingly sweet and undeniably funny, Big is a showcase for Tom Hanks, who dives into his role and infuses it with charm and surprising poignancy.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Big among the top comedies ever made?
✓ Included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
✓ Met with wide critical acclaim, particularly for Hanks’ performance. It also became a huge commercial success, and it proved to be pivotal to Hanks’ career, establishing him as a major box-office draw as well as a critical favorite.
…end of the 1980s…
1990s
Groundhog Day (1993)
Fantasy comedy film starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell.
Story: A weatherman finds himself inexplicably living the same day over and over again. (IMDB)
Smart, sweet, and inventive, Groundhog Day highlights Murray’s dramatic gifts while still leaving plenty of room for laughs.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Groundhog Day among the greatest comedy movies of all time?
✓ Included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die and Roger Ebert’s Great Movies list.
✓ Ranked #8 on the American Film Institute’s list of the 10 greatest films in the genre “Fantasy”.
✓ Premiere voted this movie as one of “The 50 Greatest Comedies Of All Time”.
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Comedy-drama film directed by Chris Columbus and starring Robin Williams.
Story: After a bitter divorce, an actor disguises himself as a female housekeeper to spend time with his children held in custody by his former wife. (IMDB)
On paper, Mrs. Doubtfire might seem excessively broad or sentimental, but Robin Williams shines so brightly in the title role that the end result is difficult to resist.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Mrs. Doubtfire among the greatest comedy movies ever made?
✓ It won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
✓ Robin Williams was awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
✓ Included on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years…100 Laughs list and it’s also on Bravo’s list of the 100 Funniest Movies of All Time.
Dumb and Dumber (1994)
Comedy film starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels.
Story: After a woman leaves a briefcase at the airport terminal, a dumb limo driver and his dumber friend set out on a hilarious cross-country road trip to Aspen to return it. (IMDB)
A relentlessly stupid comedy elevated by its main actors: Jim Carrey goes bonkers and Jeff Daniels carries himself admirably in an against-type performance.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Dumb and Dumber among the greatest comedy films of all time?
✓ The movies was a box office success and has developed a cult following in the years after its release.
✓ The popularity of the film solidified Carrey’s reputation as one of the most prominent actors of the 1990s.
…end of the 1990s…
2000s
Superbad (2007)
Coming-of-age teen comedy film directed by Greg Mottola, starring Jonah Hill and Michael Cera.
Story: Two co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry. (IMDB)
Deftly balancing vulgarity and sincerity while placing its protagonists in excessive situations, Superbad is an authentic take on friendship and the overarching awkwardness of the high school experience.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Superbad among the greatest comedy films ever made?
✓ Received widespread critical acclaim, with critics praising the dialogue, the screenplay and the chemistry between the two leads.
✓ Earned a huge financial profit, making it the highest domestic grossing high school comedy at the time.
✓ Featured on Empire’s 500 Greatest films of all time list.
The Hangover (2009)
American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis.
Story: Three buddies wake up from a bachelor party in Las Vegas, with no memory of the previous night and the bachelor missing. They make their way around the city in order to find their friend before his wedding. (IMDB)
With a clever script and hilarious interplay among the cast, The Hangover nails just the right tone of raunchy humor, and the non-stop laughs overshadow any flaw.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is The Hangover among the greatest comedies of all time?
✓ Included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
✓ It was a critical and commercial success.
✓ Won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and received multiple other accolades.
Zombieland (2009)
Post-apocalyptic zombie comedy film directed by Ruben Fleischer, starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone.
Story: A shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting tough guy trying to find the last Twinkie, and a pair of sisters trying to get to an amusement park join forces to travel across a zombie-filled America. (IMDB)
Wickedly funny and featuring plenty of gore, Zombieland is proof that the zombie subgenre is far from dead.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Zombieland among the greatest comedies ever made?
✓ It was a critical and commercial success. It became the top-grossing zombie film in the United States at the time.
✓ Critics and audiences praised its humor, script and the performance of the principal cast.
…end of the 2000s…
2010s
Ted (2012)
Fantasy comedy film directed by Seth MacFarlane, starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis.
Story: John Bennett, a man whose childhood wish of bringing his teddy bear to life came true, now must decide between keeping the relationship with the bear, Ted or his girlfriend, Lori. (IMDB)
Ted’s “romance versus bromance” plot is familiar, but the film’s held aloft by the high-concept central premise and a very funny (albeit inconsistent) script.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is Ted among the funniest movies of all time?
✓ It was a box office hit and it received positive reviews with critics praising the humor and premise.
✓ One of the most popular comedies of the 2010s.
21 Jump Street (2012)
Buddy cop action comedy film starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum.
Story: A pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring. (IMDB)
A smart, affectionate satire of ’80s nostalgia and teen movie tropes, 21 Jump Street offers rowdy mainstream comedy with a surprisingly satisfying bite.
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is 21 Jump Street among the funniest films of all time?
✓ It received positive reviews with critics praising its humor its cast, especially Hill and Tatum.
✓ One of the most popular comedies of the 2010s.
We’re the Millers (2013)
Crime comedy film directed by Rawson M. Thurber, starring Jason Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston.
Story: A veteran pot dealer creates a fake family as part of his plan to move a huge shipment of weed into the U.S. from Mexico. (IMDB)
We’re the Millers squanders its potential with an uneven, lazily assembled story..
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus
Why is We’re the Millers among the best comedy movies ever made?
✓ It was nominated for four People’s Choice Awards, and six MTV Movie Awards, winning two.
✓ A box office success and one of the most popular comedies of the 2010s.
…end of the 2010s…
…end of the reel…
Is there a movie on the list you’d replace with another one? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
