The Best and Funniest Comedies of All Time (Chronological Order)

by ndude1997 | created - 31 Aug 2014 | updated - 04 Mar 2015 | Public
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1. Sherlock Jr. (1924)

Passed | 45 min | Action, Comedy, Romance

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.

Director: Buster Keaton | Stars: Buster Keaton, Kathryn McGuire, Joe Keaton, Erwin Connelly

Votes: 57,014 | Gross: $0.98M

2. The Gold Rush (1925)

Passed | 95 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama

A prospector goes to the Klondike during the 1890s gold rush in hopes of making his fortune, and is smitten with a girl he sees in a dance hall.

Director: Charles Chaplin | Stars: Charles Chaplin, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman

Votes: 118,653 | Gross: $5.45M

3. Duck Soup (1933)

Not Rated | 69 min | Comedy, Musical

93 Metascore

Rufus T. Firefly is named the dictator of bankrupt Freedonia and declares war on neighboring Sylvania over the love of his wealthy backer Mrs. Teasdale, contending with two inept spies who can't seem to keep straight which side they're on.

Director: Leo McCarey | Stars: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx

Votes: 62,745

4. It Happened One Night (1934)

Passed | 105 min | Comedy, Romance

87 Metascore

A rogue reporter trailing a runaway heiress for a big story joins her on a bus heading from Florida to New York and they end up stuck with each other when the bus leaves them behind at one of the stops along the way.

Director: Frank Capra | Stars: Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Walter Connolly, Roscoe Karns

Votes: 112,279 | Gross: $4.36M

5. Modern Times (1936)

G | 87 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

96 Metascore

The Tramp struggles to live in modern industrial society with the help of a young homeless woman.

Director: Charles Chaplin | Stars: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Tiny Sandford

Votes: 259,495 | Gross: $0.16M

6. The Great Dictator (1940)

G | 125 min | Comedy, Drama, War

Dictator Adenoid Hynkel tries to expand his empire while a poor Jewish barber tries to avoid persecution from Hynkel's regime.

Director: Charles Chaplin | Stars: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie, Reginald Gardiner

Votes: 237,371 | Gross: $0.29M

7. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Not Rated | 83 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy

69 Metascore

The Wolf Man tries to warn a dimwitted porter that Dracula wants his brain for Frankenstein monster's body.

Directors: Charles Barton, Walter Lantz | Stars: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi

Votes: 19,567 | Gross: $4.80M

8. Singin' in the Rain (1952)

G | 103 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance

99 Metascore

A silent film star falls for a chorus girl just as he and his delusionally jealous screen partner are trying to make the difficult transition to talking pictures in 1920s Hollywood.

Directors: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly | Stars: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen

Votes: 260,695 | Gross: $8.82M

9. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Approved | 91 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance

Showgirls Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw travel to Paris, pursued by a private detective hired by the suspicious father of Lorelei's fiancé, as well as a rich, enamored old man and many other doting admirers.

Director: Howard Hawks | Stars: Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe, Charles Coburn, Elliott Reid

Votes: 43,020 | Gross: $12.00M

10. Roman Holiday (1953)

Passed | 118 min | Comedy, Romance

78 Metascore

A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome.

Director: William Wyler | Stars: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert, Hartley Power

Votes: 147,664

11. The Seven Year Itch (1955)

Not Rated | 105 min | Comedy, Romance

When his family goes away for the summer, a hitherto faithful husband with an overactive imagination is tempted by a beautiful neighbor.

Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: Marilyn Monroe, Tom Ewell, Evelyn Keyes, Sonny Tufts

Votes: 42,478 | Gross: $12.00M

12. Funny Face (1957)

Not Rated | 103 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance

75 Metascore

An impromptu fashion shoot at a book store brings about a new fashion model discovery in the shop clerk.

Director: Stanley Donen | Stars: Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson, Michel Auclair

Votes: 33,014

13. No Time for Sergeants (1958)

Approved | 119 min | Comedy, War

Will Stockdale is a country bumpkin drafted into the Air Force and too dumb to realize he's driving everyone around him crazy, no one more than Sergeant King.

Director: Mervyn LeRoy | Stars: Andy Griffith, Myron McCormick, Nick Adams, Murray Hamilton

Votes: 4,441

14. Some Like It Hot (1959)

Passed | 121 min | Comedy, Music, Romance

98 Metascore

After two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.

Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, George Raft

Votes: 283,568 | Gross: $25.00M

15. The Pink Panther (1963)

Approved | 115 min | Comedy, Crime, Romance

55 Metascore

The bumbling Inspector Clouseau travels to Rome to catch a notorious jewel thief known as "The Phantom" before he conducts his most daring heist yet: a princess' priceless diamond with one slight imperfection, known as "The Pink Panther".

