Movies are magical. They make people laugh, cry, and feel everything in between. Many people go to the cinema to forget their troubles for a while and to live in a world where the impossible is possible. They love to pretend and make-believe, but, the most important thing for most people is to be entertained. People marvel at mysteries, cry at tragedies, and laugh at comedies, and generally audience members like to feel good after they leave the movie theater. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why comedies are so popular. After all, laughing is universal and something that everyone enjoys doing.
Throughout the years, Hollywood has produced a slew of feel-good comedy movies. One of the most iconic decades for comedy was the 1960s. Indeed, the 60s cinematic landscape was filled with groovy vibes, colorful clothing, and classic comedy movies (not to mention the birth of modern dark comedy with Dr. Strangelove and The Producers), and deserves to be celebrated as such. Without further ado, here are some of the best classic comedy movies from the 1960s.
Updated on August 8th, 2023 by Callum Jones: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
16 The Great Race (1965)
Reuniting the winning combo of Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, 1965's The Great Race is a truly bonkers slapstick comedy from the man behind Breakfast at Tiffany's and the Pink Panther films, Black Edwards. Curtis and Lemmon play two rival daredevils at the start of the twentieth century who compete in an epic automobile race from New York to Paris.
The fact that The Great Race is remembered for one scene particular scene that was promoted as "the greatest pie fight ever" and that featured around 4000 pies being thrown, tells you everything you need to know about the sheer, unadulterated silliness of the movie. It did go on to gain five Academy Award nominations though, proving that silliness, when done well, can be highly entertaining.
15 Cactus Flower (1969)
For a film that opens with a suicide attempt, 1969's Cactus Flower is a surprisingly light and humorous affair, that acts as a perfect example of the type of screwball comedy that was, by this point, starting to die out. Starring Walter Matthau, Ingrid Bergman, and a young Goldie Hawn, the film tells the farcical story of a commitment-phobic dentist.
He enlists the help of his assistant to pretend to be his wife, after lying to his girlfriend about being married. It's hard to imagine a movie like Cactus Flower being made today, but that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy it for the contrived, ridiculous, and above all else, hilarious, piece of cinema it is.
14 The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
Most people are probably familiar with the 1986 remake starring Rick Moranis and Steve Martin, less well-known is the original version of The Little Shop of Horrors from 1960. Like the remake, as well as the stage adaptation, the film is a horror comedy that sees a hapless florist's assistant (Jonathan Haze) unwittingly nurture a carnivorous plant that feeds on human blood.
The Little Shop of Horrors is fondly remembered for its bizarre premise and elements of dark comedy, as well as the fact that it features Jack Nicholson in one of his earliest screen appearances. Subsequent remakes and adaptations are also very good, but sometimes the originals are still the best.
13 The Party (1968)
To clarify, The Party – Black Edwards's 1968 fish-out-of-water comedy starring Peter Sellers – hasn't aged well. It features Sellars (a famously white actor) playing an incompetent Indian actor who gets invited to a party in Hollywood and makes a string of faux pas and poor decisions based on his limited knowledge of Western culture. The film is problematic, to say the least. However, if you can move past offensive racial stereotypes that were not seen as a problem at the time, there's a fun movie here.
The always great Sellers once again brings his unique brand of physical comedy, and he gets to show off his improvisational skills more here than in any other movie in his filmography. Sellers's character in The Party is also notable for being the influence of two famous comedic icons; Mr. Bean and Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. It may be too much of a hard watch for some modern audiences, but at the time The Party was considered a comedic masterpiece.
12 The Fortune Cookie (1966)
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, writer and director, Billy Wilder, made a name for himself as one of the best comedy filmmakers in the business, continually churning out hit after hit. Among his best was 1966's The Fortune Cookie.
It tells the tale of a cameraman (played by frequent Wilder collaborator, Jack Lemmon) who fakes an injury in order to receive a huge payout from his insurance company, and to win his ex-wife (played by Judi West). The comedy is darker here than in some of Wilder's previous works but retains the same witty dialogue, three-dimensional characters, and laugh-out-loud moments that he became known and loved for.
11 The Absent-Minded Professor (1961)
The Absent-Minded Professor is, you guessed it, about a professor (Fred MacMurray) that’s absent-minded. He invents flying rubber, which he calls ‘flubber,’ and accidentally misses his own wedding, for the third time. Now, his longtime girlfriend Betsy Carlisle (Nancy Olson), is trying to catch his attention and win his heart while criminals are trying to get his new formula.
Will his girlfriend steal his heart or will the crooks steal his recipe? Find out in The Absent-Minded Professor. The picture (with some of the most inventive basketball sequences in movies) was lovingly remade with Robin Williams in Flubber.
10 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
In his final cinematic role, Spencer Tracy appeared alongside his wife Katharine Hepburn and Sidney Poitier in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, chronicling the interracial marriage between a strong-willed young woman (Katharine Houghton) and her husband-to-be doctor (Poitier) and the reaction their subsequent families have on their impending nuptials.
