Posted on 08/08/2016 3:24:30 PM PDT by gigster
Who do you think is historically our greatest actor and comedian?
I had forgotten about it but the hardest I have ever laughed was a scene from “Amos N Andy”. It was of the Kingfish and Andy. Andy is told by the KIngfish that it is OK to grab some hot wires in a basement. It was safe because “the water will insulate you”.
They were referred to as ‘lectures’ back then, but Mark Twain was indeed a performer....with amazing material. That would be my favorite.
Sid Caesar was good. Brought a lot of talent together writers: Mel Brooks, the Simon brothers, Woody Allen Carl Reiner, and the guy who played Ernest T Bass who was a writer, Howard Morris and actors Nanette Fabray and Imogene Coca
Caesar did never have a movie career. Just a part in Mad Mad ...World. Just early TV skit show very popular in the fifties maybe precursor to SNL a model for the team of writers on Dick Van Dyke show
Caesar was great
John Cleese.
Victor Borge
Robin Williams
Red Skelton bump! Improvisation at its best.
I second that. His career spanned 5 decades and he always presented a funny show. He didn't have to say anything at times to be funny. It's too bad his work isn't more readily available so the younger audience could discover it. AntennaTV shows his TV program but it's at 5:30 in the morning.
I played a Harold Lloyd film for my ninth graders They were captivated
Buster Keaton.
My list would include Groucho Marx, Bob Newhart, and Tim Conway.
I have all the Thin Man movies. Great stuff!
That's what I said about Richard Pryor, who wrote a lot of Blazing Saddles. He got blacks and whites to laugh at and with each other.
I’ve heard Cary Grant was an acrobat and possibly a juggler, but have never seen him do it.
tough question: Jack Lemon; Peter Sellers; Zero Mostel were all superb.
I like Gleason also, but he'd tell you it was Art Carney...
I like the duo of Laurel and Hardy.
Reiner and Brooks forgot about them. Mad Mad World one of my favs. Fabray and Coca too. Didn’t get to see much of Coca. Van Dyke also had a good TV series. He played a Doctor solved crimes. Scott Baio was in it. Had his son as a detective. His son real easy on the eyes.
Victor Borge comic genius!
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