NationStates Jolt Archive

I nominate My Man Godfrey (1936), with William Powell and Carole Lombard.

Quotes:

Irene: "Can you butle?"
Godfrey: "Butle?"
Irene: "Yes, we're fresh out of butlers. The one we had left this morning."

Godfrey: "These flowers just came for you, miss. Where shall I put them?"
Irene: "What difference does it make where one puts flowers when one's heart is breaking?"
Godfrey: "Yes, miss. Shall I put them on the piano? "

Blake: "Take a look at the dizzy old gal with the goat."
Alexander Bullock: "I've had to look at her for 20 years - that's Mrs. Bullock!"
Blake: "I'm terribly sorry!"
Alexander Bullock: "How do you think I feel?"

Detective:"Who's that?"
Irene: "It's mother's protegé."
Detective: "No wisecracks." [turns to Bullock] "Is that your son?"
Alexander Bullock: "That? Say, listen: I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but I'll be hanged if I'll plead guilty to that!"

:p

Any other nominations or recommendations?

Duck Soup (1933) obviously

Rufus T. Firefly: I'd be unworthy of the high trust that's been placed in me if I didn't do everything in my power to keep our beloved Freedonia in peace with the world. I'd be only too happy to meet with Ambassador Trentino, and offer him on behalf of my country the right hand of good fellowship. And I feel sure he will accept this gesture in the spirit of which it is offered. But suppose he doesn't. A fine thing that'll be. I hold out my hand and he refuses to accept. That'll add a lot to my prestige, won't it? Me, the head of a country, snubbed by a forgein ambassador. Who does he think he is, that he can come here, and make a sap of me in front of all my people? Think of it - I hold out my hand and that hyena refuses to accept. Why, the cheap ball-pushing swine, he'll never get away with it I tell you, he'll never get away with it.
[Trentino enters]
Rufus T. Firefly: So, you refuse to shake hands with me, eh?
[slaps Trentino with his glove]

...

Minister of Finance: Here is the Treasury Department's report, sir. I hope you'll find it clear.
Rufus T. Firefly: Clear? Huh. Why a four-year-old child could understand this report.
[to Bob Roland]
Rufus T. Firefly: Run out and find me a four-year-old child, I can't make head or tail of it.

The Three Stooges
Marx Brothers
and maybe Abbott and Costello.

I nominate The Great Dictator

EDIT

Damn! It came out 1940!

I'd say the play "September 1st, 1939" was pretty funny. It had a pretty good run for almost six years.

My Man Godfrey! That's one of my favorite movies!!

One of the Marx Brothers films. A Night at the Opera, if that was made in the 30's.
Bringing Up Baby and His Girl Friday are also good.

I'd say the play "September 1st, 1939" was pretty funny. It had a pretty good run for almost six years.

Final show, The Bunker, Berlin ;)

Mussolini's foreign policy.

I'd have to go with either Duck Soup or A Night At The Opera.

Otis B. Driftwood: It's all right, that's in every contract. That's what they call a sanity clause.
Fiorello: You can't fool me! There ain't no Sanity Claus!

All Marx Brothers movies.

Also: It Happened One Night
http://www.filmsite.org/itha.html

"I never did like the idea of sitting on newspaper. I did it once, and all the headlines came off on my white pants. On the level! It actually happened. Nobody bought a paper that day. They just followed me around over town and read the news on the seat of my pants."

And the immortal: "Quit bawlin'!"

Marx Brothers of course.

Chico: And two hard boiled eggs.
Groucho: And two hard boiled eggs.
Harpo: *Honk*
Groucho: Make that three hard boiled eggs.
Harpo: *small honk*
Groucho: And a duck egg.

I nominate The Great Dictator

EDIT

Damn! It came out 1940!

It was finished well before that, but due to Hitler's popularity, it took a while before anyone would actually put it out for the public. But yes, Chaplin is simply unrivaled in comedy.

Anything the Marx brothers made in that period was probably gold. I'm overall not a fan of most of the work coming out back then though, ie three stooges.

it happened one night -- clark gable and claudette colbert

bringing up baby-- katharine hepburn and cary grant.

it happened one night -- clark gable and claudette colbert

bringing up baby-- katharine hepburn and cary grant.

I like these, also quite a fan of the Thin Man films - William Powell really deserves to be much more famous than he is.

I like these, also quite a fan of the Thin Man films - William Powell really deserves to be much more famous than he is.

oh me too. i think he was a big star at the time, he just hasnt kept his fame through the decades.

ahhhh i see that william powell played the title character in "my man godfrey". ive added it to my netflix list.

I'd have to go with either Duck Soup or A Night At The Opera.

Agreed.

Prohibition as an anti-crime measure.

Hilarious.