You know, I really enjoyed many of the old-time comedians. There were Will Rogers, Fred Allen, Spike Jones, Amos 'n Andy, Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Jackie Gleason and Abbott and Costello.

Today, in this politically correct day, they'd all be censored. And that's a pity. Their often biting humor, laced with threads of truth, but which might be deemed offensive would not be allowed.

Today, a bit of esoteric wry humor will sneak by now and then, but the comedic open-field running days are over. Sad.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Don't forget Laurel and Hardy.

Red Skelton.

Joe E. Brown

Larry, Moe & Curley.

Jimmy Durante.

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AKA: "Strange Tamer"

As said, there are many from that era that were exceptional.

When I was about 6 years old (1952), I sat in the Mayflower Theater in Boston with my Mom and watched Dean and Jerry on stage live.

The guy and not a great comedian that did it for me was Henny Youngman. Super dry and quick.

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Doesn't hasta call me Johnson

Charlie Chaplin in "Modern Times" is my all time favorite. Especially the automatic feeder bit. I start laughing just thinking about it.

It's at the 6 minute mark in this clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfw0KapQ3qw

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Minimize the variables

Some of my favorites not yet listed are--and go a bit farther back than those mentioned:

Buster Keaton. I love "Ol Stone Face" as well as Harald Lloyd.






And Harald Lloyd:




Keaton and Durante in: What? No Beer!

No Jack Benny yet?? WELL!!!!!

And how could we possibly leave out Burns and Allen?

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Even older, even crankier....

The Borscht Belt comedians were hysterical and their acts were clean.
I would submit...
Don Rickles
Joan Rivers
Sid Caesar
Alan King
Groucho Marx
Rodney Dangerfield
Red Buttons
Shecky Green
and perhaps my favorite; Buddy Hackett

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paws for friendship

These folks were the product of Vaudeville where you performed live in front of audiences that, if they didn't like you, literally threw fruit at you. Many of them moved to TV, which was live and again separated the good talent from the bad. Those of us old enough remembered live TV when it was funny even when comedians forgot their lines. For the most part it's sad what passes for comedy today. That's why they need "canned laughter" (unlike the old days with live audiences) because most of it's not funny.

Hawkswill knows Shecky Green.
In one of the best season 1 episodes of COMBAT--where he is "Col Clyde's (Keenan Wynn) Driver for the day. That was the funniest episode of the series.




W/ Sasha Hardin (the German Captain) who thinks Greene (Braddock) is Col Clyde.

How about Foster Brooks? His drunk impression/routine still cracks me up.

Don't forget Burns & Allen or Jack Benny.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Nipsy Russell , Flip Wilson and Rowan & Martin

Let's have a toast for Victor Borge.

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Why, I aughta.....

Tim Conway
Harvey Korman
Carol Burnett
Jonathan Winters
Phil Silver

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paws for friendship

if you look at the Dean Martin Comedy roasts on "you tube" you will you see these comedians at their best and I think Dean had the most fun just being the emcee.

I also forgot to mention Redd Foxx

Anyone remember Rusty Warren? When my grandfather died i received all his old records. Included was a album of hers. Interesting to hear. Especially since i was ten at the time. I miss that man and now being older could imagine him listening to that while building things in his work basement.

George Gobel.

Youtube the 1969 Carson show segment with Dean Martin and Bob Hope listening to George tell stories. Hi-larious!

They don't make them like those guys anymore.

Everyone in "It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world"

Ernie Kovaks provided a "laugh-out-loud" evening at our house. His take on the poet, "Percy Dovetonsils", was a real inspiration to me during my starving-poet years. Check him out on youtube.

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Why, I aughta.....

I can't imagine why you think the guys you mentioned, and the others added to the list today, would be "censored". They were all squeaky clean compared to a lot of the stuff children, much less adults, can see today. Laurel & Hardy never needed to work blue. Certainly Abbott & Costello worked clean. Nowadays even 90-year-old Betty White gets away with bawdy humor that would have shocked the hell out of Fred Allen, one of my all-time favorites.

I've decided that in my old age I look like a cross between Allen and Buster Keaton, so I may be a bit biased...

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Oh well, what the hell.

How 'bout Shelley Berman & Rusty Warren?

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Rick, W0FG
CTR2 68-72

It may seem too obvious to mention but lets not forget good ol Johnny Carson! He had great timing and boy could he think on his feet!

The first one that came to my mind was Red Skelton (already mentioned). That is my first memory of laughing out loud at a comedian...watching him on my grandparents old TV (before my family even had one!) His silly humor was right up my alley as a kid!

Ernie Kovacs was thirty years ahead of his time. A true comic genius, and a terrible loss when he was killed. Percy was only one of many wonderful characters he gave us.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Many good comics listed. I'd like to add a personal favorite of mine Bob Newhart.
Henny Youngman was hilarious!

Impressionists Rich Little and Frank Gorshin.

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RIP Shipmate

Jerry Clower and Justin Wilson

We get something called Me T.V and the Jack Benny Show is shown quite often. His timing was impeccable. His co stars like Eddie Rochester Anderson, Mel Blanc and Frank Nelson were tops too.

