10 Must Watch Historical Comedy Films

I love comedies and I love Period Pieces but Period Pieces are often pegged at dramas but there are quite a few Period films that are humorous, witty and just downright silly.

A Period film is a film that is set in the past and it tries to re-create that world with props, setting and costumes.

This is page is a list of the Top Ten Comedic Period Film. To be on this list the movie must be set in the a specific time period and has to be funny.

And while humor is very subjective this list runs the gambit of witty, silliness, slapstick, and the absurd.

Please Enjoy!

List is Subject to Change and more than likely will change. Forever in a state of constant flux. Also the rankings could change because humor is fickle and so am I.

(Picture is of Cleavon Little and Gene Wider from Blazing Saddles)

List is subject to change

This smart, silly and witty movie is about Blackmail and murder is oddly based on the classic who-done-it board game.

This film was set in the 1950s and gives every character a motive for why they could be the one who-done-it.

Clue does a great job of balancing witty humor with pure comedic slapstick. Plus it was one of the few films to have three endings. There is some talk of a remake involving Ryan Reynolds.

The General is widely considered one of the great comedy classic of the Silent era.

It's a testament to the endearing slapstick and physicality that performers like Keaton display for the medium.

The General is about a train heist in which a train, the titular The General is stolen by Union solider during the American Civil War. The movie is a chase to get the train back and then switches to getting the train back to where it belongs.

While it is humorous it more thriller as the stunts are thrilling with some humor peppered in in places. This could be a case of my own modern sensibility getting in the way of seeing the humor that so many other see with this movie. But I can't delay it's place in American film history,

Blazing Saddles spoofs western films. It one of Mel Brooks' most beloved films. It's full of laughs and silly moments.

But the film hasn't aged well and has other problems like the ending. But all in all it a movie that is funny and spoofs the western genre very well.

Monty Python's Life of Brian is silly, zany, whacky and wonderful. It parodies biblical stories in the way that only Monty Python can.

Gotta love that ending song, it's the perfect ending.

Another Classic movie by the master of spoofs, Mel Brooks, Young Frankenstein spoofs monster movie from the 1930s.

Unlike Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein has aged a bit better as it uses classic movie tropes. I love the Puttin' on the Ritz scene, Classic.

The Court Jester is a musical-comedy, medieval romance, costume drama. The Court Jester is such vibrant fun movie that showcases the talents of Danny Kaye spectacularly.

This movie has such amazing quick witty word play that just brings delight.

If you're ever feeling down just watch a clip of the song "The Maladjusted Jester," and you should feel better.

There is no denying Monty Python and the Holy Grail is one of the silliest movies ever made.

The whacky antics never ebb in this one. It parodies King Arthur and Medieval films all while making fun of films in general like with the models, the sound effect horse, etc.

This is classic Monty Python humor at it's finest.

There is no limit to utter absurdity in this one.

Stiff Upper Lips is a British Film that parodies British Period Films, Merchant of Ivory films in particular.

I first saw this little known and unrated movie on Masterpiece Theater. All the characters are pretty much insane or mad in this one even the seemingly normal ones. The film has lots of humorous banter, sight gags, and a lot of absurdity. Stiff Upper Lips doesn't let up on the humor it chock-full it.

The variety of different types of humor plus that fact that it does have a plot makes this one of the best Comedic Period Movies and I highly recommend it.

I fully admit that the placement of this movie is very subjunctive as this one my personal favorite movies ever in the history of existence itself but my list my rules such as they are. Not even a low rotten tomato score will sway me on this one!

I will concede that some of the games may not have ages well.

What can be added to conversation about Wes Anderson's films at this point, they are a genre to themself.

The Grand Budapest Hotel, like so many of Anderson film is just perfectly crafted and is so gosh darn delightful. One can not help but smile at this movie.

The film has a Russian-nesting-doll approach to the narrative in terms of flashbacks but it mostly takes place in the 1930s in made up European country of Zubrowka.

Ralph Fiennes shines as the famed concierge Monsieur Gustave H. with all the witty remarks and comedic timing.

I do not think it's possible not to smile when Chaplin appears in this movie. He is just iconic, you know him even if you have ever seen one of this movies.

In The Gold Rush, Chaplin plays a prospecter who get caught in a storm and nearly starves along with this companion. Luckily for the duo, Chaplin has a shoe to eat, From there his character falls in love.

Chaplin is the zenith of slapstick silent ear comedy.