Chevy Chase or Eddie Murphy

[rowech]

Whose career would you rather have?

[jbergey22]

Give me Eddie. Im guessing he made more $.

[LastWhiteSoxFanStanding]

Eddie=hot
Chevy =not

[cartman]

Chase gave us Ty Webb, Fletch and Clark Griswold, and has reemerged recently on TV with 'Community', but when he was bad, he was way worse and for a longer period of time than Eddie.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

simmons just wrote a big piece on murphy's career @grantland.

[Ryan S]

On the other hand, Chevy Chase was not caught with a transvestite prostitute.

[CrimsonFox]

I think Eddie has not had a good career lately. His bad films are really really bad. Chevy made some films that were bad or mediocre but they were of the really funky weird type that I would call cult classics (like Modern Problems), some wonderful subtle witty comedies (like Neil Simon's Seems Like Old Times), and of course utter brilliance (Caddyshack, Fletch). He is quirky and a half which is why I like him.

[Warhammer]

I went with Chevy. People really forget how great he was early in his career. Plus, while he was bad at times, did not have nearly the number of high profile flops Eddie has.

[kcchief19]

It's a definite toss-up. I think Chevy probably had more fun that Eddie, even if Eddie made more money.

Chevy had a big dry spell, but I think people underestimate Eddie's dry spell ... he didn't make a truly funny movie for 10 years. Eliminate Shrek from his bio, and the last 20 years have been a disaster.

While I like them both, I'll never forgive Chevy for Caddyshack II or Nothing But Trouble, but The Golden Child and Beverly Hills Cop III might be worse. And the most timeless movie either of them starred in might be Christmas Vacation.

[CrimsonFox]

Don't get me wrong Eddie is brilliant and I love when he does the multicharacter thing. They both have their schitck.
Eddie singlehandedly saved SNL while Chevy left after 1 season albeit he definitely left his stamp too.

Eddie is brilliant (Trading Places, Coming to America, Bowfinger, Nutty Professor ....and Dreamgirls)
His agent had to talk him into dreamgirls again and again and again and eddie wouldn't do it because it didn't give him money.

Eddie = money whore for sure.

The last 15 years have proved that...dr doolittle 1/2 , Haunted Mansion,Bev Hills Cop 3, Boomerang, Vampire in Brooklyn, Daddy Daycare, harlem Nights, etc, etc, etc)

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

It's a definite toss-up. I think Chevy probably had more fun that Eddie, even if Eddie made more money.

Chevy had a big dry spell, but I think people underestimate Eddie's dry spell ... he didn't make a truly funny movie for 10 years. Eliminate Shrek from his bio, and the last 20 years have been a disaster.

While I like them both, I'll never forgive Chevy for Caddyshack II or Nothing But Trouble, but The Golden Child and Beverly Hills Cop III might be worse. And the most timeless movie either of them starred in might be Christmas Vacation.

Don't blame Chevy for Caddyshack 2 and Nothing but trouble...blame DAN! Both of them were his. Dan wrote and directed NBT. Chevy just made a cameo in C2. Otherwise he had nothing to do with it.

Of course you could equate horrible war movies...
Deal of the Century to Best Defense.

[cuervo72]

I like Chevy, but found this interesting:

n a 1975 New York magazine cover story which called him "The funniest man in America", NBC executives referred to Chase as "The first real potential successor to Johnny Carson" and claimed he would begin guest-hosting The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson within six months of the article. Chase actually never did guest host the Tonight Show during his early peak years of success, and in fact did not even appear on the program until 1978, when he was promoting a prime time special for NBC. Carson later said of Chase after guest-hosting the Tonight Show; "He couldn't ad lib a fart after a baked bean dinner"

I think I take Eddie. BIG advantage on standup, probably a better SNL stint (length). Movies could be arguable.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

holiday road or neutron dance?

holiday road in a walk.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

I think I take Eddie. BIG advantage on standup, probably a better SNL stint (length). Movies could be arguable.

Raw and Delirious are what sell Eddie for me. There's no way Chevy pulls off two stand up videos like that. Chevy has put out a number of good things. Eddie during his peak was the coolest dude in comedy and was at a peak only Pryor really topped.

[Draft Dodger]

I'd probably choose Chevy Chase just for the chance to play Fletch.

Either way, chances are good I'd make better career decisions than the one I pick

[Abe Sargent]

I vote Steve Martin

[spleen1015]

Eddie because I bet Nicole was a lot of fun in bed.

[TRO]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

I think Eddie has not had a good career lately.

umm, Shrek

[DougW]

Way to deep in the thread to not have made a mention of ...

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Matthean

Raw and Delirious are what sell Eddie for me. There's no way Chevy pulls off two stand up videos like that. Chevy has put out a number of good things. Eddie during his peak was the coolest dude in comedy and was at a peak only Pryor really topped.

This. They both have made bad decisions in their career, and it was because they were (and probably still are) arrogant pricks. I think Eddie humbled and made his "family fare" crap movies because of it. I think Chevy is still surprised he wasn't more than he was.

[Antmeister]

This seems too easy for me. Definitely Murphy. The reason is this. There are more generations (even today) that know about Eddie than they know about Chase. My kids knew about him because of the slew of kid films he did. And because of his distinct voice, if the only kid film you had seen was Shrek, you would instantly recognize the voice anywhere.

Murphy influenced a lot of comedians due to his standup as well. And he has way more skits that get a lot of play of SNL all these decades later.

Yeah and if you look at the movies and standup, he has had more than 1 hits in every decade (talking strictly box office success here). A number of established actors can't even say that.

[Dutch]

Both were great comedians in their own right and in much different ways. I wouldn't say either is better than the other, but if I *had* to choose...it'd be Eddie.

