Funny Business

TV Movie
1978
1h 40m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

A documentary hosted by Walter Matthau, which discussed and showed examples from cinematic comedy classics. Long portions of the documentary were devoted to the comedy teams of Abbott and Co... Read allA documentary hosted by Walter Matthau, which discussed and showed examples from cinematic comedy classics. Long portions of the documentary were devoted to the comedy teams of Abbott and Costello and Laurel and Hardy, and to the films of director Ernst Lubitsch.A documentary hosted by Walter Matthau, which discussed and showed examples from cinematic comedy classics. Long portions of the documentary were devoted to the comedy teams of Abbott and Costello and Laurel and Hardy, and to the films of director Ernst Lubitsch.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

YOUR RATING

2User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos

Top cast5

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Walter Matthau

Self - Narrator

Bud Abbott

Self
(archive footage)

Lou Costello

Self
(archive footage)

Oliver Hardy

Self
(archive footage)

Stan Laurel

Self
(archive footage)

Director
- Richard Schickel
Writer
- Richard Schickel
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews2

7.125

Featured reviews

10shemp56

Wonderful!

If you have a copy of this please put it on you tube.

ricatheater

The Best of the Best

In 1978 I had just purchased my first VCR and one of the shows I recorded, and which I still have & watch to this day, was this great compilation of the "Comedy of the Movies' Greatest Era" as the show was subtitled.

Walter Mathau is droll and a good choice as host for this type of production.The clips include the funniest of the early talking comedies mostly from the Paramount Pictures vault (Universal as well). The Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, Mae West, Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello all appear. Preston Sturges and Ernst Lubitsch's contributions are also explored.

This was television's answer to the type of film that had been a hit in theaters a few years earlier with the release of "That's Entertainment." I seem to doubt that this program will ever air again - but maybe TCM will get a hold of it and certainly would be worth you time to tune in.