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List of Funny Movies Everyone Should See

* “Bananas” (Woody Allen): Woody plays fledgling revolutionary Fielding Melish; two classic cameos by Cosell.

* “Sleeper” (Woody Allen): I would have thought everyone had seen this classic; apparently some people have not.

* “Love and Death” (Woody Allen): Woody tackles the big issues—love, death, religion, existentialism.

* “Take the Money and Run” (Woody Allen): Woody’s ersatz documentary contains perhaps the funniest sight gag on film.

* “Annie Hall” (Woody Allen): You’ve seen it (I hope). See it again until you can quote from it easily in conversation.

* “The In-Laws” (Peter Falk, Alan Arkin): Like a Shakespearean comedy in that it ends with a wedding; otherwise not very Shakespearean at all.

* “Local Hero” (Peter Riegert, William Forsythe directing): The sleeper on the list; great Scottish scenery and a beautiful story.

* “Day at the Races” (Marx Bros.): The ice cream scene is perhaps the finest of all the Groucho-Chico exchanges.

* “Night at the Opera” (Marx Bros.): Often in a double bill with “Day”; the stateroom scene may be the brothers’ best.

* “Horsefeathers” (Marx Bros.): One of several that could easily make the list; others include “Duck Soup” and “Animal Crackers.”

* “Diner” (Bacon, Gutenberg, Rourke, Barkin, Stern; Levinson dir.) the cast members have all gone on to bigger things, but none has done better.

* “Being There” (Peter Sellers): Some say a Pink panther movie should be on the list. Maybe, but Sellers’ best lines are right here.

* “It’s a Mad, Mad World” (Winters, Berle, Silver, Durante, Tracy et al.): A cast of comedic legends tracks the Big W. Look for it.

* “Blazing Saddles” (Mel Brooks): Brooks’ best; few movies can match the slapstick; few can match the one-liners. Perhaps none can match both.

* “The Producers” (Mel Brooks): Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder in a very good movie about a very bad play.

This list was constructed circa 1992. Since then, there are just three movies worth adding:

* “There's Something About Mary” (The Farelly Brothers): The only movie in the '90s to make the list. Surprising story goes with excellent bits by Matt Dillon and Chris Elliot.

* “The Wedding Crashers” (Owen Wilson & Vince Vaughn): Vaughn (“Swingers”) and Wilson (“Meet the Parents”) have both worked at the edges of this list. But with “Crashers,” they bust a move inside.

* “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” (Mike Myers): From “Saturday Night Live” to “Shrek,” Myers is the greatest comic genius working today. This movie adds to the language: Shag, Yeah, baby, and Oh, Behnave!

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