Ernie Kovacs: The Nairobi Trio

Ernie Kovacs was a pioneer in early television comedy. In the Nairobi Trio sketch, he's the gorilla in the middle with his trademark cigar protruding from the mask. His friend Jack Lemmon is reported to have occasionally filled the gorilla suit on the left.

The Three Stooges

Widely regarded as low-brow comedians, the Three Stooges have some high-brow distinctions. Their short film Men In Black (1934) was nominated for an academy award. And their short You Nazty Spy! (1940) was the first Hollywood film to poke fun at Hitler. (It preceded Charlie Chaplain's The Great Dictator by nine months.)

Abbott & Costello: Who's On First

In 1999, Time magazine named Abbott & Costello's "Who's On First" the best comedy sketch of the 20th century. A video of it plays continuously at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Variations of the sketch include:

Hu's On First

Video Rental On First

Abbott & Costello Learn Hebrew

Marx Brothers: Mirror Scene from Duck Soup

In 2000, the American Film Institute announced the 100 funniest films of the century. Duck Soup (1933) starring the Marx Brothers was rated #5. In this classic scene, Harpo (dressed as Groucho) must avoid detection by the real Groucho. The routine was later repeated in the 1950s on I Love Lucy with Lucille Ball dressed as Harpo.