posted on August 22, 2001 01:58:36 AM new
#1 for me would be Charlie Chaplin, he was an incredibly gifted man. Actor, Writer, Director, Composer, he did it all and he excelled at everything he did. Chaplin's demand for excellence was never compromised. Nobody, and I mean nobody ever had such complete control of their work. If a movie wasn't going the way he wanted it, he'd shut down production, send everyone home and work on it for months till he had what he felt would work. If the completed product didn't meet his level it wasn't shown. Chaplin burned some movies that failed to turn out like he wanted them, rather than release them. Chaplin would do things that would have gotten any other actor or director fired. In "City Lights" he shot the opening sequence over 300 times before he had a print that satisfied him. Chaplin continued to make silent movies long after sound was introduced, "City Lights," and "Modern Times," came out 2 and 7 years after sound was introduced, both are masterpieces, and only Chaplin had the clout to be able to make them. Watch some of Chapin's great works, The Gold Rush, The Circus, City Lights, Modern Times, The Great Dictator, Limelight, he was a genius in front of the camera and behind it, his music is great, and nobody ever did pathos in his league. City Lights I've seen many, many, times, I think it is perhaps the greatest movie ending in cinema history (definitely in the top 5), you know what's coming and you still cry.
#2 Buster Keaton, very creative, but he never had the control Chaplin had. Keaton made some excellent films, Sherlock Jr, The Navigator, Steamboat Bill, The General.
#1 Comedy team, Laurel and Hardy. They were perfect together. They honed their routine for years, they remained best friends till Hardy's death. Stan Laurel was the brains of the team.
#1 Living comedian, Woody Allen. Woody Allen's movies are in a different league from other comedians. Woody Allen is very gifted he is a director, actor, writer, and composer also. Woody Allen writes and directs one movie a year, actors line up to work for him knowing that if they are lucky enough to get the job they will get minimum scale. Uma Thurman, Billy Crystal, Leonardo DeCaprio, Jodie Foster, John Cusack, Sean Penn, Christoper Walken, it doesn't matter who they are, if they work for Woody they get minimum wage, and they line up for the opportunity. A great documentary on Woody Allen is called "Wild Man Blues" the film follows him on tour in Europe with his Jazz band, he's a helluva musician.
My least favorite? Too many to compete for that title. There are a lot of talentless comedians out there that get laughs from bathroom humor that someone else has to write for them.
posted on August 22, 2001 02:12:35 AM new
Tough call. The Marx Brothers, Bob Newhart, Bill Cosby, George Carlin, Bob Goldthwaite (his stand-up, not his film "career".
Least favorite? Bush the Lesser. His president act is way old.
-gaffan- [email protected]
posted on August 22, 2001 02:46:07 AM new
Oooh! Maybe some of you will know the answer to this.
Years ago ... maybe 7-8 years ... I saw a comedian on TV who was a ventriloquist. His main act at the time was his "jalopeno on a stick" routine, with a jalopeno puppet. He also used 2-3 other puppets at the same time (I don't recall what they were), and the act was amazing! He talked SO fast, flying through the different voices. I don't see how he did it, but it was hilarious!
Does that ring a bell with anyone? I'd love to find out who the comedian was, and to get a copy of his act, if there's a tape out.
posted on August 22, 2001 03:34:24 AM new
Thedewey - could you be thinking of David Strassman? check out www.chuckwood.com and see if he's the same guy. If it is I agree that he's very good. I've seen him three times live and his shows are awesome!
posted on August 22, 2001 05:22:21 AM new
Chris Rock cracks me up.
Liked Eddie Murphy in the Beverly Hills Cop movies, but wouldn't waste my time with his multiple role movies of late. Didn't even think the trailers were funny.
George (can't remember his last name) is funny, but haven't seen him in a long time.
Johnny Carson
Rita (can't remember her last name). Haven't seen her in a long time either.
Cannot stand...
Sarah Bernhardt (?)
Richard Pryor
Rosanne Barr
Any "comedian" who feels the need to punctuate their act with the F word. How much creativity does that take?
posted on August 22, 2001 06:03:36 AM new
Answer to above - Rita Rudner
Can we count comedic actors because I loved Danny Kaye, Bob Hope and Jerry Lewis. I watched their old movies more than I can count.
I used to listen to my old George Carlin & Steve Martin albums til they wore out.
Penn & Teller - Comedy & Magic I have all of their books too.
Steven Wright - The man is warped. Gotta love it.
Denis Miller - Has mistaken snide for funny
Denis Leary - Not Funny
Gilbert Gottfried - Yuch
Bobcat Goldthwait - Yuch
Andy Kaufman - I never thought he was funny
posted on August 22, 2001 07:45:44 AM new
I get a kick out of all the comedians on Whose Line Is It Anyway; Bill Cosby (loved his Dentist show, lol); Bob Hope, who was slapstick; Chris Rock is hilarious; Three Stooges still make me laugh (especially Curly) just to name a few that comes to mind.
Worst ones are Joan Rivers; Paula Poundstone; Woody Allen.
posted on August 22, 2001 08:44:52 AM new
Is Steven Wright the comic with the long face who delivers his lines with a total deadpan? Did he do the joke about the blind guy sky diving with his seeing eye dog?
If so, this guy is wild and crazy and brought me into a state of hysterical laughter the first time I saw him. It was late night and I was all alone!
