(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)
Fri 9 January 2026 3:00, UK
Actors working extensively in comedy are rarely given time to rest because of how quickly humour evolves, so they must adapt to these changes in order to remain relevant, and Martin Short is a great example of someone willing to acknowledge the passing of time and changing tastes.
Apart from appearing in some of the most beloved comedies of the 1980s and ‘90s, Short has been able to reconnect with modern viewers thanks to his role as the bumbling, dip-guzzling ex-theatre personality turned amateur sleuth on the hit Hulu comedy series Only Murders in the Building, which co-stars another comedy legend in the form of Steve Martin and Selena Gomez.
It can often be difficult to determine what ends up ageing well, especially for someone like Short who had such a versatile career. While films like Captain Ron and Three Amigos received mixed reviews when they were first released, they’ve both earned cult audiences that have more appreciation for them. Even Clifford, a film that Roger Ebert annihilated in his review, has been appreciated as a ‘so-bad that it’s good’ classic.
When discussing his career with Screen Slate, Short was keen to note that “tastes change through the years”; however, he believes that there are a few comedic classics that will continue to connect with audiences for generations to come.
“I just think it’s always interesting, particularly with comedy, what ages well and what doesn’t,” he said, “I mean, I can still look at Young Frankenstein, and I think it’s literally perfection, and I feel that about Annie Hall. There are certain films that just have never been altered by time, and some have become less funny with time, and some become funnier.”
Young Frankenstein is a particularly inspired choice on his part, and not just because it’s become more popular due to the acclaimed musical adaptation, although all of Mel Brooks’ parody films have proven to be smarter and more profound with age. However, this one was clearly made with love for the original Universal Classics and has inspired imitators of its own, such that today, it wouldn’t be strange to hold Young Frankenstein in the same regard as James Whale’s Frankenstein or The Bride of Frankenstein.
On the other hand, Annie Hall, while containing the DNA of virtually every romantic comedy that has since followed in its wake, has a somewhat trickier reputation. This is because many film fans and pundits have found it impossible to assess it objectively when considering the reputation of its writer/director and star, Woody Allen, who has effectively been banned from Hollywood, but the uncomfortable truth is that he was allowed to make films for decades, and many of them are classics.
Thus, although discussing the legacy of the director is a more uncomfortable conversation, the film is worth pointing out for its place in the canon and the incredible achievements of Diane Keaton, who sadly passed away in 2025.
While Short tends to be fairly modest about his own career, he’s definitely appeared in several films where he has strived to make something universally comedic that will stand the test of time, much like his picks, and in that Father of the Bride is a beloved family comedy that featured one of his best roles, and audiences are finally coming around on Paul Thomas Anderson’s controversial noir mystery Inherent Vice, in which he turned in one of his most inspired performances.
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