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Which are your favorite comedieans of all time? A small list below to help you out?

Gracie Allen
Steve Allen
Tim Allen
Woody Allen
Louie Anderson
Fatty Arbuckle
Tom Arnold 
Dan Aykroyd
Lucille Ball
Jim Belushi
George Burns
Red Buttons
Sid Caesar
John Candy
Drew Carey
George Carlin
Art Carney
Jim Carrey
Carrot Top
Johnny Carson
Charlie Chaplin
Chevy Chase
Margaret Cho
Andrew "Dice" Clay
Sacha Baron Cohen
Tim Conway
Bill Cosby
Lou Costello
Billy Crystal
Jane Curtin
Rodney Dangerfield
Jimmy Durante
Chris Farley
Marty Feldman
W.C. Fields
Jeff Foxworthy
Gallagher
Jackie Gleason
Gilbert Gottfried
David Alan Grier
Buddy Hackett
Phil Hartman
Andy Kaufman
Danny Kaye
Buster Keaton
Larry the Cable Guy
Jay Leno
David Letterman
Jerry Lewis
Rich Little
Paul Lynde
Steve Martin
Groucho Marx
Carlos Mencia
Dennis Miller
Rick Moranis
Garrett Morris
Eddie Murphy
Bill Murray
Mike Myers
Bob Newhart
Laraine Newman
Leslie Nielsen
Paula Poundstone
Freddie Prinze
Richard Pryor
Gilda Radner
Michael Richards
Don Rickles
Joan Rivers
Chris Rock
Paul Rodriguez
Jerry Seinfeld
Peter Sellers
Garry Shandling
Molly Shannon
Pauly Shore
Martin Short
Phil Silvers 
Sinbad
Red Skelton
David Spade
Judy Tenuta
Lily Tomlin
Tracey Ullman
Unknown Comic
Damon Wayans
Keenan Ivory Wayans
Gene Wilder
Robin Williams
Jonathan Winters
Al Yankovic
Henny Youngman
Abbott and Costello
Amos & Andy
Cheech and Chong
Laurel and Hardy
The Marx Brothers
Monty Python
Not Ready for Prime-Time Players (Saturday Night Live)
The Three Stooges
Rowan and Martin
Smothers Brothers
Woody Allen

Groucho Marx - quick and witty. A sarcastic smart ass such as myself. Hell even my dog is named Groucho.

Modern day stand-up - Lewis Black ... again I identify with his about to snap I've had enough rants.

Teams - Hmm Martin and Lewis, Abbot and Costello though I admit David Spade and Chris Farley together were a riot.

Troupe comedy - Monty Python hands down.

Funny but not considered comic ... William Powell and Cary Grant made a lot of funny movies.

Oh and so many more not on the list ...

This will ramble a bit, and still not include everyone for sure:

Groucho and the Marx Bros.
Monty Python
Jack Benny
Fred Allen
Spike Milligan with or without the Goons
Richard Pryor - before he lost his edge and was chasing money, but I understand why
George Carlin - before he got too bitter to be funny
Eddie Izzard
Billy Connelly
Lewis Black
Ron White
Mitch Hedberg
Bill Cosby - The old stuff say pre-80s
Dave Chappelle
Dave Attell
Bill Hicks
Buster Keaton
Martin and Lewis
WC Fields
Duddley Moore and Peter Cook - Haven't heard much of Beyond the Fringe unfortunately.

Honorable Mentions:
Bob Hope
The Funny Boys
Gary Muledeer
Red Skelton
Denis Leary
Edgar Bergin & Charlie McCarthy (and Mortimer Snerd)
John C. McGinley - actor not a comic but he really makes Scrubs still worth watching even as it declines. He's even a hoot in cheesy talk show interviews.

The Marx Brothers
Spike Milligan
Dylan Moran
Barry Cryer - he's written a lot of stuff for many a british comedian
Victoria Wood
Bill Bailey
Paul Merton
Jackie Mason

To name but a few.