If you don't know who Frank Nelson is watch this, you'll recognize hum instantly. He always gave Benny a rough time.

Frank Nelson torments Jack Benny - YouTube

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

Jackie gleason ,ralph cramden and barney-5

Great list except for the psycho Joan Rivers. I have never found anything that woman says or does that is even remotely funny. Actually, I find her and her offspring quite annoying and a tad bit offensive!!

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NRA Life member

George Carlin....

I liked Dangerfield doing standup or as a guest on Carson's show--not so much in his movies. I'd have to treasure him for his epitaph: I understand his tombstone is inscribed, "There goes the neighborhood."

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Oh well, what the hell.

I would definitely have to go with Skelton and Benny and Hope. And to have some feminine input, Phyllis Diller had some wonderful one liners about life with children and Fang!

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2 Blessed 2B Stressed

my two favorites.....
Jackie "Moms" Mabley
George Carlin

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There's nowt so queer as folk

No mention of some of my favorites

Marx brothers, Jackie Cooper, Sid Caesar, Art Carney, Redd Foxx, Imogene Coca, Wally Cox, Buddy Hackett, Mort Sahl,

I saw Mort Sahl in an oldish War Movie I THINK was called: All the Young Men w/ Alan Ladd & Sidney Poitier in it. It took place during the Korean War. Mort Sahl did some great satire routines in the movie. kinda akin to Bob Newhart doing his routine in: Hell Is For Heroes.

Victor Borge
Jackie Gleason
Ma and Pa Kettle
Laurel and Hardy could make you roar with just a facial expression.

W.C. Fields! And although he isn't really a "Old Timer" Benny Hill!

Redd Foxx used to say "You keep it up, just keep on, I'm gonna leave...and you sure gonna be sorry when you see me comin' back!"
Bill Dana(Jose Jimenez) with Steve Allen

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Halfway and one more step

I've laughed a lot with the names mentioned.

Once on the Carson show Buddy Hackett was telling about going to the funeral of an older Hollywood actor. He said no one liked that fella but you have to go to funerals so folks will come to yours.

He said he looked around and no one was crying, Buddy said he reached up and pulled some hair from his nose and the tears flowed. Carson, his guests and I all laughed our tails off.

Mae West was very into humor and was always trying to beat the censors. One line that did slide by was when some armed thugs came to see her, "she said is that a pistol in your pocket or are you"; I CENSORED! this one to keep with our family values.

No body liked Amos 'n' Andy

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Psalm 23:4

This guy is from my youth and he is hilarious and just plain weird! Charlie Callas.
Charlie Callas in performance 1978 - YouTube

@ Paladin
Today, in this politically correct day, they'd all be censored. And that's a pity. Their often biting humor, laced with threads of truth, but which might be deemed offensive would not be allowed.

Today, a bit of esoteric wry humor will sneak by now and then, but the comedic open-field running days are over. Sad.


And the real shame is these half wit's get out there attempting to be funny and all they do is cuss and talk about screwin whatever they can find and get away with it.

A lot of yesterdays comedians and comediennes were Jewish. There's something about Jewish humor that really cracks me up. There's a stage show going on in Chicago now called "Old Jews Telling Jokes". I'd like to see it but I'm not going down there.

Don't know how I could have forgotten Borge. One of the funniest people I've ever seen, and a really splendid musician besides.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Victor Borge's phonetic punctuation routine while reading a book aloud was hilarious; one of the funniest things I've ever heard. Here's a sample:

Victor Borge: Phonetic punctuation - YouTube

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

In one of his routines, which I heard on an old 78rpm record over sixty years ago, he quoted his father asking him how old he was. "I'm six, Father," he answered. "Shame on you," his father said, "when I was your age I was twelve."

He also did a fake opera that would regularly put me on the floor.

And after completely breaking up an audience he would play or conduct a lovely classical selection brilliantly.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Despite having seen them many, many times, I still laugh out loud
at many of the I Love Lucy episodes. Just the other day I watched
the one where she get's a trophy cup stuck on her head and get's
lost in the subway. Had to stop what I was doing and watch some
it, and yes I laughed out loud. I like many of the old time stars and
many of the old time TV shows. So much of today's stuff is just not
funny to me.

How could anyone forget Uncle Miltie. Milton Berle . The man was an absolute gas. The old shows were the absolute best because the were live. The goofs were funnier than the actual skit. Some great memories.
DW

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"NUTS"

I liked Amos and Andy when I was a little kid, I thought they were hilarious, I didn't know they were white guys. All we had was radio until I was nearly 6...I've been told by my mom that I would sit and listen to the nightly news by Edward R. Morrow, must have been something about his voice.
I think Burns and Allen have to be on the top of the list of all time great comedy duos...it was smart comedy...like Carlin.

Could anything be much funnier than Tim Conway demolishing Harvey Korman and Burnett on the old Carol Burnett show? Not that long ago, but some of the funniest moments I've ever seen on TV. Conway was diabolical at breaking people up with off-the-wall ad libs.

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Oh well, what the hell.