[hoopsguy]

Originally Posted by DougW

Way to deep in the thread to not have made a mention of ...

That isn't his low point musically.

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Eddie because I bet Nicole was a lot of fun in bed.

Chevy because I bet tranny hookers are not a lot of fun in bed.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by Abe Sargent

I vote Steve Martin

+100000000

[RomaGoth]

This is a tough one, I like both of them. They both had ups and downs, but I would say overall Eddie Murphy is the more successful and recognizable of the two.

With that being said, I vote for Chase due to the tranny hooker fiasco.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

i thought it was eddie by a long shot but if i was on a desert island and only got 3 flicks...

beverly hills cop
48 hours
coming to america

or

caddyshack
fletch
vacation

think i'd go with chevy

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by NorvTurnerOverdrive

i thought it was eddie by a long shot but if i was on a desert island and only got 3 flicks...

beverly hills cop
48 hours
coming to america

or

caddyshack
fletch
vacation

think i'd go with chevy

How about:

Beverly Hills Cop
48 Hours
Trading Spaces

or

Caddyshack
Fletch
Vacation

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by NorvTurnerOverdrive

i thought it was eddie by a long shot but if i was on a desert island and only got 3 flicks...

beverly hills cop
48 hours
coming to america

or

caddyshack
fletch
vacation

think i'd go with chevy

I would replace Coming to America with Trading Places and give Eddie the edge based on that.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

yeah, my bad. but still. think i lean chevy.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by Blackadar

How about:

Beverly Hills Cop
48 Hours
Trading Spaces

or

Caddyshack
Fletch
Vacation

Eddie was never in a reality show about couples remodeling each other's home.

Trading PLACES is what you're looking for. 48 hours was a breakout role for Eddie for sure. But going back to look at it, I don't think it holds up. Granted that's more because of the type of movie it is rather than Eddie who is the only comedy in an extremely overviolent and somewhat overacted and overdirected film.

Eddie's brilliance really is in his multiple characters.
That's why Coming to America, Nutty Professor, and Bowfinger are easily in the brilliant category too. Granted Eddie does do a mistep with that in Norbit and that other one where he's inside himself.

I think Eddie totally whored himself out to bad kid flicks because a) kid flicks make money and it was an obvious ruse to soften up his image after getting caught with that prostitute. I never was totally sold on his performance in the Shreks. With voice acting I always judge it as a) how good is it and b) do I know it's the actor? Well he was SO eddie that that's why I don't think it's as good as all that but granted it's not as bad as Cameron Diaz.

And I actually have a soft spot for Golden Child. Thought it was hilarious, but then again I grew up watching it. It was more that "dirty movie with bad language" that kids like watching as it had such a fantasy plot.

Chevy is a bit more odd. They are too completely different styles.
Chevy underplays and deadpans everything.

I really like Fletch, Caddyshack, Seems like Old Times.
Also like Foul Play a lot and even stupid Under the Rainbow and Best Defense and Modern Problems have their charms. Yes the Vacations are good too. Not my favorite but good.

Regarding serious films, both have also been able to pull that off:
Eddie with Dreamgirls and Chevy with Memoirs of an Invisible Man (and Seems like Old Times to an extent as his performance is just very real and subtle)

I think it's agreed they are both brilliant comic performers and it's really choosing whose style you like better.

Or if you'd rather admit to having a career with Eddie's kid films and lover choices or Chevy's "The Chevy Chase Show"

[Rizon]

Originally Posted by Ryan S

On the other hand, Chevy Chase was not caught with a transvestite prostitute.

[OldGiants]

Originally Posted by Antmeister

This seems too easy for me. Definitely Murphy. The reason is this. There are more generations (even today) that know about Eddie than they know about Chase. My kids knew about him because of the slew of kid films he did. And because of his distinct voice, if the only kid film you had seen was Shrek, you would instantly recognize the voice anywhere.

Murphy influenced a lot of comedians due to his standup as well. And he has way more skits that get a lot of play of SNL all these decades later.

Yeah and if you look at the movies and standup, he has had more than 1 hits in every decade (talking strictly box office success here). A number of established actors can't even say that.

Or MULAN

[Fidatelo]

Lots of people seem to be bringing up the tranny hooker, yet the question explicitly states "Whose career would you rather have?". I don't think the tranny hooker was ever written into one of his roles or contracts, so I feel like we need to stricken it from the record when making our judgement.

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

Lots of people seem to be bringing up the tranny hooker, yet the question explicitly states "Whose career would you rather have?". I don't think the tranny hooker was ever written into one of his roles or contracts, so I feel like we need to stricken it from the record when making our judgement.

Unfortunately, personal life is fair game for public figures and right or wrong, this is the the way it is. I motion that the tranny incident remain on the record.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

Lots of people seem to be bringing up the tranny hooker, yet the question explicitly states "Whose career would you rather have?". I don't think the tranny hooker was ever written into one of his roles or contracts, so I feel like we need to stricken it from the record when making our judgement.

stop asking people to read

[spleen1015]

I'll take the tranny hooker if it means 12 years of seeing Nicole naked.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

I'll take the tranny hooker if it means 12 years of seeing Nicole naked.

I've seen Nicole Mitchell naked, and - as you might expect - she looks just like Terrell Owens naked.

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

I've seen Nicole Mitchell naked, and - as you might expect - she looks just like Terrell Owens naked.

YOU JUST SHUT YOUR FILTHY FUCKING MOUTH!

Go snort some more Coke, Ron.

DAMN YOU, MAN!

[larrymcg421]

I'd rather have the tranny hooker on my record than the Chevy Chase Show.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

YOU JUST SHUT YOUR FILTHY FUCKING MOUTH!

Go snort some more Coke, Ron.

DAMN YOU, MAN!

I win.