Director: Blake Edwards | Stars: David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine

Votes: 56,674 | Gross: $10.88M

16. The Nutty Professor (1963)

Not Rated | 107 min | Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi

A timid chemistry teacher discovers a magical potion that can transform him into a suave and handsome womanizer.

Director: Jerry Lewis | Stars: Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens, Del Moore, Kathleen Freeman

Votes: 19,424 | Gross: $7.63M

17. Charade (1963)

Passed | 113 min | Comedy, Mystery, Romance

83 Metascore

Romance and suspense ensue in Paris as a woman is pursued by several men who want a fortune her murdered husband had stolen. Whom can she trust?

Director: Stanley Donen | Stars: Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, James Coburn

Votes: 85,583 | Gross: $13.47M

18. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

PG | 95 min | Comedy, War

97 Metascore

An unhinged American general orders a bombing attack on the Soviet Union, triggering a path to nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop.

Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn

Votes: 518,345 | Gross: $0.28M

19. A Shot in the Dark (1964)

PG | 102 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery

70 Metascore

Inspector Clouseau falls in love with a murder suspect and tries to clear her name.

Director: Blake Edwards | Stars: Peter Sellers, Elke Sommer, George Sanders, Herbert Lom

Votes: 30,949 | Gross: $12.37M

20. Our Man Flint (1966)

Approved | 108 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

When scientists use eco-terrorism to impose their will on the world by affecting extremes in the weather, Intelligence Chief Cramden calls in top agent Derek Flint.

Director: Daniel Mann | Stars: James Coburn, Lee J. Cobb, Gila Golan, Edward Mulhare

Votes: 7,093 | Gross: $16.00M

21. The Odd Couple (1968)

Passed | 105 min | Comedy

86 Metascore

A New Yorker newly separated from his wife moves in with his best friend, a divorced sportswriter, but their ideas of housekeeping and lifestyles are as different as night and day.

Director: Gene Saks | Stars: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, John Fiedler, Herb Edelman

Votes: 37,450 | Gross: $44.53M

22. Funny Girl (1968)

G | 151 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama

89 Metascore

The life of Fanny Brice, famed comedienne and entertainer of the early 1900s. We see her rise to fame as a Ziegfeld girl, subsequent career, and her personal life, particularly her relationship with Nick Arnstein.

Director: William Wyler | Stars: Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, Anne Francis

Votes: 25,163 | Gross: $58.50M

23. The Party (1968)

Approved | 99 min | Comedy, Romance

64 Metascore

A clerical mistake results in a bumbling Indian film star being invited to an exclusive Hollywood party instead of being fired.

Director: Blake Edwards | Stars: Peter Sellers, Claudine Longet, Natalia Borisova, Jean Carson

Votes: 43,728

24. M*A*S*H (1970)

R | 116 min | Comedy, Drama, War

80 Metascore

The staff of a Korean War field hospital use humor and high jinks to keep their sanity in the face of the horror of war.

Director: Robert Altman | Stars: Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Tom Skerritt, Sally Kellerman

Votes: 76,937 | Gross: $81.60M

25. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

PG | 91 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

91 Metascore

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.

Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones | Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam

Votes: 570,350 | Gross: $1.23M

26. Young Frankenstein (1974)

PG | 106 min | Comedy

83 Metascore

An American grandson of the infamous scientist, struggling to prove that his grandfather was not as insane as people believe, is invited to Transylvania, where he discovers the process that reanimates a dead body.

Director: Mel Brooks | Stars: Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle

Votes: 168,916 | Gross: $86.30M

27. Life of Brian (1979)

R | 94 min | Comedy

77 Metascore

Born on the original Christmas in the stable next door to Jesus Christ, Brian of Nazareth spends his life being mistaken for a messiah.

Director: Terry Jones | Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam

Votes: 421,877 | Gross: $20.05M

28. Meatballs (1979)

PG | 94 min | Comedy

60 Metascore

Wacky hijinks of counselors and campers at a less-than-average summer camp.

Director: Ivan Reitman | Stars: Bill Murray, Harvey Atkin, Kate Lynch, Russ Banham

Votes: 23,873 | Gross: $43.05M

29. The Jerk (1979)

R | 94 min | Comedy

61 Metascore

A simpleminded, sheltered country boy suddenly decides to leave his family home to experience life in the big city, where his naivete is both his best friend and his worst enemy.

