As hard as it is to compile such a list without leaving off a few, it would be even more dificult to rank them since I find them all so funny. So the list is chronological, starting with the oldest first. Enjoy and hopefully this will bring back some fond memories, or in some cases make you, the reader, want ot see the ones you may have missed.
Blazing Saddles, 1974
This Mel Brooks spoof of old westerns offended many even back in the 70’s, long before so-called “political correctness” was the rule of the day. The “N” word was used in the film, entirely tongue in cheek, as one of the points of the film was to make fun of racism and racists. It was co-written by the late Richard Pryor, after all. The plot, such as it were, centers around a crooked aide of the Governor in an unnamed state out west.
The aide, played by Harvey Korman, hatches a plan to appoint a Sheriff for the town of Rock Ridge who will be so despised by the townfolk that the town will go to pot and the state can take the land away and make loads of money from the railroad. Black Bart, played by Cleavon Little, is sprung from jail and appointed Sheriff of a town he’s never seen. There are some great lines, sight gags and just about every brand of humor imaginable, some coming at the viewer so fast it’s hard to keep up.
At the town hall meeting to discuss the new Sheriff, the all-white citizens of Rock Ridge, all named Johnson, are in a tizzy. “Dammit, I said order!” says the moderator. LIke Nitzche said ‘out of chaos comes order’ says Howard Johnson (John Hillerman/Higgins of Magnum PI) the town intelltual. “Blow it out yer’ @$$, Howard” replies Olson Johnson.
Gov. William J. Le Petomane refers to his aide, Hedley Lamarr as “Hedy”, a running joke throughout the film. “Hedley” Korman corrects his boss. “What the hell are you worried about? It’s 1874, you can sue her“, the Governor replies.
Slim Pickens does a hilarious turn as one of Lamarr’s henchmen, Gene Wilder is funny as the Waco Kid and Alex Karras is memorable as Mongo, but Little and Korman are side splitting in their roles. Brooks and Pryor give them great material as well. Don’t watch if you’re easily offended. The rest of you will laugh even if you cringe at times.
Slapshot, 1977
This hockey flick is funny, often in a profane way, but you will laugh even if you don’t know a power play from the penalty box like me. Paul Newman is Reg Dunlop, over the hill player/coach of the Charlestown Chiefs. Charlestown is a rundown hole in the wall town with high unemployment and a losing team.
Then Dunlop, prodded by the cross-dressing General Manager of the team, played by Strother Martin of “what we’ve got heah is a failya to communicate” fame, brings in the thuggish, dim-witted Hanson brothers. The three high-sticking siblings, fitted with black horn-rimmed glasses with white adhesive tape on the bridge, hit everything that moves…starting in the pregame warmups. The team starts to win, fans stream into the creaky arena to watch them play. Everybody is happy, right? Everybody except Michael Ontkean, a hockey “purist” who abhors the team’s new brawling style.
In the championship game, the team decides to play it straight without all the fighting. During the intermission, while the Chiefs are licking their wounds from a whipping, McGrath, the GM comes into the lockerroom breathing fire. It seems there are scouts from the NHL in attendance and McGrath is livid, thinking that his team’s listless performance will reflect poorly on him. “What about Toe Blake?” says one of the Hansons. “P!$$ on Toe Blake!” exclaims McGrath. “Old time Hockey?” queries another Hanson brother. P!$$ on old-time hockey!” shouts the GM.
The team goes back onto the ice, resumes their brawling ways. While both teams are fighting, Ontkean skates onto the ice and begins to strip until he is down to his jockstrap. The announcer is furious, some bloody players demand he be ejected and a geriatric woman is spotted with a pair of binoculars. The “Dirty Gertie” sports a devilsih grin as she surveys the scene. Lots of sight gags. Lots of fighting. Lots of laughs.
Animal House, 1978
Some people took this film as a glorification of fratboy hijinks on college campuses. Actually, it was a satirical look at the excesses and absurdities of that whole scene. Few films have spawned more imitators than this one. It was panned by critics, mostly, but loved by audiences to this day. Who can forget the John Belushi scene in the cafeteria, stuffing an incredible amount of food in his mouth, the ladder scene or the final scene in which Bluto Blutarski swings across the street Tarzan style using a torn banner for a rope. Then, he sweeps up his lovely bride to be and rides off with the credits rolling the “where are they now” info revealing Bluto as a U.S. Senator. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?” is one of Belushi’s famous lines.
John Vernon as Dean Wormer, Mark Metcalf as the uber-anal Douglas C. Niedermeier, and James Daughton as Greg Marmalard make ideal villains for the Delta House gang. Tim Matheson, Peter Riegert, Kevin Bacon, Karen Allen and Donald Sutherland round out the cast. And, oh yeah, Stephen Furst as Kent “Flounder” Dorfman. “Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son” is the advice Dean Vernon Wormer gives to Flounder, the master of the stupid question. A Roman “toga party”, a road trip to an all-black bar, being evicted from their frat house complete with cattle, and turning Dorfman’s car into a Batmobile like fortress on wheels to disrupt the Homecoming parade are the highlights of the film.
Used Cars, 1980
Kurt Russell stars as Rudy Russo, a used car salesman who will say practically anything to close the sale. Now there’s a real anomaly, huh? Russo works on a lot owned by Roy L. Fuchs, played by Jack Warden. Their arch-competitors are the lot across the street owned by Fuch’s twin brother, who has designs on Roy L.’s business. Word is there will soon be a freeway ramp near the two lots and the worth of the lots will skyrocket. However, Roy L.dies early in the film and it is Russo’s job to keep it a secret.
To drum up business, Russo and one of his co-workers played by Gerrit Graham hatch a plan to get free advertising by cutting in on the TV signal on the night of the President’s state of the union address. David L. Lander and Michael McKean of Lenny and Squiggy fame play the duo of technicians assigned to preempt the speech. Just as Jimmy Carter starts his speech, they cut to Gerrit Graham in a Yosemite Sam outfit, flanked by a scantily clad model. Graham screams “the price of cars ifs too #!@$*&^ high!” After giving the address of the car lot, he blows up the car, the hood flies up, catching part of the model’s dress, which is yanked over her head with little left to the imagination. And this goes into thousands of living rooms.
The scene shifts back to President Carter just as he concludes his remarks with something like “you have voiced your concerns and I have heard you”. When the FBI comes calling the next day, Graham tells the agents it was the work of Iranians. He and Russo fake Roy L. Fuchs death, remember he was already deceased, in a fiery carcrash to stall the ruthless twin while Rudy romances his only daughter. When the daughter takes over the lot, her evil Uncle’s henchmen splice a videotape to make it appear she said the lot had “a mile of cars”. A Judge proceeds to measure the length of all the cars and a driver’s education class is enlisted to drive a load of taxis onto the lot from miles away to meet the requirement. Again, not for the easily offended, but one of the funniest films of its’ era.
