10. The Yodeling Kid From Pine Ridge (1937)
This movie is everything you could want from a Gene Autry film and in my opinion is one of his finest works. The story is rather slight but of course all we want from a film like this is fast paced action and good old fashioned country music. This movie gives us both of those in spades. Gene Autry gets to show just why he was known as the singing cowboy, perfectly crooning these old school country songs, and the band The Tennessee Ramblers also delight with their few performances in this movie. Comic relief and singer, Smiley Burnette gets one of his finest roles here as well.
9. My Pal Trigger (1946)
Being a lover of both horses and old B westerns, a Roy Rogers movie where Trigger in in the titular role of course has great appeal to me. It doesn't hurt that this is one of Roy's best films with fast paced action, great songs and more heart than you'd find in any other Roy Rogers movie. This is a treat.
8. Buck Privates (1941)
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Hold That Ghost and The Time of Their Lives are in my opinion Abbott and Costello's finest films, but Buck Privates holds a special place in my heart that those don't. It was the movie that turned me on to classic film comedy. I was a small kid and watching Abbott and Costello perform some of their great routines with such great youthful energy was the funniest thing I had ever seen. If I hadn't fallen in love with this movie perhaps I wouldn't have discovered Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton, The Marx Brothers, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin, Harry Langdon and so many more. The Andrew Sisters' musical numbers also taught me how great music was around before rock and roll. Whenever I watch this film, it brings me back to childhood and discovering my love of classic film comedy.
7. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
If The General is Buster Keaton's best made film, than Sherlock Jr. is his funniest. This barely feature length movie moves at a brisk pace and brings us gag after gag. What is incredible with this break neck pace and never stopping gags is that all of them work. This is the definition of a laugh out loud funny comedy and it has me doing that for its whole length.
6. The Gay Divorcee (1934)
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers never fail to brighten my mood. Their art is pure escapism at its finest and all of their movies put a smile on my face. These films exist in a world completely separate from ours. They do for urban life what Roy Rogers and Gene Autry movies did for western life. They romanticize it to a point where the films exist in their own reality that all of us wish we could live in and for the length of their movies we do live in it. It is hard to pick for a favorite among these movies, but The Gay Divorcee might be mine.
5. Duck Soup (1933)
What do you get when you combine one of the great film directors (Leo McCarey) and one of the great comedy teams (The Marx Brothers)? One of the all time classic comedies. If there is a movie I can quote from beginning to end and do so often, it is Duck Soup. The Marx Brothers are at their best here and I laugh through the entire film each time I watch it. This movie will pick me up every time I feel even slightly down.
4. A Chump at Oxford (1944)
There is something initially heartwarming about Laurel and Hardy films. The friendship between these two characters is honestly quite lovely and because of this their movies never need to try for pathos or touching moments because it is already there in the relationship. This movie highlights the friendship between the two and the ending always makes me feel all warm inside. Despite this the rest of the film is completely made of classic slapstick comedy of the highest order. This feature has Stan and Ollie at their funniest and is one of my favorite features from the duo.
3. Dumbo (1941)
This is by far my favorite Disney animated feature film. As a huge cartoon fan I love that this movie is completely and unashamedly a cartoon. This is like a feature length Silly Symphony and I love every second of it. The world is so bright and colorful, the gags and musical numbers are so much fun and the emotional moments are so incredible effective. This is perfect filmmaking (animated or otherwise) at its finest.
2. For Heaven's Sake (1926)
Out of all of the Harold Lloyd films, this is the one I have watched more than any other. Yet I never get tired of it. This to me is one of the finest feature length silent comedies ever made. The jokes come fast and furious and all of them hit home perfectly. This movie has so many perfect silent comedy moments, such as how Harold gets all the drunks into the church building and the fantastic race to the chapel at the end. This is a film that once you see you will never forget.
1. Show People (1928)
One of my favorite movies and a perfect mixture of comedy and romance. Marion Davies and William Haines receive their best roles in this movie and have perfect chemistry together. King Vidor is one of the all time best movie directors and gets to perfectly show why here. The humor here is absolutely perfect and I laugh out loud often whenever I watch it. Scenes such as Peggy trying to cry as well as her showing her range of acting emotions are as funny as anything done in any of the great silent comedies. As well as one of the all time great romantic comedies this is also a lovely tribute to silent film, not long before the silent era would be over. As a silent movie fan there is so much in this film from the cameos to the view of the classic studios to the excellent tributes to Mack Sennett and Keystone. A movie as delightful and fun as this is something that should be celebrated and no matter how many times I watch this film, I am never going to get tired of it.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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