Leslie Nielsen...he spent half of his career playing it straight in scores of decent movies but he shined as a bumbling dope in The Naked Gun and Airplane movies...God do i miss this legend!
Madeline Khan...she was wonderful and hilarious in The Mel Brooks films and Clue, among others...
She left us too young but she always made me snort with laughter!
Do you have a favorite funny movie man or goofy gal?
So many great ones, R_Kane!
I was also going to list Gracie Allen, but I see you have her covered. I watch her and George each morning on Antenna TV. You might say that she starts my days with a laugh or two or....
Gracie played dumb, but, unlike Lucy, she never played spoiled and immature. She was damned smart, and classy. George definitely got the better deal in that bargain.
EDIT I was just thinking: imagine what would happen if Jackie “The Great One” Gleason were alive and doing his Honeymooners sketches. The instant he bellowed, his face distorted in rage, “One of these days, Alice, one of these days—POW!! Right in the kisser!!” My guess is that a pistol shout would ring out from
the studio audience, and he’d become The Dead One.
George said something in his book about her shtick. It really wasn't a dumb act. Gracie was simply illogically logical.He also basically said that he knew that Gracie was the best thing that ever happened to him. He was the one who loved show business, but without her, I really don't think he would have gotten very far.
As for Gleason and his famous line in The Honeymooners,I have no doubt that you are right. Times have definitely changed.
“Illogically logical!” That is a PERFECT description, Margo. Thank you for that. At the age of 5, and working with a memory filtered through more than half a century, I’d not have grasped that on my own. Gracie had genius, didn’t she? But at least, even at 5, I knew that she was the better half!
You really ought to check out the book, Gracie, A Love Story.... by George Burns.
It's funny and full of interesting tidbits. Granted, it is through the eyes of George, but who is better than the one who loved her? He told one fine story! He told it in a very special way.
It has things about Jack Benny and Mary Wilson. Mary was obviously not a friend. Jack and George were the best of buddys!
I see so many performers and actors and actresses that I have loved watching over the years. Let me just add John Belushi. In fact, let me just add the entire first group of Not Ready For Prime Time Players from the early days of Saturday Night Live. I'll even add Mr. Bill! "Oh Noooo!"
Belushi is a legend!
Terrible shame really...once again, drugs are simply awful
I thought Chris Farley was approaching the physical comedy and silly zaniness levels of Belushi during his career but the damned dope killed HIM too!
Funny thing...if you look at a lot of the great comedians many of them were haunted by personal issues...addicted, divorced, orphaned, depressed, alcoholic, tough to live with, manic, lacking in self-worth etc...
'Comedy' is a tough game!
True
I miss that big lug...his 'motivational speaker' who 'lived in a van down by the river' on Saturday Night Live still comes up in my conversations lol😂
I have always wanted to destroy a coffee table by flopping onto it because of Chris Farley!