The comedy movie started a long time ago in 1900. The first movie to be produced was Thomas Edison’s kinetoscope from his assistant Fred Ott on Record of a Sneeze. This could also be considered the first to show the comedy aspect of the film.
Comedy movies began to appear more during the silent movie era, prior to the 1930s. These comedy movies were originally based on visual humor. The prominent figure we all know as Charlie Chaplin was one of the famous clown-style actors of the silent movie era. It was through Charlie Chaplin that Hollywood comedy movies became famous and soon came Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd.
Then in the 1920s, another cartoon trend appeared. They were the most popular Hollywood comedy movies of the time. The various popular characters of that time were Felix the cat, Krazy Kat, and Betty Boop. However, the popularity of these films was hampered by a lack of sound and color.
In the late 1920s, the Hollywood comedy industry marked a change brought about by the introduction of sound into movies. This has allowed the industry to create new dramatic film styles and use verbal humor. These movies soon replaced silent movies. These films used dialogue from comedians such as WC Fields and the Marx Brothers. Charlie Chaplin was the last comedian to star in silent movies, and his films during the 1930s lacked dialogue, although they did employ sound effects.
When the United States entered World War II, Hollywood movies shifted their course toward conflict-related themes and Hollywood comedy movies were portrayed more on military themes. The wartime era boomed, with travel restrictions putting nearly a quarter of the money spent on going to the movies.
In the 1950s, interest changed when television became the focus of adult social situations in family-oriented comedies. During this time, the release of Hollywood comedy movies declined. The 1960s saw a growing number of star-studded, expansive comedies. In 1970, Hollywood comedy movies reflected the antiwar sentiment that was prevalent then. Among the leading figures of this era were Woody Allen and Mel Brooks. They wrote, directed, and appeared in hilariously funny and witty movies.
In the 1980s the joke-based comedy Airplane, a parody of the disaster film series of the previous decade, was released, and Hollywood comedy films paved the way for more of the same, including Top Secret and the film. Naked Gun. The popular comedian of this era included Dudley Moore, Tom Hanks, Eddie Murphy, and Dan Aykroyd. Jim Carrey, the Canadian actor and comedian, got into Hollywood comedy movies in the late 1980s where he won the role in Damian Lee’s Canadian ski comedy Copper Mountain.
The most popular Hollywood comedy films were those of John Hughes, including the Ferris Buellers Day Off and Home Alone series from the 1990s. Later films focused more on the family audience, this was a revival in the movies of comedy. Parody comedy movies remain popular to this day.
Another development in Hollywood comedy movies was the use of gross humor, which is generally aimed at a younger audience in movies like There’s Something About Mary, American Pie, and many more. This rude movie trend continued with adult-oriented comedies gaining the box office to date.
