Murtada here.The Writers Guild of America released their list of the 101 funniest screenplays of all time. The screenplays were voted on by members of both the East and West coast branches of the WGA. The eligible screenplays had to be in English and at least one hour in length.
Woody Allen is by far the most popular name on the list. He has seven titles including the WGA’s top pick Annie Hall (1977) which he co-wrote with Marshall Brickman. Compartively Billy Wilder only has two titles on the list, The Apartment (1960) and Some Like it Hot (1959). Other writers scoring multiple films include Mel Brooks, Preston Sturges, Christopher Guest, Charlie Chaplin, the Coen Brothers and surprisingly Harold Ramis.
Perhaps to ward off criticism about the lack of representation of women and people of color, the WGA acknowledged the list’s heavy “white bro dudeness”:
"Comedy screenwriting has long been a playground that women and writers of color have not had enough time in. The work of Richard Pryor on Blazing Saddles, Tina Fey on Mean Girls, Amy Heckerling on Clueless, and Hagar Wilde, co-writer of Bringing Up Baby, makes you wonder what a list would be if the playground had been more inclusive all along."
That’s all well and good but even when included the stories of women were low on the list. Really The Hangover and Wedding Crashers are funnier than All About Eve and Mean Girls ? Come on !
Surely everybody looking at the list will have their own reservations and “Really!!!” moments. Tell us yours in the comments.
The list in full after the jump:
1. Annie Hall (1977) - Written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman
2. Some Like It Hot (1959) - Screenplay by Billy Wilder & I.A. L. Diamond, Based on the German filmFanfare of Love by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan
3. Groundhog Day (1993) - Screenplay by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis, Story by Danny Rubin
4. Airplane! (1980) - Written by James Abrahams & David Zucker & Jerry Zucker
5. Tootsie (1982) - Screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal, Story by Don McGuire and Larry Gelbart
6. Young Frankenstein (1974) - 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
7. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) - Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Peter George and Terry Southern
8. Blazing Saddles (1974) - Screenplay by Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Alan Uger, Story by Andrew Bergman
9. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) - Written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
10. National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978) - Written by Harold Ramis & Douglas Kenney & Chris Miller
11. This Is Spinal Tap (1984) - Written by Christopher Guest & Michael McKean & Rob Reiner & Harry Shearer
12. The Producers (1967) - Written by Mel Brooks
13. The Big Lebowski (1998) - Written by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
14. Ghostbusters (1984) - Written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis
15. When Harry Met Sally… (1989) - Written by Nora Ephron
16. Bridesmaids (2011) - Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
17. Duck Soup (1933) - Story by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, Additional Dialogue by Arthur Sheekman and Nat Perrin
18. There’s Something About Mary (1998) - Screenplay by John J. Strauss & Ed Decter and Peter Farrelly & Bobby Farrelly, Story by Ed Decter & John J. Strauss
19. The Jerk (1979) - Screenplay by Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, Michael Elias, Story by Steve Martin & Carl Gottlieb
20. A Fish Called Wanda (1988) - Screenplay by John Cleese, Story by John Cleese & Charles Crichton
21. His Girl Friday (1940) - Screenplay by Charles Lederer, Based on the Play “The Front Page” by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur
22. The Princess Bride (1987) - Screenplay by William Goldman, Based on Goldman’s Novel of the Same Name
23. Raising Arizona (1987) - Written by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
24. Bringing Up Baby (1938) - Screenplay by Hagar Wilde and Dudley Nichols, Story by Hagar Wilde
25. Caddyshack (1980) - Written by Brian Doyle-Murray & Harold Ramis & Douglas Kenney
26. Monty Python’s Life Of Brian (1979) - Written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
27. The Graduate (1967) - Screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry, Based on the Novel by Charles Webb
28. The Apartment (1960) - Written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond
29. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) - 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
30. The Hangover (2009) - Written by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore
31. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) - Written by Judd Apatow & Steve Carell
32. The Lady Eve (1941) - Screenplay by Preston Sturges, Story by Monckton Hoffe
33. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) *TIE - Written by John Hughes
34. Trading Places (1983) *TIE - Written by Timothy Harris & Herschel Weingrod
Sullivan’s Travels (1941) - Written by Preston Sturges
36. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) - Written by John Hughes
37. The Philadelphia Story (1940) - Screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart, Based on the Play by Philip Barry
38. A Night at the Opera (1935) - Screenplay by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, From a Story by James Kevin McGuinness