The film features charming performances by its star-studded cast and is celebrated for its handling of the then-groundbreaking subject matter, as the dramedy carefully addresses anti-racism and depicts interracial marriage in a positive and influential manner. The classic would ultimately win two Academy Awards (including Best Original Screenplay) while earning praise from audiences and critics alike.
9 Barefoot in the Park (1967)
“Why don’t you fall over laughing and go barefoot in the park,” with this 1967 romantic comedy about newlyweds Corie (Jane Fonda), and Paul Bratter (Robert Redford) who experience all the ups and downs of married life within the first few weeks of their marriage.
Barefoot in the Park is full of belly laughs and heartwarming moments, and is guaranteed to make you want to go walking barefoot in the park, just maybe not when it’s cold outside.
8 The Nutty Professor (1996)
The Nutty Professor stars Jerry Lewis as the title character who “urges you to see this picture from the beginning, on penalty of losing your popcorn privileges.” Julius Kelp, aka the Nutty Professor, aka Jerry Lewis, is awkward, traditionally unattractive, and clumsy around people, especially women.
Luckily for him, he is actually a decent chemistry professor, and he uses his ability to concoct a potion that transforms him into a whole new man, a beast of beauty. Can he win the affection and love of the woman he admires before his potion runs out? Find out in The Nutty Professor.
7 It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World out there, especially when money is involved. In this goofy action-adventure comedy epic, Smiler Grogan (Jimmy Durante), a just-released convicted thief, perishes from a terrible car crash. However, before he kicks the bucket (literally), he divulges a secret to the five people who have stopped to “help” him.
His secret is that he buried about $350,000 in the Santa Rosita State Park under “a big W.” Now, things get crazy and mad as the race is on to see who will be the first to discover the money and become rich. It's a wild, wonderful road movie classic with an incredible ensemble cast and gorgeous widescreen cinematography.
6 The Odd Couple (1968)
The Odd Couple is a 1968 comedy based on the 1965 Broadway play that follows two men who are polar opposites. Neat freak Felix (Jack Lemmon) is sad and depressed due to his pending divorce. To help him cope and move on, his best friend, Oscar (Walter Matthau) invites him to move in. However, Oscar is a slob and doesn’t take well to his friend’s cleanliness.
Their friendship is put to the test and eventually, like any good “couple,” they learn to work through their differences, realizing that their idiosyncrasies have rubbed off on each other, and they are both better people because of it. Along the way, though, there are some very funny moments and wonderful chemistry between the two actors, who would star together several times.
5 The Love Bug (1968)
“Everyone has a fantastic story to tell about his car. Now, get lined up for the one that tops them all.” The Love Bug is the story of Herbie, a beetle who is alive. Join race car driver Jim Douglas (Dean Jones) as he and Herbie undertake a series of races and complete a bunch of hair-raising maneuvers.
The Love Bug is the original film that started the Herbie franchise: Herbie Rides Again (1974), Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977), Herbie Goes Bananas (1980), and Herbie Fully Loaded (2005).
4 Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
Audrey Hepburn became a certified fashion icon when she starred as Holly Golightly in the beloved romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany's, which follows the Manhattan socialite as she sets her sights on her handsome new neighbor, a struggling writer with an equally mysterious past.
The legendary actress delivers one of the most cherished performances of Hepburn's illustrious career in the endearing flick, and Holly has gone on to become one of the cinema's most famous characters to grace the screen. Though it was the source of controversy due to Mickey Rooney's insensitive portrayal of a Japanese man, the rom-com nonetheless is a twentieth-century staple and Hepburn's impeccable portrayal is one of the finest in film.
3 The Parent Trap (1961)
“Let’s get together, yeah yeah yeah. Why don't you and I combi-ine? Let’s get together, what do you say? We can have a swingin’ ti-ime.” What happens when two identical twin sisters (who were separated at birth) meet for the first time at a summer camp? At first, they can’t stand each other but that soon changes, and they come up with a plan to trick their divorced parents into remarrying.
The Parent Trap is a 60s classic starring Hayley Mills as the two identical twins Sharon and Susan. While many people know the remake with Lindsay Lohan and Dennis Quaid, the original 1961 film remains a classic.
2 The Pink Panther (1963)
He’s a genius. He’s ridiculous. He’s the bumbling French inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) who will stop at nothing until the criminals are apprehended or until he himself is apprehended for a crime he didn’t commit.
In the original Pink Panther movie that started it all, nothing is quite as it seems, except for Inspector Clouseau’s stupidity. How could a man possibly be that clueless and still be employed as a French police detective? Find out in the iconic 1963 film The Pink Panther.
1 The Apartment (1960)
Billy Wilder enlisted the talent of both the sensational Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine in his wildly entertaining and stunningly stylistic film, The Apartment, centering on a lonely insurance worker who decides to lend out his Manhattan apartment to his bigwig bosses for extramarital trysts in hopes of furthering his career.
The uproarious comedy won five Academy Awards and three Golden Globes (including Best Actor for Lemmon) and is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. Wilder's superb screenplay and The Apartment's cheeky humor and lively performances helped make it and influential an acclaimed comedic masterpiece.