A white racist bigot wakes up one day to discover (God?) has turned him black. The original comedy classic about someone translated into another person's skin is, of course, Shakespeare's "Midsummer's Night Dream." Try the Max Reinhardt version. A really offbeat French movie on the switch theme is titled "Rendez-moi ma peau.

An honest, unemployed chemistry teacher is duped into sponsoring a sparkling elixir that is supposed to be healthy but really is not. When he finds out the truth, he has a few surprises of his own. Today John Barrymore's talent is somewhat overlooked but his pre-code comedies are priceless. He is equally wonderful in "Twentieth Century" as well as "Counsellor-at-Law.

Comic (and tragic), the hero spins a fantastic tale, a revisionist history of the Old West. It astonished audiences with its sensitive treatment of Native Americans. I've never been a big fan of the Western, but excellent films in that genre are: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Viva Zapata, Hud, Yellow Sky, The Misfits, The Naked Spur, Hombre, Pursued, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

Less well known than Greta Garbo's "Ninotchka," this comedy is a much more biting satire of Stalinist Russia.

Hilarious satire about a man who sells his soul to the devil. Great fun...not to be confused with the remake which lacks the intelligent script of the original classic.

A thoroughly enjoyable tale of a hapless bus-driver who is seduced by a beautiful woman to come to Sicily. Alas, he is unawares that her agenda is to have him "knocked off" since he's a look-alike of her gangster husband. One of the funniest films ever made. Other films that don't take gangsters too seriously are "Some Like it Hot" (USA), "Black Cat White Cat" (Bulgaria) or "La Chevre (France)

An American falls in love with a spirited Greek "woman of the streets". Happily, he can't change her free nature. Melina Mercouri's irrepressible enthusiasm makes this a magical picture...and the music is world famous!

Zero Mostel shines in this wild story of a theatre producer who dreams up an illegal scheme to oversell business investments in a show which he is certain will be pulled after opening night. The problem is that his ridiculous musical - Springtime for Hitler - becomes a cult Broadway hit.

An owner of just a few shares of corporate stock ends up exposing the corruption of the big bosses by speaking up at a board meeting. Films like this about the pursuit of the American Dream provide terrific opportunities for comedy and irony: "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying", "It's a Gift", "As Young As You Feel", "Quiz Show", and my personal favorite "The Devil and Miss Jones.

How does politics appear - left or right - from the perspective of a nine year old? This is the premise of this satire but it most certainly works... on account of the charming, intelligent performance of the child actress Nina Kervel-Bay.

Brilliant and funny. Random people are selected as "grim reapers" to extract the souls of those passing on to the other side. Through humor, this mini-series succeeds in touching upon some very serious existential questions. Follow up with Season Two. Die hard fans may be disappointed with the final movie length episode - "Dead Like Me: Life After Death - but it gives some closure to the series.

16th century, Japan. A disguised princess and her warrior samurai have to join up with two greedy and incompetent peasants in order to carry a treasure back to their homeland through enemy territory. The film is filled with wonderful comic moments, fascinating music, and rare humanity.

Creative reworkings of our beloved fairy tales, all in delightful animation.