Bob Hope was alright when he was with Bing Crosby.

And Jerry Lewis was all right when he wasn't with Dean Martin. And he'd have been funnier in silent movies, which is why the French like him. (Well, maybe they also like him on principle, because they know it gets up the nose of Americans...)

Most of those Americans mentioned I don't think we've ever heard of back here.

I think there is a big distinction between comedians and comics. Comedians travel much better.

Going back a bit, Charlie Chaplin is an example of someone who was enormously popular both sides of the ocean. And whom I find remarkably unfunny most of the time.