Classic comedy films, a cornerstone of cinema at large, have a timeless charm about them that continues to not only entertain audiences decades after their release but also influence modern filmmaking as we know it. From slapstick to satire, these comedic gems have stood the test of time and remain just as funny today as when they first hit theaters.
To that effect, here’s our ranking of the 10 best vintage comedy films that deserve a spot on your watch list.
10. Coming to America (1988)
Eddie Murphy’s fish-out-of-water tale about African prince Akeem traveling to Queens to find a bride who loves him for himself rather than his royal status is appreciably a cultural touchstone.
Directed by John Landis, this film portrays Murphy at the height of his potential, not only playing the charming prince but also multiple hilarious supporting characters in the barbershop scenes. Coming to America manages to capture something authentic about the 1980s, Queens, and the immigrant experience while maintaining its status as a wacky comedy.
The film’s enduring popularity even prompted an Amazon Prime sequel in 2021, which brought back much of the original cast, further proving the comedy’s lasting impact.
9. The Jerk (1979)
Steve Martin flaunts his impeccable comedic timing in this Carl Reiner-directed comedy, where he plays Navin Johnson, a white man raised by a Black family who leaves home to find his “special purpose.”
Martin’s performance as a lovable fool navigating life’s absurdities pretty much catapulted him into stardom (it is his first starring role). While some jokes haven’t aged perfectly, the film still delivers solid laughs with its offbeat humor, even four decades later, provided you watch it in the context of the time it was made.
Martin’s physical comedy and deadpan delivery of absurd lines like “I was born a poor Black child” make this film a cult classic that deserves multiple viewings. The movie was a box office success, lauded by critics and earning $100 million on a modest $4 million budget, making it one of Martin’s most successful films.
8. The General (1926)
Buster Keaton’s silent comedy masterpiece features some of the most spectacular and dangerous stunts ever filmed, all performed by Keaton himself. Set during the Civil War, The General follows train engineer Johnnie Gray (Keaton) as he pursues Union spies who have stolen his beloved locomotive and kidnapped his girlfriend.
The film’s breathtaking chase sequences, including a collapsing bridge with a real train, demonstrate Keaton’s physical genius as well as his innovative filmmaking. Despite its commercial failure upon release, The General, with its combination of thrilling action and Keaton’s trademark stoic humor, is now recognized as one of cinema’s greatest achievements.
7. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
The British comedy troupe’s absurdist take on Arthurian legend follows King Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his knights on their quest for the Holy Grail, encountering killer rabbits, knights who say “Ni,” and lessons in the use of holy hand grenades along the way.
The film’s combination of high-concept humor, historical satire, and low-budget ingenuity (using coconut shells in place of horse hooves is beyond hilarious) brought about a unique comedic language that continues to influence comedy as we know it. Its abrupt non-ending—with modern police arresting the medieval characters—perfectly encapsulates the Pythons’ irreverent approach to storytelling.
6. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Howard Hawks’ Bringing Up Baby is the quintessential screwball comedy. Starring Katharine Hepburn as chaotic heiress Susan Vance and Cary Grant as beleaguered paleontologist Dr. David Huxley (a.k.a. Mr. Bone), the film is a whirlwind of misunderstandings, missing dinosaur bones, and a pet leopard named Baby.
While the movie’s zany plot and rapid-fire dialogue were initially underappreciated, with critics at the time finding it overly chaotic, among other things, it has since earned classic status. If nothing else, Hepburn’s comedic timing and Grant’s exasperated reactions are enough reasons to savor this enduring gem.
In 1990, Bringing Up Baby was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
5. Trading Places (1983)
Directed by John Landis, Trading Places is an uproarious social satire starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd at their comedic best. The story revolves around two wealthy brothers who orchestrate an elaborate bet to swap the lives of an upper-class commodities broker, Louis Winthorpe III (Aykroyd), and a street-smart hustler, Billy Ray Valentine (Murphy).
What follows is a biting exploration of class privilege and human adaptability, wrapped in brilliant humor and amazing performances, including Jamie Lee Curtis’s Ophelia, a kind-hearted hooker with street smarts.
The film’s clever premise and hilarious moments—like Aykroyd’s disheveled Santa scene—this movie is both a critique of economic disparity and one of the funniest comedies of its era.
4. Groundhog Day (1993)
Though not from Hollywood’s Golden Age, Harold Ramis’ Groundhog Day feels timeless with its inventive premise and Bill Murray’s pitch-perfect performance as Phil Connors, a weatherman stuck in an endless time loop until he learns to be a better person.
The film’s genius mix of existential musings and laugh-out-loud moments make it one of the most beloved comedies ever made. Despite Phil Connors’ character being portrayed as an enormous douche, you can’t help but root for him as the film progresses and watch him get his happy, albeit hard-fought ending.
3. Young Frankenstein (1974)
Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein is both an affectionate homage to classic horror films like Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and one of cinema’s funniest parodies ever made.
Shot in black-and-white with meticulous attention to detail—including using some original Frankenstein sets—this comedy stars Gene Wilder as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (“It’s pronounced Frahnk-en-steen”), who reluctantly inherits his infamous grandfather’s castle in Transylvania.
The cast is flawless: Marty Feldman as Igor (“Eye-gor”), Teri Garr as Inga, Cloris Leachman as Frau Blücher (cue horse whinny), Peter Boyle as the lovable Monster, and Madeline Kahn as Elizabeth brings Brooks’ hysterical script to life with superb timing and chemistry.
From iconic scenes like “Puttin’ on the Ritz” to endlessly quotable lines (“What knockers!”), Young Frankenstein manages to combine slapstick humor and clever dialogue with brilliant wit (which is a rare feat in itself) while maintaining genuine affection for its source material.
2. How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
How to Marry a Millionaire delivers comedy gold as Schatze Page (Lauren Bacall), Loco Dempsey (Betty Grable), and Pola Debevoise (Marilyn Monroe) scheme to catch wealthy husbands.
The film’s humor sparkles and delights through Bacall’s deadpan delivery (“You want to catch a mouse, you set a mousetrap. All right, so we set a bear trap. Now all we gotta do, is one of us has got to catch a bear.”), Monroe’s refusal to wear glasses (“Men are not attentive to girls who wear glasses”) leads to hilarious mix-ups and Grable’s delightful naivety.
The women’s attempts to maintain a luxurious facade while broke—arriving in “borrowed” Chryslers and surviving on quarters—create perfect situational comedy. The ironic twist where all three fall for seemingly penniless men delivers both laughs and heart, especially when Schatze repeatedly dismisses the actually wealthy Tom with, “Just as soon as I finish this, I never want to see you again.” Suffice it to say, the film is a masterclass in elegant comedy with eccentric charm.
1. Airplane! (1980)
This disaster movie spoof from the team of Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, known for their slapstick comedy style, practically upended the genre with the film’s machine-gun approach to gags.
The film follows ex-fighter pilot Ted Striker (Robert Hays), who must overcome his fear of flying to land a commercial airliner after the crew falls ill with food poisoning. Leslie Nielsen’s deadpan delivery of absurd lines (“Surely you can’t be serious.” “I am serious… and don’t call me Shirley.”), visual gags in nearly every frame and puns galore created a template for parody films that many have imitated, but few have been able to truly match.