'Annie Hall' Is the Funniest Movie Ever, Says Writers Guild

BY Josiah HughesPublished Nov 12, 2015

Which movie has the funniest script ever? Is it something from Charlie Chaplin, Adam Sandler or Tyler Perry? Is it Pauly Shore's late-career classic Bio-Dome? According to the Writers Guild of America, the funniest screenplay of all time is Woody Allen's Annie Hall.

The organization polled their vast membership and concluded that Allen's 1977 masterpiece was the funniest script put to paper.

The total ranking includes 101 movies, and it's full of classics from the likes of Mel Brooks, Monty Python, Steve Martin, Harold Ramis and John Hughes as well as more modern writers like Judd Apatow, Kristen Wiig, Tina Fey, Sacha Baron Cohen, Wes Anderson and others.

There are certainly some questionable choices (how is The Hangover so high on the chart, or even on it at all?) but it's still a pretty interesting list nonetheless.

Check out the WGA's top 101 comedy scripts below.

Annie Hall
Written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman, 1977, UA

Some Like It Hot
Screenplay by Billy Wilder & I.A. L. Diamond, Based on the German film Fanfare of Love by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan, 1959, UA

Groundhog Day
Screenplay by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis, Story by Danny Rubin, 1993, Columbia

Airplane!
Written by James Abrahams & David Zucker & Jerry Zucker, 1980, Paramount

Tootsie
Screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal, Story by Don McGuire and Larry Gelbart, 1982, Columbia

Young Frankenstein
Screenplay by Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks, Screen Story by Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks, Based on Characters in the Novel Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, 1974, 20th Century Fox

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Peter George and Terry Southern, 1964, Columbia

Blazing Saddles, Screenplay by Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Alan Uger, Story by Andrew Bergman, 1974, Warner Bros.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, 1975, Cinema 5

National Lampoon's Animal House
Written by Harold Ramis & Douglas Kenney & Chris Miller, 1978, Universal

This Is Spinal Tap
Written by Christopher Guest & Michael McKean & Rob Reiner & Harry Shearer, 1984, Embassy

The Producers
Written by Mel Brooks, 1967, AVCO Embassy

The Big Lebowski
Written by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, 1998, Gramercy

Ghostbusters
Written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, 1984, Columbia

When Harry Met Sally…
Written by Nora Ephron, 1989, Columbia

Bridesmaids
Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig, 2011, Universal

Duck Soup
Story by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, Additional Dialogue by Arthur Sheekman and Nat Perrin, 1933, Paramount

There's Something About Mary
Screenplay by John J. Strauss & Ed Decter and Peter Farrelly & Bobby Farrelly, Story by Ed Decter & John J. Strauss, 1998, 20th Century Fox

The Jerk
Screenplay by Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, Michael Elias, Story by Steve Martin & Carl Gottlieb, 1979, Universal

A Fish Called Wanda
Screenplay by John Cleese, Story by John Cleese & Charles Crichton, 1988, MGM

His Girl Friday
Screenplay by Charles Lederer, Based on the Play "The Front Page" by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur, 1940, Columbia

The Princess Bride
Screenplay by William Goldman, Based on Goldman's Novel of the Same Name, 1987, 20th Century Fox

Raising Arizona
Written by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, 1987, 20th Century Fox

Bringing Up Baby
Screenplay by Hagar Wilde and Dudley Nichols, Story by Hagar Wilde, 1938, RKO

Caddyshack
Written by Brian Doyle-Murray & Harold Ramis & Douglas Kenney, 1980, Orion

Monty Python's Life Of Brian
Written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, 1979, Orion

The Graduate
Screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry, Based on the Novel by Charles Webb, 1967, Embassy

The Apartment
Written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond, 1960, UA

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Peter Baynham & Dan Mazer, Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines & Todd Phillips, Based on a Character Created by Sacha Baron Cohen, 2006, 20th Century Fox

The Hangover
Written by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore, 2009, Warner Bros.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Written by Judd Apatow & Steve Carell, 2005, Universal

The Lady Eve
Screenplay by Preston Sturges, Story by Monckton Hoffe, 1941, Paramount

Ferris Bueller's Day Off *TIE, Written by John Hughes, 1986, Paramount

Trading Places *TIE, Written by Timothy Harris & Herschel Weingrod, 1983, Paramount

Sullivan's Travels
Written by Preston Sturges, 1941, Paramount

Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Written by John Hughes, 1987, Paramount

The Philadelphia Story
Screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart, Based on the Play by Philip Barry, 1940, MGM

A Night at the Opera
Screen Play by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, From a Story by James Kevin McGuinness, 1935, MGM

Rushmore
Written by Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson, 1998, Touchstone/BV

Waiting for Guffman
Written by Christopher Guest & Eugene Levy, 1996, Sony Pics Classics

The Odd Couple
Screenplay by Neil Simon, From the Play by Neil Simon as Produced on the Stage by Saint-Subber, 1968, Paramount

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad
! Written by Jerry Zucker & Jim Abrahams & David Zucker & Pat Proft, Based on the Television Series Police Squad! Created by Jim Abrahams & David Zucker & Jerry Zucker, 1988, Paramount

Office Space
Written for the Screen by Mike Judge, Based on the "Milton" Animated Shorts by Mike Judge, 1999, 20th Century Fox

Big
Written by Anne Spielberg & Gary Ross, 1988, 20th Century Fox

National Lampoon's Vacation
Screenplay by John Hughes, 1983, Warner Bros.

