24 Classic Comedy Teams

Cheech and Chong bring their doobie-brothers act to the big screen, at one point illegally crossing the border in a van made entirely of reefer. Happens all the time.

Simply put, this cross-dressing fest is a comedy classic. Lemmon and Curtis play two guys on the lam after witnessing a crime. They discover two jobs that'll take them out of town. The catch? The positions are with an all-girl band leaving for a gig in Florida. What to do? Put on dresses and join the group, of course! And then let the hijinks begin.

Annie Hall (1977)
After several very funny movies in which he directed and played the nebbishy romantic lead, Allen made a more serious, impressionistic romantic comedy-drama — and it was a rambling mess. He saved it in the editing room, cutting an hour and reshuffling the pieces to create this sparkling kaleidoscope about a mismatched New York couple (Allen and Diane Keaton, at their most autobiographical). Allen won Best Director and Best Picture for his first real masterpiece.

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Allen not only cast his 1980s girlfriend/muse Mia Farrow as the Earth-mother-y Hannah, who tries to keep dithery sisters Dianne Wiest and Barbara Hershey grounded, but he also shot much of this delightful, poignant comedy-drama in her sprawling apartment.

Match Point (2005)
After years of hit-or-miss movies, Allen recharged his creative batteries by ditching New York for London and casting Scarlett Johansson as a tempestuous aspiring actress who has the bad luck to fall for an amoral social climber (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) who's already engaged to an heiress. A reworking of Allen's 1989 drama Crimes and Misdemeanors, the movie is both a suspenseful thriller and a chilling meditation on a universe without justice. —Gary Susman

Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin compete to see who can do the funnier slow burn as annoyed bounty hunter De Niro drags annoying Mob accountant Grodin across the country, with rival bounty hunters and mobsters in hot pursuit.

We didn't say the dancers in our favorite dance scenes had to be good. But, c'mon, like you wouldn't be impressed watching the high school underdogs (Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow) deliver this goofily fun pas de trios. Give respect where respect is due: It ain't easy to dance in pleather mini-dresses.

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