Rhe 3 STOOGES are the funniest people ever!!!! They are the Trintiy of comedy. I even like Shemp just as much as Curly. But Joe Besser and Joe DeRita...I don't recognize them a bit.
 Moe and Shemp started off on the vaudville circuit in 1923,and later met up with Ted Healy in 1924,and a third stooge,Moody Braun joined as a third stooge in 1925(he was Healy's brother in law)Moody was fired by Healy ,and Larry Fine was signed up,who at the time was doing a solo act.Shemp quite just as the act was about to break into films in 1932,to go onBroadway in a play,and Curly joined the act.Healy dumped the Stooges  soon after,to go solo in films(he felt they were holding him back...whatta dope!).The Stooges were also tired of being underpaid by the smuck,and also of his constant boozing.
  On May 19,1946,Curly had a stroke,and dropped out of the act,and Shemp returned. Curly's  final appearence was a bit as a sleeping passenger on a train(with a full head of hair) in HOLD THAT LION,in 1947.
 Shemp died in 1955,and was replaced by Joe Besser,who's "big sissy act" did not really fit in with the Stooges at all,IMO, and when Columbia dunped them in the late 50's.That was it.Untill tv picked up on the old shorts,and they started big again in films and Joe DeRita joined the act,which reduced the violent slapstick because he didn't like to be slapped(wussy!).
 DAM! I gotta go to work...BYE!

Damn RC you do know your Stooge History, I love the stooges and have nearly all of them on DVD (yeah some of them are of questionable legality oh well) They are by far the best of the slapstick comedy. I agree Shemp and Curly were the only real stooges in addition to Moe and Larry. Joe and Curly Joe where nothing more than posers. Really anything after about 1955 isn't worth having and that includes there movies.

Joe Besser was good on his own.

We also need to mention Paul Reubens.

Bill Hicks
George Carlin
Dave Chappelle
Sacha Baron Cohen
Bill Maher

Curly did appear in some shorts after his first stroke and it is quite noticable, his voice was changed slightly and he couldn't do all of his usual acrobatics.

Moe and Larry wanted Joe De Rita to replace Shemp but Joe Besser was on contract with Columbia Pictures so they got stuck with him. I understand he hated the slapstick (they did actually slap each other). He tried to refuse getting hit with pies and such too.

The Stooges worked for Columbia for like 24 years and never got a raise.

I always loved the way their stories would start off with a normal situation and then they would show up and it turned into total chaos.  My favorite has to be Disorder in the Court.  There is so much classic stuff in that episode. 

I'm soooooooo confused.....there's so many.  :question:
Chevy Chase-Saturday Night Live
Bill Cosby-Himself
Steve Martin-just plain funny
Cheech and Chong-Dave's not here
Robin Williams-Until he starts getting really dirty
Monty Python
The Three Stooges
Woody Allen-when he was younger
Peter Sellers
Louie Anderson
George Carlin-Earlier Times
Tim Conway
Johnny Carson
I like all comedians really, until they start getting real dirty to try to bring in the laughs. I find the funniest ones just talk of normal day to day events and how funny they really are.  :smile:

Unless I missed it no one has listed ...

Lenny Bruce
Charlie Chaplin
Milton Berle
Shelley Berman
Phyllis Diller
George Jessel
Foster Brooks
Jonathan Winters
Sam Kinison

Ever notice in DISORDER in the COURT,where Curly is messing with his bubble gum,that he gives the audiance the finger,not once but twice!!!
  Long time foil Emil Sitka was set to replace Larry when he fell ill,and Moe,never to give up the show,planned to keep going...and then Moe died,and the act with him.Sigh....
   Another comedian,who didn't make the list, who was quite the original,was Harold Llyod. They used to show his shorts on Sunday mornings in the 70's back here in Michigan on Channel 3. BAD MOVIE note,his son,Harold Llyod Jr,appeared in some minor B-Movies,including FRANKENSTIEN's DAUGHTER(1958)!

Nobody has mentioned two of my favorites, Steven Wright and Chris Titus. 

movie-wise, Leslie Nielson. on the strength of Airplane and Naked Gun trilogy alone.

non-movie - Bill Hicks is head and shoulders above everyone else IMO. the guy was so funny with his unrelenting deconstruction of percieved human values/politics/everyday life...