Midnight Run
Written by George Gallo, 1988, Universal

It Happened One Night
Screenplay by Robert Riskin, Based on the Short Story by Samuel Hopkins Adams, 1934, Columbia

M*A*S*H
Screenplay by Ring Lardner, Jr., From the Novel by Richard Hooker, 1970, 20th Century Fox

Harold and Maude
Written by Colin Higgins, 1971, Paramount

Shaun of the Dead
Written by Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright, 2004, Focus (Universal)

Broadcast News
Written by James L. Brooks, 1987, 20th Century Fox

Arthur
Written by Steven Gordon, 1981, Orion

Four Weddings and a Funeral
Written by Richard Curtis, 1994, Gramercy

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy *TIE, Written by Will Ferrell & Adam McKay, 2004, Dreamworks

Dumb and Dumber *TIE, Written by Peter Farrelly & Bennett Yellin & Bob Farrelly, 1994, New Line

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Written by Mike Myers, 1997, New Line

The General
Written by Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman, Adapted by Al Boasberg and Charles Smith, 1926, United Artists

What's Up, Doc?
Screenplay by Buck Henry and David Newman & Robert Benton, Story by Peter Bogdanovich, 1972, Warner Bros.

Wedding Crashers
Written by Steve Faber & Bob Fisher, 2005, New Line

Sleeper
Written by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman, 1973, United Artists

Galaxy Quest
Screenplay by David Howard and Robert Gordon, Story by David Howard, 1999, Dreamworks

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Screenplay by William and Tania Rose, Story by William and Tania Rose, 1963, United Artists

Best in Show
Written by Christopher Guest & Eugene Levy, 2000, Warner Bros.

Little Miss Sunshine
Written by Michael D. Arndt, 2006, Fox Searchlight

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Written by Trey Parker & Matt Stone & Pam Brady, 1999, Paramount

Being There
Screenplay by Jerzy Kosinski, Inspired by the Novel by Jerzy Kosinski, 1979, United Artists

Back to the Future
Written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale, 1985, Universal

Superbad
Written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, 2007, Columbia

Bananas
Written by Woody Allen, Mickey Rose, 1971, United Artists

Moonstruck
Written by John Patrick Shanley, 1987, MGM

Clueless
Written by Amy Heckerling, 1995, Paramount

The Palm Beach Story
Written by Preston Sturges, 1942, Paramount

The Pink Panther
Written by Maurice Richlin & Blake Edwards, 1963, United Artists

The Blues Brothers
Written by Dan Aykroyd and John Landis, 1980, Universal

Coming to America
Screenplay by David Sheffield & Barry W. Blaustein, Story by Eddie Murphy, 1988, Paramount

Take the Money and Run
Screenplay by Woody Allen and Mickey Rose, Story by Jackson Beck, 1969, Cinerama

Election
Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, Based on the Novel by Tom Perrotta, 1999, Paramount

Love and Death
Written by Woody Allen, 1975, United Artists

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels *TIE, Written by Dale Launer and Stanley Shapiro & Paul Henning, 1988, Orion

Lost in America *TIE, Written by Albert Brooks & Monica Johnson, 1985, Warner Bros.

Manhattan
Written by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman, 1979, United Artists

Modern Times
Written by Charles Chaplin, 1936, United Artists

My Cousin Vinny
Written by Dale Launer, 1992, 20th Century Fox

Mean Girls
Screenplay by Tina Fey, Based on the Book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman, 2004, Paramount

Meet the Parents
Screenplay by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg, Story by Greg Glienna & Mary Ruth Clarke, 2000, Universal

Fargo
Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, 1996, Gramercy

My Favorite Year
Screenplay by Dennis Palumbo and Norman Steinberg, Story by Dennis Palumbo, 1982, MGM

Stripes
Written by Len Blum & Dan Goldberg and Harold Ramis, 1981, Columbia

Beverly Hills Cop
Screenplay by Daniel Petrie, Jr., Story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie, Jr., 1984, Paramount

City Lights
Written by Charles Chaplin, 1931, United Artists

Sideways
Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, Based on the Novel by Rex Pickett, 2004, Fox Searchlight

Broadway Danny Rose
Written by Woody Allen, 1984, Orion

Swingers
Written by Jon Favreau, 1996, Miramax

The Gold Rush
Written by Charles Chaplin, 1925, United Artists

The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek
Written by Preston Sturges, 1944, Paramount

All About Eve
Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Based on the Short Story and Radio Program "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr, 1950, 20th Century Fox

Arsenic and Old Lace
Screenplay by Julius Epstein & Philip G. Epstein, Based on the Play by Joseph Kesselring, 1944, Warner Bros.

The Royal Tenenbaums
Written by Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson, 2001, Touchstone/BV

Mrs. Doubtfire
Screenplay by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, Based on Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine, 1993, 20th Century Fox

Flirting with Disaster
Written by David O. Russell, 1996, Miramax

Shakespeare in Love
Written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, 1998, Miramax

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