One A Day: April Fools

It's that time of year again, time for "kick me" signs and fake spiders on the desk and snakes that pop out of a can.  April Fool's Day is right around the corner and to honor this ridiculous holiday I'm going to give you a week's worth of fools to watch on TV.  Instead of picking individual movies, I thought I'd suggest some of the funniest fools ever to slip on a banana peel. 

After you check out my list, please leave me a comment with some of your favorite "fools" and foolish movies.

Ah!  But before we get on with business, I have some kudos to extend.  Last week I asked the question: 

This popular Oscar nominated actor starred as a Secret Service agent in the big screen version of a quirky sixties TV Western.  Can you name the actor and the movie? 

The correct answer was Will Smith and the movie remake of Wild Wild West.

Karyn G, Aaron R, Fred Bals, and Mary P all had the correct answer and special kudos to Mark E. who actually came up with a second correct answer in Smith's co-star Kevin Kline.  And a shout out to Pat M. who was close with James Gardner in Maverick but he wasn't a secret service agent.

Thanks for playing!  I'm keeping track of the winners and we'll see who scores the most points over the long haul so be sure to answer this week's question posted at the end of my column. 

Now, on to the show.

Monday:  Adam Sandler

Wearing the crown as the current "fool" of the box office, Adam Sandler is a movie-making machine.  He surrounds himself with familiar talent such as Drew Barrymore, Jack Nicholson, and Reese Witherspoon and this takes his films up a notch from just slapstick comedy.  I heard a reviewer say that Sandler always plays the same character in all his movies - well, that's fine by me because that character is very funny.  Check him out in Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer.

Tuesday: Will Ferrell

Vying for that top position as main funny man is SNL regular Will Ferrell.  Tall and lanky, sporting a goofy smile, he's less of a physical comedian and more about bringing a totally unique (and odd) character to the screen.  His current movie, Blades of Glory, has him as a male figure skater forced to skate pairs with another man if he wants to compete.  Often seen as a supporting character, Ferrell rocks in Old School, Starsky & Hutch and Zoolander. 

Wednesday:  Chris Farley

Though he didn't live long enough to make many movies, Chris Farley gave it his all in every picture he made.  Larger than life in more ways than one, Farley (like many of the others on this list) had a childlike innocence that endeared him to his fans.  Considering his size, he was an amazing physical comedian and it's a shame we won't get to see more of him on the big screen.  Favorite flick?  Tommy Boy with cohort in crime David Spade, Beverly Hills Ninja and catch the Best of Farley on Saturday Night Live.

Thursday: Jim Carrey

From mild-mannered man turned superhero to one of the most infamous holiday villains, Jim Carrey is worth four times his weight in box office gold.  Slapstick comedy, over-the-top characters and incredible facial expressions, Jim Carrey is like a living cartoon.  My favorite film of his is The Mask, but you'll also enjoy Liar, Liar and Bruce Almighty.  If you're in a serious mood, check out The Truman Show - it really proves this boy has range!

Friday:  Jerry Lewis

This one half of the Martin and Lewis comedy team really made a name for himself when he went solo in the late fifties.  Known for his wacky characters, crazy voice antics and boyish demeanor, Lewis may have been bumbling in his movies but you loved him anyway.  The Errand Boy, a story about Hollywood movie making is on top of my list, but I also love Hook, Line and Sinker, and The Patsy.

Saturday: Abbott and Costello

Who's on first?  What's on second and I don't know's on third.  This classic burlesque sketch became a signature piece for the comedy team of Abbott and Costello and it's a typical example of their humor.  Appearing in more than 30 movies in fifteen years, these guys played pretty much the same characters in every movie but that never bothered me at all.  My favorite film of theirs is Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, cheesy title but fabulously funny film.  Another fave is Buck Privates, a WWII based movie that co-stars the wonderful Andrews Sisters.  These films may be sixty years old but the humor is timeless.

Sunday:  The Marx Brothers

If you've never seen a Marx Brothers movie, you are truly missing out on a great film experience.  Groucho's witty repartee and pointed double entendres' are some of the funniest lines ever written in a movie.  Chico, generally found acting the role of a dimwitted Italian, will wow you with his piano playing.  Harpo is completely mute but he says it all with his eyes, his face and his endless supply of wacky props.  You'll be totally taken in by his childlike innocence and when he hauls out the harp, I'm done for.  And don't forget little known baby brother Zeppo.  Generally cast as the straight man, he had his work cut out for him.  Horse Feathers is my favorite but you can't go wrong with Duck Soup, Night at the Opera or A Day at the Races.

So that's my list of April Fool's Fools!  Now it's your turn.  Leave your favorite foolish films on the comments below and if you know the answer to the trivia question please email it to me.  I prefer if you put the answer in the subject line so it's easy to spot. 

Here we go:  Which one of my One a Day Fools made an early TV appearance as an impersonator of another actor on the list?  Give me both names and get a point in the win column!  (I'll give you a bonus point if you can name the show he performed this act on)
 

Happy April Fool's Day!

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Cynthia Boris, Movie Correspondent:

Cynthia's column, One a Day, published every Wednesday to Gather Essentials: Movies.  A published pop culture author and DVD reviewer, Cynthia lives in Orange County, California where she splits her time between her two favorite things - writing and the entertainment biz.

You can find all of Cynthia's columns at http://gather.com/oneaday

Keep up with Cynthia's other postings and Gather activity by joining her Gather network -- just click here http://cynthiab.gather.com and select the orange "Connect" button on the left-hand side of the page

You'll find Cynthia and other Movie Correspondents, plus celebrity content and plenty of other movie buffs at Movies.gather.com

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