It’s often said that it is good for your health to laugh. This article is dedicated to some of the most popular comedy talents that have entertained and amused people worldwide AND have been depicted on postage stamps.“Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them… well, I have others.” Just one of the hundreds of snappy comments made by Groucho Marx in films starring him and three of his four siblings (Chico, Harpo and Zeppo) – a comedy group collectively known as The Marx Brothers. The brothers developed from a theatre act, touring small-town America, into enormously popular film stars between the years 1905 and 1949. The brothers were included in American Film Institute’s “100 Years…100 Stars” list of the most significant screen legends, the only performers to be inducted collectively and two of their films (Duck Soup and A Night at the Opera) were voted in the top twelve of that organisation’s Top 100 Comedy Films.
While we’re on the subject of comedy groups, one of the most popular in more recent times is Monty Python.
Great Britain issued this stamp on April 1st (April Fool’s Day) 2015 as part of a set featuring famous British comedians. The group’s six members created the sketch comedy show Monty Python’s Flying Circus, first shown on BBC television in October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series. The Python phenomenon developed from the television series into something larger in scope and impact, spawning touring stage shows, films, numerous albums, several books, and a stage musical. The group’s influence on comedy has been compared to The Beatles’ influence on music.
St. Vincent Monty Python stamp sheet released in the year 2000 ……………
…………… and the same year another Caribbean island, Dominica, issued the offering shown below – featuring scenes from one of their most popular films.
