Hollywood Writers Name the Funniest Scripts of All-Time, ‘Annie Hall’ Tops List
There’s nothing quite so subjective as humor in this world, and so what better way to discuss it than with a ranked list? That was the thinking guiding the newest and most ambitious group undertaking from the Writers Guild of America, the union collecting the film and television writers working in Hollywood (referred to as WGA West) and New York (WGA East). The august body polled itself on the funniest screenplays of all time and compiled the responses into a newly released list of the top 101, finally putting arguments over comedy supremacy to bed once and for all. No longer will movie dorks quibble over whether or not modern gem Bridesmaids (#16) is funnier than screwball classic Bringing Up Baby (#24). It is, and what’s more, we know that it is exactly eight movies funnier.
We kid, we kid. Lists of this nature are here to generate spirited debate, to provide neophyte movie-lovers with a good starting point in their cinephilia, and to take the temperature of the comedy world at large. The list, reproduced below, doesn’t hand down any ironclad rulings, but the trends do communicate the major figures of the history of comedy on film. Woody Allen reigns supreme with his Annie Hall script, and six more of his originals landed on the list as well. Harold Ramis trails him with five, Mel Brooks and Preston Sturges follow with four, and Charlie Chaplin, the Coen brothers, John Cleese, and Christopher Guest all made it into the three-script club.
Take a look at the list below, and set the respectful, impassioned debate off right with your take on the most egregious snub. For starters, where in god’s name is the Wet Hot American Summer script?
1. Annie Hall, Written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman, 1977
2. Some Like It Hot, Screenplay by Billy Wilder & I.A. L. Diamond, Based on the German film Fanfare of Love by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan,1959
3. Groundhog Day, Screenplay by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis, Story by Danny Rubin, 1993
4. Airplane!, Written by James Abrahams & David Zucker & Jerry Zucker, 1980
5. Tootsie, Screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal, Story by Don McGuire and Larry Gelbart, 1982
6. Young Frankenstein, Screenplay by Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks, Screen Story by Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks, Based on Characters in the Novel Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, 1974
7. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Peter George and Terry Southern, 1964
8. Blazing Saddles, Screenplay by Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Alan Uger, Story by Andrew Bergman, 1974
9. Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, 1975
10. National Lampoon’s Animal House, Written by Harold Ramis & Douglas Kenney & Chris Miller, 1978
11. This Is Spinal Tap, Written by Christopher Guest & Michael McKean & Rob Reiner & Harry Shearer, 1984
12. The Producers, Written by Mel Brooks, 1967
13. The Big Lebowski, Written by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, 1998
14. Ghostbusters, Written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, 1984
15. When Harry Met Sally…, Written by Nora Ephron, 1989
16. Bridesmaids, Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig, 2011
17. Duck Soup, Story by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, Additional Dialogue by Arthur Sheekman and Nat Perrin, 1933
18. There’s Something About Mary, Screenplay by John J. Strauss & Ed Decter and Peter Farrelly & Bobby Farrelly, Story by Ed Decter & John J. Strauss, 1998
19. The Jerk, Screenplay by Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, Michael Elias, Story by Steve Martin & Carl Gottlieb, 1979
20. A Fish Called Wanda, Screenplay by John Cleese, Story by John Cleese & Charles Crichton, 1988
21. His Girl Friday, Screenplay by Charles Lederer, Based on the Play “The Front Page” by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur, 1940
22. The Princess Bride, Screenplay by William Goldman, Based on Goldman’s Novel of the Same Name, 1987
23. Raising Arizona, Written by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, 1987
24. Bringing Up Baby, Screenplay by Hagar Wilde and Dudley Nichols, Story by Hagar Wilde, 1938
25. Caddyshack, Written by Brian Doyle-Murray & Harold Ramis & Douglas Kenney, 1980
26. Monty Python’s Life Of Brian, Written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, 1979
27. The Graduate, Screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry, Based on the Novel by Charles Webb, 1967
28. The Apartment, Written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond, 1960
29. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Peter Baynham & Dan Mazer, Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines & Todd Phillips, Based on a Character Created by Sacha Baron Cohen, 2006
30. The Hangover, Written by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore, 2009
31. The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Written by Judd Apatow & Steve Carell, 2005
32. The Lady Eve, Screenplay by Preston Sturges, Story by Monckton Hoffe, 1941
33. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (TIE), Written by John Hughes, 1986
33. Trading Places (TIE), Written by Timothy Harris & Herschel Weingrod, 1983
35. Sullivan’s Travels, Written by Preston Sturges, 1941
36. Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Written by John Hughes, 1987
37. The Philadelphia Story, Screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart, Based on the Play by Philip Barry, 1940