Geez, lots of good names here.  I can't choose just one or even a couple.

There's a heap of great stuff out there, so rather than make a huge list I'll just put down two local favs of mine.

Carl Barron is one of the best Australian stand up comedians out there, funny stuff, but I worry that most of his humour wouldn't work outside of the country [most of the link below makes much more sense to Australians I suppose] But he's hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck8Xl7c8684 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck8Xl7c8684)


Shaun Micallef is also a great Australian comedian, and he hosted a few shows here, including a live show and sketch comedy show, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76js5PQEj3k (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76js5PQEj3k)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xYMKtK_Qg0 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xYMKtK_Qg0)

Figured I'd link a couple for those after some odd, but great humour from some Aussie comedians.

Oh and just as an interesting aside, here's some clips of another great Aussie comedian, Eric Bana, doing some skits in a character he made famous back in the day, before he actually showed us he can act...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqFcdz4gGKA
 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqFcdz4gGKA)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpS31FJO8_o (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpS31FJO8_o)

@dean, did you ever catch a aussie show called "Funky Squad"? It was like a parody of 70s cop shows. really funny, think it was mid-90s era that it went out. not sure who any of the actors in it were but its one of the funniest shows Ive ever seen. there's not too much on the net about it, and I dont think its released on DVD either.

Forgot to mention Benny Hill and Paul Hogan.

What? No Pauly Shore? OUCH! OOPHH!!! HEY!! JUST KIDDING!!!

   I discoverd Benny Hill while staying with my Gramma in the Bronx in 1980...I was an instant Benny Hill fan from then on.  :thumbup: :bouncegiggle:

I like lots of comedians ...too many to name.  I hear a lot of good ones on Bob and Tom.  My favorites have to be George Carlin and Steven Wright. 

Here's some of my all-time favorites:
Marx Brothers
Rodney Dangerfield
Mitch Hedberg
Brian Regan
Sklar Brothers
Stella
Allen and Slovin
Nick Swardson
Jim Gaffigan
Amazing Jonathan
Adam Ferrara
Gabriel Iglesias
Stephen Lynch
Gilbert Gottfried
Demetri Martin
And yes... I enjoy Dat Phan

Ah, Alan Partridge!

I knew I forgot another good one...  :bouncegiggle:

This may seem corny...but Henny Youngman always cracked me up! :bouncegiggle:
 
    (http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/9008/312pxhennyyoungmanih2.jpg)

         Guy goes to a psychiarist,tells the guy-"Your crazy." Guy says-" I wanta second opnion!" "Ok, your ugly too!"

         A bum asks a guy on the street-"Loan me $10 till payday!" Guy says-"Whens payday?" Bum says-"How do I know? Your the one with the job!"

Just recent on AOL Radio, I heard a 10 minute bit of Henny Youngman just doing insult comebacks. About half of them I'd heard or used at one time or another, but I was still rolling with laughter. The man had delivery and timing down. He could get a laugh from a line everyone already knew.

SaintMort, I'm about 60/40 love to hate on your list, among the ones I've heard of. Never heard of Nick Swardson or Allen and Slovin.

The only thing I ever liked from the Sklar Bros. was their bit poking fun of rock radio promos, they nailed the macho tone and everything else perfectly.

dean, I have got to see more than clips of Alan Patridge. What little I've seen of Steve Coogan, and what I've read about the Partridge character sounds really cool. He and Rob Brydon were awesome in Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, I hated when that movie ended it was so funny. 

Yeah, he's great.  24 Hour Party People is also a great Coogan effort, but forever will I know him first and formost as Alan Partridge.

And I know you want to see more than clips, but HERE'S SOME MORE!

 :smile:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IklRl2K-ZVY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IklRl2K-ZVY)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3YUlcyPXLo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3YUlcyPXLo)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eYBQn6JhAQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eYBQn6JhAQ)

No doubt: W.C. Fields.

