This is the first in a series of articles where we’ll be covering the Top Fish Out of Water Comedies by decade. Fish out of water is a term used to describe a situation where a person is put in an unfamiliar or unique situation – often to great comedic or dramatic effect. Fish Out of Water films will also usually highlight the absurdity of societal customs or mannerisms, often with a very satirical tone.
Though most Fish Out of Water Films are comedies, there are some films within the subgenre that fall under the drama, sci-fi and fantasy genres. Fish Out of Water Comedy is also closely aligned and most often integrated with other subgenres including Action Adventure Films, Films About Spies & Espionage, Body Swap Films, Parodies, Satires, Films About Cops & the FBI, Films About Families, Contemporary & Urban Fantasy Films, Films About the Multiverse, Films About Time Travel, Sports Comedies and Western Comedies.
Fish Out of Water Comedy has been utilized in film since the early 1900’s but emerged as a growing comedy subgenre in the 1970’s, with an increase in popularity in the 1980’s and has been one of the most popular comedy subgenres since. Popular Fish Out of Water Comedies over the decades include The Jerk (1979), Stripes (1981), Trading Places (1983), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), My Cousin Vinny (1992), Lost in Translation (2003), Idiocracy (2006), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Coming 2 America (2021).
This first article will cover the Top Fish Out of Water Comedies You Haven’t Seen from the 1970’s and you can check out additional articles by decade below. We are also going to include a Best Of subgenre article as a grand finale. There are so many great Fish Out of Water Comedies over the last 60 years that we felt it best to break down some of the subgenre’s forgotten and lesser-known gems by decade before we give you the Best Of list which will likely feature many films you’ve already heard of or have seen.
- Top Fish Out of Water Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 1970’s
- Top Fish Out of Water Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 1980’s
- Top Fish Out of Water Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 1990’s
- Top Fish Out of Water Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 2000’s
- Top Fish Out of Water Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 2010’s
- Best Recent Fish Out of Water Comedies
- Best Fish Out of Water Comedies
Though Fish Out of Water Comedy had been used in films prior to 1970, it was during this decade that this specific type of comedy was increasingly used as parody or satire. Popular themes of the subgenre during this period included societal and urban satire by placing individuals in new surroundings, time travel to highlight a character’s unfamiliar view of past or future eras, comedies where a teenager is coming-of-age in a new environment and westerns that utilized the fish out of water mechanism to parody culture during the Wild West.
As suburban life continued to grow in the 1970’s, it was natural that urban environments would be ripe for satire through Fish Out of Water Comedy. The Out-of-Towners (1970) highlighted a suburban couple’s nightmare visit in New York City while The Landlord (1970) focused its satire on racial themes with a white owner out of his element as the landlord of an urban apartment building with black residents. Societal views on race would also be highlighted in the Body Swap Comedy, Watermelon Man (1970), where a racist, white father wakes up as black man and encounters discrimination in a white world.
Body Swap Comedy would again be utilized in Freaky Friday (1976) where fish out of water themes applied to both the mother and daughter with the mother now experiencing coming-of-age issues in her daughter’s body. Other 1970’s coming-of-age teen comedies involving fish out of water scenarios included California Dreaming (1979) and French Postcards (1979).
Time Travel Films are one of the most popular subgenres for fish out of water themes as the time traveler is experiencing an unfamiliar era or environment. Tomorrow I’ll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea (1977) was a Czechoslovakian sci-fi film involving time travel to Nazi Germany and Fish Out of Water Comedy with twin brothers. H.G. Wells’ travel through time and pursuit of Jack the Ripper to 1970’s San Francisco is the basis of Time After Time (1979). And while technically not a time travel film, Sleeper (1973), would feature a man taken out of cryogenic sleep after 200 years to awaken in an unfamiliar dystopian society.
And finally, this era also produced two of the funniest Western Comedies of the entire subgenre. Blazing Saddles (1974) would satirize, parody and feature some of the funniest fish out of water comedy involving the first black sheriff in an old west town. And The Frisco Kid (1979) would feature a Jewish Rabbi out of his element on his way to San Francisco in 1850.
Our complete list of Fish Out of Water Comedies features over 188+ films from 1970 – 2024. This collection features almost every film featuring a person placed in an unfamiliar environment. As we’re always updating our collections and will be releasing additional articles of great Fish Out of Water Comedies, subscribe to our newsletter for our latest updates as we post them.
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Classic Fish Out of Water Comedies from the 1970’s: Sleeper (1973), Blazing Saddles (1974), Heaven Can Wait (1978), The Jerk (1979), The Frisco Kid (1979), Time After Time (1979) and Being There (1979).
