Honestly, comedy is a weird, fickle beast. What made your grandpa howl in 1933 might feel like a slow-motion car crash to a teenager today. That is exactly why the American Film Institute top 100 comedies list—officially titled 100 Years... 100 Laughs—is such a fascinating time capsule. Released back in June 2000, this massive ranking attempted to quantify the "funniest" movies in American cinema.
Some of it still works. Some of it? Well, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher.
The list wasn't just some intern’s opinion. A "blue-ribbon" jury of over 1,800 industry pros, including actors, critics, and historians, cast their ballots from a pool of 500 nominated films. They looked at "legacy"—basically, does the laugh echo across time?—and "total comedic impact."
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Let's get into what actually made the cut and why people are still arguing about it decades later.
The Heavy Hitters: Who Sat at the Top?
If you were betting on the winner, you probably would’ve picked Billy Wilder’s Some Like It Hot (1959). And you’d be right. It took the #1 spot. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in drag, escaping the mob, while Marilyn Monroe is at her absolute peak? It’s basically the gold standard for farce.
The top five is a wild mix:
- Some Like It Hot (1959)
- Tootsie (1982)
- Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
- Annie Hall (1977)
- Duck Soup (1933)
It’s kind of crazy to think that Duck Soup, a Marx Brothers movie from the Great Depression, managed to beat out almost every modern blockbuster. But that’s the thing about the American Film Institute top 100 comedies. It rewards craft. Groucho’s rapid-fire wordplay and the anarchic energy of the 1930s screwball era clearly still resonated with the voters.
Tootsie at #2 often surprises younger viewers. Sure, the premise of a "difficult" actor dressing as a woman to get a job feels dated to some, but Dustin Hoffman’s performance is masterclass level. It’s a comedy that actually has something to say about ego and empathy. Plus, Bill Murray’s uncredited role is basically a masterclass in deadpan.
Mel Brooks and Woody Allen: The Kings of the List
If you want to talk about domination, look no further than Mel Brooks and Woody Allen. They basically owned the ballot.
Mel Brooks landed three movies in the top 15 alone: Blazing Saddles (#6), The Producers (#11), and Young Frankenstein (#13). That’s insane. Blazing Saddles is especially interesting because it’s a movie that likely couldn't be made today. It’s a satire that targets racism by being aggressively, hilariously offensive to everyone.
Woody Allen also had a huge presence. Annie Hall took #4, followed by Manhattan (#46), Take the Money and Run (#66), Bananas (#69), and Sleeper (#80). Regardless of how you feel about him now, the AFI voters in 2000 viewed him as the architect of the modern neurotic rom-com.
The Missing Pieces: What Changed Since 2000?
Here is the thing: the list stopped at the year 2000.
Think about all the massive comedies that have come out since. Mean Girls? Not on there. Superbad? Nope. The Hangover? Missing. Bridesmaids? Didn't exist yet. The American Film Institute top 100 comedies is a "century of cinema" list that effectively ends right as the "Apatow era" was beginning.
Because of this, the list feels very "Old Hollywood."
You have multiple entries from Charlie Chaplin—The Gold Rush (#25), Modern Times (#33), The Great Dictator (#37), and City Lights (#38). Buster Keaton’s The General sits at #18. For a modern audience used to fast-paced dialogue and cringe humor, sitting through a silent film might feel like homework.
But if you actually watch Sherlock Jr. (#62), the stunts Keaton pulls off are more impressive than most modern CGI.
Why Some Rankings Still Cause Fights
Comedy is subjective. That’s the problem.
Airplane! at #10 feels about right for some, but others argue it should be #1 because the "joke-per-minute" ratio is higher than anything else ever filmed. Then you have Fargo (#93). Is Fargo a comedy? It’s a brilliant movie, but many people would call it a crime thriller first. AFI classified it as a "black comedy," proving their definition of "funny" was pretty broad.
Then there is the "legacy" factor. Movies like It Happened One Night (#8) practically invented the romantic comedy. Without Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert bickering in a motel room, we don't get When Harry Met Sally... (#23).
The list reminds us that comedy isn't just about belly laughs; it's about the DNA of how we tell stories.
Interesting Facts From the List
- The Oldest Film: Sherlock Jr. and The Navigator, both from 1924.
- The Newest Film: There’s Something About Mary (1998).
- Cary Grant: He is the king of this list, appearing in eight different movies, including Bringing Up Baby (#14) and The Philadelphia Story (#15).
- Gender Bender Dominance: Two of the top three movies (Some Like It Hot and Tootsie) involve men dressing as women for plot reasons.
Actionable Insights: How to Use This List
If you’re a film buff or just someone who wants to understand why your favorite director makes certain choices, this list is basically a syllabus.
Don't try to watch it in order. Instead, pick a sub-genre. If you love sarcasm and political biting, go for Dr. Strangelove. If you want pure slapstick, the Marx Brothers' A Night at the Opera (#12) is the way to go.
Watch Singin' in the Rain (#16) even if you think you hate musicals. It’s genuinely hilarious, mostly thanks to Donald O'Connor’s "Make 'Em Laugh" sequence.
The American Film Institute top 100 comedies isn't a "must-obey" ranking. It’s a starting point. It’s an invitation to see what made people laugh before TikTok existed.
To get the most out of these classics, try watching them with someone from a different generation. You might find that while the slang changes, the sight of someone falling down or a perfectly timed insult is universal. Start with the top 10 and see how many actually hold up for you.
Pick one movie from each decade represented. Compare the wit of the 1940s His Girl Friday (#19) to the 1980s absurdity of Ghostbusters (#28). You’ll see exactly how American humor evolved from clever wordplay to high-concept special effects.