AFI Top 10 Romantic Comedies

[MikeBSG]

The AFI recently posted a list of ten best romantic comedies.

1) City Lights
2) Annie Hall
3) It Happened One Night
4) Roman Holiday
5) The Philadelphia Story
6) When Harry Met Sally
7) Adam's Rib
8) Moonstruck
9) Harold and Maude
10) Sleepless in Seattle

I think this list tells a lot about the ages of the people who voted.

[charliechaplinfan]

I have to agree with number one

I love 3 4 and 5 too

[myrnaloyisdope]

1. Holiday
2. Design For Living
3. Annie Hall
4. It Happened One Night
5. Manhattan
6. The Philadelphia Story
7. Roman Holiday
8. Adam's Rib
9. The Shop Around The Corner
10. City Lights

It's kind of tricky to define "romantic comedy", because a lot of screwball stuff I really enjoy like Bringing Up Baby, The Palm Beach Story, and The Lady Eve, is in essence romantic comedy.

[srowley75]

It's kind of tricky to define "romantic comedy", because a lot of screwball stuff I really enjoy like Bringing Up Baby, The Palm Beach Story, and The Lady Eve, is in essence romantic comedy.

I second-guessed the AFI this past week with another list of my "top tens" and sent it to another group, but I'll just post the romantic comedy one here.

And yes, I considered screwball comedy as romantic comedy.

(They're in no order.)

1. Trouble in Paradise (1932)
2. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
3. The Palm Beach Story (1942)
4. The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944)
5. City Lights (1931)
6. Adam's Rib (1949)
7. The Awful Truth (1937)
8. My Man Godfrey (1936)
9. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
10. Libeled Lady (1936)

And before anyone takes me to task for not naming The Thin Man, I listed it in the mystery section.

-Stephen

[MichiganJ]

I’m curious about City Lights being a romantic comedy. Do you think the Tramp has romantic intentions with the Blind Girl? I get the idea that he loves her in a strictly platonic way, as he does the Gamin in Modern Times. And while the Blind Girl loves the person who enabled her to see, do you think she actually has romantic feelings towards him? After her vision is restored and she works in her flower shop, she sees the Tramp staring at her and chuckles about making a “conquest”. In Chaplin’s extraordinary ending (one of many, Chaplin certainly knew how to end his films), I get the slight hint of disappointment in Virginia Cherril’s eyes when she realizes that her knight in shining armor is, in fact, the Tramp in front of her.

Certainly one of the greatest comedies, I’m still unsure if I’d classify City Lights as a romantic comedy.

[jdb1]

Hey, MichiganJ, I was just going to say that.

I've never thought of City Lights as a romantic comedy, not like something with Irene Dunne, or Tracy and Hepburn. It's a Chaplin movie -- a category unto itself.

Anyway, the love displayed in Chaplin's movies isn't really "romantic" love, the way most of us would think of it, is it? It's really an essentially sexless involvement of characters. Notwithstanding Chaplin's personal life, can you really picture his "Little Fellow," as he liked to refer to his alter ego, getting it on?

[MichiganJ]

jdb1,

I completely agree. As far as his silent features go, The Tramp is pretty asexual. The exception is The Gold Rush, which, in the Silent version, actually fades out on his kissing Georgia Hale. Of course this is the one film where he ends up a millionaire, too...

[charliechaplinfan]

I take the point about the little fellow getting it on. He is quite asexual but I do see City Lights as a romantic movie. I think the little fellow is romantic. He moons over Georgia in The Gold Rush and in his pairings with Edna Purviance there is often some underlying romance or even sexual theme.

The tramp changed when he went into features. The great chemistry that he had with Edna went by the wayside as he built long features. The tramp became a little more pathetic and a little less cheeky.

I think he sees the flower girl as the ideal woman, someone he can care for and make a home with, he hopes that one day she will have him, but no matter, he will give her the money and go short himself whatever the outcome. The end of the film is so perfect because it is the culmulation of all what he'd dare hope, but will she love him, he looks so pathetic, so unlike she had imagined him.