Here is our list of the Top Fish Out of Water Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 1970’s:
Plot: While on a space mission, astronaut Tom Trimble (Dennis Dugan) and his android clone, Hermes (also Dugan), are accidentally sent back in time to the era of King Arthur (Kenneth More). Befriending the legendary English leader, Tom and Hermes must stop a scheme by the wizard Merlin (Ron Moody) and the sinister Sir Mordred (Jim Dale), who plan to dethrone the king. The duo passes off 20th-century technology as sorcery to in order to help defeat Merlin and Mordred.
KBZ’s Take: Unidentified Flying Oddball is a Disney film so it’s obviously targeting a younger demographic with its Fish Out of Water Slapstick Comedy set during the Medieval era. It’s also not a film you want to watch to get an in-depth (or accurate) look at the King Arthur Legend, Merlin, Mordred and other tales of the Knights of the Round Table.
It’s a film we saw when we were younger and loved it, but watching it recently again as an adult, the film’s flaws are very apparent. With that said, it is a fun film for kids and one of the better subgenre films to watch with the entire family.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: A white insurance salesman, Jeff Gerber (Godfrey Cambridge), gets the surprise of his life when he wakes up and discovers that his skin now resembles a black man’s. In day-to-day life, he soon finds himself the victim of discriminatory practices – the same kinds of behaviors that, ironically, he had once used on black people himself.
KBZ’s Take: Melvin Van Peeble’s was no stranger to controversy with his films such as Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971), and Watermelon Man is perhaps even more controversial with it’s biting satire on race and discrimination in the early 1970’s.
The film takes aim at many different stereotypes of African Americans and ups the ante by placing Jeff Gerber (now a black man) encountering these stereotypes in his affluent suburban life. While some of the satire is outlandish (for laughs), many of its critiques on race relations from the 1970’s haven’t changed over 50 years later.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: George & Gwen Kellerman make a trip to New York, where George is going to start a new job, it turns out to be a trip to hell.
KBZ’s Take: This 1970 film was remade as The Out-of-Towners (1999) starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn, but the original film is the one to see with classic fish out of water performances by Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis.
While we wouldn’t call the film a laugh-out-loud comedy, it does hit home with many of the situations involving urban life. It’s also a film that influenced many other films of the subgenre including After Hours (1985). If you’re a fan of the subgenre, it’s a film not to miss to see many of the subgenre tropes that this film initially developed.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Young T.T. comes from Chicago to spend the summer in California. He slowly becomes California-ized, while learning about love and life in the Golden State.
KBZ’s Take: This is one of the forgotten coming-of-age films of the 1970’s which is surprising given its cast of Dennis Christopher, Seymour Cassel, and Tanya Roberts. The film is also typical of the period with general coming-of-age drama and lighter sex comedy and raunchiness.
Though it’s been done numerous times since this film was released, the fish out of water theme of the film involving California culture was somewhat new at the time. It’s another film we would recommend to subgenre fans to see how the film helped usher in many of the teen-focused subgenre tropes more common today.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#6
The Landlord
Plot: As his 30th birthday nears, the aristocratic Elger Winthrop Enders (Beau Bridges) finally decides to leave his parents’ home, and he purchases an apartment complex in the slums of New York. The coldhearted Elger plans to boot out the current residents and refashion the crumbling dwelling into a luxurious bachelor pad. But after the spoiled young man befriends locals Francine (Diana Sands) and Margie (Pearl Bailey), he abandons his plans and instead focuses on charming his lovely neighbors.
KBZ’s Take: The Landlord is a surprisingly in-depth subgenre film that tackles many racial, societal and economic issues of its time. It also has an amazing cast that elevates the film with Beau Bridges, Lee Grant, Diana Sands and Lou Gossett Jr. (in one his first film roles).
As a product of the early 1970’s, the film does come off as dated. However, many of the themes in the film are still relevant today especially with Elger’s privileged life contrasted against the lives of his inner city tenants.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: A shy student (Miles Chapin) finds love with a Frenchwoman (Valerie Quennessen) as he and other U.S. students meet culture shock in Paris.
KBZ’s Take: This is a lesser-known and rare film that is a bit hard to find. While lost in the late 1970’s to other popular coming-of-age films, this film has a unique premise and some funny coming-of-age situations (in an unfamiliar setting and culture) that make it worth seeking out.
