Some Like It Hot takes first place in BBC Culture’s Top 100 Comedies poll

Today BBC Culture has revealed the 100 greatest comedies ever made following an extensive poll of more than 250 film critics in over 50 countries. Each critic ranked their top 10 favourite comedies, with films from Hollywood, Bollywood, Nollywood and throughout the world being nominated. 

Taking the top spot is Billy Wilder’s 1959 hit film, Some Like It Hot, pipping Stanley Kubrick’s Dr Strangelove (1964) to the post. Annie Hall (1977), Groundhog Day (1993) and Duck Soup (1933) came in third, fourth and fifth respectively. 

 About the winning film, BBC Culture film critic, Nicholas Barber says “As well as being a romantic comedy, a buddy movie, a crime caper, and a musical, Some Like It Hot is an anthem in praise of tolerance, acceptance, and the possibility of transformation. It’s an anthem that we need to hear now more than ever.” 

The top 25 comedy films in the poll are: 

1. Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959) 

2. Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick, 1964) 

3. Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977) 

4. Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis, 1993) 

5. Duck Soup (Leo McCarey, 1933) 

6. Life of Brian (Terry Jones, 1979) 

7. Airplane! (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker, 1980) 

8. Playtime (Jacques Tati, 1967) 

9. This Is Spinal Tap (Rob Reiner, 1984) 

10. The General (Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton, 1926) 

11. The Big Lebowski (Joel and Ethan Coen, 1998) 

12. Modern Times (Charlie Chaplin, 1936) 

13. To Be or Not To Be (Ernst Lubitsch, 1942) 

14. His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks, 1940) 

15. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, 1975) 

16. The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin, 1940) 

17. Bringing Up Baby (Howard Hawks, 1938) 

18. Sherlock Jr (Buster Keaton, 1924) 

19. The Lady Eve (Preston Sturges, 1941) 

20. Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks, 1974) 

21. City Lights (Charlie Chaplin, 1931) 

22. Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks, 1974) 

23. The Party (Blake Edwards, 1968) 

24. Withnail and I (Bruce Robinson, 1987) 

25. The Gold Rush (Charlie Chaplin, 1925) 

 Full list: bbc.com/culture