Director: Carl Reiner | Stars: Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Catlin Adams, Mabel King

Votes: 64,222 | Gross: $73.69M

30. Caddyshack (1980)

R | 98 min | Comedy, Sport

48 Metascore

An exclusive golf course has to deal with a flatulent new member and a destructive dancing gopher.

Director: Harold Ramis | Stars: Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, Ted Knight

Votes: 127,189 | Gross: $39.85M

31. Airplane! (1980)

PG | 88 min | Comedy

78 Metascore

After the crew becomes sick with food poisoning, a neurotic ex-fighter pilot must safely land a commercial airplane full of passengers.

Directors: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker | Stars: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Votes: 261,155 | Gross: $83.40M

32. Stripes (1981)

R | 106 min | Comedy, War

68 Metascore

Two friends who are dissatisfied with their jobs decide to join the army for a bit of fun.

Director: Ivan Reitman | Stars: Bill Murray, John Candy, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates

Votes: 80,026 | Gross: $85.30M

33. A Christmas Story (1983)

PG | 93 min | Comedy, Family

77 Metascore

In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie Parker attempts to convince his parents, teacher, and Santa Claus that a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.

Director: Bob Clark | Stars: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Scott Schwartz

Votes: 168,625 | Gross: $20.61M

34. Trading Places (1983)

R | 116 min | Comedy

69 Metascore

A snobbish investor and a wily street con artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.

Director: John Landis | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche

Votes: 165,818 | Gross: $90.40M

35. Ghostbusters (1984)

PG | 105 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy

71 Metascore

Three parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.

Director: Ivan Reitman | Stars: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis

Votes: 450,325 | Gross: $238.63M

36. Summer Rental (1985)

PG | 87 min | Comedy

38 Metascore

An overworked air-traffic controller takes his family on a beach vacation but is soon beset by series of mishaps.

Director: Carl Reiner | Stars: John Candy, Richard Crenna, Rip Torn, Karen Austin

Votes: 18,365 | Gross: $24.69M

37. The Breakfast Club (1985)

R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama

66 Metascore

Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a great deal more in common than they thought.

Director: John Hughes | Stars: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy

Votes: 436,618 | Gross: $45.88M

38. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

PG-13 | 103 min | Comedy

61 Metascore

A popular high school student, admired by his peers, decides to take a day off from school and goes to extreme lengths to pull it off, to the chagrin of his Dean, who'll do anything to stop him.

Director: John Hughes | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones

Votes: 386,520 | Gross: $70.14M

39. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

R | 93 min | Comedy, Drama

72 Metascore

A Chicago advertising man must struggle to travel home from New York for Thanksgiving, with a lovable oaf of a shower-curtain-ring salesman as his only companion.

Director: John Hughes | Stars: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins, Michael McKean

Votes: 160,278 | Gross: $49.53M

40. Spaceballs (1987)

PG | 96 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

46 Metascore

A star-pilot for hire and his trusty sidekick must come to the rescue of a princess and save Planet Druidia from the clutches of the evil Spaceballs.

Director: Mel Brooks | Stars: Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman

Votes: 206,571 | Gross: $38.12M

41. The Princess Bride (1987)

PG | 98 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family

78 Metascore

A bedridden boy's grandfather reads him the story of a farmboy-turned-pirate who encounters numerous obstacles, enemies and allies in his quest to be reunited with his true love.

Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Chris Sarandon

Votes: 451,005 | Gross: $30.86M

42. The Great Outdoors (1988)

PG | 91 min | Comedy

24 Metascore

A Chicago man and his family go camping with his obnoxious brother-in-law.

Director: Howard Deutch | Stars: Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Stephanie Faracy, Annette Bening

Votes: 51,495 | Gross: $41.46M

43. Heathers (1988)

R | 103 min | Comedy, Crime

72 Metascore

At Westerburg High where cliques rule, jocks dominate and all the popular girls are named Heather, it's going to take a Veronica and mysterious new kid to give teen angst a body count.

Director: Michael Lehmann | Stars: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk

Votes: 115,880 | Gross: $1.11M

44. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

R | 108 min | Comedy, Crime

80 Metascore

In London, four very different people team up on a jewel heist, then try to double-cross one another for the loot, complicated by their efforts to fool a very proper barrister.

Directors: Charles Crichton, John Cleese | Stars: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin

Votes: 153,930 | Gross: $63.49M

45. Christmas Vacation (1989)

PG-13 | 97 min | Comedy

49 Metascore

The Griswold family's plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster.

Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik | Stars: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki

Votes: 220,134 | Gross: $71.32M

46. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

PG | 90 min | Adventure, Comedy, Music

50 Metascore

Two rock-'n-rolling teens, on the verge of failing their class, set out on a quest to make the ultimate school history report after being presented with a time machine.

