The Comic

1969
A
1h 34m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Story of a brilliant silent-film comic whose talent is overshadowed by his ego.Story of a brilliant silent-film comic whose talent is overshadowed by his ego.Story of a brilliant silent-film comic whose talent is overshadowed by his ego.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

979

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos15

+ 8

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
While starring in The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961), Van Dyke called up Stan Laurel to ask for permission to do a Laurel & Hardy bit in an episode. Laurel told him that neither he nor Hardy's heirs owned the rights to the characters. Van Dyke and Reiner were horrified that Laurel didn't even own the rights to his own face, and this picture is the result.

Goofs
When Billy and Cockeye are walking along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, they are on Vine Street near the intersection of Selma Avenue. However, the stars' markers they point out are not in a row, or even near each other at that location.

Quotes
[first lines]
Passerby at Billy's Funeral: Who checked out?
Hearse Driver: An old-time movie actor.
Passerby at Billy's Funeral: What's his name?
Hearse Driver: Billy Bright.
Passerby at Billy's Funeral: Billy Bright? Billy Bright?
Hearse Driver: Yeah, he was... back in the silent movies.
Passerby at Billy's Funeral: Oh, Billy Bright! I thought he was dead?

Connections
Features The Best Mouse Loses (1920)

Soundtracks
Yes! We Have No Bananas
Written by Frank Silver and Irving Cohn
Performed by Dick Van Dyke
Briefly sung by Billy Bright in voiceover and used as a leitmotif throughout the film

User reviews40

Review

Featured review

Brilliant commentary on the silent movie era.

After seeing The Comic again after many years, I realize that Dick Van Dyke's character Billy Bright is actually an amalgam of at least three silent comedians: Harry Langdon (who the character resembles), Charlie Chaplin (for the womanizing) and Buster Keaton (for the drinking problem).

One tries to sympathize with Billy Bright over the years, but his ego is his downfall in Hollywood. Like Buster Keaton, Billy Bright is again thrust into the temporary limelight in his later years.

This is probably Dick Van Dyke's best role ever--he was a big fan of silent comedy films and was a good friend of Stan Laurel in the 1960s.

Also look for some great cameo appearances by Mantan Moreland and Jerome Cowan.