By this point in time, when pretty much all movies and TV shows are produced in color for our enjoyment, it’s entirely possible that there are some who would call themselves film fans, but who haven’t dipped their toes in the waters of black and white movies yet. Well, if you simply haven’t gotten around to any of those duo-tone classics for fear that they’ll be boring, here are 32 great (and some not so old) black and white comedies that you should definitely watch at least once.
Arsenic And Old Lace (1944)
We’re going to be seeing a lot of Cary Grant on this list, and Arsenic and Old Lace is one of his finest comedies. While not his first film or even his first hit, the story, which sees his newlywed make a horrifying discovery about the two old aunts who raised him in their ancestral home, has a wild plot with Grant doing a lot of mugging and everyone delivering lots of laughs.
Some Like It Hot (1959)
If you’re going to pick a random film off this list to start with, why not dive into an acclaimed classic like Some Like It Hot? This crime comedy (which got six Oscar nominations) sees Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon on the run from the mobsters they accidentally saw commit murder, and dress like women in order to hide. Marilyn Monroe co-stars as their eventual band-mate in the all-women’s group they find jobs in, and it’s just an all-around good time.
She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
Here’s one of a few movies on this list that were filmed in black and white, despite being released way past the time when that was quite uncommon. She’s Gotta Have It follows Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns), a young artist living in Brooklyn who’s dating three men, and what happens when those men find out about each other. While there are definitely some dramatic moments here, the movie that put Spike Lee on the map is beloved for its comedy and how it features a Black woman boldly telling her story.
Ed Wood (1994)
Ed Wood is a Tim Burton classic that does something different right off the bat by daring to be a comedic biopic. It follows the real movie director (played by Johnny Depp) as he makes a number of failed movies while attempting to break into the big time with movies like Glen or Glenda and Plan 9 from Outer Space. Depp and co-star Martin Landau (who won an Oscar for his role as horror movie icon Bela Lugosi) shine in this upbeat, wild story, as does the whole cast.
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
If you’re looking for some pure zaniness and romantic comedy, then Bringing Up Baby is a must. The Cary Grant (there he is again) and Katherine Hepburn starring screwball comedy sees his prim paleontologist meet her daffy heiress by chance and quickly embark on a series of wild misadventures that will keep you laughing throughout. Oh, and Baby? That’s a pet leopard. Enjoy!
Paper Moon (1973)
It might not seem fair to call Paper Moon a newer black-and-white movie, but it certainly is when it comes to this list, and it’s a wonder to behold. Starring the father/daughter duo of Ryan and Tatum O’Neal, they portray a con man and the orphan (who may actually be his daughter) that he sweeps up into his schemes. This is another one with a series of entertaining incidents, and once you watch it’ll be no real surprise that Tatum won an Academy Award for her performance.
Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
Barbara Stanwyck’s Elizabeth Lane has lied about, well, basically her whole life to keep her popular lifestyle column (where she pretends to be a married farm wife and mother instead of the single New Yorker she really is) afloat. But, when she has to host a returning war hero for Christmas to keep up the charade, a series of silly and romantic incidents follow. You don’t need to celebrate any holidays to laugh and be warmed within by this great Christmas rom-com.
Clerks (1994)
For another more recent black and white comedy, we have the ever-popular Clerks. This comedy about two convenience store workers, their string of impatient/clueless/wise/irate customers and their various acquaintances during one eventful day helped set off a whole funny film universe and launched the career of director Kevin Smith.
The Bachelor And The Bobby-Soxer (1947)
Again with Cary Grant! This time he stars with Myrna Loy and a teenaged Shirley Temple as a charming artist whose speech at a high school leads to a serious crush from one of the girls in attendance and a growing romantic entanglement with her older sister/guardian. Crazy situations commence!
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
Really, what is there to say about A Hard Day’s Night that you don’t already know? It’s the first full-length film of The Beatles, features a ton of their hits and will take you through a little over a day of their adventurously wacky time as superstars. You’ll dig it, OK?
Shall We Dance (1937)
It would be difficult to have a list of black and white comedies without adding a musical comedy or two, and we have our first in Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire’s seventh film pairing. Shall We Dance sees his ballet dancer fall for her tap dancer and lots of laughs follow, along with 16 dance-filled musical numbers.
Francis (1950)
Stay with us, here, because this is a nutty one. Donald O’Connor stars as an Army lieutenant who insists that a talking mule named Francis saved his life during WWII, and…well, it’s all true, but of course few believe him. Especially about the talking mule part. If you think this comedy sounds too wild for the folks of 1950, know that it was a big hit and spawned SIX sequels.
The Thin Man (1934)
Need some mystery with your comedy? Take action and watch The Thin Man with William Powell and Myrna Loy as the wealthy detective duo Nick and Nora Charles. You’ll get a missing person case that keeps you guessing, gorgeous clothes, delightfully romantic banter, and a cute dog (Asta) to boot!
Pleasantville (1998)
Alright, sure, Pleasantville is a bit of a cheat as it starts and ends in color, but most of the middle is in black and white, so there! This comedy sees teen twins (played by Reese Witherspoon and Tobey Maguire) get sucked into the titular 1950s TV show, where they begin to learn how to be true to themselves while teaching the townfolk the same thing. It really is an intriguing delight, and so worth your time.
The Major And The Minor (1942)
If there’s any one thing that we should take away from the rom-com The Major and the Minor, where 30-year-old Ginger Rogers’ character successfully poses as a 12-year-old named Su-Su in order to avoid paying full price for a train ticket, it’s that maybe we should all stop complaining when actors in their twenties play high schoolers. But, while you’re learning that lesson know that you’ll be utterly charmed by the story of this one.