Freddie Prinz - so young so funny!
Bill Cosby - funny and no foul language
even in person!
George Carlin - the heavy drug years
Bob Newhart - the early days
Shelley Berman - satire at its best
Whoopie Goldberg - stand up the early days
Robin Williams - live on stage if you like
having your brain in a blender.
posted on August 22, 2001 12:31:32 PM new
My favorite guy was Phil Hartman (the one that was killed by his wife). He made me laugh every time I saw him....even if he didn't say anything!
I used to like Charles Grodin when he was acting all spaced out. Now I love him because he's such a decent human being. I wish he'd run for president!
posted on August 22, 2001 01:18:54 PM new
I can't narrow down my favorite comedians--there are just too many.
I *can* say which ones I don't like: Carrottop heads that list. Bobcat Goldthwaite is another. I've had to add the Wayans Brothers to the list as well--they've degenerated into Stepin' Fetchit mannerism-wise & are nerve-grating. George Carlin recently made my "don't like" list--he used to be funny, now he's just angry.
And then there are the comedians that move from funny to not-funny & back again. Sometimes I like Bean (Rowan Atkinson) but other tims he's plain boring. Whoopee Goldberg, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams & a score of other comedians can be so funny you hurt your sides laughing but they have two modes, clean & foul-mouthed, and the latter simply detracts & distracts one from any humor in the their monologues.
posted on August 22, 2001 01:23:01 PM new
thedewey - I don't know his name either, but I also loved the comedian with the jalapeno! We still add "on a steeeek" to something everyone once in a while and CRACK UP.
Love:
George Carlin
Carol, Tim and Harvey - all together
Kevin Meaney - "That's not right!"
Steven Wright
Chris Rock - sometimes
YUCK:
Woody Allen
Andy Kaufman
edited to add my favorite - Robin Williams
[ edited by rhondalee65 on Aug 22, 2001 01:24 PM ]
posted on August 22, 2001 01:51:32 PM new
I hate it when comedians who are long past their prime continue to be imposed upon audiences.
Saw Rodney Dangerfield on Leno the other night and it was kinda sad.
Ever since I was a little kid I've hated Milton Berle. He is NOT funny. He has not been funny in my entire lifetime (from the early '60s forward). Did you know that the only episode of Saturday Night Live never shown in reruns is the episode that Milton Berle hosted? Know why? Because he was so arrogant and treated everybody on the show so poorly with his I'm-Mr.-Television attitude that Lorne Michaels swore that particular broadcast would never be seen again. Berle reportedly treated the cast members like underlings, referring to them as "boobie," as in "Carry this to my dressing room, boobie." Some cast members got pretty angry, but Bill Murray expressed his dissatisfaction in typical style, responding to Berle's demands with a unmistakeably sarcastic, "Whatever you say, Mr. Berle." Further Milton Berle trivia: he is alleged to have the biggest penis in Hollywood.
Never could stand Bob Hope or George Burns either. Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis ... they were pathetic holdovers from the 50s and 60s yet they continued to be foisted on television audiences well into the 70s and 80s.
George Carlin's another one. What a boor. You can only cruise on the "Seven Words You Can't Say on Television" bit for so long
In terms of being consistently funny, fast with a joke and making me laugh almost nightly, Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien are at the top of their field. That bit Conan does with the Clinton and Bush talking heads is so absurd that it's utterly hilarious.
In earlier days I liked Bill Murray, Michael Keaton (Night Shift was the funniest movie I ever saw) and Woody Allen, but they don't do much real comedy anymore, not like they used to, anyway.
I doubt Seinfeld will ever be topped by a funnier TV show in my lifetime. I'm glad I wasn't too old or too young to appreciate it when it was at its height of popularity.
posted on August 22, 2001 01:59:10 PM new
Of modern comedians, when they are not using foul language to get a laugh, are Daymon Williams, Robin Williams, Rodney Dangerfield, Jim Carrey -- that type of comedian is my favorite. I loved the brilliance of Andy Kaufman and I love the genius of Rowan Atkins (Mr. Bean).
My least favorite are comedians who use foul language to get a laugh, talk about bodily functions to gross the audience out into a laugh; and I especially dislike so-called "Dark Humor" where people are being hurt and/or humiliated for laughs. Entertainers of that stripe do not deserve the title of Comedian in my book.
posted on August 22, 2001 02:41:04 PM new
Jake Johannsen is the funniest fella I've seen in a long while. We have one of his HBO comedy specials on tape and have just about worn it out. Rowan Atkinson does a great skit wherein he's Satan welcoming the new members o' Hell.
Darned if I can remember any others at the moment; I do recall enjoying British comedy series very much as a teen ... though I evidently didn't have the highly cultivated enjoyment of half-naked women required to find Benny Hill humorous.
posted on August 22, 2001 02:54:23 PM new
Actually, I agree with every word you said spazmodeus. I'm of the same generation and never understood Milton Berle or that bald headed guy who's routine was to put down everyone (???? what's his name???) That slapstick type of humour Jerry Lewis had was stupid IMO, and when other comedians try to copy his style (as in some of the newer sitcoms), I feel almost embarrassed for them.
posted on August 22, 2001 04:47:34 PM new
zilvy, thanks!! Yes it's Don Rickles. I never got what was so funny with him. Then again, maybe when we all get old (as if), we'll be talking about the good old days at AW and eBay and people will think we're nuts too.
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