Regular Crivvies may recall me mentioning that I was fortunate enough to meet the legendary actor and comedian Bob Hope on two separate occasions ten years apart. Even got a few photos taken with him and his wife Dolores on our second encounter, and have several items - photos, books, magazines, and record covers - autographed by the man himself. Recently, I acquired an 'action figure' of Bob, and I'm always looking to expand my collection of Hope memorabilia, hence me buying the above sheet of US stamps of the British-born funny-man.
So it's probably pretty obvious that Bob Hope is my favourite comedian of all time. What I was wondering though, is who's your favourite - in fact, who do you reckon was/is the funniest comedian that ever graced a stage, TV show or movie? And why? Feel free to regale your fellow Crivvies with your choice of performers in the humour stakes.
Incidentally, I've shown one of the photos of me with Bob a few times on the blog before, so just for a change here's a cropped version of it, along with a couple of others which I can't remember if I've shown before or not. (Wouldn't surprise me if I have.) Incidentally, I've enlarged them from reduced copies on my computer, so the quality isn't great. It would've taken me too long to find the file/folder with my larger copies.
So again - who's your favourite actor/comedian of all time?
17 comments:
In film it's Buster Keaton hands down for all time. Chaplin is precious, Lloyd is impressive, but Keaton can be utterly amazing. For stand up it's a either George Carlin or Bill Hicks. Both do the kind of intellectual transgressive comedy that can change a person's mind and at their best make laugh regardless of how many times I've seen the routine.
very cool to have met Bob. For movie comedians, it's got to be Chaplin. I am fond of Emo Philips and George Carlin. I'm a big Laurel and Hardy and Marx bros fan.
The first three names you mention are certainly great visual 'comedians', RJ, no argument about it, but I was thinking more in the verbal department. I'm not really familiar with the work of the two 'stand-ups' you name (I've heard of them obviously), but I'm prepared to take your word for it that they're no slouches.
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I like Laurel & Hardy and the Marx Brothers myself, PS, and several of the movies of Abbott & Costello. I've heard of (and heard) Emo Philips, but his voice irks me for some reason. Two votes for George Carlin, so he must be doing something right.
Make that three for George kid.
I love stand up observational comedy and the type of comedy that is both very funny , poignant and (as Rip says) can make you look at a serious subject differently etc. For me that has to be George Carlin and then Bill Hicks (both were wickedly funny men). I also have to add that for observational comedy, Billy Connolly not just because he is Scottish but like Carlin and Hicks he gave us few home truths (especially on west of Scotland and Irish religious nonsense) and some really hysterically funny "slice of life" stuff as well.
On film I like Bill Murray and still have a soft spot for Woody Alan but Laurel and Hardy are my favourites, they never fail to make me laugh (geniuses).
As for "mainstream" comedians I took my mum on a holiday weekend break a couple of years after my dad passed away to Blackpool in the mid 80s (a family weekend break when we were kids. We went to see Ken Dodd and Bob Monkhouse at their nighttime shows, they were brilliant (not smutty no swearing etc)but really funny. I was taken aback how good they were and Ken Dodd went on for hours. They made my mum laugh for the first time since my dad passed, so I am forever grateful to them - that's the power of GOOD comedy!.
I pretty much like 90% of all comedians as long as its not that thinly veiled sexists, racist bull*hit that folk like Bernard Manning, Roy Chubby Brown etc pedal as "funny"
OH and Bob Hope is a film comedy genius as well (I was never really that impressed with his stage act I'm afraid then again only seen his a couple of times on TV)
I think it was because Bob Hope seemed to be everywhere at one time, McS, that his stand-up routines on TV could occasionally be pretty 'samey', and he's obviously best known for his movies (at least in Britain as we didn't get his TV Specials), but some of his old radio broadcasts are pretty good, mainly because they paint a strong, sometimes absurd, visual picture in the mind. There's a great infectious quality about them and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. He had a great persona and immense charisma about him, and his stage act when I saw it was pretty good for an 81 year-old. He was 91 when I saw him the second time, and it was pretty much the same routine, but just to see him in person was a great thrill, and no one asked for their money back.
As a kid I loved Bob Hope films. I seem to recall him in a film about Casanova that was really funny oh and "Paleface" (or similar) was a good movie as well. Some of the "Road to.." films were great as well.
Yeah, Casanova's Big Night is a belter, McS, as is Paleface, Son Of Paleface, and Princess And The Pirate. Out of all the 'Road' films, Road To Morocco is probably my favourite. If you haven't seen Ghost Breakers or Cat And The Canary, you really should make a point of doing so before much longer - absolutely brilliant, especially the first one.
I forgot about the Cat and the Canary that was one of my mums favorites it is a good one. I don't think I have seen (or heard of) Ghost Breakers so I will check that out it sounds interesting.
Apologies for the delay in replying, McS, had to pop out to the shops. The two movies are available as a double-bill on DVD, and Ghost Breakers is far better than interesting. You'll love it! Scary!
Hope everyone is well(this really is like a family!). Loved Bob Hope as a kid(referring to me not him). My favourite Bob Hope film, and there were many to choose from, has to be My Favourite Brunette. He is a baby photographer who gets mistaken for a private eye from the next office played by Alan Ladd. It sends up those old film noir movies and the cast includes Lon Chaney Jr, Dorothy L'Amour and Peter Lorre who steals the show as Kismet. Fantastic film. Keep up the good work Kid.
That's another one I love, as well as My Favourite Blonde. Regarding the latter, I remember seeing it on TV as a kid, and there was a scene where the Blonde 'phones Bob Hope's character (they're married). When it was repeated a few years afterwards, that scene was missing, though it's referred to later in the movie. I expected it to be on the DVD, but it's missing there as well. Odd.
some Emo Philips jokes:
How many people here have telekinetic powers? Raise my hand.
I was walking down Fifth Avenue today and I found a wallet, and I was gonna keep it, rather than return it, but I thought: "Well, if I lost a hundred and fifty dollars, how would I feel?" And I realized I would want to be taught a lesson.
When I was a kid my parents used to tell me, "Emo, don't go near the cellar door!"
One day when they were away, I went up to the cellar door. And I pushed it and walked through and saw strange, wonderful things, things I had never seen before, like... trees. Grass. Flowers. The sun... that was nice... the sun..
I ran three miles today... finally I said, "Lady, take your purse."
Good material, PS, but his voice (if I'm thinking of the same comedian) still irks me. Incidentally, is it usual for 'cellar' doors to open out the way? (He said he pushed it, rather than pulled.) Yeah, I know that what his parents called the cellar door must've been the front or back door, but I still like my jokes to have a semblance of reality.
Bob Hope told a joke about a surgeon in the States being struck off for making love to one of his patients. "Worse thing is, the guy's a tree surgeon!" said Bob. (Got a big laugh.)
Thanks for the recommendations on Cat & The Canary and Ghost Breakers, kid. I enjoyed them both immensely. Any recommendations on what to look for next?
I'd imagine you've seen most of Bob's other movies, B, but perhaps not in some time. My Favourite Brunette, Paleface, Son of Paleface, Casanova's Big Night, and The Princess and the Pirate are all good Hope films that are worth seeing again, and The Court Jester with Danny Kaye is great fun as well.
You're right that it's been years since I watched Bob Hope films (other than your recent recommendations). I'll look out for some of those you mention.
The Lemon Drop Kid with Bob isn't bad either, B. Give that one a try, too. And, of course, most of the 'Road' movies.
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