Favorite Commedian - Living or Dead

[fazool]

Originally Posted by ManyMartinMan

...Try to pick one. I'll start it off. Mitch Hedberg. Crazy funny. If you get a chance, check out some of his work on YouTube.

Mitch Hedberg would be on my list, too. But I can't limit it to one.

I really liked Steve Martin, Steven Wright and Sam Kinnison (who was wildly misunderstood).

[Denny B]

Easy...

1) George Carlin

2) Richard Pryor

3) Everyone else

[learner]

Groucho Marx (in any venue -- stage, film, TV...)

Someone replied Woody Allen in film. And I agree. But many years ago I had an album called "Woody Allen, the Stand-Up Years." Woody in clubs. Very funny. I still remember my favorite line from the album...

(You can hear Woody sipping some water as he pauses in his monologue. His watch must have caught his attention as he raised the glass to his mouth.)

He says:

"You see this watch? My grandfather... (pause) on his death bed... (pause) sold me this watch."

[buddyhu]

Robin Williams.
George Carlin.
Jimmy Carr.
Jonathon Winters.
Stan Freiberg.

[Long Jon]

Originally Posted by learner

Groucho Marx (in any venue -- stage, film, TV...)

Someone replied Woody Allen in film. And I agree. But many years ago I had an album called "Woody Allen, the Stand-Up Years." Woody in clubs. Very funny. I still remember my favorite line from the album...

(You can hear Woody sipping some water as he pauses in his monologue. His watch must have caught his attention as he raised the glass to his mouth.)

He says:

"You see this watch? My grandfather... (pause) on his death bed... (pause) sold me this watch."

Yeah , Woody doing stand up, superb, I don't know how I forgot ... I might even put Woody's story about hitching a ride with klansmen up alongside Prior's tale of being "adopted" by Mafia guys, who would tell him "murder anecdotes" ...

[fretfile100]

The Fire Sign Theater.

[fitness1]

Tim Conway is near the top of the list.
Groucho, Carlin, Williams and Pryor too.....

[philjs]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

There is/was no comedian called Monty Python.

Oh, great, burst my bubble. I suppose now you're going to tell me that Jethro Tull is not a real person either.

Phil

[Steve DeRosa]

Lucille Ball
Redd Foxx
Burns & Allen
Jackie Mason
Mel Brooks
Carol Burnett
Flip Wilson
John Cleese
Benny Hill
John Belushi

[Long Jon]

World of difference between comedy actors and stand ups .... Some do both ,,,
but a lot of those getting a mention could not do stand up .... Nor do they write their own stuff, or deal with hecklers and ad lib well.
So, not really "comedians" IMO

[Long Jon]

Forgot about Eddie Izzard !
Acts like a Brit, acts like an American, acts like an eastern European bad guy , ad libs entire sets AND ran *27 marathons in 27 days !
Wears ladies clothes sometimes. What an all rounder

*Yes he did, Google it.

[The Watchman]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

There is/was no comedian called Monty Python.

Yes I know that. Its a joke.

[Joe F]

Originally Posted by Nyghthawk

A lot of people if I listed them all but Red Skelton is my favorite.

Mine too. Watching each week with my family is one of my favorite childhood memories.

[Dirk Hofman]

Have to say Richard Pryor. I think Roger Ebert said of him once, "He doesn't get laughs, he gets laughter."

[flaggerphil]

In my earlier years, Robin Williams. These days, Louis Black. Someone from way back who could make both my father and me laugh til we choked, Victor Borge.