Currently obsessed with the bizarre dark British comedy series The League of Gentlemen.
The writers/performers are all horror movie fans, particularly 'Hammer Horrors',  and it shows!

Best/most disturbing character - Papa Lazarou.


(http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/images/2005/06/01/vasey_05_400x267.jpg)
                  "You're my wife now!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a27zbNyf3x4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a27zbNyf3x4)

Nick Swardson's fame really picked up recently when he befriended Adam Sandler and got a Co-starring role in "Grandma's Boy"

Allen and Slovin (or Solvin and Allen I forget) is kinda of a demented bit comedy. They do things like "Who's on First" but replace Who, What, Why, ect with real baseball players names, or do a sketch where they build a time machine that goes back in time 15 seconds and just keep repeating the same situation over and over again (which involves eating 2 twinkies and chugging a fruit punch gallon).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEyovFstHrI

Youtube took down the Comedy Central Presents episode though

Yeah, you know, once you stop & really list them, as Scott did, you don't realize just how many great clowns there were/are out there --
I own almost complete vinyl collections of Shelley Berman -- currently playing a judge on "Boston Legal" -- Jonathan Winters, Bob Newhart -- he made his name in standup first, remember -- and The Firesign Theatre.
The Firesign Theatre is sort of a Pataphysical thing -- Max Ernst claimed that just as Metaphysics is the unseen spirit behind the Physical world, Pataphysics is the unseen force/spirit behind Metaphysics.  As individuals they don't fare as well or come up with as amazing stuff, but as a group they create new worlds wherein their own physical & spiritual laws hold sway -- Much like Jonathan Winters does solo!!
I worked with Henny Youngman in Massachusetts in 1975.  I noticed he had a Mercury dime welded to a safety-pin in his lapel.  "My goodness, Mr. Youngman", I said, "That certainly is a unique piece of jewelry . . ."
"Yeah!", he says, "That's my diamond pin(dime-and-pin said quickly)"!!
peter pun/denny awful

You WORKED with Henny Youngman?!?! Wow. I bow.

Ditto.

 Hi,
  My favorite comedians are:

Eddie Murphy
Allan Slovin
laurel Hardy
Rowan Atkinson
Charlie chaplin
Mitch He :teddyr:dberg

Eddie Izzard
Bill Hicks
George Carlin

That's pretty much it...

Bil Hicks Gone too soon

Buster Keaton

The Marx Brothers wonderful

(Milton Berle to Groucho: Did You know I stole all my Jokes from you.

Grouchos answer was : "Then you did not listen good enough. )

Lenny Bruce for forever changing the comedy scape

Laurel and Hardy, add just one thing and you smile

Laurel and hardy and a Ladder,

Laurel and Hardy and a Nail,

Laurel and Hardy and a Piano

the Pythons

This best laugh i have ever seen

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsHk9WC7fnQ

Small list?  (Edited for space).  I'd call that GINORMOUS, but that reminds me too well of the fiberglass Burger King (shudder) so I will not.  Certainly there's lots of talent to choose from. 
Oh, and yes, Peter Johnson, I for one remember Bob Newhart's BUTTON DOWN MIND and the now nearly forgotten impact of the FIRESIGN THEATRE (are their albums all out of print?) 
Yaddo43 and RCMerchant: Henny Youngman: OH YEH!!!  Peter Johnson: "Dime and pin"  :bouncegiggle:  I love Henny Youngman . . .

Of the classics, I'd go for
THE MARX BROTHERS
BUSTER KEATON
WC FIELDS
CHARLIE CHAPLIN
LAUREL & HARDY
ABBOTT & COSTELLO

I also enjoy George Carlin quite a bit. 

dean, I recently "acquired" about six episodes of Knowing Me, Knowing You With Alan Partridge. A-ha! Funny funny stuff. Between the Roger Moore problems and when Alan pees himself with the knife thrower.