Director: Stephen Herek | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin, Terry Camilleri

Votes: 141,690 | Gross: $40.49M

47. Uncle Buck (1989)

PG | 100 min | Comedy

51 Metascore

Laid back commitment-phobe Buck babysits his brother's rebellious teenage daughter and her cute younger brother and sister.

Director: John Hughes | Stars: John Candy, Macaulay Culkin, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffmann

Votes: 107,739 | Gross: $66.76M

48. Wayne's World (1992)

PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Music

57 Metascore

Two slacker friends try to promote their public-access cable show.

Director: Penelope Spheeris | Stars: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe, Tia Carrere

Votes: 170,931 | Gross: $121.70M

49. Groundhog Day (1993)

PG | 101 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

72 Metascore

A narcissistic, self-centered weatherman finds himself in a time loop on Groundhog Day.

Director: Harold Ramis | Stars: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky

Votes: 685,192 | Gross: $70.91M

50. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

PG-13 | 125 min | Comedy, Drama

54 Metascore

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.

Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein

Votes: 291,012 | Gross: $219.20M

51. Dumb and Dumber (1994)

PG-13 | 107 min | Comedy

41 Metascore

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.

Directors: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly | Stars: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly, Mike Starr

Votes: 412,323 | Gross: $127.18M

52. Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996)

PG-13 | 73 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

65 Metascore

Mike Nelson and his robot companions watch and give their comments about This Island Earth (1955).

Director: Jim Mallon | Stars: Trace Beaulieu, Michael J. Nelson, Jim Mallon, Kevin Murphy

Votes: 18,914 | Gross: $1.01M

53. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

PG-13 | 89 min | Adventure, Comedy

51 Metascore

A world-class playboy and part-time secret agent from the 1960s emerges after thirty years in a cryogenic state to battle with his nemesis Dr. Evil.

Director: Jay Roach | Stars: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York, Mimi Rogers

Votes: 257,206 | Gross: $53.88M

54. Elf (2003)

PG | 97 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family

66 Metascore

Raised as an oversized elf, Buddy travels from the North Pole to New York City to meet his biological father, Walter Hobbs, who doesn't know he exists and is in desperate need of some Christmas spirit.

Director: Jon Favreau | Stars: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Zooey Deschanel

Votes: 310,816 | Gross: $173.40M

55. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy

63 Metascore

In the 1970s, an anchorman's stint as San Diego's top-rated newsreader is challenged when an ambitious newswoman becomes his co-anchor.

Director: Adam McKay | Stars: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd

Votes: 378,616 | Gross: $85.29M

56. Mean Girls (2004)

PG-13 | 97 min | Comedy

66 Metascore

Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George.

Director: Mark Waters | Stars: Lindsay Lohan, Jonathan Bennett, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey

Votes: 435,217 | Gross: $86.06M

57. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)

PG | 87 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

67 Metascore

SpongeBob takes leave from Bikini Bottom in order to track down, with Patrick, King Neptune's stolen crown.

Directors: Stephen Hillenburg, Mark Osborne | Stars: Tom Kenny, Jeffrey Tambor, Rodger Bumpass, Carolyn Lawrence

Votes: 102,077 | Gross: $85.42M

58. The Simpsons Movie (2007)

PG-13 | 87 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

80 Metascore

After Homer pollutes the town's water supply, Springfield is encased in a gigantic dome by the EPA and the Simpsons are declared fugitives.

Director: David Silverman | Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith

Votes: 349,887 | Gross: $183.14M

59. Superbad (2007)

R | 113 min | Comedy

76 Metascore

Two co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry.

Director: Greg Mottola | Stars: Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader

Votes: 632,841 | Gross: $121.46M

60. The Muppets (2011)

PG | 103 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family

75 Metascore

A Muppet fanatic with some help from his 2 human compatriots must regroup the Muppet gang to stop an avaricious oil mogul from taking down one of their precious life-longing treasures.

Director: James Bobin | Stars: Amy Adams, Jason Segel, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones

Votes: 96,871 | Gross: $88.63M

61. 21 Jump Street (2012)

R | 109 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

69 Metascore

A pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring.

Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller | Stars: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Brie Larson

Votes: 598,583 | Gross: $138.45M

62. The Lego Movie (2014)

PG | 100 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

83 Metascore

An ordinary LEGO construction worker, thought to be the prophesied as "special", is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis.

Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller | Stars: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett

Votes: 388,407 | Gross: $257.76M



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