The Writers Guild of America, East have released their official list of the 101 Funniest Screenplays and to no one’s surprise there was an obvious lack of diversity among the selections. Spanning over a century of film comedies, the list shows that despite celebrating some of the seminal works in this genre, there still is a long way to go to highlighting the contributions of EVERYONE that has worked in Hollywood.
Woody Allen paced the list with a total of seven films on the list, with Annie Hall as his highest-rated screenplay. Coming in second was Harold Ramis, with five scripts that made the list. Comic legend Mel Brooks placed four screenplays on the list (even though Blazing Saddles, technically, should be shared with Richard Pryor), tied with Preston Sturges. Several comic geniuses placed three screenplays on the list including the Coen Brothers, Charles Chaplin, Christopher Guest, and John Cleese.
While the list is peppered with notable, yet familiar names, there was a host of African-American screenwriters whose work was passed over and unacknowledged. Among those who were excluded were Richard Wesley (Uptown Saturday Night), Melvin Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle), Rusty Cundieff (Fear of A Black Hat), Keenan Ivory Wayans (Scary Movie), Malcolm D. Lee (The Best Man), and O’Shea (Ice Cube) Jackson (Friday) just to name a few.
As someone who has studied the industry from various perspectives, because of the inner mechanisms dating back to the inception of Hollywood, the attitude of the times over the past century and the lack of opportunities afforded to screenwriters of colors, it makes perfect sense why there is such an obvious lack of candidates and films on this list. Despite these notable shortcomings, the fact is that the work of African-American screenwriters is judged quite differently from the work of their counterparts.
Below is the list in its entirety, feel free to let the debates begin!!!
Annie Hall
Written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman
1977
UA
Some Like It Hot
Screenplay by Billy Wilder & I.A. L. Diamond, Based on the German film Fanfare of Love by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan
1959
UA
Groundhog Day
Screenplay by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis, Story by Danny Rubin
1993
Columbia
Airplane!
Written by James Abrahams & David Zucker & Jerry Zucker
1980
Paramount
Tootsie
Screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal, Story by Don McGuire and Larry Gelbart
1982
Columbia
Young Frankenstein
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
1974
20th Century Fox
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Peter George and Terry Southern
1964
Columbia
Blazing Saddles
Screenplay by Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Alan Uger, Story by Andrew Bergman
1974
Warner Bros.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
1975
Cinema 5
National Lampoon’s Animal House
Written by Harold Ramis & Douglas Kenney & Chris Miller
1978
Universal
This Is Spinal Tap
Written by Christopher Guest & Michael McKean & Rob Reiner & Harry Shearer
1984
Embassy
The Producers
Written by Mel Brooks
1967
AVCO Embassy
The Big Lebowski
Written by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
1998
Gramercy
Ghostbusters
Written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis
1984
Columbia
When Harry Met Sally
Written by Nora Ephron
1989
Columbia
Bridesmaids
Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
2011
Universal
Duck Soup
Story by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, Additional Dialogue by Arthur Sheekman and Nat Perrin
1933
Paramount
There’s Something About Mary
Screenplay by John J. Strauss & Ed Decter and Peter Farrelly & Bobby Farrelly, Story by Ed Decter & John J. Strauss
1998
20th Century Fox
The Jerk
Screenplay by Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, Michael Elias, Story by Steve Martin & Carl Gottlieb
1979
Universal
A Fish Called Wanda
Screenplay by John Cleese, Story by John Cleese & Charles Crichton
1988
MGM
His Girl Friday
Screenplay by Charles Lederer, Based on the Play “The Front Page” by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur
1940
Columbia
The Princess Bride
Screenplay by William Goldman, Based on Goldman’s Novel of the Same Name
1987
20th Century Fox
Raising Arizona
Written by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
1987
20th Century Fox
Bringing Up Baby
Screenplay by Hagar Wilde and Dudley Nichols, Story by Hagar Wilde
1938
RKO
Caddyshack
Written by Brian Doyle-Murray & Harold Ramis & Douglas Kenney
1980
Orion
Monty Python’s Life Of Brian
Written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
1979
Orion
The Graduate
Screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry, Based on the Novel by Charles Webb
1967
Embassy
The Apartment
Written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond
1960
UA
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
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
2006
20th Century Fox
The Hangover
Written by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore
2009
Warner Bros.
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Written by Judd Apatow & Steve Carell
2005
Universal
The Lady Eve
Screenplay by Preston Sturges, Story by Monckton Hoffe
1941
Paramount
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off *TIE
Written by John Hughes
1986
Paramount
Trading Places *TIE
Written by Timothy Harris & Herschel Weingrod
1983
Paramount
Sullivan’s Travels
Written by Preston Sturges
1941
Paramount
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Written by John Hughes
1987
Paramount
The Philadelphia Story
Screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart, Based on the Play by Philip Barry
1940
MGM
A Night at the Opera
Screen Play by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, From a Story by James Kevin McGuinness
1935
MGM
Rushmore
Written by Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson
1998
Touchstone/BV
Waiting for Guffman
Written by Christopher Guest & Eugene Levy
1996
Sony Pics Classics
The Odd Couple
Screenplay by Neil Simon, From the Play by Neil Simon as Produced on the Stage by Saint-Subber
1968
Paramount
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
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
1988
Paramount
Office Space
Written for the Screen by Mike Judge, Based on the “Milton” Animated Shorts by Mike Judge
1999
20th Century Fox
Big
Written by Anne Spielberg & Gary Ross
1988
20th Century Fox
National Lampoon’s Vacation
Screenplay by John Hughes
1983
Warner Bros.
