5 Classic Comedies From The Golden Age of Hollywood

We all have a tendency to look back on the past with nostalgic, rose-tinted spectacles…even if we weren’t there. And the success of the French movie The Artist has created an affection for those days of early film.

Of course, this reflective view isn’t always accurate. However, I think, for most of us, ‘old’ movies hold a charm that simply isn’t present in modern films. The vast majority of modern movies will be long forgetten in 50 years time. Classic movies, especially comedies, are some of my all time favourites.

The five classic comedies below, are not silent movies like The Artist. Instead, they’re from the golden age of Hollywood; a period which spanned from the advent of the ‘talkies’ in the 1920s to the early 1960s.

They range from screwball and slapstick to more sinister comedy - but all of them are very, very funny.

Adapted from a stage musical of the same name, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was directed by Howard Hawks (there’ll be more from him later). The movie stars Marilyn Monroe (in one of her most iconic roles) and Jane Russell.

The plot revolves around two friends and singers Lorelei Lee (Monroe) and Dorothy Shaw (Russell). The father of Lorelei’s fiancé, believes she is just a golddigger and, therefore, won’t consent to their marriage. So, Lorelei travels to Paris, accompanied by Dorothy, and claims she won’t return until her fiancé, Gus (Tommy Noonan), comes to fetch her.

While on the boat, however, they are followed by a private detective, Ernie Malone; hired by Gus’ father. Ernie (Elliot Reid) doesn’t find the job too much of a chore, as he is instantly attracted to Dorothy.

Complications arise when diamond-loving Lorelei meets diamond mine-owning Sir Francis Beekman (Charles Coburn).

Gentlemen Prefer Blonds is filled with great musical numbers, sharp wit from Jane Russell, and Marilyn Monroe at her ditsy, blonde best.

Starring Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn, and directed by Howard Hawks, Bringing Up Baby is, in this writer’s opinion, the finest classic comedy from the golden age of Hollywood. It’s got great physical humour, wonderfully sharp dialogue and fabulous chemistry between the two leads.

Palaeontologist, David Huxley (Grant) is busying finishing his brontosaurus and eagerly awaiting his marriage to Alice Swallow (Virginia Walker). However, he’s sidetracked when forced to schmooze the rich lawyer whose client may donate $1 million to his museum.

While on the golf course with the lawyer, Mr Peabody (George Irving), David runs into the flighty Susan Vance (Hepburn), who is playing his ball. He eventually retrieves the ball only to discover that Susan is driving away in his car.

The next morning, Susan telephones David to tell him that she has been sent a leopard. He naturally assumes she means a stuffed animal. However, ‘Baby’ is very much alive. Reluctantly, David agrees to help Susan transport Baby to her family’s farm in Westlake. However, when they eventually arrive, Susan concocts a number of methods to prevent him from returning to New York, including stealing his clothes.

Bringing Up Baby has got something for everybody, it is one of the finest examples of screwball comedy and is timelessly funny.