It also has a great cast with Miles Chapin, Blanche Baker, David Marshall Grant, Marie-France Pisier, Debra Winger and Mandy Patinkin. It’s a highly recommended film for fans of the subgenre.
Additional Lists: Top Teen & College Comedies You Haven’t Seen – 1970’s #2
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Jan is a decent, boring man, living a decent, boring life as a rocket designer. When his adventurous twin brother dies in a breakfast accident, Jan decides to impersonate him, unwittingly becoming a part of a Nazi time travel conspiracy.
KBZ’s Take: We mentioned earlier that Time Travel is often a subgenre that utilizes fish out of water themes, and this Czechoslovakian film is no exception with its unique, sci-fi-focused comedy. Though the comedy sometimes doesn’t translate well for Western audiences, it’s a film that subgenre fans should check out.
There aren’t many films that feature Nazis that take anti-aging pills, plan to go back in time to provide Hitler with a Hydrogen Bomb, bribe a time machine pilot (and eventual replacement), etc. And those are some of the crazy situations found in this film resulting in outlandish and hilarious paradoxes.
Additional Lists: Top Time Travel Films You Haven’t Seen – 1970’s #7
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: School girl Annabel is hassled by her mother, and Mrs. Andrews is annoyed with her daughter, Annabel. They both think that the other has an easy life. On a normal Friday morning, both complain about each other and wish they could have the easy life of their daughter/mother for just one day and their wishes come true as a bit of magic puts Annabel in Mrs. Andrews body and vice versa. They both have a Freaky Friday.
KBZ’s Take: Freaky Friday has had a few notable remakes with Freaky Friday (1995) and Freaky Friday (2003) that all feature Body Swap Comedy and fish out of water situations. But the original film is still the best of the bunch and the one you should watch first.
Though the original film is dated (as it was made in 1976), it still has the best performances of the Freaky Friday movies with Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster and swapping mother and daughter bodies (respectively). Their performances carry the film and none of the remakes can quite capture the magic that Foster and Harris brought to the original film.
Additional Lists: The Best Films of the Body Swap Film Subgenre #10
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: H.G. Wells travels forward in time to 1970’s San Francisco in pursuit of Jack the Ripper.
KBZ’s Take: Time After Time is a unique film of the 1970’s and one of the few films of the subgenre that is not an outright comedy. The film blends a variety of subgenres together including Films About Time Travel, Fish Out of Water Comedy, Action Adventure Films, and Crime Films About Serial Killers. H.G. Wells’ pursuit of Jack the Ripper contains many thrilling moments in the film while also providing some subtle fish out of water humor as Victorian Era Wells adjusts to life 86 years in the future.
The film’s fish out of water scenes are some of the best of the decade as Wells encounters a McDonald’s for the first time, is intrigued by an electric toothbrush and dissects other modern ways of life. But the fish out of water humor soon gives way to the romance between Wells and Amy (Mary Steenburgen) as she takes a liking to this odd man who doesn’t seem to fit in with present culture.
It’s one of the better romances involving Time Travel that slowly develops over the second act and has significant ramifications in the third act. And while the film doesn’t shy away from Jack the Ripper’s modern-day killing spree, it’s ultimately about a destined romance between the past and present.
Additional Lists: Top Time Travel Films You Haven’t Seen – 1970’s #2, Top Time Travel Films You Haven’t Seen #7, Best Time Travel Romance Films #10
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#1
Being There
Plot: A simple-minded gardener named Chance has spent all his life in the Washington D.C. house of an old man. When the man dies, Chance is put out on the street with no knowledge of the world except what he has learned from television.
KBZ’s Take: We know older generations might be questioning how Being There could be on a ‘film you haven’t seen’ list as it was a classic film of the 1970’s, one of the best subgenre films of its time and one of Peter Sellers best film roles. But bear with us as we explain why we included it here.
First, like other subgenre lists we compile, there are certain films we feel need more exposure for younger audiences that might not want to watch a film from 40 years ago. Being There is one of those films that needs to be seen as it’s a classic film of the subgenre that’s been overshadowed by more inferior yet popular Fish Out of Water Comedies over the decades.
Second, it’s a film that perfectly blends satire with Fish Out of Water Comedy as Chance (Sellers) continues to stumble upwards from his life as a gardener to advisor to the U.S. President to an unwitting celebrity. There are so many areas the film targets with its satire that it’s hard to forget that Seller’s subtle humor throughout makes the satire that more hilarious (and hard-hitting).
Being There is truly a great film and one of the best Fish Out of Water Comedies of all time. It’s not a film that should be missed regardless of whether you’re an older or younger fan of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