39. Rushmore (1998) - Written by Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson
40. Waiting for Guffman (1996) - Written by Christopher Guest & Eugene Levy
41 The Odd Couple (1968) - Screenplay by Neil Simon, From the Play by Neil Simon as Produced on the Stage by Saint-Subber
42. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) - 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
43. Office Space (1999) - Written for the Screen by Mike Judge, Based on the “Milton” Animated Shorts by Mike Judge
44. Big (1988) - Written by Anne Spielberg & Gary Ross
45. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) - Screenplay by John Hughes
46. Midnight Run (1988) - Written by George Gallo
47. It Happened One Night (1934) - Screenplay by Robert Riskin, Based on the Short Story by Samuel Hopkins Adams
48. M*A*S*H (1970) - Screenplay by Ring Lardner, Jr., From the Novel by Richard Hooker
49. Harold and Maude (1971) - Written by Colin Higgins
50. Shaun of the Dead (2004) - Written by Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright
51. Broadcast News (1987) - Written by James L. Brooks
52. Arthur (1981) - Written by Steven Gordon
53. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) - Written by Richard Curtis
54. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) *TIE - Written by Will Ferrell & Adam McKay
Dumb and Dumber (1994) *TIE - Written by Peter Farrelly & Bennett Yellin & Bob Farrelly
56 Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) - Written by Mike Myers
57. The General (1926) - Written by Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman, Adapted by Al Boasberg and Charles Smith
58. What’s Up, Doc? (1972) - Screenplay by Buck Henry and David Newman & Robert Benton, Story by Peter Bogdanovich
59. Wedding Crashers (2005) - Written by Steve Faber & Bob Fisher
60. Sleeper (1973) - Written by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman
61. Galaxy Quest (1999) - Screenplay by David Howard and Robert Gordon, Story by David Howard
62. It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) - Screenplay by William and Tania Rose, Story by William and Tania Rose
63. Best in Show (2000) - Written by Christopher Guest & Eugene Levy
64. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) - Written by Michael D. Arndt
65, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) - Written by Trey Parker & Matt Stone & Pam Brady
66. Being There (1979) - Screenplay by Jerzy Kosinski, Inspired by the Novel by Jerzy Kosinski
67. Back to the Future (1985) - Written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale
68. Superbad (2007) - Written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg
69. Bananas (1971) - Written by Woody Allen, Mickey Rose
70. Moonstruck (1987) - Written by John Patrick Shanley
71. Clueless (1995) - Written by Amy Heckerling
72. The Palm Beach Story (1942) - Written by Preston Sturges
73. The Pink Panther (1963) - Written by Maurice Richlin & Blake Edwards
74. The Blues Brothers (1980) - Written by Dan Aykroyd and John Landis
75. Coming to America (1988) - Screenplay by David Sheffield & Barry W. Blaustein, Story by Eddie Murphy
76. Take the Money and Run (1969) - Screenplay by Woody Allen and Mickey Rose, Story by Jackson Beck
77. Election (1999) - Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, Based on the Novel by Tom Perrotta
78. Love and Death (1975) - Written by Woody Allen
79. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) *TIE - Written by Dale Launer and Stanley Shapiro & Paul Henning
80. Lost in America (1985) *TIE - Written by Albert Brooks & Monica Johnson
81. Manhattan (1979) - Written by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman
82. Modern Times (1936) - Written by Charles Chaplin
83. My Cousin Vinny (1992) - Written by Dale Launer
84. Mean Girls (2004) - Screenplay by Tina Fey, Based on the Book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman
85. Meet the Parents (2000) - Screenplay by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg, Story by Greg Glienna & Mary Ruth Clarke
86. Fargo (1996) - Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
87. My Favorite Year (1982) - Screenplay by Dennis Palumbo and Norman Steinberg, Story by Dennis Palumbo
88. Stripes (1981) - Written by Len Blum & Dan Goldberg and Harold Ramis
89. Beverly Hills Cop (1984) - Screenplay by Daniel Petrie, Jr., Story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie, Jr.
90. City Lights (1931) - Written by Charles Chaplin
91. Sideways (2004) - Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, Based on the Novel by Rex Pickett
92. Broadway Danny Rose (1984) - Written by Woody Allen
93. Swingers (1996) - Written by Jon Favreau
94. The Gold Rush (1925) - Written by Charles Chaplin
95. The Miracle Of Morgan’s Creek (1944) - Written by Preston Sturges
96. All About Eve (1950) - Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Based on the Short Story and Radio Program “The Wisdom of Eve” by Mary Orr
97. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) - Screenplay by Julius Epstein & Philip G. Epstein, Based on the Play by Joseph Kesselring
98. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) - Written by Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson
99. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) - Screenplay by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, Based on Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine
100. Flirting with Disaster (1996) - Written by David O. Russell
101 Shakespeare in Love (1998) - Written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard