4 Film Favorites: Classic Comedies

Blazing Saddles (1974)

Hollywood Westerns were never the same after director/co-writer Mel Brooks put them through the comedy wringer with this tasteless, hilarious spoof. Can the frontier citizens of Rock Ridge avoid the destruction of their town through the hiring of Bart (Cleavon Little) as its new--and black--sheriff? With Gene Wilder as the Waco Kid, Harvey Korman as conniving AG Hedley Lamarr, Madeline Kahn as Lili Von Shtupp, and Brooks as Governor Le Petomane. With Slim Pickens, Alex Karras. 93 min. C/Rtg: R

Caddyshack (1980)

Classic comedy chronicles the hilarious goings-on at the elite Bushwood Country Club. As a loud and loutish nouveau riche land developer (Rodney Dangerfield) and an egotistical club pro (Chevy Chase) engage in a not-so-friendly game of golf with a stuffy judge (Ted Knight), a crazed groundskeeper (Bill Murray) wages war against a pesky gopher. Michael O'Keefe co-stars as the young caddy caught in the middle of all the wackiness. With Sarah Holcomb, Cindy Morgan; co-written and directed by Harold Ramis. 99 min. C/Rtg: R

National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

Hop in the Family Truckster with Clark W. Griswold (Chevy Chase), a Chicago family man who leads his brood on a madcap trek to L.A. amusement park Walley World. Along the way, the Griswolds encounter out-of-control cars, an ill-tempered dog, a beautiful model (Christie Brinkley), and hillbilly cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid). Beverly D’Angelo, Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron, Imogene Coca, and John Candy also star; Harold Ramis directs from a script by John Hughes. 99 min. C/Rtg: R

Spies Like Us (1985)

Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd star in director John Landis’ tribute to Bob Hope and Bing Crosby’s "Road" movies. When two elite agents are needed for a top-secret mission, Emmett Fitz-Hume (Chase) and Austin Millbarge (Aykroyd) are on the bottom of the list. Originally sent to act as decoys while a more qualified team carries out the assignment, the bumbling spies somehow wind up trying to foil a group of international missile maniacs. With Donna Dixon, Steve Forrest, Bruce Davison. 103 min. C/Rtg: PG