M-G-M's The Big Parade of Comedy (DVD)

Produced, directed and written by Robert Youngson, most famous for reacquainting the moviegoing public with the titans of the silent era in The Golden Age of Comedy (1957) and When Comedy Was King (1960), this compilation documentary begins, appropriately enough, in the 1920s and spotlights Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's sillier side up to 1948. The film's all-star assembly of scenes includes performances from across the firmament of Hollywood, from legendary comedy teams like Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, and The Marx Brothers to screen icons like Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn to beloved screen comedians like W.C. Fields, Red Skelton and Lucille Ball. So grab your popcorn, get ready to watch this parade -- and listen for Garbo's laugh! Legendary broadcaster Les Tremayne narrates.

• comedy
• documentary