Watched the Vacation family National Lampoon movies over break, and for European Vacation, we watched the one with the Chevy Chase commentary.

In it, it was fun hearing him wax about making the comedies in the 80'w, but my biggest take on the words were his appreciation and mastery of physical comedy (evidenced by the toll it took on his body).

Anyhow, looking back on some of his finest work, I see that physical comedy (using mannerisms, facial expressions, just pretty much anything but extended dialogue and verbal punchlines, really) such as that which made him famous (picture him stumbling as Prez Gerald Ford) has been mostly forgotten in the current age.

My two favorites are Chevy Chase and Jason Bateman (he can make an entire scene just by a facial expression - my favorite was a scene in 'Couples Retreat' where he stumbles into the sauna while Jon Favreau is using a gay analogy to try to explain to Vince Vaughn that he thinks about other women while having sex with the incredibly still-smokin' hot Kristin Davis. Bateman makes a stunned facial expression, and just makes a loud, purposeful noise as he enters the room, and it is absolutely brilliant and hilarious timing!).

I used to like Jim Carrey, but for some reason he just doesn't have it anymore.

What kind of examples and/or favorites do the gentry have?

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I like thinking big. . . If you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.
-Donald J. Trump, BPE

Chuck Norris for sure.

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-- source

Forgot Steve Martin.

Of course, the King - Jerry Lewis, but he is not one of my faves.

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I like thinking big. . . If you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.
-Donald J. Trump, BPE

Farley.

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

Buster Keaton.

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I don't remember half the time if I'm hiding or I'm lost

+1 My son and I started watching The Twilight Zone from the first episode. Buster Keaton starred in S3 Ep.13. Classic Keaton.

Also, a shout out to the late Jon Ritter.

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If you're going through hell, keep going!

"It's called the American dream, because you'd have to be asleep to believe it" - George Carlin

John Belushi.

The eyebrows, the physical stuff in Animal House, Samurai character on SNL, Blues Brothers dancing, etc.

One of my all time favorites.

The Chris Farley nomination is solid as well.

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

Don Knotts.

Harpo Marx was an all time great as well.

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

I think this thread needs some gifs

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I like thinking big. . . If you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.
-Donald J. Trump, BPE

Nice pulls on Ritter, Belushi, Knots, etc.

My favorite Ritter moment was in 'Real Men" when he used his finger as a gun to shoot people.

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I like thinking big. . . If you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.
-Donald J. Trump, BPE

John Ritter and Don Knotts are two great ones.

Never thought much about Bateman in that category, but I have always enjoyed him.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Jim Carey

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Lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be.

Bateman doesn't use his whole body as much, but his facial and hand mechanisms are genius and perfectly-timed.

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I like thinking big. . . If you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.
-Donald J. Trump, BPE

No one's mentioned the Stooges?

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Peter Sellers

I haven't watched a ton of his other stuff but Lithgow on 3rd Rock From The Sun was pretty hilarious with his movements and mannerisms.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Doh!!!! Terrible oversight

Also my man Kramer was pretty good at it

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

One of the weird things about being above 50 is that when I was a kid, Gallagher was funny.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

"Your mouth is my toilet!"

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

Right?!

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Dick Van Dyke
Bob Newhart
Foster Brooks
Marx Bros
Abbott and Costello
Bob Hope
Keaton
Chaplin
Laurel and Hardy
Harold Lloyd
Belushi
Steve Martin
Chevy Chase
Python

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Love Don Knotts, but he wasn't a physical comedian. Dick Van Dyke was more of a physical comedian.

They're on another level.

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Martin Lawrence.

Check him out as Dragonfly Jones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6_qFJE4TuI

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Ruth Buzzi

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

Awesome.

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I like thinking big. . . If you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.
-Donald J. Trump, BPE

It's Jim Carrey, and it's not even remotely close.

Forget his politics. He is the GOAT of physical comedy.

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