Writers Guild names ‘Annie Hall’ as funniest script

The Writers Guild of America, joining the rest of the Internet in creating lists, has compiled an exhaustive ranking of the 101 funniest screenplays of all time.

The awards were announced at the Arclight Cinerama Dome and was the culmination of two hours of panels, discussions and clips in an event hosted by Rob Reiner.

On the list, Allen’s script for Annie Hall was followed by the screenplay for director Billy Wilder’s 1959 film a few Like It Hot, which was penned by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond. Strangelove, Blazing Saddles, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and National Lampoon’s Animal House.

In addition to Annie Hall, Woody Allen had six other screenplays make the list: Sleeper, Bananas, Take the Money and Run, Love and Death, Manhattan, and Broadway Danny Rose. And Mel Brooks had “just” three screenplays on the list but they all ranked highly: “Young Frankenstein” (6), “Blazing Saddles” (8), and “The Producers” (12).

Harold Ramis had two in the top 10, with “Groundhog Day” and “Animal House” and “Ghostbusters and “Caddyshack”, giving him a total of four”. What else would you add that’s not on the list, whether it’s a “black film” or not? Ironically given the amplifier joke within the film, “This Is Spinal Tap” came in at number 11.

Not surprisingly the list skewed towards older, established classics, though the 2011 R-rated laugher, “Bridesmaids”, the most recent movie on the list, finished in sixteenth place.

The full list of results can be found in the original Variety article.

The 101 Funniest Screenplays is a project of the WGAW’s Publicity & Marketing Committee, whose members include Aaron Mendelsohn (Chair); W. Bruce Cameron, Michael Conley, Diane Driscoll, Aaron Fullerton, Gary Goldstein, Katherine Fugate, Margaret Howell, Felischa Marye, Ken Pisani, Ari B. Rubin, Michael Walker, and Susan Walter.