by Ted Sherman

Created on: September 07, 2008

Probably my most enjoyable movie chase scenes were ones I saw in 1930s early talkie comedies. There was always at least one hilarius chase scene in Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello movies. Before that, the most fun silent film chase scenes were in Buster Keaton movies, particularly one about a Civil War train hijacking, "The General". I believe my top choice for more contemporary movies is based on the fact that each had chase scenes that would have made all those early comedians proud. Here are my selections:

1. Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) was a fantastic movie in many respects. It opened with a hilarious hair-raising chase scene through winding mountain passes, then throughout the film, was followed by various other insane car and airplane races, and a film-ending chase that peaked at the top of a city high rise.

Another feature that made this the best chase film ever is that the cast was loaded with some of the great comedians of the day: Jimmy Durante, Sid Caesar, Mickey Rooney, Don Knotts, Milton Berle, Buddy Hackett, Phil Silvers, Jim Backus, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson and Peter Falk. Even Jack Benny, Buster Keaton and The Three Stooges made cameo appearances.

The story, as if it mattered, is of a bunch of strangers who witness a mountainside car crash, and hear the dying robber (Durante) tell of a million-dollar robbery stash buried secretly. The rest of the film features those frantic characters racing to claim the prize. Then, when they finally get it in a scenic Santa Monica park, there's a tough old cop there to arrest them.

The actor portraying the cop, who turns out to be as crooked as the rest of them, is Spencer Tracy. Hey, what the hell was the distinguished serious actor doing in this crazy movie? I guess the answer is ... having a lot of fun working with those classic comedians. Did I mention that Broadway singing superstar Ethel Merman is in the movie, too, and doesn't belt out one note?

2. Bullitt (1968) featured tough guy Steve McQueen as a San Francisco detective. The classic hair-raising chase scene was up and down the steep city hills of that beautiful City by the Bay. And it was all done live on the streets, long before digital imaging could have animated and hyped up the entire sequence and saved considerable stunt man minds and bodies.

The story is the usual maverick good guy cop vs the evil bad guy killers, but the film is remembered fondly today because of the vision of those muscle cars sailing and thumping

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