Old time comedy that does hold up

[Laurie]

The Women has always been a favorite of mine.

[JonFromMaplewood]

I still find "A Confederacy of Dunces" funny. Is that old time?

It seems that old cartoons are "in-bounds", so I would also like to throw Foghorn Leghorn out there.  I showed it to my daughter a while back, and she asked me, "Who's the good guy?" I thought, "Oh my God, the child is right! This is like a Neil Labute play!"  Everyone in the whole fucking thing is miserable...from the dog to the chickenhawk to Foghorn himself.

I never cease to laugh when Foghorn sees the pointdexter chicken putting together a Rube-Goldberg contraption for hurling a pumpkin, tells the chicken he's doing it wrong, and fixes the contraption for him. Shortly thereafter, Foghorn gets a look of confusion on his face. He turns back to ask the chicken why he's hurling a pumpkin, but before Foghorn can get the question out (as we all know, he stammers), a pumpkin slams him in the face.  OBJECTIVELY FUNNY!

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

I pretty much agree with everything mentioned so far, and would add Moss Hart, who co-wrote a lot of George S. Kaufman's stuff.  Occasionally some of those Algonquin Round Table zingers will also make me chuckle, though they're mostly witty rather than funny.

I'm probably opening myself up to ridicule here, but Plautus, the ancient Roman comedy writer, is actually still funny, and in fact most of the gags in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum are lifted from it whole.  Old Italian comedies (including those by Machiavelli) are still pretty funny if they're staged right - ditto with Shakespeare - though that's rare.  I have to say, though, that the comic relief in serious Shakespeare (think Falstaff) is usually funnier than the straight-up comedies.

While I'm giving a theater history lesson here, I have yet to encounter a funny Noel Coward play, and Aristophanes (credited with writing the first recorded comedy) makes zero fucking sense to me.

[God Stewart]

I don't know if this old-timey enough but I think Jack Lemon is hilarious in Some Like It Hot.

[JonFromMaplewood]

I pretty much agree with everything mentioned so far, and would add Moss Hart, who co-wrote a lot of George S. Kaufman's stuff.  Occasionally some of those Algonquin Round Table zingers will also make me chuckle, though they're mostly witty rather than funny.

I'm probably opening myself up to ridicule here, but Plautus, the ancient Roman comedy writer, is actually still funny, and in fact most of the gags in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum are lifted from it whole.  Old Italian comedies (including those by Machiavelli) are still pretty funny if they're staged right - ditto with Shakespeare - though that's rare.  I have to say, though, that the comic relief in serious Shakespeare (think Falstaff) is usually funnier than the straight-up comedies.

While I'm giving a theater history lesson here, I have yet to encounter a funny Noel Coward play, and Aristophanes (credited with writing the first recorded comedy) makes zero fucking sense to me.

I love the sudden shift from my Foghorn Leghorn post to your Aristophanes post, Jason.  I think my ears popped on the way up.

[samir]

It seems that old cartoons are "in-bounds", so I would also like to throw Foghorn Leghorn out there.  I showed it to my daughter a while back, and she asked me, "Who's the good guy?" I thought, "Oh my God, the child is right! This is like a Neil Labute play!" 

Comparison of the Month!

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

That is great, Jon.  Though I actually think Foghorn Leghorn is better than anything LaBute has ever written.  Or Aristophanes, for that matter. 

[emma]

Aristophanes

Most Boring Old Greek Playwright Ever. We had to read The Clouds for philosophy--it's like a super-unfunny piece of philosophy fan fiction, or something the guy you know who is always doing awful Monty Python impressions would write and then read out loud ALL THE TIME. Without being asked. With hilarious Comedy Voices for each character. Yeeeeesh.

[Julie]

Harold Lloyd is still hilarious.

[super unison]

Aristophanes

Most Boring Old Greek Playwright Ever. We had to read The Clouds for philosophy--it's like a super-unfunny piece of philosophy fan fiction, or something the guy you know who is always doing awful Monty Python impressions would write and then read out loud ALL THE TIME. Without being asked. With hilarious Comedy Voices for each character. Yeeeeesh.

It's kind of like what Tom says about satire.  The ideas are important but the jokes themselves aren't funny.  Some of Aristophanes' ideas still hold up now but to me his actual comedy pretty much boils down to fart jokes and jabs at 5th century politicians who faded into obscurity.  The Greek Lenny Bruce?

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

He told it like it was, man!  Why can't it be more like the 420 B.C.'s, when comedy actually meant something.

[Joe Rogaine]

Don Rickles, Jacki Gleason, Peter Cook

[Chris L]

Don Rickles, Jackee Gleason, Peter Cook

Peter Cook may be old by now (and arguably, dead) but I don't consider him "old timey." 

Has anyone seen The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer?  Should I buy the R2 dvd?

[Joe Rogaine]

Don Rickles, Jackee Gleason, Peter Cook

Peter Cook may be old by now (and arguably, dead) but I don't consider him "old timey." 

Has anyone seen The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer?  Should I buy the R2 dvd?

I thought that was pushing it

[Sarah]

Peter Cook may be . . . arguably, dead

You have doubts?