Watched Coogan tonight in a con caper film called Lies and Alibis with a huge cast of familiar faces. Decent film with some laughs, but Coogan was better than the material.

ive always been a fan of the three stooges (shemp not curly), abbot and costello, sam kinisen, gene wilder, mel brooks, richard pryor, milton berle, bob newhart. none of todays comics really make me laugh so much as groan because a lot of them seem to go for pure shock value without actually saying anything funny. im not offended easily but if youre going to be incredibly vulgar at least say something funny while your doing so.

Good work!  He's easily one of my favourite comedians, but interestingly enough I haven't seen enough of his work despite this.

But one day, soon...

Most of my faves (if not all) have already been mentioned, but here's one I think you guys may have overlooked:

Jeff Dunham - Ventriloquist extraordinaire! This guy has a lot of fun with his audiences and has some truly unique puppets at his command. My favorites are Walter, a crotchety old man, and Peanut, a weird muppet lookin' thing that is insanely loveable and funny. You know they're just puppets being controlled by someone, but damn it, Jeff manages to make them each their own personality and sometimes you forget you're watching a ventriloquist in action. Also, his "Achmed: The Dead Terrorist" character is funny as hell! Look for a clip of Achmed on Youtube.  :teddyr:

Re.  The Firesign Theatre:
ALL of The Firesign Theatre material/movies/records/cd's/radio shows/etc. are still in print.
Not only are all the old things available still, but the boys are still creating NEW material!!
And, they are as funny/strange as ever --
Please, everyone go to:
www.firesigntheatre.com
and see/hear for yourselves --
love
peter johnson/denny crane

Lewis Black (smart, yet insane.)
Mitch Hedberg (offbeat.  Reminds me of Steven Wright)
Andrew Dice Clay (Anybody who can be that offensive, yet likable is great)
Jim Norton (I like his honesty, yet offensive as well.)
Chris Titus (brilliant.)
Weird Al Yankovic (I consider him a comic.  He's funny while being family friendly.  And he writes a catchy song too.)
Steven Wright.  (he's a genius.)

George Carlin.
Steven Wright.

Emo Philips.   =)

"I'm sure going to miss you, Emo..."

"Well, now that I've broken that sight off your rifle..."

I'd have to say Bill Hicks and Richard Pryor are my all time favourite comedians, they are absolute legends taken too soon.  :smile:

Richard Pryor NSFW!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=d41SjzYhf44&feature=related

As for British comedians, Michael McIntyre and Frankie Boyle are really hilarious newcomers.

My fave moment from Frankie Boyle regarding the queen. NSFW!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=N_ESgHRI5HI

Has anyone else heard about a press conference being held on Sunday morning (the 9th, 10 am), supposedly marking the return of Andy Kaufman!?

The Amazing Jonathan has me in stitches every time I see him. And Brian Posehn is my spiritual brother. In terms of cinema, I'm a big fan of the Marx brothers. A Night At The Opera kills me.

None of these, are by any means, their best film, but they are their funniest, as they all had me, both literally and figuratively, on the floor.  And these are also my favorite comedians, I might add.

Abbott and Costello
. . . Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Bob Hope
Alias Jesse James
Fancy Pants
Monsieur Beaucaire
Seven Little Foys

Buster Keaton
Seven Chances
Even 83 years later, the stunts performed in this film are still mind boggling.

Laurel and Hardy
Babes in Toyland

Peter Sellers and Margaret Rutherford
The Smallest Show on Earth

Red Skelton
Fuller Brush Man

The Three Stooges
. . . Go Around the World in a Daze

Gene Wilder
Start the Revolution without Me

And I'd be remiss not to mention the funniest ensemble comedy, I've ever seen.
Funniest ensemble comedy
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

And the funniest TV movie I ever saw
Sammy, the Way-Out Seal
The last, not only had me, but both my mother and my younger sister on the floor. We try to get up, see the seal being chased through the supermarket by the dogs in town, and down we go again, paralyzed by laughter.

Enjoy!

Buddy Hacket. What's more, 8 years ago or so he appeared on MTVs "Loveline", he would have been 75 or so then, and I was surprised how in touch he was with the younger people and their problems/pressures. The guy was a goof, but a very smart one.

I am partial to Steven Wright and Andy Kaufman