Try:



Bob Hope

Danny Kaye

Red Skelton

Chevy Chase (& many other SNL alums)

the Pink Panther films (a British lead but I believe the films are American)

the Police Academy films and similar franchises

Leslie Nielsen

Gene Wilder



And this was fairly common for comedy teams - Abbott & Costello, The Ritz Brothers, Martin & Lewis, Olsen & Johnson, the Three Stooges, even Laurel & Hardy.



Silent comics were often in quite similar films but usually with unexpected competence and ingenuity.





LT





-----Original Message-----

>From: "Frank, Michael" <[log in to unmask]>

>Sent: Dec 13, 2012 11:03 PM

>To: [log in to unmask]

>Subject: [SCREEN-L] QUERY:  the incompetent hero

>

>i have a student who's interested in writing about the incompetent hero in american movies, and asked me about such figures in movies from before the current century . . .  i immediately thought of woody allen but then drew a blank . . . can anyone suggest either a movie [or set of movies] featuring an incompetent hero, or an actor who regularly played the part of the incompetent hero?

>

>many thanks

>

>mike  

>



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