The Drop Dead Funny ’70s: American Film Comedies Year by Year

Lalande (Reel Ottawa: A Memoir) persuasively argues the 1970s “might have been American film comedy’s greatest era since the screwball 1930s,” when audiences wanted to see “a reflection of their own confused times.” Chronologically, the book includes reviews of 136 comedies released from 1970–79. It’s the decade containing the best works of Academy Award–nominated writer Neil Simon, Mel Brooks (writing/directingYoung Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles in the same year, 1974), director Carl Reiner (Where’s Poppa?, Oh, God!, and The Jerk), and Woody Allen, directing seven films mentioned in this book, including 1977’s Best Picture Oscar winner Annie Hall. It’s the decade that marked directorial debuts of Joan Rivers (Rabbit Test) and Elaine May (A New Leaf), and Peter Sellers starred in several Pink Panther films, Murder by Death, and Being There. Lalande is an astute and thoughtful critic, who offers tasty behind-the-scenes tales of how the films were made and weighs their merits—ranging from hits (M*A*S*H, Up in Smoke, What’s Up Doc?), cult films (Rock’n’Roll High School, Harold and Maude), lesser-known treasures (The Landlord, Made for Each Other), and misses (Scavenger Hunt).