# Great comedy bad guys from movies and TV **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [November 6, 2023, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696 "2023-11-06T14:46:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696/81 "2023-11-08T00:38:56Z")
> [@solost](#): > > > [@terentii](#): > > > > Falk was a Chicago Mob boss opposite Sinatra and the Rat Pack in _ **Robin and the Seven Hoods** _. > > Huh, another movie Falk was in that I don’t remember. I could swear I have seen that movie, but if so it’s been years and years. Probably worth a rewatch. Sounds like Falk was in danger of being typecast as a mob guy before he became typecast as a rumpled detective. > > > [@steepone](#): > > > > Commandant Klink (Werner Klemperer) from Hogan’s Heroes would be one of my favourite bad guys > > > [@terentii](#): > > > > I’d add Schultz and Burkhalter. But Hochstetter was the nastiest. > > My favorite Hogan’s Heroes trivia is that all the actors who played Nazis on that show were actually Jews who were happy to portray Nazis as evil, bumbling, ridiculous characters. Klemperer, who fled Germany with his family in the 30s, only agreed to take on the role if he always played the fool-- Klink was never to be portrayed doing anything good or clever. > > Robert Clary, who played LeBeau, the French POW, was also a Jew who had spent time in a concentration camp as a child. John Banner and Leon Askin were both from Austria and fled the Nazis. They both joined the US military during WWII. Howard Caine who played Hochstetter was from Tennessee of all places. As someone who grew up with a Southern accent I wonder how he felt doing a fake German accent around all of those native speakers. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696/82 "2023-11-08T02:05:50Z")
He’s literally the serpent who tempted Eve! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696/83 "2023-11-08T02:11:02Z")
That doesn’t make him _bad._ Misunderstood, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696/84 "2023-11-08T02:11:28Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > He’s literally the serpent who tempted Eve! And Aziraphale then gave Adam the flaming sword. Both weren’t playing by the rules and colluded with each other for their own purposes. The difference was Aziraphale felt guilty about it. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696/85 "2023-11-08T02:24:23Z")
I’m misunderstood. He’s problematic. They are evil. 'Twas ever thus. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696/86 "2023-11-08T03:54:21Z")
The Black Widows in Eastwood’s “Philo Beddoe” movies, until their collective heel-face turn toward the end of the sequel. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hwhzardUvOg/hqdefault.jpg "Any Which Way You Can (1980) - Black Widows Get Asphalted") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwhzardUvOg) ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696/87 "2023-11-08T04:21:50Z")
Vizzini from _The Princess Bride_. Both Dark Helmet and President Skroob from _Spaceballs_; and an honorable mention to Colonel Sanders from the same. > [@solost](#): > > Is the rest of the show as great as that? There is very little I like (movies or television) that has been made in the last twenty years or so. _Crazy Ex-Girlfriend_ is absolutely amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696/88 "2023-11-08T04:25:12Z")
Morty at the zoo was just hilarious! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696/89 "2023-11-08T07:53:58Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > For flat out comedic ‘villain’, you can’t do much better than Prof. Fate (Jack Lemmon) and his sidekick Max (Peter Falk) in _The Great Race._ Great choice. > [@TriPolar](#): > > Louie DePalma on [Taxi](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077089/) was a great bad guy. If a driver wanted to know about a phone message left for them they would have to give Louie money. He saw characters like Latka and Jim Ignatowski as his personal pawns. The role made Danny DeVito a star. Yes! > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > A few from _Scrubs_ would qualify. The Janitor and Dr Kelso- maybe. Not Cox, who was a superb doctor and that is the way he taught > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > How about David Tennant as Crowley on _Good Omens_? Naw, he had fun but he was on the side of humanity. > [@Precambrianmollusc](#): > > Alan Rickman as the Sherif of Nottingham in Robin Hood Prince if Thieves is a comedic villain > Terrible movie , but it is a daft fun film No- a GREAT film- as long as Rickman is on scene. . > [@solost](#): > > Julie Newmar as Catwoman Had the perfect moves (and figure). Eartha Kitt had the perfect voice. They were the best from _any_ TV show or film. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696/90 "2023-11-08T13:24:33Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > And in checking up on details in the [wiki article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbo#Development_and_character_profile) I see he wasn’t the person to assume the role. Interesting. I did not know there were proto-Columbos played by other actors before the first Columbo movie. Also, they considered Lee J. Cobb and _Bing Crosby_ before Falk for the TV role? Thank God Crosby preferred to spend his time playing golf-- I can’t imagine a Crosby Columbo. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696/91 "2023-11-08T14:06:20Z")
I always enjoy Andy Griffith as Colonel Ticonderoga in _Rustlers’ Rhapsody_. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696/92 "2023-11-08T14:33:04Z")
Don’t forget Patrick Wayne as the Dragon in the above film. _ **Rex O’Herlihan** : You’re not a good guy at all!_ _ **Bob Barber** : I’m a lawyer, you idiot!_ ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696/93 "2023-11-09T11:41:42Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Not Cox, who was a superb doctor and that is the way he taught Sure, but he still demasculated JD every time they communicated, to which JD once replied, “Every time you call me a girl’s name, I die a little inside.” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696/94 "2023-11-09T12:34:34Z")
My favorite line in _ **Batman** _ comes in the middle of the second season, in the episode where Leslie Gore is Catwoman’s sidekick. Batman is tempted to run away with Catwoman: **BATMAN:** But what about Robin? **CATWOMAN:** (_Shrugs_) We’ll kill him. I especially like the way she delivers the line with no more emotion than swatting a fly. She’s one helluva great villainess! ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696/95 "2023-11-09T18:10:32Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > There is very little I like (movies or television) that has been made in the last twenty years or so. _Crazy Ex-Girlfriend_ is absolutely amazing. Couldn’t agree more. A comedic, heartfelt musical about living with a severe mental illness is not something I ever thought I could bear to watch (and it’s hard sometimes.) But the payoff is enormous. ETA: Watching “JAP Battle” it just reminded me of how the show could take these hilarious caricatures and then turn them into real people you can empathize with. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-comedy-bad-guys-from-movies-and-tv/992696.md?page=4)