Funny Ladies

ClassyCo

ClassyCo

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The women of film, television, and beyond that are known for (in varying degrees) for their sense of humor or for often playing in movies or TV shows that could be deemed comedies.

For example, we have Lucille Ball, the First Lady of Television, and a premiere comedienne on the small screen:

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But we also have Irene Dunne, a master at screwball comedy movies in the 1930s and 1940s:

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Do you have any funny ladies that trigger in your mind?​
 
Snarky Oracle!

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Crimson

Crimson

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Yes, Madeline Kahn. Her talents were remarkable but she rarely got vehicles worthy of her. Brooks and Bogdonovich utilized her well on a few occasions, but mostly her career was a waste of her gifts. One of the great tragedies of 20th century pop culture is that Madeline never had a successful TV series worthy of her. If she had gotten a good quality sitcom or variety show, she'd be comedy legend at least on par with Lucy and Carol.

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Sarah

Sarah

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Crimson said:
Yes, Madeline Kahn. Her talents were remarkable but she rarely got vehicles worthy of her. Brooks and Bogdonovich utilized her well on a few occasions, but mostly her career was a waste of her gifts. One of the great tragedies of 20th century pop culture is that Madeline never had a successful TV series worthy of her. If she had gotten a good quality sitcom or variety show, she'd be comedy legend at least on par with Lucy and Carol.

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One of my absolute favourite movies and roles for her. This scene in your gif was believe it or not, improvised!
 
Grant Jennings

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Rosalind Russell.jpg
Rosalind Russell was great at both comedic and dramatic roles. It still amazes me how she was able to speak her dialogue in films like His Girl Friday at such speed but still clearly enunciating every word. I adore her as Auntie Mame. When she was cast in The Women she wasn't comfortable with the role of Sylvia because she was such a bitch; George Cukor wisely told her to play the part for laughs.
 
Crimson

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Ros Russell is the most hit-or-miss of all classic film stars for me. She could be brilliant in comedy (HIS GIRL FRIDAY) and drama (THE VELVET TOUCH, one of my favorite obscure films), but I often find her unbearably over-the-top. Most actors are dependent on their materials. Some, when stuck with a bad script or poor directing, get tense; Ros seemed to get frantic.
 
ClassyCo

ClassyCo

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I'd agree that Rosalind Russell isn't necessarily a favorite of mine either. I thoroughly enjoyed her in THE WOMEN (1939) as "Mrs. Prowler" opposite Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford. AUNTIE MAME (1958) was actually quite good in my opinion. I know it isn't too popular among everyone here, but I guess I just have a fondness or admiration for that skeleton plot and type of movie.

I remember seeing her in CHINA SEAS, the mid-'30s thriller drama starring Clark Gable and Jean Harlow. She played an upper-class snob in that movie, but her role was pretty small. I've seen her in other things as well, but she just isn't always my cup-of-tea.​
 
Crimson

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I'm iffy with AUNTIE MAME. On a surface level, both the movie and Ros are fun, even though it's an overly long, stagey sitcom of a film. In a more persnickety mood, I have a problem with Ros's performance on a conceptual level. She plays Mame half as an eccentric madcap and half as a haughty grand dame; I don't think the two sides gel. (Lucy continued the mismatched performance, only more egregiously since her idea of haughty was downright sour.) From the clips I've seen, Angela Lansbury seemed to have the best handle on the character. Also, the novel was surprisingly bawdy which was completely stripped out of both film versions. If Mae West had wanted a comeback in the mid-50s, she might have been a good Mame.
 
ClassyCo

ClassyCo

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Crimson said:
I'm iffy with AUNTIE MAME. On a surface level, both the movie and Ros are fun, even though it's an overly long, stagey sitcom of a film. In a more persnickety mood, I have a problem with Ros's performance on a conceptual level. She plays Mame half as an eccentric madcap and half as a haughty grand dame; I don't think the two sides gel. (Lucy continued the mismatched performance, only more egregiously since her idea of haughty was downright sour.) From the clips I've seen, Angela Lansbury seemed to have the best handle on the character. Also, the novel was surprisingly bawdy which was completely stripped out of both film versions. If Mae West had wanted a comeback in the mid-50s, she might have been a good Mame.
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I'd agree that AUNTIE MAME is a long movie, perhaps even too long. Mae might've been a good Mame had she been interested, but she was doing her beefcake shows by then.​
 
ClassyCo

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I'm partial to Irene Dunne. I like THE AWFUL TRUTH, which is probably her signature screwball comedy, but my favorite is probably MY FAVORITE WIFE. The latter features her as a woman who is lost a sea, declared dead, but returns only to find her husband (Cary Grant) remarried to a fussy woman (Gail Patrick). It's a hilarious little romp and I adore Dunne and Grant together.

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I also really like Constance Bennett in her comedies. After spending the early-'30s in tear-jerking melodramas, she shifted her image in the latter half of the decade towards a husky-voiced comedienne. She starred in such comedies as TOPPER (1937) and MERRILY WE LIVE (1938). I've always had a soft spot for her.

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