# Comedians and comic actors who primarily got their yucks from facial expressions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856 "2012-10-25T19:26:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/1 "2012-10-25T19:26:06Z")
I’ll start: Steve Martin ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/2 "2012-10-25T19:33:36Z")
Buster Keaton. OK, OK, that’s kind of a joke in itself, cause he didn’t have any. Jack Benny. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/3 "2012-10-25T19:36:45Z")
Steve Martin’s comedy albums went[gold, platinum, and double platinum.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Martin#Albums) Seems unlikely that those record sales were primarily driven by making funny faces. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/4 "2012-10-25T19:37:10Z")
Jim Carrey. Without the faces he’s got nuthin’. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/5 "2012-10-25T19:38:46Z")
Gale Gordon. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/6 "2012-10-25T19:40:54Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Steve Martin’s comedy albums went[gold, platinum, and double platinum.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Martin#Albums) Seems unlikely that those record sales were primarily driven by making funny faces. Yeah, he had some help from funny headgear. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/7 "2012-10-25T19:42:29Z")
Harpo Marx Lucille Ball Richard Mulligan Soupy Sales Rowan Atkinson ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/8 "2012-10-25T19:42:35Z")
I an’t think of anyone who got laughs PRIMARILY from facial expressions, but there are loads for whom facial expressions were extremely important. 1. Groucho Marx would be funny for wordplay alone, without using his eyebrows… but the eyebrows were an enormous bonus. 2. Jack Benny was hilarlious on radio, where no one could see his face. But on film or TV, he was at his funniest when trying to keep a calm, dignified expression in a preposterously embrarrassing situation. 3. Stan Laurel’s wordless, clueless, satisfied grin was funny all by itself… as was Oliver Hardy’s worldless, exasperated face while doing a slow burn at Stan’s cluelessness. 4. Lou Costello’s whipped puppy “I’m a bad boy” face was priceless. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/9 "2012-10-25T19:45:00Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Steve Martin’s comedy albums went[gold, platinum, and double platinum.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Martin#Albums) Seems unlikely that those record sales were primarily driven by making funny faces. Good point. But I think he was far more successful as a movie star, where the goofy faces often drove the laughs. Marty Feldman ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/10 "2012-10-25T19:46:01Z")
Bob Newhart. Dead pan facial expression. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/11 "2012-10-25T19:47:26Z")
Following **astorian** ’s _“I can’t think of anyone who got laughs PRIMARILY from facial expressions, but there are loads for whom facial expressions were extremely important.”_ Carol Burnett Mel Brooks Johnny Carson ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/12 "2012-10-25T19:48:03Z")
It’s not _quite_ what you’re thinking of, but I’ve heard a few friends say that they’d find Chris Rock a lot less funny if it wasn’t for his shit-eating grin. Half the reason I like The Amazing Johnathan is because he perfected his timing for [this look](http://www.lasvegas-nv.com/showpics/amazingjohnathan.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/13 "2012-10-25T19:48:29Z")
Red Skelton ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/14 "2012-10-25T19:49:28Z")
[Phil Leeds](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=PHIL+LEEDS&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bpcl=35466521&biw=1024&bih=650&wrapid=tlif135119450016110&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=h5eJUIPYOoHx0gHB9IHYCQ) [Moms Mabley](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=PHIL+LEEDS&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bpcl=35466521&biw=1024&bih=650&wrapid=tlif135119450016110&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=h5eJUIPYOoHx0gHB9IHYCQ#um=1&hl=en&safe=off&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=moms+mabley&oq=moms+mabley&gs_l=img.3..0j0i24l9.31728.32976.0.33101.11.6.0.3.3.0.109.576.3j3.6.0...0.0...1c.1.Bk4x6h7ZXk0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=431940b434b2158f&bpcl=35466521&biw=1024&bih=650) ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/15 "2012-10-25T19:52:12Z")
Red Skelton did the facey thing quite a bit, didn’t he? Edit: ninja’d by **campp** ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/16 "2012-10-25T20:20:19Z")
Jonathan Winters ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/17 "2012-10-25T20:27:48Z")
Joe E. Brown is the first one that came to my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Chum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@Chum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chum)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/18 "2012-10-25T20:31:04Z")
Martin Short. The last time I watched _Clifford_, I realized that the entire movie runs on the steam from Short’s ridiculous faces. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/19 "2012-10-25T20:34:09Z")
Wow - I’m the first to mention **Charlie Callas**? In the late '60’s and early '70’s he was the man for rubber-faced expressions. A quick check on Youtube showed a ton of clips, but I couldn’t easily pick one out that showcased all of his whacky expressions. So fun and silly. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856/20 "2012-10-25T20:38:02Z")
> [@Chum](#): > > Martin Short. The last time I watched _Clifford_, I realized that the entire movie runs on the steam from Short’s ridiculous faces. I mentioned Steve Martin. I guess this is the part where we mention Chevy Chase. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-and-comic-actors-who-primarily-got-their-yucks-from-facial-expressions/638856.md?page=2)