A VERY lighthearted Poll...

[Halo_n_horns]

Because of a major illness when I was very young, I was fortunate enough to get to know some of yesteryear's greatest comedians through reruns on TV. I also got very familiar with one of the more contemporary comedians of the past thirty years, rest his soul.

My favorite has always been Abbot and Costello.

 

[The_Fool]

Had to go with the Marx Brothers. The Three stooges came in second. Although Bugs Bunny could sometimes give them all a run for their money....



What a maroon.....

 

[cloudy]

Benny Hill. Love him.

 

[Halo_n_horns]

Had to go with the Marx Brothers. The Three stooges came in second. Although Bugs Bunny could sometimes give them all a run for their money....



What a maroon.....

I hear that. I almost included the Loons, but I didn't think they went back quite far enough. Unless you get into the Merry Melodies...

 

[variable Xy]

The Three Stooges never did it for me.

Bud and Lou were always my favorite too, especially the slapstick Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

 

[Wildcard Ky]

Benny Hill. Love him.

Cloudy is both wise and beautiful.

 

[TxRad]

Red Skeleton.... Funny beyond belief.... So many characters and such a sharp wit...

 

[Halo_n_horns]

Red Skeleton.... Funny beyond belief.... So many characters and such a sharp wit...

Damn. I knew there was someone I was leaving out. Thanks.

 

[Dar~]

Red Skeleton.... Funny beyond belief.... So many characters and such a sharp wit...

gotta love a man who says Davinki!

 

[McKenna]

Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin.

 

[Whisky7up]

Harold Lloyd

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I vote for the Marx Bros. I haven't seen any of their movies since I was a kid, but I still remember laughing heartily at their jokes - even though I did feel, even at that young age, that Groucho was rather evil to the mandatory fat old woman in every film.

 

[Liar]

Buster, baby.

 

[Halo_n_horns]

Bumping just for giggles...

 

[Guest]

Charlie Chaplin. He invented most of the comedic technques for film, that the others on the list built upon.

And yes, Red Skelton was excellent.

Harvey Korman and Tim Conway, while not of the same ancientness, were also note worthy.

 

[Weird Harold]

George Burns and Gracie Allen.

Not only were they hilarious as a vaudeville act, they managed to translate the characters to a successful TV series that didn't resort to slapstick as so many early TV comdies did.

 

[Guest]

George Burns and Gracie Allen.

Good choice!

 

[~photoguy~]

Red Skeleton.... Funny beyond belief.... So many characters and such a sharp wit...

^^ what he said

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Laurel and Hardy are the champagne of comedians. Abbot and Costello are the beer, and the Marx Brothers are whiskey. The Stooges are something like rum and coke.

For sheer subtlety, for working out the essential dynamic of two-person comedy (action & reaction, comedic interplay, persona, the comedy of character rather than situation) Laurel and Hardy are the best. And remember, no one had done it before them. They were the first comedy duet, and everyone else learned from them. Everyone.

To really appreciate them, I recommend a joint or two. That's the only way you can catch the nuance and shading and the brilliant interplay. I love the way you can see every thought on Stan Laurel's face as it occurs to him. No one else can do that, or even come close. And they're probably the kindest comedians ever. Their comedy never involves nastiness or cruelty.

With Abbott and Costello it's always the same: surly straight man and fat comic. WIth L&H the roles are always in flux. You can never tell which one is the straight man.

They stayed around too long, and their later stuff was terrible, but if you can find some of their early stuff (especially the silents, where Laurel's physicality comes through; the way he can express so much emotion in a glance) they're just incredible.

 

[impressive]

To really appreciate them, I recommend a joint or two.

I appreciate everyone and everything after a joint or two.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Bob & Ray.

They only did radio, but for those of us with a twisted sense of humor, they were Gods.

 

[gauchecritic]

A few brits (not discounting Stan Laurel or Benny Hill)

Morecambe and Wise

The Two Ronnies

Max Miller

Bob Monkhouse

Chick Murray

Arthur Atkinson

Arthur Askey

Arthur Haynes

Of the list it has to be The Marx Brothers. BBC7 Listen Again often run re-made radio shows of Flywheel Shyster and Flywheel which are excellent.

Edited to add: All you yanquies that voted for Benny Hill must be fascists.

 

[AppleBiter]

Laurel & Hardy were the bomb-diggity.

 

[TheEarl]

Morecambe and Wise

The man speaks great truth. There's not been a comedian as good since Eric and Ernie skipped off this mortal coil.

The Earl

 

[dr_mabeuse]

No one mentioned W.C. Fields, who I appreciate more and more the older I get.