38. A Night at the Opera, Screenplay by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, From a Story by James Kevin McGuinness, 1935
39. Rushmore, Written by Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson, 1998
40. Waiting for Guffman, Written by Christopher Guest & Eugene Levy, 1996
41. The Odd Couple, Screenplay by Neil Simon, From the Play by Neil Simon as Produced on the Stage by Saint-Subber, 1968
42. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, Written by Jerry Zucker & Jim Abrahams & David Zucker & Pat Proft, Based on the Television Series Police Squad! Created by Jim Abrahams & David Zucker & Jerry Zucker, 1988
43. Office Space, Written for the Screen by Mike Judge, Based on the “Milton” Animated Shorts by Mike Judge, 1999
44. Big, Written by Anne Spielberg & Gary Ross, 1988
45. National Lampoon’s Vacation, Screenplay by John Hughes, 1983
46. Midnight Run, Written by George Gallo, 1988
47. It Happened One Night, Screenplay by Robert Riskin, Based on the Short Story by Samuel Hopkins Adams, 1934
48. M*A*S*H, Screenplay by Ring Lardner, Jr., From the Novel by Richard Hooker, 1970
49. Harold and Maude, Written by Colin Higgins, 1971
50. Shaun of the Dead, Written by Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright, 2004
51. Broadcast News, Written by James L. Brooks, 1987
52. Arthur, Written by Steven Gordon, 1981
53. Four Weddings and a Funeral, Written by Richard Curtis, 1994
54. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (TIE), Written by Will Ferrell & Adam McKay, 2004
54. Dumb and Dumber (TIE), Written by Peter Farrelly & Bennett Yellin & Bob Farrelly, 1994
56. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Written by Mike Myers, 1997
57. The General, Written by Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman, Adapted by Al Boasberg and Charles Smith, 1926
58. What’s Up, Doc?, Screenplay by Buck Henry and David Newman & Robert Benton, Story by Peter Bogdanovich, 1972
59. Wedding Crashers, Written by Steve Faber & Bob Fisher, 2005
60. Sleeper, Written by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman, 1973
61. Galaxy Quest, Screenplay by David Howard and Robert Gordon, Story by David Howard, 1999
62. It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Screenplay by William and Tania Rose, Story by William and Tania Rose, 1963
63. Best in Show, Written by Christopher Guest & Eugene Levy, 2000
64. Little Miss Sunshine, Written by Michael D. Arndt, 2006
65. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, Written by Trey Parker & Matt Stone & Pam Brady, 1999
66. Being There, Screenplay by Jerzy Kosinski, Inspired by the Novel by Jerzy Kosinski, 1979
67. Back to the Future, Written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale, 1985
68. Superbad, Written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, 2007
69. Bananas, Written by Woody Allen, Mickey Rose, 1971
70. Moonstruck, Written by John Patrick Shanley, 1987
71. Clueless, Written by Amy Heckerling, 1995
72. The Palm Beach Story, Written by Preston Sturges, 1942
73. The Pink Panther, Written by Maurice Richlin & Blake Edwards, 1963
74. The Blues Brothers, Written by Dan Aykroyd and John Landis, 1980
75. Coming to America, Screenplay by David Sheffield & Barry W. Blaustein, Story by Eddie Murphy, 1988
76. Take the Money and Run, Screenplay by Woody Allen and Mickey Rose, Story by Jackson Beck, 1969
77. Election, Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, Based on the Novel by Tom Perrotta, 1999
78. Love and Death, Written by Woody Allen, 1975
79. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (TIE), Written by Dale Launer and Stanley Shapiro & Paul Henning, 1988
79. Lost in America (TIE), Written by Albert Brooks & Monica Johnson, 1985
81. Manhattan, Written by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman, 1979
82. Modern Times, Written by Charles Chaplin, 1936
83. My Cousin Vinny, Written by Dale Launer, 1992
84. Mean Girls, Screenplay by Tina Fey, Based on the Book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman, 2004
85. Meet the Parents, Screenplay by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg, Story by Greg Glienna & Mary Ruth Clarke, 2000
86. Fargo, Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, 1996
87. My Favorite Year, Screenplay by Dennis Palumbo and Norman Steinberg, Story by Dennis Palumbo, 1982
88. Stripes, Written by Len Blum & Dan Goldberg and Harold Ramis, 1981
89. Beverly Hills Cop, Screenplay by Daniel Petrie, Jr., Story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie, Jr., 1984
90. City Lights, Written by Charles Chaplin, 1931
91. Sideways, Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, Based on the Novel by Rex Pickett, 2004
92. Broadway Danny Rose, Written by Woody Allen, 1984
93. Swingers, Written by Jon Favreau, 1996
94. The Gold Rush, Written by Charles Chaplin, 1925
95. The Miracle Of Morgan’s Creek, Written by Preston Sturges, 1944
96. All About Eve, Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Based on the Short Story and Radio Program “The Wisdom of Eve” by Mary Orr, 1950
97. Arsenic and Old Lace, Screenplay by Julius Epstein & Philip G. Epstein, Based on the Play by Joseph Kesselring, 1944
98. The Royal Tenenbaums, Written by Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson, 2001
99. Mrs. Doubtfire, Screenplay by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, Based on Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine, 1993
100. Flirting with Disaster, Written by David O. Russell, 1996
101. Shakespeare in Love, Written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, 1998