Midnight Run
Written by George Gallo
1988
Universal
It Happened One Night
Screenplay by Robert Riskin, Based on the Short Story by Samuel Hopkins Adams
1934
Columbia
M*A*S*H
Screenplay by Ring Lardner, Jr., From the Novel by Richard Hooker
1970
20th Century Fox
Harold and Maude
Written by Colin Higgins
1971
Paramount
Shaun of the Dead
Written by Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright
2004
Focus (Universal)
Broadcast News
Written by James L. Brooks
1987
20th Century Fox
Arthur
Written by Steven Gordon
1981
Orion
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Written by Richard Curtis
1994
Gramercy
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy *TIE
Written by Will Ferrell & Adam McKay
2004
Dreamworks
Dumb and Dumber *TIE
Written by Peter Farrelly & Bennett Yellin & Bob Farrelly
1994
New Line
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Written by Mike Myers
1997
New Line
The General
Written by Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman, Adapted by Al Boasberg and Charles Smith
1926
United Artists
What’s Up, Doc?
Screenplay by Buck Henry and David Newman & Robert Benton, Story by Peter Bogdanovich
1972
Warner Bros.
Wedding Crashers
Written by Steve Faber & Bob Fisher
2005
New Line
Sleeper
Written by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman
1973
United Artists
Galaxy Quest
Screenplay by David Howard and Robert Gordon, Story by David Howard
1999
Dreamworks
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Screenplay by William and Tania Rose, Story by William and Tania Rose
1963
United Artists
Best in Show
Written by Christopher Guest & Eugene Levy
2000
Warner Bros.
Little Miss Sunshine
Written by Michael D. Arndt
2006
Fox Searchlight
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Written by Trey Parker & Matt Stone & Pam Brady
1999
Paramount
Being There
Screenplay by Jerzy Kosinski, Inspired by the Novel by Jerzy Kosinski
1979
United Artists
Back to the Future
Written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale
1985
Universal
Superbad
Written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg
2007
Columbia
Bananas
Written by Woody Allen, Mickey Rose
1971
United Artists
Moonstruck
Written by John Patrick Shanley
1987
MGM
Clueless
Written by Amy Heckerling
1995
Paramount
The Palm Beach Story
Written by Preston Sturges
1942
Paramount
The Pink Panther
Written by Maurice Richlin & Blake Edwards
1963
United Artists
The Blues Brothers
Written by Dan Aykroyd and John Landis
1980
Universal
Coming to America
Screenplay by David Sheffield & Barry W. Blaustein, Story by Eddie Murphy
1988
Paramount
Take the Money and Run
Screenplay by Woody Allen and Mickey Rose, Story by Jackson Beck
1969
Cinerama
Election
Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, Based on the Novel by Tom Perrotta
1999
Paramount
Love and Death
Written by Woody Allen
1975
United Artists
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels *TIE
Written by Dale Launer and Stanley Shapiro & Paul Henning
1988
Orion
Lost in America *TIE
Written by Albert Brooks & Monica Johnson
1985
Warner Bros.
Manhattan
Written by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman
1979
United Artists
Modern Times
Written by Charles Chaplin
1936
United Artists
My Cousin Vinny
Written by Dale Launer
1992
20th Century Fox
Mean Girls
Screenplay by Tina Fey, Based on the Book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman
2004
Paramount
Meet the Parents
Screenplay by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg, Story by Greg Glienna & Mary Ruth Clarke
2000
Universal
Fargo
Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
1996
Gramercy
My Favorite Year
Screenplay by Dennis Palumbo and Norman Steinberg, Story by Dennis Palumbo
1982
MGM
Stripes
Written by Len Blum & Dan Goldberg and Harold Ramis
1981
Columbia
Beverly Hills Cop
Screenplay by Daniel Petrie, Jr., Story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie, Jr.
1984
Paramount
City Lights
Written by Charles Chaplin
1931
United Artists
Sideways
Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, Based on the Novel by Rex Pickett
2004
Fox Searchlight
Broadway Danny Rose
Written by Woody Allen
1984
Orion
Swingers
Written by Jon Favreau
1996
Miramax
The Gold Rush
Written by Charles Chaplin
1925
United Artists
The Miracle Of Morgan’s Creek
Written by Preston Sturges
1944
Paramount
All About Eve
Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Based on the Short Story and Radio Program “The Wisdom of Eve” by Mary Orr
1950
20th Century Fox
Arsenic and Old Lace
Screenplay by Julius Epstein & Philip G. Epstein, Based on the Play by Joseph Kesselring
1944
Warner Bros.
The Royal Tenenbaums
Written by Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson
2001
Touchstone/BV
Mrs. Doubtfire
Screenplay by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, Based on Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine
1993
20th Century Fox
Flirting with Disaster
Written by David O. Russell
1996
Miramax
Shakespeare in Love
Written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard
1998
Miramax