I like to think she does have love him

I must make my top ten list but it's way too late here now.

[MichiganJ]

charliechaplinfan,

I think you are right about Chaplin’s Little Fellow and Edna Puviance. Their chemistry is palpable, and many of their shorts, particularly the Mutuals, do seem to have underlying romantic/sexual themes. It’s interesting, that given Chaplin had romances with many (most?) of his leading ladies in the Silent period, the one that translated most to the screen is with Edna. (Although there are certainly sparks a-flying with Georgia Hale, too!)

Your insights that he becomes less “cheeky” (wonderful description) in his features is also right on. While I love all of the Chaplin features, I think I prefer his Little Fellow with a little less pathos and a little more spunk. But then again, I wouldn’t want to change a frame of his features. (It kills me that Chaplin himself edited his own features in the ‘70’s.)

The best thing about City Lights is the totally ambiguous ending, which is satisfyingly left open to interpretation. On occasion, I’ll admit, the softy in me hopes that the Flower Girl might actually love the Little Fellow. Doesn’t matter, though, I cry anyway.

[myrnaloyisdope]

My amended to include Screwball, Romantic Comedy list is this:

1. Holiday
2. Bringing Up Baby
3. Design For Living
4. The Awful Truth
5. Annie Hall
6. The Lady Eve
7. Midnight
8. It Happened One Night
9. Manhattan
10. The Philadelphia Story

[moviemagz]

CITY LIGHTS is a romantic film and (of course) a comedy but it certainly isn't a "romantic comedy". The female lead part is rather incidental.

My personal top ten would probably be

1 - It Happened One Night
2 - Pride and Prejudice
3 - Midnight
4 - The Lady Eve
5 - The More The Merrier
6 - The Rage of Paris
7 - Red Headed Woman (an anti-romantic comedy?)
8 - Quality Street (Hepburn)
9 - Theodora Goes Wild
10 - I Love You Again

[charliechaplinfan]

charliechaplinfan,

I think you are right about Chaplin’s Little Fellow and Edna Puviance. Their chemistry is palpable, and many of their shorts, particularly the Mutuals, do seem to have underlying romantic/sexual themes. It’s interesting, that given Chaplin had romances with many (most?) of his leading ladies in the Silent period, the one that translated most to the screen is with Edna. (Although there are certainly sparks a-flying with Georgia Hale, too!)

Your insights that he becomes less “cheeky” (wonderful description) in his features is also right on. While I love all of the Chaplin features, I think I prefer his Little Fellow with a little less pathos and a little more spunk. But then again, I wouldn’t want to change a frame of his features. (It kills me that Chaplin himself edited his own features in the ‘70’s.)

The best thing about City Lights is the totally ambiguous ending, which is satisfyingly left open to interpretation. On occasion, I’ll admit, the softy in me hopes that the Flower Girl might actually love the Little Fellow. Doesn’t matter, though, I cry anyway.

Charlie and Edna had a relationship and from how Charlie tells it, it was quite serious although I don't think he had comtemplated marrying her, yet. She also started dating Thomas Meighan another big star of the time. Chaplin of course wouldn't share. I don't know what she was thinking but there are always two sides to every story.

I love the end of City Lights, I couldn't put it better myself. I always cry too

[charliechaplinfan]

For what it's worth these are my top romantic comedies

City Lights
The More The Merrier
It Happened One Night
The Philadelphia Story
The Shop Around The Corner
Holiday
Bringing Up Baby
The Awful Truth
Design For Living
Bluebeards Eighth Wife

[MichiganJ]

Tossing in my two cents...


My Man Godfrey
Bringing Up Baby
Desk Set
The Philadelphia Story
Bringing Up Baby
The Thin Man
It Happened One Night
Roxanne
Annie Hall
Four Weddings and a Funeral

[charliechaplinfan]

MichaganJ You can pick another, you put Bringing Up Baby in twice, it's a great film but it's doesn't warrant being listed twice