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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