Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter (1982)

Several hosts, noted for their own contributions to film comedy themselves (Burt Reynolds, Carol Burnett, Jack Lemmon, etc.) host this three part epic documentary, which takes viewers from the studios of comedic pioneers Mack Sennett and Hal Roach. The careers of individual early comics like Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, and Charlie Chaplin are covered through the 30s with W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, and Laurel and Hardy up through then current performers like Jack Lemmon, Mel Brooks, and Woody Allen. Clips from such all-time classics as "Some Like It Hot," "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," and "Private Benjamin" are highlighted.