Stalag 17 had its share of laughs too. When Shapiro and the Animal take their bucket of whitewash, paint a line on the prison camp compound, and the German guard obligingly opens the gate for them (giving them access to the Russian women's camp) it's a classic moment of "so stupid it's brilliant" deadpan humor that Wilder specialized in.
"Maybe he just wanted to steal our wire cutters."
I agree with you about Stalag 17...I always found the 'Animal' to be such a funny character....I especially liked the Christmas Party scene, where the 'Animal' is dancing with one of his fellow POWs who is wearing something on his head, maybe a mop or something, and the poor 'Animal' lovesick for his favorite pinup gal, either Betty Grable, or Lana Turner, believes he is really dancing with her
Also the scene where mail comes, and they are reading their mail, and one POW gets a letter form his wife, explaining how she found this baby on the front porch, and keeps telling her husband, 'You wont believe it' several times in the letter...The poor POW reads on, and says 'I believe it, I believe it'....Just so understated and priceless...
AT EASE
I also especially like the film noir, 'Double Indemnity'...Fred McMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, and Edward G. Robinson...what a great movie...and it so well relayed the hot sexual attraction and tension between McMurray and Stanwyck, with nary an 'obligatory' nudie or sex scene...Great film making...