100 Comedies

Bravo has a program that identifies, as they bill it, the "100 Greatest Comedies of All Time." As with any list like this, it's gonna start some debate. For example, there were a number of films on this list that I felt were either far higher than they deserved to be, or just weren't funny.

There were a number of what I felt were glaring omissions, possibly none more so than the fact that there wasn't a single film that pre-dated 1963's Pink Panther on the list. No Arsenic and Old Lace, no Some Like it Hot, no Abbott and Costello, no Marx Brothers. It was like comedy didn't exist before 1963.

Here's a quick rundown of the Bravo list -

100 Anchorman 99 Birdcage 98 School of Rock 97 Happy Gilmore 96 Four Weddings and A Funeral 95 Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle 94 Waiting for Guffman 93 The Aristocrats 92 Father of the Bride 91 Revenge of the Nerds 90 Clueless 89 Slapshot 88 Team America 87 Kentucky Fried Movie 86 Zoolander 85 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 84 Silver Streak 83 Sister Act 82 Tootsie 81 Half Baked 80 Lost in America 79 Three Amigos 78 Bananas 77 Flirting With Disaster 76 Ghostbusters 75 Dumb & Dumber 74 Trading Places 73 City Slickers 72 Moonstruck 71 Roxanne 70 The Nutty Professor 69 Blues Brothers 68 Broadcast News 67 King Pin 66 Dazed and Confused 65 Office Space 64 Spinal Tap 63 Manhattan 62 The Pink Panther 61 Election 60 When Harry Met Sally 59 Police Academy Series 58 Private Benjamin 57 Swingers 56 Young Frankenstein 55 Bull Durham 54 Ferris Beuller’s Day Off 53 Dr. Strangelove 52 Meet the Parents 51 National Lampoon’s Vacation

50 The Princess Bride 49 American Pie 48 American Grafitti 47 9 to 5 46 The Incredibles 45 Raising Arizona 44 Sixteen Candles 43 What About Bob 42 Harold & Maude 41 Austin Powers 40 Monty Python and the Holy Grail 39 Mrs. Doubtfire 38 Best in Show 37 Dodgeball 36 Good Morning Vietnam 35 Beetlejuice 34 Rushmore 33 Clerks 32 Groundhog Day 31 Big Leobowski 30 The 40-Year Old Virgin 29 Legally Blonde 28 Annie Hall 27 A Fish Called Wanda 26 Wayne’s World 25 Meet the Fockers 24 Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure 23 Big 22 Beverly Hills Cop 21 Shampoo 20 The Jerk 19 The Wedding Crashers 18 Stripes 17 M*A*S*H 16 Old School 15 Fast Times at Ridgemont High 14 Napoleon Dynamite 13 Naked Gun Series 12 The Producers 11 PeeWee’s Big Adventure 10 Arthur 9 Blazing Saddles 8 The Wedding Singer 7 Ace Ventura, Pet Detective 6 Airplane 5 South Park 4 There’s Something About Mary 3 Shrek 2 Caddyshack 1 Animal House

Personally, I feel that there are a number of films that were left off this list that are considerably funnier than quite a few that made it. As I would love to hear what others think about what should and shouldn't be on the list, but I don't want to prejudice the process with what I feel doesn't belong, I'm simply going to note off the top of my head some films that I believe deserve a place on the list. Later I will note the films I will compile my own list, eliminating those films I don't believe deserve to be here.

For my purposes, I will not eliminate those films that came out after this show premiered.

For now, here are 46 candidates that should at least have been considered, or be on the list that didn't make the cut....

Arsenic and Old Lace Army of Darkness A Night at the Opera Bachelor Party Barbershop Bowfinger Breaking Away Chasing Amy A Christmas Story The Commitments Death at a Funeral Diner Ed and his Dead Mother Fletch The Full Monty Funny Bones Galaxy Quest Grosse Pointe Blank Harvey Hear My Song High Fidelity The Hollywood Shuffle Hot Fuzz

The In-Laws (1979) Love, Actually Monty Python: The Life of Brian Monty Python: The Meaning of Life Mel Brooks' The History of the World, Part 1 Men In Black My Cousin Vinny My Favorite Year National Lampoon's Van Wilder The Odd Couple O' Brother Where Art Thou The Philadelphia Story PCU Real Genius The Ref Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead Saved! Saving Grace Shaun of the Dead Sleeper Some Like it Hot Three O'Clock High What's New Pussycat?