Comedy generates an immediate, undeniable audience response. If audiences are smiling and laughing, then there's a good chance you made an effective funny movie. Thousands of comedy movies fall under the "effective funny movie" umbrella, of course, but what about the movies that exist beyond that, in another sphere? What about the films that are both hilarious and emotional, hilarious and innovative, hilarious and profound in a way that keeps us thinking about them years and even decades later?

We're here to talk about those movies—but first, a few caveats: One, for the purposes of brevity and sanity, we're talking about English-language comedy movies only this time around. Two, nothing ages faster than comedy, so some films aren't here by virtue of viewing them through a 2020 lens. And three, comedy is extremely subjective, so if your favorite didn't make the list ... hey, at least it still makes you laugh.

THE GENERAL (1926)

Buster Keaton's willingness to very nearly get himself killed over and over again for the sake of public entertainment is well-documented, and Keaton's particular brand of daring comedy never reached greater heights than with The General. Though its American Civil War setting is a regrettable part of the structure, the real star of the film is Keaton's repeated willingness to do some of the most elaborate, bold comedy stunts of the silent era. The film is worth watching for the moment in which he perches on the nose of a moving train and throws a railroad tie at another railroad tie to bounce it out of the way alone. Yes, he really did that, and yes, it's a gag that still works.

DUCK SOUP (1933)

The Marx Brothers weren't just a collective powerhouse. When they were at their best, they were four powerhouses operating independently of each other, and when joined together by the end of a film they were an unstoppable comedic force. Duck Soup is one among several Marx Brothers classics, but it stands out as the best of the bunch because it's perhaps the purest example of both their separate greatness and their unified talent. And of course, it's a film that makes plenty of room for the legendary honorary Marx, the great Margaret Dumont.

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)

You can go as big as you want with your comedy movie, but sometimes the best formula for timeless joy is simply getting two very talented people, putting them together for 90 minutes, and letting them work their magic. That's what Frank Capra did with It Happened One Night, and the chemistry between Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert as two mismatched people on an unlikely adventure retains its timeless power even today. The movie is most famous for the moment when Colbert shows her ankles to get a ride, of course, but the dialogue is still packed with wit and even some occasional wisdom. Plus, few actors could play drunk as funny as Gable did.