Harvey (1950)
Jimmy Stewart didn’t play a lot of eccentrics, but his Elwood P. Dowd certainly counts as one, seeing as how his best friend is a 6’3” rabbit named Harvey. Not only that, but his mythical buddy is also invisible, leading to quite a comedic adventure when his older sister finally tires of being a town outcast and tries to have Elwood committed. People don't talk about this great old movie enough.
The Lady Eve (1941)
Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda star in this famed screwball comedy about a brash con woman who falls for a shy (but extremely rich) snake expert while on an ocean liner and the craziness that ensues. There are several reasons why this film is in the U.S. National Film Registry, and the chemistry between the leads is definitely one.
The Artist (2011)
This Oscar-winning comedy-drama is not just in black and white, but almost completely silent, and it’s a wonder to behold. Jean Dujardin leads as a silent film star who falls out of style as the talkies emerge, while his one-time protégé, Peppy (Bérénice Bejo), rises to stardom.
The Absent Minded Professor (1961)
If you’re looking for a fun family comedy, then The Absent Minded Professor will do the trick. Fred MacMurray stars as the titular academic, whose new invention, “flubber,” soon becomes the talk of the town as he makes various demonstrations of it while looking for financial backing. As you might have guessed, this movie led to the 1997 remake starring Robin Williams, Flubber.
It Happened One Night (1934)
It would be somewhat shocking if you’ve never at least heard of this famous screwball comedy before, as the Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable romance is widely viewed as one of the best movies ever made and was the first of only three movies to win all top five Oscar awards. Even if you watch without knowing much about the plot beforehand, we can pretty much guarantee you’ll end up as a satisfied fan.
She Done Him Wrong (1933)
Mae West (who adapted the screenplay from her Broadway play) and, yes, Cary Grant star in this bawdy, pre-film code crime comedy, and you won’t regret watching. It’s filled with West’s trademark ribald witticisms and a plot that makes everything even more exciting.
Ball Of Fire (1941)
Ball of Fire is a winner, any way you look at it. This addition to the screwball genre stars Gary Cooper as a linguist studying American slang who asks for help from a nightclub singer (Barbara Stanwyck), who only agrees so she can hide from the police at the home he shares with his fellow researchers. The film is almost like an adult Snow White with cops, a mob boss, henchmen, and scholarly senior citizens instead of “dwarfs” and cutesy cartoon animals. You’ll love it!
Monkey Business (1952)
Turns out that this list isn’t short on screwball comedies or ones that star Cary Grant, because here we have yet another of both. This time, Grant portrays a forgetful chemist whose research chimp playfully (and unbeknownst to him) creates a youth elixir which makes him and his wife (played by Ginger Rogers) act like a 20-something and a school girl, respectively. Do antics ensue? You betcha!
Roman Holiday (1953)
You’ve likely seen at least some snippets of Roman Holiday, as it’s still one of the best reviewed rom-coms and largely considered one of the best romantic comedies by many. If you adore any of those “royal masquerades as a commoner to take a break from the pressure of their duty” Hallmark movies, this Oscar winner starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck is right up your alley, seeing as how it gave a big boost to the trope.
My Man Godfrey (1936)
Watch a socially aware screwball comedy? Don’t mind if we do! When a kind but rather daffy socialite (Carole Lombard) hires a homeless man (William Powell) to be her family’s new butler, hilarity ensues when she falls in love with him.
Born Yesterday (1950)
Judy Holliday shines in this comedy/drama about the uneducated fiancée of a crooked tycoon, whom he hires a tutor (William Holden) for after she embarrasses him in front of a prominent politician’s wife. This Academy Award-winning movie has everything: opposites attract romance, crooked rich people getting their comeuppance, and a woman learning how to take charge of her life. Love it!
Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982)
If you’d like to enjoy pure silliness from the word “Action!” then Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid could absolutely fit the bill. Starring Steve Martin (with dark hair!!), the film is a comedy/mystery that pays homage to the noir and detective movies of the 1940s, with Martin (who also co-wrote) portraying the private investigator at the center of this parody. It’s also worth watching to see how the filmmakers use clips of 19 noir classics to help tell the story.
Sabrina (1954)
Audrey Hepburn, William Holden and Humphrey Bogart star in what is yet another classic. Sabrina is the story of the daughter of a rich family’s chauffeur, who grows up with a crush on one brother, but eventually finds herself falling for the other when she returns home from school in Paris. This romantic comedy/drama and Roman Holiday are just two of the reasons that Hepburn is a screen icon, and always will be.
Topper (1937)
Constance Bennett and (well, look at that…) Cary Grant portray a rich and extremely rash married couple who die in a car wreck. When they realize their souls are trapped on earth, they decide that livening up the life of their old friend, Topper, will help them do a deed good enough to open the pearly gates. People just don’t talk about this one enough.
The Apartment (1960)
Here’s another one that will likely always be regarded as special among comedies and romances. The Apartment focuses on a clerk (Jack Lemmon) who agrees to let the executives at his company use his apartment for their extra-marital affairs, but soon unknowingly falls for the mistress (Shirley MacLaine) of the head of personnel. Just watch it, and have no regrets.
Top Hat (1935)
Since you’re going to watch Shall We Dance, you might as well also enjoy the best-known and beloved film of the Astaire/Rogers collaborations: Top Hat. While this one only includes eight musical numbers, the famed “Cheek to Cheek” can be found here and is one of the things that’s made this movie a musical comedy for the ages.
I’m No Angel (1933)
We started with Cary Grant, let’s go ahead and end with him, too. This is another comedy conceived by Mae West, who stars as a smart and ever-confident sideshow performer turned circus superstar. Seeing as how this is a West picture, you will go in with certain expectations, and they will be rewarded nicely.
As you can see, there are numerous black and white comedies to help you fill your time whenever laughs are the order of the day!
